Christmas: The Promises of God
During advent season, many pastors retell the Christmas story to their congregants. It is a blessing to hear afresh the narrative of how our Lord came to earth, answering the long-awaited hopes of His people. After 400 years of silence, the angels sang praise of His immanent arrival to shepherds. One my favorite decorations I set up is the nativity. I’ve collected pieces over the years that visually express how the story unfolds in the synoptic gospels. This year, I’m reflecting on a more distant part of the Christmas story, the one that started in Genesis 3, where our ancestors ate of a tree in disobedience and sin entered the world. The curse was upon the earth and humanity has suffered in sin ever since. Genesis 3:15 predicts the enmity between humankind and its oppressor to end when the Offspring will come who will crush his head, rendering the snake, one symbol of Satan found in scripture, ineffective....