The Christmas story doesn’t start in a manger or with a star in the sky. It doesn’t start with an angel appearing to Mary or even with the prophet Isaiah foretelling the coming Messiah. Christmas begins much earlier in Scripture, with Genesis 3:15 being the first promise of a coming Redeemer.

“And 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

The seed. The seed. The seed. The seed is coming. The seed has come. Jesus was the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy.

I am in awe when I think about God’s strong hand in salvation-history. The seed was promised in Genesis 3:15 and traced through those long genealogies we gloss over early in Matthew and Luke when we read the Gospel accounts of the Christmas story. It is remarkable how God protected and made provision for the seed. Starting in Genesis 3:15 and seeing it pass down through the patriarchs all the way to Judah at the end of Genesis. Launching forth from Jacob’s blessing upon Judah that “the scepter shall not depart from Judah” in Genesis 49:10 we understand the seed being connected to the David’s line and the foreshadowing of a king that will reign forever. A benevolent king and messiah named Jesus. 

God’s salvation plan is so massive, expansive, and comprehensive that it is difficult for me to wrap my head around. I am humbled that he wrapped me up in it though. I walk in victory because he put on flesh and dwelt among us. I marvel at the freedom I have because he considered himself nothing and put on the nature of a servant, becoming in human likeness. I rejoice that I do not fear death because he has crushed the serpent’s head.

The power of the cross would not have been possible without the manger. The hope the empty tomb brings would not be possible if he had not come.

“Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!”