Parents have to be prepared for the “why” questions this time of year. Why do we put a tree in the house and decorate it? Why do we hang stockings on the fireplace mantle? Are chestnuts roasting on an open fire any good?
Kids want to know the origins of the customs and traditions surrounding Christmas. Truth be told, most of our American Christmas traditions come from the Victorian era only about 200 years ago.
But the genesis of Christmas is a lot older than that.
When we speak of “the genesis of” a thing, we’re talking about its origin, its beginning. And it may surprise you to find out that the genesis of Christmas is, well, Genesis.
Genesis is the very first book of the Bible. In the first two chapters, Adam and Eve are in perfect fellowship with God in a perfect Paradise. But when you turn the page and begin reading the third chapter, sin enters the world. A snake-like creature tempts Eve and then Adam to distrust God and disobey his word. And so, God comes into the scene and says to this serpent-like creature (Genesis 3:14-15)—
“Because you have done this…, 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.”
And that is the genesis of Christmas. It was a promise to the serpent that he would not get the last word. The serpent had successfully tempted Eve and her husband to rebel, but an offspring of that very woman would come to destroy the serpent and all his works. The implication is that everything could then be restored to the original intent: perfect fellowship with God in a perfect world once again.
When Mary gave birth to Jesus, it was in fulfillment of this ancient prophecy. Jesus’s death and resurrection canceled the power of sin and death, and it began the countdown to the ultimate elimination of Satan’s ruin. That’s what we celebrate at Christmas! Let’s go deeper into this truth this Sunday. See you at 10am!
This Sunday is the last day we’ll have the sale table at the Hillcrest coffee fellowship following the worship service. At this table, you can buy extra copies of “Repeat the Sounding Joy” and my debut novel, “The Last Man.” If you need to order online, get the Christmas book by clicking here and get “The Last Man” by clicking here.
--Tom
The drawing is called “Mary Consoles Eve.” It was created in 2005 by Sister Grace Remington of the Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey in Dubuque, Iowa.
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