THIS SUMMER, I HEARD THE RADIO SAY, "WHAT A GREAT DAY TODAY! ONLY SIX MONTHS UNTIL CHRISTMAS! " WE ALL KNOW THE YEAR'S BIGGEST HOLIDAY SEEMS TO COME EARLIER AND EARLIER, BUT HEARING IT MENTIONED IN JUNE MADE ME LAUGH A LITTLE.
THE PROMISE OF CHRISTMAS CREATES SO MUCH ANTICIPATION IN OUR MODERN WORLD, BUT THAT ISN'T ANYTHING NEW! AT THE BEGINNING OF HUMANKIND'S STORY, THE FIRST MENTION OF THAT PROMISE IS FOUND WAY BACK IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS. NOW, I'M SURE YOU'RE AT LEAST FAMILIAR WITH THE STORY OF ADAM AND EVE AND HOW THEY SINNED IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN.
THAT FIRST WRONGDOING PRODUCED SOME SEVERE CONSEQUENCES: BROKEN FELLOWSHIP BETWEEN GOD AND HUMANS, BROKEN RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE MAN AND THE WOMAN, AN EXILE FROM THEIR GARDEN PARADISE, AND STRUGGLES, EVEN IN LIFE'S BASICS. FOR THE WOMAN THAT MEANT PAIN IN CHILDBIRTH, AND FOR THE MAN IT MEANT DIFFICULT LABOR WHILE FACING OPPOSITION FROM CREATION ITSELF. BUT IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THOSE CONSEQUENCES, THERE'S A STRANGE LITTLE VERSE IN GENESIS 3:15 THAT READS: "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.
" YOU MAY THINK THIS SOUNDS LIKE THE LYRICS TO A HEAVY METAL SONG, BUT HERE IS THE FIRST PROMISE OF CHRISTMAS AND THE REASON WE CELEBRATE TODAY. IN THIS VERSE, GOD SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO THE DEVIL, WHO TOOK THE FORM OF A SERPENT TO FOOL EVE. HE MENTIONS THAT ONE DAY EVE'S OFFSPRING WILL CRUSH THE SERPENT'S HEAD, AND THE SNAKE WILL STRIKE THE OFFSPRING'S HEEL.
GOD PROMISES BOTH ADAM AND EVE ONE DAY HE WILL SEND A DELIVERER WHO WILL DEFEAT THE SERPENT AND RESCUE ALL OF THEIR DESCENDANTS (NAMELY YOU AND ME) FROM THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN. THOUSANDS OF YEARS LATER, AFTER COUNTLESS PROPHECIES, THIS DELIVERER WAS BORN IN BETHLEHEM, AND HIS NAME WAS JESUS. SO, THE NEXT TIME YOU HEAR SOMEONE SAY CHRISTMAS IS ONLY THIS FAR AWAY, REMEMBER THE PROMISE KEPT AND FULFILLED BEHIND IT ALL IS THE TRUE REASON WE CELEBRATE!
