What Are You Looking For? Part 1: The Nicene Creed

For Us Men

For Us Men…

 Jesus came for all of us.  All who have died, all who are alive now, and all who are yet to be born.  He came for the “good” and the “bad”, the Saints and the sinners.  Most of us know that, at least in the generic sense.  I’m not sure how many of us really think about it very much.  Or how much it impacts our daily life.  We should, but we don’t.  At least I don’t.  I know I don’t think enough about what his coming really means. 

            Many thousands of years ago, God created man and woman.  The Father, Son and Holy Spirit were all there.  God breathed into us the breath of life and man became a living soul.  And everything was beautiful and perfect for a while.  Until Eve and Adam decided they would rather become “like gods” than be content being what they were created to be: human.  From that point on, the whole of Scripture is one long cry from the heart of God, “Adam, where are you?”

            All of the Old Testament is the record of God slowly revealing himself to mankind.  As soon as the sin in the garden happened, mankind’s thinking was darkened and the Person he recognized so easily and walked with so comfortably became unknown to him.  He doubted, mistrusted and misunderstood his best friend.  So God had to begin slowly re-educating us.

            He had to teach us what we had instinctively known at first.  He had to teach man about his honor.  We see that in the covenants with Noah (I will never destroy mankind again) and Abraham (I will make you a great nation).  He teaches us his power, protection and provision in the covenant with Moses (You will be my people and I will be your God).  And everything progresses pretty well at times.  And mankind begins to learn about God.

            But then there are times when the Old Testament people just want to be like everyone else.  In 1 Samuel 8, the Israelites beg for a king.  In the Kris translation, their request goes as follows: “Everyone else has a king; we want a king, too!”  Through Samuel, God warns the people to be careful what they are asking for, but, like whiney little kids, they demand a king.  So God provides a king.  Some are really good, most…not so much. 

            So God sends the prophets.  He sends them to turn the hearts of the people back to him.  He sends them to warn everyone that he is a jealous God, and they have been unfaithful.  They have committed adultery against him by worshiping idols and by not caring for the widow, the orphan and the alien.  He warns them of the consequences of continuing on the path they are on.  Even when they don’t listen, he still loves them.  H still reaches for them He still cries out, “Adam, where are you?”  Finally, when the people are as prepared as they can be when he has revealed enough of his love and fidelity that some, at least might see and understand he does the unthinkable.  He sends his Son.  His only Son.  And His only Son is willing to go.  “Who, ‘though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.’ Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness, and found human in appearance.” (Philippians 2: 6-7 NABRE)  God’s plan was that by his Son becoming both Son of God (his divinity) and Son of Man (his humanity) all of us would be able to see just who He is.  He would finally be revealed to us in a form our darkened human minds can comprehend.  At least a little bit.  And maybe, just maybe, the next time he cries from his heart, “Adam, where are you?” through knowledge of his Son, we will respond, “Here, Lord.” And once again God and man will walk together in the cool of the evening in the garden of paradise.