Today its pretty common to hear that ‘Jesus is the reason for the Season.” True enough. From the start of Genesis, the first book of the Bible, the seeds were planted for the story of Jesus.
Yes.
That far back, we get hints of what will one day become the story of Christmas.
Genesis chapter 3 gives the Judeo-Christian account of why evil and all other manner of difficulty are in this world. Humankind rebelled against the ordered, perfect, world that God created. The good, safe, abundant world, where food and safety and a deep connection between God and humans were as ordinary as leaves in Autumn. We ended that, choosing instead to eat the forbidden fruit.
The fallout (pun intended) was complex (see Genesis 3:14-24):
- Humankind would be at odds with Satan,
- Our labor for daily necessities such as food would be frustrated by a cursed ground,
- Childbearing would become dangerous and painful,
- The power dynamics between men and women would shift to something less than ideal, and worst of all,
- Adam and Eve would be kicked out of Paradise, the Garden of Eden would be off limits.
The birth of the first child, Cain, would spark hope that maybe this child would be the one who restore things. But, no. He instead became the first murderer. Later on Noah actually presides over the salvation of humankind by building the Arc. Would this be the way God would restore all things? Ultimately, no.
Then comes Abraham and Sarah, who are explicitly promised a heritage that would outnumber the stars of the sky. At the end of the Abraham and Sarah story, they only have Isaac to show for it.
One Son. And a burial plot.
Hope gets deferred yet again.
What about Moses? The one who freed the entire nation of Israel from slavery? A pattern of things to come, but not exactly the restoration of all things.
Kings David and Solomon and many more came and went. Yet no savior. Hopes and dreams for a restored creation get pushed even further into the future with the age of the Prophets. Those faithful men of God who warn, correct, encourage and attempt to lead God’s people into a better relationship with God.
One of them, Isaiah, even explicitly states:
“…the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14
The remainder of what Christians call the Old Testament is seeded with hints and even outright declarations that God will do something new, through an ‘annointed one’ (Messiah). And yet centuries pass until…
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew 1:18
The name, Jesus, is given to this baby. Derived from the Hebrew form of the word, Jeshua, Jesus means, ‘ The Lord Saves’. Finally, the hope of the world has arrived. God has acted decisively in the person of Jesus, to redeem and save us all. Jesus truly is the reason for the season.
Merry Christmas!
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