Most of us as human beings, wish that we had the ability to know in advance–the results of our decisions. If we knew ahead of time, the consequences of our actions, we would all make better choices. Why then did God, knowing in advance that one specific action would result in His personal suffering and death–continue with that decision?
Jesus is spoken of as The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Simply stated, it was the purpose of God to send Jesus as the Messiah and Savior of all men, long before the earth was formed.
Revelation 13:8 …the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
God, knowing that man would fall from the perfection by which he was created, planned that a Savior should be sent—before He spoke the universe into existence. As the Son of God, Jesus volunteered to take the body of a human being in order to become one of us. Living as a human being, Jesus must live a perfect and sinless life in order to be qualified to die for the sins of the world. In this respect, from the moment that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, He was The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. His sacrifice, however, did not begin at His birth; Jesus death was conceived in the mind of God before the foundation of the world. Jesus willingly offered His life to save all mankind, prior to all creation.
We should consider how long ago God determined to create us. In His conception of man, God knew the outcome of His choice. Although God would make man perfect in every regard, by man’s creation as a free moral agent—he would rebel against the authority of God and cause his fall. This error would bring sin into the world and ruin the perfect and beautiful creation of God. One must ask why God would create man—knowing in advance that he would fall. It appears that the determined purpose of God was to display to all creation His great love and grace by offering His own life to redeem the very creatures who had betrayed Him.
Ephesians 2:4-7 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ… 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
It was always His plan to create us.
God, knowing that the gift of free choice would allow us to also reject His love, formulated a plan of redemption. Let us imagine an infinite number of years before God spoke the universe into existence—no matter how far back we might go—His plan to save us was abiding with God. He knew each one of us and everything that we would think, say and do. Understanding all the pain, the suffering, the tragedies of sin, death and judgement. Realizing the cost to Himself if He should speak that first word of creation by bringing us into existence. Comprehending that His Son would bear the ultimate cost of His creation, as His life would be required to save the very beings made in His image—who fall short of His glory because of sin.
How could God bear such a cost, and why would He bother?
God is complete in Himself. He has no need of anyone or anything. He gains nothing by creating us and having fellowship with us. If the entire world should bow to Him in reverence and love, He is not increased, for He is already complete as God.
Moses wrote of the magnificence of God:
Deuteronomy 10:14 Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, also the earth with all that is in it.
Deuteronomy 10:17 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome…
Why then would God harm Himself by creating us? I know that most human beings think of themselves as worthy of God’s love and sacrifice—but are we really? What did the Lord gain by suffering for us? He did not need to die. He did not need to feel the pain He endured. Why then, and to what end was God’s intense desire to create us?
The answer must be found within the very nature of God Himself. For such a glorious and unfathomable being could do nothing else but express the Love and greatness that is within Him. He looked forward to the moment when all those who truly love Him would finally be united with Him. The Love that He is, the power that He has, the Glory that belongs to Him alone; God earnestly desire to show us all that He is. We see an example of this desire in Jesus’ prayer to the Father and a glimpse into the reason why God allowed His Son to become one of us.
The Father permitted the Son to come to earth in order that we might know what God is like. He did all this so that we might behold His glory and someday—be united together as one family and live together in love, forever.
John 17:20-24 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”
Consider that this Messiah, whom Isaiah describes in this 214th prophecy, has loved you for a very long time. His concern and compassion for you did not begin 2,000 years ago at Bethlehem. God’s love for you existed in His heart long before time existed. He is looking forward to a day when you can see Him for who He truly is. God dwells in Light so magnificent and glorious that it will consume everything which is less than perfect. God sent Jesus to die for you so that your sins would be removed as if they never existed. This was so that you could also dwell in the light of His love without being consumed and see Him face to face.
Exodus 33:20 But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”
Lamentations 3:22 Through the LORD’S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.
Categories: Forgiveness of Sin, His Compassion, How Salvation Occurs, Jesus born to die, Salvation through Jesus, The First Arrival of the Messiah, To die for the world's sins
Robert Clifton Robinson 
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