Don Smith :: Gen 3; Clothed by God

Portraits of Christ in Genesis 3
“Clothed by God”

My grandchildren have very inquisitive minds.

• I responded with a simple one-word answer.
• But before I tell you what it was…let me read to you the story I wrote my grandchildren called The King Clothed in Glory.

Long, long ago, before anything was created, God existed in His heavenly kingdom as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

• The Father and Son immensely enjoyed each other.
• God was a very happy God.
• He lived in majestic glory and splendor.
• When the Father looked at His Son, He was pleased.
• The Son of His love was clothed in beautiful white light.
• He was the “Glory of Heaven.”
• Wanting to share this love and joy for the Son with others, the Father ordered the creation of a whole new realm called, “heaven and earth.”
• The Son joyfully agreed.
• He spoke and there was…light.
• And what followed was a magnificent creation of distant shinning constellations in the sky, a bright sun, and a white moon, and a very special planet called “earth.”
• It swirled around like a small blue and white marble suspended in dark space.
• It was a magnificent place, with deep blue seas, majestic snow-capped mountains, running streams, mighty flowing rivers, towering redwood trees, fields covered with wildflowers and trees adorned with delicious fruit.
• Yes, God’s creation was good, very good.
• But He wasn’t through.
• He created swarms of sea creatures and fishes to fill the seas, lakes and streams.
• Then He created land animals, large and small elephants with noses that reached the ground, mighty lions, scary rhinos, tall giraffes, strong horses, silly zebras, jumping deer, grizzly bears that open trash cans, cuddly pandas, slow moving turtles, scampering chipmunks, kangaroos who carry their young in a pocket, camels with two water bags on them—like backpacks carried to school—and funny looking birds called ostriches that bury their heads in the sand.
• It was quite a place that was prepared and ready for the prize of God’s creation.
• Then God took some clay from the ground and formed it into a man.
• He breathed into him the breath of life and he became a living being.
• He called His creation, “Adam”—the prince of the earth.
• God did not want the prince to be alone, so He made a princess for him.
• When Adam saw his new companion, he called her “Eve.”
• God’s creation of the prince and princess was good, very good, because they were made in the image and likeness of God.
• As prince and princess, God gave them every tree in the Garden for food, except the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.”
• God warned that if they ate of it, they would surely die.
• One day a crafty old serpent wrapped himself around the forbidden tree.
• He spoke to the curious couple with a forked tongue.
• He deceived them into thinking God was wrong and he was right.
• If they ate of the forbidden fruit, he said they would become wise like God and not die.
• In willful disobedience, Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit.
• Immediately their eyes were wide open, seeing their nakedness and shame.
• They tried to hide from God under trees, but of course He saw them because He sees everything.
• God then told them they had to leave the Garden.
• But before they left, however, God promised some day He would send forth a King from the woman who would deliver them and their children from the curse of sin and death.
• God then took animal skins and covered their nakedness.
• There they stood, the prince and princess of the earth, wearing animal skins…not a king’s robe or princess’ dress.
• Adam went forth from the Garden to work the ground where there were thorns and thistles.
• Eve had many children who just couldn’t get along with each other or with God.
• Yet God had not forgotten His promise.

1. Jesus was the glory of God, clothed in flesh. (Luke 2:1-7)
   • Then on the night determined long before creation, God looked into the eyes of His Son.
   • Out of love for lost sinners, the Father sent forth His one and only Son into the world.
   • The Son, once clothed in brilliant white light, stepped into the darkness of time and space.
   • The glory He once wore, now was hidden in the flesh and body of an unborn baby boy.
   • He was the baby promised to a young girl named Mary.
   • Both she and her husband, Joseph, were of King David’s family.
   • Under orders by the Roman Emperor, they traveled to Bethlehem, the City of King David.
   • Mary, pregnant with the baby King, wasn’t looking forward to this long, hard journey.
   • When she and Joseph got to the city all the relatives’ homes and all the motels were already filled with travelers.
   • Where would they find a place to give birth to their baby King?
   • There was room in an empty cave outside of town, often used to keep and feed animals.
   • It wasn’t what anyone would have expected for a promised King.
   • But Mary could wait no longer…the makeshift stable would have to do.
   • There she brought forth her firstborn Son and called Him “Jesus,” just as the angel had commanded, because He would “save His people from their sin.”
   • Mary tenderly and lovingly took her baby and wrapped Him tightly in strips of fabric called swaddling cloths.
   • They were like small blankets, bandaged around Him.
   • This was done to make Him feel warm and secure.
   • Here was the Son of God, the Glorious King of Heaven wrapped in swaddling clothes, when He was the One who “swaddled” the earth at creation with clouds and darkness.
   • Then Mary took Jesus and laid Him in a manger or trough used to feed domestic animals.
   • There has never been since then a greater demonstration of humility than that of the King of Glory in flesh, wearing the poorest clothing possible and lying in a bed of hay.
2. Jesus was the glory of God clothed in humility. (Luke 2:8-14)
   • Like the birth of all my children and grandchildren, it was a time to celebrate.
   • The Father in heaven sent forth His angels into the night skies over Bethlehem on a mission to announce the birth of His Son, who had come in the likeness and form of men.
   • A multitude of angels swooped down over the hill country like fighter jets with their throttles wide open and their engines spewing out fire.
   • They stopped in midair when they hovered over some shepherds who were watching over their flocks.
   • These sheep were most likely being kept for Temple sacrifices, to be offered in Jerusalem.
   • How appropriate to announce to these priestly shepherds the coming of the Lamb of God, who would take away the sins of the world!
   • The sight and sound of the angels must have surprised them.
   • The angels comforted the shepherds, telling them not to be afraid.
   • They had come to bring great good news that “A Savior, who is Christ the Lord, had been born to them in the city of David.”
   • The shepherds were no doubt wondering how they would ever find their Savior.
   • The angels told them to look for this sign: “The baby would be wrapped in swaddling bandages and lying in a cattle trough.”
   • How shocked these shepherds must have been to think that their Savior, the promised Son, would be born in such lowly circumstances.
   • Before this countless number of angels took off for heaven, they began to praise God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
   • They all knew Who this Child was because they had known Him in Heaven, as the “Glory and King of Heaven.”
   • Now His glory was veiled in the body and likeness of men, yet He was the Savior of lost humanity.
   • The shepherds could hardly contain their excitement at the announcement of His arrival.
   • They quickly gathered what few things they had and led their flocks towards the city.
   • When they got to Bethlehem, they found the Babe just as the angels said.
   • It was the most wonderful night they had ever experienced.
   • When they looked at baby Jesus, they were actually looking into the face of God.
   • Here was God Himself with skin, tiny and humble.
   • After they said goodbye to Mary, Joseph and the Babe, they went out into the night praising God and telling any who would listen about the birth of Israel’s newborn King—Jesus, Son of God, Son of David.
   • The news of His birth spread like wildfire throughout the region of Bethlehem.
3. Jesus was the glory of God clothed in light. (Matthew 2:1-12)
   • God the Father, however, also made sure His Son’s birth would be announced to strangers living far, far away in another land.
   • Star-watchers or wise men from the East had seen a sign in the sky.
   • It was a bright star set by God in the galaxy at creation to point them to Jesus, the new born King of Israel.
   • When these men saw His star, like the shepherds, they packed-up their things and followed it, as it moved across the dark sky to Bethlehem.
   • They probably rode their camels with one eye on heaven and another on the road ahead.
   • The star finally stood still over the house where the young child lived.
   • The wise men began to rejoice with great joy.
   • When they went in and saw the young child they fell down on their knees and worshipped Him.
   • Can you imagine? Here was the King of heaven, the Creator of all things in their midst, wearing diapers and baby sandals?
   • The wise men then took gifts out of their suitcases to give to the Baby.
   • Each gift was intended to be a sign to Mary and Joseph about the future of their wondrous Son.
   • The first wise man presented gold coins and jewelry to Jesus.
   • Gold was the gift of kings.
   • It was a metal purified and most enduring—how appropriate!
   • Jesus is truly our Great Coming King, who deserves the finest treasures of men.
   • The second wise man stepped forward and gave Him a bottle of some of the most expensive perfume in all the world.
   • It was called, “Frankincense.”
   • This perfume was used by priests in worship, when they prayed and lighted candles.
   • It was an aroma God loved because it represented prayers made acceptable by a pleasing sacrifice—how appropriate!
   • Jesus is our Great High Priest, who continually takes our prayers to the Father.
   • Then the third wise man came forward with his gift and knelt before Jesus.
   • His gift was the strangest of all.
   • It was another kind of perfume called “myrrh.”
   • Myrrh was used as a medicine that stops the hurt of cuts and bruises.
   • It was also used at burials and funerals.
   • Mary must have gasped in shock when she saw this gift for her son, as a sign of His death; yet how appropriate it was for His life’s purpose.
   • Thirty years later, Mary’s Son hung on the cross.
   • Before He died, He became very thirsty.
   • Soldiers lifted up a long stick with a sponge at the end of it soaked in wine and myrrh.
   • When Jesus tasted the myrrh in the wine, he spit it out and refused to drink any.
   • Later, soldiers lifted up the sponge again, this time it was soaked only in wine.
   • They squeezed the sponge in His mouth and He drank the wine. (Mark 15:23; John 19:28-30)
   • But why did He refuse the sponge filled with myrrh?
   • Jesus knew he had come to suffer and die for our sins.
   • He rejected the myrrh that deadens pain, so that He could be our sympathetic Savior.
   • He fully felt human pain, so He could perfectly understand our hurts and pains.
   • When Jesus died, He was taken from the cross and buried in a tomb.
   • He was wrapped in burial clothes that looked very much like the “swaddling cloths” that He once wore as a baby.
   • His friends also put more than a hundred pounds of myrrh in His tomb, like that given by one of the wise men when He was born.
   • Jesus was born to die, but He didn’t stay dead!
   • When Jesus rose from the dead, once again people could see God walking around with skin on.
   • He is presently in heaven, wearing the fancy clothes of a Priestly-King seated on the throne.
4. Jesus will clothe His people with glory. (Revelation 19:8)
   • So now, I am ready to give my answer to my granddaughter’s big question, will she get to wear a pretty princess dress in heaven?
   • Yes!!! If anyone is a child of God, they are princes and princesses in His Kingdom.
   • When they go to be with Jesus, He will give each of them brand new cloths made of fine linen, as bright white as fresh fallen snow.
   • Christmas celebrates His birth—the Glory and King of heaven—Who came from heaven clothed in flesh and humility, so in heaven we might be clothed in His righteousness.
   • So to all God’s princes and princesses, remember Jesus Christ is our Great King!
   • Someday, we shall all stand before our King clothed in flesh and glory!