The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy:
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 (NIV)
. . . and that they may have it more abundantly. (NKJV)
It had been the plan of Satan from the start to destroy God’s image-bearers. He hated God for throwing him out of heaven.
God had created an earth which would be ruled by his own creative beings:
In doing this, “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So, God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’ ” Gen 1:26-28 (NIV)
Genesis 2:25 notes that, “Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” They were innocent and knew no sin.
Satan would change that by trespassing in the Garden of Eden with the intent of sabotaging God’s plan for His people.
The Lord God had given a commandment to the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Gen 2:16-17 (NIV)
The crafty serpent (Satan), in discourse with the woman, got her to eat the forbidden fruit. She, in turn, gave the fruit to her husband who was there with her and he ate the fruit as well. They disobeyed God’s edict and ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This act of disobedience severed their relationship and communion with God and subjected them and subsequent generations to sin and death. So, Satan came to steal and kill and destroy and he thought that he had won!
He did not realized that their was a subsequent plan, a plan in which Jesus, the Son, would come to earth to redeem mankind from sin. He did not realize that, Jesus, through his birth, life, and death on the Cross would defeat him and render him “toothless.”
Jesus, the gatekeeper, (10:9) came to redeem His own creations and through His death and resurrection on the cross regained for us right standing with Father God. His came to change the hearts of a disobedient, sinful people to a people with hearts of obedience and righteousness. He provided us with the tools to “to take back dominion” on the earth and live forever in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (NIV) …more abundantly. (NKJV)
We still have a choice: do we want Satan’s plan of death and destruction or do we choose Jesus and life and have it (life) more abundantly? I choose Jesus.
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