Between now and Christmas, I will be providing thoughts related to Christmas and the birth and work of Christ. These can be shared as a devotional with your family – one each day. If you use it in this way, let me know – I would be glad to hear from you.
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It may seem like a strange place to start talking about Christmas, but the Christmas story really started in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve enjoyed life in the Garden, and it was without problems – no sickness, food problems, storms, or death.
Tone day, the serpent came and approached Eve, and tempted her to eat the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3). She yielded and gave her husband some of it, too. God had forbidden it and warned of death if they ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Just as God had promised, Adam and Eve did die that day – in their spirit. This meant that communication with God would not be possible as it was before. The earth was cursed and the couple was punished.
Along with that curse, though, God gave a special promise. It is found in Genesis 3:15, and says: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
When this promise was given, God was cursing the serpent (which Satan used to get to Eve) for his evil work. The above promise focuses on “thy seed and her seed.” This refers to Satan and his followers and Christ. It promises that Christ will one day destroy Satan (“bruise thy head”), and that Satan would hurt Christ – but not fatally (“bruise his heel”).
Ever since the promise was given by God, believers have been looking for a Savior. He would be One that would reverse the curse and destroy Satan.
The first promise of a coming Savior was added to by additional promises from God made from time-to-time through the prophets. Many in Israel knew He was coming and were looking for Him to come through the centuries, and one day – when it was time – He came: “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law” (Galatians 4:4).
The nativity story is all about God fulfilling a promise that He had made several millennia ago. This is where any account of the birth of Jesus must begin. It was all done so that man might be brought back into fellowship with God through what His Son Jesus would do on the Cross.
Do you know Him yet? Follow this link to learn more about the salvation He offers?
You might also want to see: The Prophecy of the Savior’s Unique Birth