Prequels: "Sequels in movies and books satisfy our hunger to know, �What next?� The cliffhanger ending of the original work finally resolves in the sequel. Prequels, on the other hand, answer an entirely different question, not, �What next?� but, �Why?� For example, J. R. R. Tolkien's Silmarillion sets out to explore the origin of the races, characters, and conflicts that he depicted in his trilogy The Lord of the Rings. The prequel gives us behind-the-scenes understanding to the story line.
Ephesians 1 is a kind of prequel to Genesis 1. Where Genesis recounts the �what's� and �what's next� of Creation, Ephesians 1 answers the �why's.� Why did God make the world? Why did God make a human race destined to rebel and disgrace His image?
Before earth and sky, Adam and Eve, before the Fall and Flood, God made a very good plan. Ephesians 1 outlines God's design in that plan. Every action word in this first chapter of Ephesians demonstrates God's pleasure (vv. 5, 9) and God's will (vv. 5, 9, 11). Every verb declares that God's eternal plan for humanity was never an �uh-oh� or �oops� plan after Adam and Eve sinned. Before �Let there be light,� God said, Let me make a family. Let them bear my image. God wanted sons and daughters (v. 5), and He wanted them to resemble Him, to be �holy and blameless in his sight� (v. 4).
This great family would be an announcement of His glory (v. 12). As men and women radiated God's image, God would gain praise. This is the ultimate reason for our sanctification.
Sin would of course threaten to thwart this plan, but human rebellion did not surprise God. Before the Tree and before the Garden, God made a way for redemption and forgiveness (v. 7). He made His fam"
