Christmas Eve

December 24 Christmas Eve

The figurative ink from the words “In the beginning…” of Genesis 1:1 is not yet dry when the Lord has already begun to weave the prophetic thread of His plan of salvation into the Biblical narrative. In Genesis 3:15, after the evil one has succeeded in beguiling the woman, who in turn lured Adam into disobedience against God, the prophetic words were spoken, “The seed of the woman shall crush the head of evil.”

The Promised One will not be the seed of Adam. The Promised One will be the seed of the fallen woman. Jesus, whose coming is foretold in the third chapter of the first book of the Bible, is the seed of fallen woman. There are men included as progenitors in His lineage—Abraham (Genesis 12:3, 18:18); Jesus will be the Lion of the tribe of Judah, from whose hand the scepter of kingship shall never fall (Genesis 49: 10); the coming Messiah will be the descendent of David (Psalm 132:11), just as the Psalmist was promised by the God he trusted. But all these men are part of the lineage of Mary, Jesus’ virgin mother. (See the complete genealogy of Jesus: Matthew 1:1-18 and Luke 3:23-38).

The place of Jesus’ birth was prophesied in Micah 5:2 and fulfilled in Matthew 2:1, Luke 2:4. In order for this prophecy to be fulfilled, God had to manipulate the then-ruler of the world, Caesar, to order all his subjects to return to the place of their family-origin to be taxed. Mary, heavy with child, therefore traveled from Nazareth where she lived with her husband Joseph to Bethlehem where the prophet said HE was to be born. It was also prophesied that God would call His Son out of Egypt. Joseph fled there when Herod declared all the infant boys were to be killed to prevent the rise of a new king. When Joseph was given the liberty by God to return, it was to Nazareth that he took the Holy Family, fulfilling yet another prophecy. (See Matthew 2:13-23).

In Psalm 72:10, 11, we are told that great kings will pay homage to Him and that is partially fulfilled in Matthew 2:1-11, but will be fulfilled completely when Jesus comes again (See Philippians 2:10-11). Just as our Sovereign God moved heaven and earth to accomplish the fulfillment of these and many other prophesies concerning the first coming of Christ, so we may be sure HE will do whatever is necessary to unfold the second part of His Eternal Plan—that Jesus will finally conquer all that stands against Him and that His Righteousness, His Joy, His Peace, His Truth, His Love will reign eternally. And we who believe shall be co-heirs with Christ of His glory. (See Revelation 1:4-8).