Christmas is Redemptive Creation

First Creation

When Adam opened his eyes perhaps the first thing he saw was the face of God. Creation had been magnificent for sure, a brand-new earth, light separated from darkness and a beautiful paradise with gardens lush with life. But the crowning point of creation was the man whom God pronounced as “Very Good!” When the “Breath of Life” was breathed into his nostrils he became the apple of God’s eye and a companion of the closest kind. Placed in the center of this beautiful new creation, Adam was charged with the responsibility to keep the paradise in which he lived, name all the other created creatures and of course, walk with God, his creator. When Adam had completed all that God had required of him, Adam discovered that he needed something more…so God made Eve for him. Such a life they lived; complete with afternoon talks with God as they strolled through the garden. This was an intended life that could have lasted forever, but somehow they saw greener grass on the other side of the garden.


We all know what happened. With the turning away from God, both Adam and Eve became outcasts from the created paradise that had been theirs. But their banishment was only part of the consequence of their actions. Later, Paul wrote that the act even affected the “cosmos” in a very profound way. Everything changed; all had been lost. The very environment had turned on them by becoming more hostile. There was complete separation from God. Gone were the afternoon walks and talks; gone was the love and security that the Creator had provided in a face-to-face fashion. A great gulf had been formed that prevented Adam and Eve (and all humans) from coming into God’s presence again. From that very moment Adam’s kind had lost the relationship once enjoyed and there was no way to regain that relationship. Mankind had lost, death reigned and separation was embedded forever.


Second Creation


But then God worked on His redemptive creation…He made a way when there was no way!


Grace was created for mankind. Not any grace, but God’s Grace. God had to create a way to build a bridge across that gulf. The only perfect way to do that was for God to personally do the work himself. Paul and John explain that redemptive creation like this:


“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.” But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (See Romans 5)


Therefore, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:


Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (See Philippians 2)


“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (See John 1)


The Word Became Flesh…Christmas is Redemptive

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