But as it is written, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. — 1 Corinthians 2:9–10 NKJV, emphasis mine
Imagine hiding a wonderful secret from those you love — a plan you've devised for their best interest, keeping it a mystery not just for a few months, years, or even decades but longer. You'd give them clues along the way, but you'd refrain from sharing your magnificent strategy with the very ones for whom it's intended.
Not an easy thing to do, yet the Lord did exactly this!
God kept His grandest plan, the one He made "for our ultimate glory," a secret, for thousands of years. He knew if it leaked out, the dark rulers of this world wouldn't have played into it so perfectly.
When the prophetic vision is unknown, not only humans but even spirit beings end up doing the opposite of what they would have done had they known. Sorrow ultimately prevails from ignorant actions. But not for Christ followers. The master plan, which includes what lies ahead, is no longer a secret; it has been revealed!
In the Garden of Eden, Satan successfully captured humanity through Adam's betrayal. It didn't just affect human beings but all visible creation (Romans 8:20). The Lord God was ahead of the problem as He had previously devised a plan to recover what had been lost. The first clue was in the garden when He promised the woman's Seed — the Messiah — would destroy Satan's works (Genesis 3:15).
As generations passed, promises were made and covenants cut with select individuals: Noah, Abraham, Moses, King David, the prophets, Mary, and John the Baptist. God's tactical moves with these faithful men and women were all part of His end goal of bringing forth the Seed — the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Bits and pieces of God's strategic plan were revealed right up to Messiah's first appearance. The wonder and depth of love in the divine plan is too marvelous to fully articulate here, but here is a taste of how it unfolded.
Our Creator makes the decision to leave the unimaginable glories of Heaven. He enters a cursed earth through a woman's body — God becoming flesh and blood! His name is Yēshūʿa, known to us who speak English as Jesus.
Like any other human, He develops in His mother's womb, is birthed, and comes forth as an infant. He requires the parenting of His mother and stepfather. Our Creator put Himself into the care of His creation.
Even though He is God, He sets aside His divine privileges and lives as a Man filled with God's Spirit. He doesn't bring obedience to earth, rather He learns it by what He suffers. He is tested in every way. The enemy throws His shrewdest, meanest, and most difficult temptations at Him, but not one succeeds (Philippians 2:6–7; Hebrews 4:15, 5:8).
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