A Plan For The Fullness Of Time

January 2, 2022

Hope Lutheran Church

Rev. Mary Erickson

John 1:10-18; Ephesians 1:3-14

A Plan for the Fullness of Time

Friends, may grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and Christ Jesus our Lord.

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the AUTHOR and perfecter of our faith.” – Hebrews 12:2

Our Bible is comprised of 66 separate books. Those books are written in several different genres of literary styles and they cover a variety of topics. From the beginning to the end, the Bible’s story spans several centuries of time. The various books contain individual plots and characters. Some are written more like independent short stories. Others take on a more saga-like narrative and span several generations.

And yet, taken as a whole, this diverse Bible conveys a single story with one continuous, long arc, an arc of grace and truth. This Bible is the story of God’s love. It’s the tale of divine faithfulness. This holy book is woven throughout with the narrative of God’s ultimate plan for deliverance and life.

The story begins with the book of Genesis. God brings all of creation into being. We encounter the Spirit of God hovering over the surface of a deep nothing. And then God creates all matter in a very unusual way. God speaks everything into being! God’s voice makes everything happen.

That’s how the story begins. And it ends in the book of Revelation with the ultimate destruction of everything evil. And then at the very end God pronounces life once again, “See, I am making all things new!” The process begun in Genesis takes on a new birth. All of creation is renewed.

Numerous writers were involved in the creation of our Bible. They wrote in differing languages. But behind this broad company of writers and editors, there lay one primary, holy author. This divine author provided inspiration and insight to the story. The Bible’s sweeping arc of grace and truth was shaped and informed by none other than the divine Word of God.

From before the beginning, this Word has always been there. The eternal, divine Word was there even before creation, before the foundations of the world were ever laid. And even then, even before page one, the entire sweep of this story of grace and truth had already been established. God knew, this holy Word of wisdom and power knew exactly how the plan would unfold.

It was always part of the divine plan. This same powerful and creative Word which brought all things into existence, at exactly the right moment, at the appointed place, in the fullness of time, the pivotal event would unfold. This crucial moment in the history of creation was always planned, even before there was time.

This holy, wise and divine word itself would enter human history. The very Word took on flesh to dwell with us.

How does an author create and develop a story? What spark inspires the narrative? Christ, the Word of God – eternal and yet in our flesh – Christ is the author and perfecter of our faith. He entered our realm in the fullness of time. In him we see the good and gracious will of God, full of grace and truth and life.