Christmas, a Promise Fulfilled

I just watched a video from Answers in Genesis and found it fairly enlightening.

In all honesty, while I'm a huge proponent of a young earth and the work that Answers does in regards to defending the faith, I'm not sure I've deeply thought through the implications to the Christmas story if one denied a literal Genesis.

One of the points Calvin Smith makes about thorns being a result of the curse, and what is it that was in Christ's head at the cross? A crown of thorns. Not sure there's huge theological implications with that, but it's still a powerful statement.

But I think what struck me while watching is something I don't believe I have thought of before. If one denied a literal Genesis, then one has to question the original promise of the coming Messiah; the 1st gospel proclamation, the 1st look into what would happen at the birth of Christ. That promise is found in Genesis 3:15:

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel."

This curse upon the serpent of old is the first mention of a Savior. The 1st reference to the coming Christ.

If Genesis isn't literal, then how can we take this comment? Can we believe it if we can't believe the context? I think it's a fair question.

It's far better to recognize that the only reason to deny Genesis is to allow for secular unprovable scientific opinions, not actual facts; and definitely not because of anything the Bible states.

No we instead ought to look at the promise of Genesis 3:15 and realize that God always has a purpose, that He promised at the start to redeem a people, and that Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise.

But how is that verse a promise of the Messiah you might ask? Because we see in it that Satan will be defeated (bruised on the head, a crushing blow), though Christ would be bruised on the heel (not a fatal injury, Christ did die on the cross but defeated death and was raised from the dead). The effects of the fall would be done away with. Creation will be restored (Revelation 21, Romans 8:19-25). Sin will be gone, evil defeated, and all will be made right. That promise in Genesis points to that.

So as we celebrate Christmas, may we recognize that this is far more than a cute nativity scene. May we see that the Christmas story tells us that God is true, that He keeps His promise, that He saves from sin, and that He will one day make all things new.