“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15 NIV)
The Christmas story doesn’t begin in Bethlehem or even in Israel. It doesn’t begin with angel choirs, a baby’s cry, or with with hopeful proclamations or angelic visitations. Our minds need to travel much further back in the Scriptures, far away from the joy filled tears of Joseph and Mary to another husband a wife, we need to travel from Bethlehem to Eden.
As we officially kick off the season of Advent, that is the 25 days leading up to Christmas day, our first week will be spent talking about the hope we have through Jesus Christ our Lord. That hope, as only God can do, shines brightly in the midst of one of our darkest hours in human history. As we travel back to Genesis chapter three, we meet our great grandparents Adam and Eve as they enjoyed unhindered, unrestrained, unbroken fellowship with our Creator in the Garden of Eden. Into this incredible beauty and intimate relationship with God, death and judgment would come because of their sinful disobedience.
As Adam, Eve, and the Serpent awaited God’s just judgment, there can be no doubt among our first relatives that there was fear, shame, and a growing awareness of their sin and God’s holiness. It seems almost strange that even a glimmer of hope could be expected in this moment, yet the very first mention of the Gospel is here. Genesis 3:15, known as the protoevangelium, is God’s promise of a future deliverer who would be a descendant of Eve. Here, thousands of years before God would put on human flesh and dwell among us, we already see the hope of redemption.
As you read Genesis chapter three, you should notice that right in the midst of God’s righteous judgment rightly pronounced against Adam and Eve, we find His promise of a future deliverer who would crush the head of the Serpent. Because of the birth, life, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Christ, the works of Satan have been fully defeated. Although Adam and Eve could have had no way of knowing how God would redeem the human race, today we have the great joy of knowing how the story ends: Jesus is risen indeed!
As you begin to reflect on this season of Advent, as you turn your mind and heart towards the incarnation, know that in Jesus we find the ultimate fulfillment of all of God’s incredible promises of blessing, redemption, and life (see 2 Corinthians 1:20). Because of God’s incredible love and His perfect plan for the redemption of mankind, we no longer have to walk in fear, shame, or sin. Because we have new life in Christ and the hope and promise of eternal life, we can walk in freedom, new life, and unbroken fellowship with our loving, heavenly Father.
Heavenly Father, thank you for all Your promises, Your faithfulness, and the incredible love by which You love us. Thank You for the incredible hope we have in Jesus Christ our Lord. Thank You for the beautiful plan of redemption and all Your promises including that of Genesis 3:15. We are forever grateful that You have and continue to show incredible mercy, grace, longsuffering, and kindness to us because of Your perfect love. Fill us with an awareness of the incredible hope that we have because of Jesus this Advent season. In Jesus name we pray, amen.
