From the earth’s foundations Week 15, 2017

In telling the story of Jesus Christ coming to die for our sins it has at times been said that God tried several routes to get Mankind saved; all without success. Then at the last came Jesus. It has been said God sent the law, which didn’t work, sent prophets and holy men, and finally sent Jesus. It sounds like the parable Jesus told: When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit.  And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' Mat 21:34-37 

But there’s something we need to bear in mind: God was not trying out ways of salvation to see what would work. Not in the least. Like when Jesus asked Phillip what to do about the 5, 000 men needing food, He knew exactly what to do from the very beginning - ever before He created the earth: it was the costly sacrifice of Christ, who was like a lamb without defect or flaw. He had been chosen by God before the creation of the world and was revealed in these last days for your sake1Pt 1:19, 20(GNB).

God was not trying out various alternatives of redemption and reserving Jesus to come if none of them worked, He never sent any to bring salvation but as forerunners to point men to Jesus the coming One. What is the use of the Law? It was given later to show that we sin. But it was only supposed to last until the coming of that descendant who was given the promise Gal 3:19(CEV).Even when it was reported God was asking for suggestions on how to lure Ahab to Ramoth Gilead to die the Almighty knew which would work ever before it was sanctioned to begin! "And the LORD asked him, 'How?' "'I will go,' he announced, 'and I will be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all of his prophets!' "So the LORD said, 'You're just the one to deceive him. You will be successful. Go and do it.' 1Kgs 22:22(ISV).  Consider that the events of this day (Palm Sunday) were predicted so many years ahead of the event. And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!"Jn 12:14, 15(ESV).  Jesus has always been God’s only plan for salvation.

In fact right after our first parents sinned God clearly spoke concerning the redemption of Mankind by Jesus Christ: "I'll place hostility between you and the woman, between your offspring and her offspring. He'll strike you on the head, and you'll strike him on the heel." Gen 3:15(ISV).  The sacrifice of Jesus is not an afterthought or an alternative. It has been the long awaited plan of God ever before the worlds were made. He is the Lamb of God slain from the foundations of the earth. All those living on earth will worship it, everyone whose name is not written in the Book of Life belonging to the lamb that was slaughtered from the foundation of the world. Rev 13:8(ISV)