“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

In our last devotion, the Plot, or scheme, of the thief (the devil) was laid out. We saw in the Scriptures the ambition of the devil to exalt himself above God. And when that plot didn’t work, after the devil and his angels were defeated in war, God cast him down to earth (Isaiah 14:12-14; Revelation 12:7-12). Cast down and defeated, the devil then plotted to attack God’s greatest creation – mankind.

It all started in the Garden of Eden, when disguised as a serpent, the devil persuaded man to disobey God, bringing sin and death (physically and spiritually) into the world. Now, the state of mankind is, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). This is not what God had in mind when He created man. All of mankind was created that they may live forever in perfect communion and fellowship with their Creator, God. But the fellowship was broken when sin raised its ugly head. It would seem that the Plot had worked, but God was not taken by surprise. He knew that man would sin by disobeying Him; so before the foundation of the world was established, the Plan of God was purposed. (1 Peter 1:19-20)

The Plan – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). (Read again John 10:10.) God loved man so much that He could not leave him in the degenerate and hopeless state that man had placed himself in. God had a Plan, and Jesus was that Plan. (Please read Romans 5:8-21.) Hallelujah! Praise be unto our God!

The devil had a plot to steal, kill, and destroy. But God had a Plan of Restoration and Redemption; Praise God.

When man sinned in the Garden, God did not condemn – instead the first blood sacrifice was made to cover man’s nakedness brought about by sin (Genesis 3:21). The first prophecy of the coming Saviour and His defeat of Satan is given in Genesis 3:15. At the cross of Mount Calvary, where Jesus was crucified, is where He bruised the serpent’s head; this was the Plan. That Jesus would defeat the devil by dying on the cross, taking back what Adam forfeited (Hebrews 2:9-18; 1 Corinthians 15:22; Romans 5:12-21).

When Jesus spoke these three words, “It is finished” (John 19:30), the Sacrifice that needed to be made for all mankind had now been made. Man could once again stand in his rightful place, in communion and fellowship with his God and Creator.

This is the Plan of God for all mankind – Redemption.