Luke’s and Matthew’s Gospels are where many will turn this Christmas to see their Savior. In them, Jesus is displayed in His birth better than anywhere else in Scripture. You can read of the events surrounding His coming and see the trials that ensued for Mary and Joseph. You can read of the shepherds who came to see the baby in the manger. You can even see the wise men bearing their gifts. However, the plan for the Messiah to come as a baby was in the heart of God long before the accounts of the Gospels.
In eternity past
Prior to the creation of the world, God had the birth of the Messiah in mind. In the book of Revelation chapter 13, verse 8, John tells his readers that Jesus was the Lamb of God Who was slain before the foundation of the earth. God recognized that Jesus was going to be born and going to die. God is not bound by time, and He is in the past and the future as much as He is in the present.
C.S. Lewis used a helpful illustration of time and how God is outside of it. If you were to take a piece of paper and draw a line on it, you could think of that line as a succession of events. This line continues to move forward on the paper. If you were to take your finger and run it along that same line, you would be at a different point on that line at different times. This is because you are bound by time. But when you begin to see that God is like that piece of paper you also begin to see that as your finger moves along that line God is already there. He is also behind you. He is also in front of you. He just remains there and is unbound by time as you know it.
This concept is hard to fathom and must ultimately be laid hold of by faith, because it cannot be explained apart from Scripture itself. Nevertheless in the heart of God, Jesus would be born, and in the heart of God, Jesus would die.
Be that as it may, a Scripture verse in Revelation is not the focus of this article, but rather the one found in Genesis chapter 3, verse 15.
The promised child
While Jesus’ coming was in the heart of God before He created the world, there came a point when He broke the news to His children. The news came at a devastating time in the history of the world. It came at a dark time when all hope appeared to be lost. It came at a time when Adam and Eve may have feared greatly that there would be no solution to the consequences of their actions.
Adam and Eve had just committed a great act of sin in the garden. Adam was told not to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God warned Adam that if he ate of this tree, death would come upon him. Sometime later, the serpent came along and convinced Eve that she should partake of the fruit, which she did. Eve then convinced Adam to partake of the fruit, and he did as well.
This event brought about a curse upon mankind in which man’s only hope was to be found in God’s solution to the problem. The void could not filled. Hope could not be restored by some sort of personal effort or achievement. Simply trying to right one’s wrongs by doing more good than bad would not suffice.
God had a plan. He had this plan from eternity past. He knew that Adam and Eve would fall. He created the world anyway. He knew that man would need a Savior. He still moved forward and provided One.
Luke 3:15 tells of a curse that is laid upon the serpent and speaks of his downfall. A time would come when man would deal a fatal blow to Satan for what he had done. This verse speaks of war that would arise between the offspring of Satan and the offspring of the woman. The offspring of the woman that is spoken of is Jesus, and in this verse, God promises that a child would be born.
This Christmas, you can know that the plan for Jesus to come was always in the heart of God, and, from the beginning of creation, this plan was in motion for the coming Messiah. God promised that this child would bruise the head of the serpent, thus dealing him a fatal blow. The Messiah in exchange would suffer a bruised heel – a nonfatal blow. Jesus would in fact suffer, but His suffering would only bring about His victory and a name that is above every other name. He is the Savior Who came born in a manger.
Final thoughts
This promise came at an encouraging time for Adam and Eve. They had just committed great sin against the Lord. They were so scared and ashamed that they hid from God. They didn’t even want to see God because of what they had done. However, God met them in this state and gave them hope. Let the promise of Jesus’ birth to Adam and Eve give you hope this Christmas.
This promise couldn’t have come at a better time for Adam and Eve. They were hopeless. They were discouraged. They were feeling guilty. They were ashamed. Sometimes these feelings can be present in the life of a believer. Even Christmas can prove to be a difficult time for many. Joy may seemingly be eluding your grasp. Let the timing of this promise encourage you. God promised Jesus would come and make things right during a time when these two individuals messed up God’s entire creation. The weight of their sin was monumental. It must have crushed them.
Nevertheless, there is a two-word phrase that sets everything on a new course and that is found time and time again in the Scriptures: “But God.” But God had a plan. But God had a solution. But God made a way where there seemed to be no way. God wants to meet you this Christmas where you are at. He met Adam and Eve at a difficult time in their lives. Now He wants to meet you too and let you know that Jesus has come and has made the way for you to get back to God.
Final prayer
Father, I thank You. You are a good God, and You have truly made the way of salvation. Please help me to see Your work more clearly this Christmas and help me to believe that the work of Christ is enough for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen