The Impossible Gift

The greatest gift took thousands of years to come to fruition. It makes those of us who are waiting for God’s promises to come to pass not feel so impatient. After all, we’re not waiting for millennia for something to happen.

The story of Christ’s birth begins all the way back in the biblical Book of Genesis, the first book of the Torah.

In it, God decrees the shining angel (it was not a talking snake in the literal sense) Satan to be defeated by a promised one who would crush his head while Satan would only bruise His heel.

This is known as the first gospel in Scripture.

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:16 [ESV]).

Some translations say Jesus will crush the serpent’s head, not only bruise it.

This offspring is a singular future person, rather than humanity, because He is referred to with a male pronoun as ‘He.’

If you think about it, the Christmas story starts with this instead of the angelic proclamation to Miriam (Mary) and Joseph.

Thousands of years before the angels promised Mary would have a son, we have this prophecy of Jesus Christ and His ultimate victory over the Adversary of humanity. We also have a glimpse of the crucifixion.

This is more proof that the wicked schemes of men or angels are only used by God to further His purposes, bringing glory out of suffering and evil.

The protoevangelium here is the true origin of the expectation of the Messiah.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 [ESV]).

The story of the coming one goes further in Isaiah, who mentions He will rule and be the Everlasting Father in human form.

While Christmas is celebrated once a year, it might be better to say that the Christmas story is one that unfolded over generations.

I struggle to see how atheists explain away Bible prophecy. It makes no logical sense to do so. How they get around Isaiah 53, for example, is hoop-jumping denial, instead of just accepting prophecy is a real thing.

The story we are all familiar with starts with a humble couple in the Holy Land.

“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you’ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end’” (Luke 1:26-33 [ESV]).

This is the ultimate fulfillment of the words spoken by Yahweh all the way back in Genesis 3. Interestingly, the angel Gabriel cursed John’s father by being mute until the prophecy had been fulfilled for John to be born earlier.

Mary is simply curious about how a virgin can have a child.

This gives us an example of how doubting God’s promises can hurt us. God never lies and is not faithless to perform His word, so His promises stand.

If God promises you something, it will come to pass no matter what, because He has spoken it. That’s why I don’t believe in conditional prophetic words as many charismatic Christians do.

I believe God says it, and it shall be done.

Later, we have this to answer Mary’s question of how a virgin can have a child.

“For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37 [ESV]).

This teaches us that what is impossible for mere humans becomes possible with God. Meaning Christmas is a story of God doing the impossible on behalf of humanity.

Jesus is the exalted one who came in the form of a mere infant, stayed in humility, to lead us back to Paradise.

Jesus came the first time in humble circumstances. The second time, His glory will be undeniable and terrify all those living at that time.

This is the pattern of how God works. Humility before glory—exaltation comes after service and emptying the self.

Jesus is the King of the Universe, the one who controls cosmic powers such as quasars, and yet loved us enough in the Christmas story to save us from certain doom.

That is an amazing testament to God’s love for humanity.

May you have a blessed time with loved ones as you commemorate the impossible.

Shalom.