By Gillian Bethel
If we could travel back to the creation of the first human, we would notice that he isn’t brought into existence at God’s command like the fish, birds, trees, and stars were.1 Instead, God comes personally and forms the man, then gently breathes life into him. And because He wants to connect with human beings in close relationship, He creates them in His own image.2
But there’s something very poignant here that we must not miss. The Creator has also designed human beings with the option to break that connection. With foreknowledge, He’s aware they will do just that, causing themselves great suffering.
Why does He create humans, then? It’s because He also knows their wonderful potential. And why is the creation of the first human so poignant? Because humanity’s Creator is God the Son, the Lifegiver. We know Him as Jesus. And while He forms the father of the human race, He knows that His own suffering will be infinitely greater than theirs, yet He still wants to give them life and freedom of choice.
Fast-forward to a sad scene in beautiful Eden. Usually, the first man and woman look forward to spending time with their Creator; but today, they’re dreading it. They have disobeyed His only stipulation. It was simple enough: one fruit tree in the garden was off limits; all the rest were theirs to enjoy. Obeying Him would have been their opportunity to show respect and trust and to return the love He’s shown them.
Earlier, the rebel angel, Satan, had deceived Eve by convincing her that God was a liar who was trying to keep them from godlike wisdom. She then not only ate the forbidden fruit but also convinced Adam to join her. Now they realize it was a great mistake. Guilt and fear have replaced their happiness. They know the result of disobedience will be something called “death.”3 When will they die? The outlook seems hopeless.
But the Lifegiver—God the Son—has already stepped in with a plan that He, God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit have agreed on from eternity. It will cost them all dearly, especially God the Son. But at the moment of disobedience, they activate this plan to keep the human race alive.4 There is hope!
Even now with hindsight, it’s hard for us to understand the seriousness of sin, but we must! When God the Father—who is unselfish love in every aspect of His being—gives a command, it’s the way of love. God’s commands are always for the best good of others and ourselves; any disobedience puts a person in rebellion against selfless love.
To turn from love is to fall into selfishness—my way for my benefit. And just as selfless love is life-giving, so self-centeredness and sin are “death-giving.” They cut our connection with the Father, the source of our life through the Son. The death which disobedience causes is both the natural result and the legal penalty for sin. It’s the end of life forever.5
All human beings have broken God’s law of love,6 and doing good things doesn’t cancel the death penalty. We all need an eternal rescue plan. Here it is in brief:
God the Son will take our death for sin upon Himself. We’ll receive His eternal life instead—if we ask for forgiveness and turn away from our sins. If we make that choice, the Father will give us a clean start, changed motives, and the desire and ability to love unselfishly. And through the Holy Spirit living in us, Jesus will give us His presence, love, and guidance. He’ll share His discernment, His power to avoid sin, and His friendship to light up our life in all circumstances.
What does it cost? Nothing—and everything!7 It’s free if we give up our own way and willingly cooperate with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But that’s what we’ll want to do if we trust and love Them. Our trust and cooperation will open that close connection with Them which we were created for.
It’s especially difficult for us to trust and love God the Father, though, because many of us think of Him as distant and condemning. We will only see Him clearly if we look at Jesus. To awaken our love, Jesus came to live among us to show us what the Father is like in earthly situations we can relate to. Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”8 For an example, let’s look at how Jesus dealt with death—others’ and His own.
Picture Jesus leading His followers up the steep trail to a little mountain village. As they approach, they meet a funeral procession. The whole village has turned out in sympathy for a widow who has just lost her only son. As the two groups meet, Jesus comes close to the grieving woman and gently says, “Don’t cry.” He can’t help expressing His great sympathy even though He knows she will soon be rejoicing.
Then, addressing the dead son, Jesus says, “Young man, I say to you, Arise!” The widow’s son sits up and speaks! Can you hear the gasps? Jesus presents him to his mother, and we can imagine that he hugs her tightly as she now cries for joy!9
Jesus doesn’t change just because He’s no longer on Earth. He comes close to us with the same tender sympathy when we lose a loved one. At the resurrection, He will raise our loved ones too. His concern for us reflects the Father’s deep compassion.
But now imagine what it’s like when it’s Jesus’ time to die. His death is pure torture. The mental agony of being separated from God the Father by our sins is far worse than even His physical pain. At one point He cries in despair, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?”10 He has the power to release Himself from it all, but He doesn’t. Instead, He prays for His enemies, “Father, forgive them; they know not what they do.”11 The Lifegiver submits to unthinkable suffering because He wants to give us eternal life. The Father suffers with His Son for the same reason.12
The plan to rescue us from destruction is beyond amazing! By taking on human nature, Jesus became humanity’s representative. His sinless life, death, and resurrection reconnected the human race with God the Father and paid for the sins that separate us from life. Jesus’ life also provided a beautiful picture of God’s love and an example of unselfish human living.
Through Jesus, the rescue plan for reconnecting fully with humans is in place. The members of the Godhead want us back even more than we want our lost loved ones back. They want to make a close connection with us individually. No matter how broken we are, God the Father loves us deeply and sees the endless potential we’ll have when we’re personally connected with His love.
We’re all invited! The question is, Will we let the Lifegiver step into our life?
All Scripture quotations taken from the New King James Version of the Bible.
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