When Adam & Eve believed & acted on the satanic lie that they needed something more than God, from that moment on, sin became an active, destructive reality for all humanity. We lost our home, the place of belonging, the place that gave us definition, identity and meaning. Home was the Presence of God, central to our life and being. Eden was just a manifestation of God’s perfect provision, love and care.

Like Cain, who killed his brother, Abel, humanity has lived “east of Eden”, moving away, running from the Presence of God. Mankind was broken. Sin brought alienation, isolation and brokenness to all people. There was no way for us to find our way home. We were lost to ourselves, to one another and to true humanity.

In Luke chapter 15, Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep. The Shepherd leaves the 99 sheep who are safe and goes off to the wilderness to find the lost one. Finding it, He carries the sheep on His shoulders and there is great rejoicing…the kind of rejoicing in Heaven when one sinner repents and turns to God to be rescued.

On this third Sunday in Advent, I am reminded that we could not find our way home, so Jesus came the first time to bring Home to us…God’s presence…Emmanuel, God with us. That is Who Jesus Christ is. He left Heaven where the “sheep” were already safe (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, the prophets and many more unnamed who had believed God’s promise) and came to earth to seek and to save us…the ones who were lost and without hope.

We couldn’t find our way home, so Jesus brought Home to us; to bring us to Himself. His first Advent, His Incarnation, was His rescue mission to all who would but believe Him and receive forgiveness and restored life…home…God’s indwelling Presence…the Holy Spirit.