Did you know the first promise God ever made was about Christmas? You actually know the story. It didn’t happen in Bethlehem. It happened in the Garden. Sin caused man to fall and God responded with a promise:
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15).
This is God’s first promise: what we call CHRISTMAS.
I find it incredible that God’s first response to sin was a promise that it would not keep us apart forever. Man fell hard and God said, “I will send My Son.”
His response reveals His LOVE for us. In Isaiah 48:16, the prophet spoke of Jesus, saying, “Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord God and His Spirit Have sent Me.” When it was apparent that man had been separated from God, His immediate response was to send Jesus.
But notice what Jesus said about this:“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17). The Amplified Bible says, “For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.”
When I think about God’s immediate response in the Garden, I can’t help but think of this scripture: “…Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). Christmas was birthed out of the abundance of God’s heart. We celebrate the BIRTH OF JESUS, but His birth was a RESPONSE TO MAN’S FALL.
And of course, Satan was there. He heard God’s message loud and clear— and made his own plan to hinder the Truth. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, “[Satan, who is the god of this world] has blinded [those] who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” Thankfully, Satan’s agenda doesn’t change God. “For it is God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).
From day one, Satan’s intent was to “kill, steal, and destroy” (John 10:10)— to spread his darkness in order to keep people blinded. But every time we say MERRY CHRISTMAS, we shine the light of the glory of Christ on a dark world. And we should never underestimate this. The light of God will always be greater than any darkness.
Isaiah 9 is popular at Christmas but let’s start in verse 2: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined” (Isaiah 9:2). Why? Because “…unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
Can you say MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Seriously, you might find it hard to say JESUS LOVES YOU but it’s not hard to say Merry Christmas! John 1:4-5 says, “In Him IS Life, and the Life IS the Light of men. And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it]” (AMP). Every time you wish someone a Merry Christmas, you are actually overpowering the darkness with the message of God’s first promise.
And can we take a minute and think about all the prophecies (from Genesis 3:15 to the birth of Jesus)? I can’t even begin to understand how God wove the story of Jesus together before He was born. The Old Testament is a huge tapestry— God’s plan slowly being woven together. (So what does that say about your story?)
And can you imagine how excited God must have been as He sent an angel from heaven to reveal His plan to Mary? This was a moment thousands of years in the making. Put yourselves in Mary’s shoes and reflect on this moment. Think about how incredible, maybe even overwhelming, it was for her to discover the extent of her God-given purpose. It’s important to realize that just as God had divine purpose for Mary, He has divine purpose for you too. Just as He chose her and entrusted her with great plans, He has also chosen each of you and entrusted something miraculous in you!
In Luke 12:7, Jesus said “…the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” The Passion Translation says, “What is the value of your soul to God? Could your worth be defined by any amount of money? God doesn’t abandon or forget even the small sparrow he has made. How then could he forget or abandon you? What about the seemingly minor issues of your life? Do they matter to God? Of course they do! So you never need to worry, for you are more valuable to God than anything else in this world.”
I want you to know God’s plan, from the beginning, was to give your life purpose (not condemnation). Dan Mohler once said, “Jesus didn’t die because you have sin, He died because you have destiny.” Let’s tweak that: God didn’t send Jesus because you have sin, He sent Him because you have destiny. It was a rescue mission.
You and I can take heart in knowing that on the other side of our “yes” to God is an outcome greater than we can imagine. Mary couldn’t possibly have understood all that was on the other side of her response to God, but she trusted Him.
Even Bethlehem is a reminder that incredible things begin in humble places.
“But you, Bethlehem… the runt of the litter— From you will come [JESUS]…” (Micah 5:2 MSG). Don’t disqualify yourself. God is famous for doing big things in small places— for doing big things with humble people.
My prayer as we enter this Christmas season is that we would focus on the fulfillment of God’s first promise and recognize that He is true to His Word. I pray we would meditate on the truth that He loves us so much that He sent His perfect Son to be born into a sinful world so He could have a relationship with us. And then let the rest unfold out of a relationship birthed from God’s first promise.
