Discovering the Hope of Christmas in Genesis

When my kids were young, we’d make a fire in the hearth and snuggle on the couch while I read a stack of Christmas books. There’s nothing like a beautiful story that unfolds before young eyes.

Imagine this feeling of wonder in your own life. When have you experienced it?

As an adult, I experienced this wonder in seminary classes. It was like the professor sat with me on the couch of God’s Word and said, “Look at this . . .” In wonder, I learned that the curse in Genesis shows us the hope of Christmas that we can celebrate all year.

Let’s turn back the pages of the Bible to Genesis 3. Watching Adam and Eve in the garden, we see them choose their own way instead of God’s way and bite the fruit God said not to eat (Gen 2:17; 3:6).

In two bites, all of humanity tumbled into the darkness of depravity. And Adam and Eve hid.

Then God came near and called them out of hiding to himself. He’s good like that. And because God is holy, just, and gracious, sin brought consequences—but not the immediate death the first couple deserved.

In the middle of the mess, God declared the Christmas promise: Someone would come to humanity’s rescue. In Genesis 3:15, God speaks to the deceiving serpent:

“And I will put hostility between you and the woman
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.”

If we unfold this promise like a children’s storybook, we turn the page to Jesus laying in a manger. The one promised to come through the woman came through the womb of Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Son of God, fully God and fully man, was born (John 1:14).

And he came with a mission: Rescue humanity from sin through faith in him (John 11:25–26).

He declared the kingdom, proclaimed that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and that the only way to the Father is through him (John 14:6). He shared many teachings and signs to prove his authority as the only Son of God (John 21:25).

Then the enemy struck Jesus’s heel. Satan worked among humans to sentence Jesus to death.

But . . . surprise! Jesus rose from the grave (John 20:18), conquering sin and death for us (1 Cor 15:57). And one day, he is coming back to “strike the head of the serpent,” giving him a final blow (Rev 20:10).

Amen. And amen!

But until then, Jesus extends his mission through us. We are part of the story! God’s mission became our mission (Matt 28:18–20). This is the story we share—whether snuggled up on the couch with children or deep in conversation over a cup of coffee with a new friend.

The story lives on.

Reflect:

• Take a moment to think about the story of your life. How have you seen God’s faithfulness?
• Think of one person you know who needs the hope of Jesus. Pray for an opportunity to share your story and the gospel with them.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for the hope of Jesus. In the pains of this world, my future hope is secure. Help me, Lord, to rely on that hope in all the hard times. And empower me by your Spirit to trust the story you are writing in my life. In Jesus’s name I pray, amen.

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For more devotionals in this series, see:
Article "The Unexpected Messiah"
Devotional #1 “When Love Shows Up: From Hospital Rooms to Bethlehem”
Devotional #3 “The Gift We’re Still Waiting For”