The Son of God entered into our mess of darkness and hopelessness to rescue sinners. If we miss this point, we miss the significance of the cross and the meaning of Christmas. The Bible’s entire storyline unveils the hope of the Savior’s birth. Flowing from the storyline is the historical fall of humankind in Genesis 3:1-7. Eve gave the fruit, breaking God’s restriction, to her husband. While Eve had been deceived, Adam’s sin was clear disobedience and rebellion against God. Adam’s sin had serious consequences for all his decedents. That includes you and me. It is separation from God (Gen. 3:8-10), death (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:19, Romans 5:12, 14), and personal sin (Psalms 51:5, 55:3, Romans 5:12, 5:18-19, 1 Cor. 15:22, Eph. 2:3). What is sin? Sin is breaking the law of God. It is anything that is contrary to God’s the holy character. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The truth is that all people stand condemned before a Holy God. Left to ourselves, we are unable to change this reality. This is real hopelessness.
However, God brought hope through the promised unique descendent of Adam, who would bruise the heel of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). As the storyline moves on, God chose Abraham to serve as a channel of blessing for all the nations through his son Isaac and his descendants (including Jacob). The storyline continues to march on as God chose David to be king over Israel. Not only would the Messiah be a descendant of Abraham, but he would also be a descendant of King David.
The storyline’s movement to the Messiah marches through dark times. After Solomon’s death, his kingdom is divided into the northern and southern kingdoms. Then both the northern (Israel) and the south (Judah) are conquered, and the people are taken into exile. After seventy years in exile, some return to the Holy Land, but the glory days of David’s kingdom have passed. The stage is set for the Messiah.
Matthew opens his Gospel by introducing Jesus as the son of Abraham and son of David. He organizes Jesus’s genealogy in three sets of fourteen generations. It begins from Abraham to David, from David to the exile, and from the exile to Jesus. Luke shows a great number of promises have their fulfillment in Jesus, the son of Adam, the Son of God
God was moving human history to the climax of His Son entering into our mess:
“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship” (Galatians 4:4–5).
The Son became a human being through the incarnation, “God sent his Son.” God’s plan to rescue sinners is found in the truth that the “Word became flesh” (John 1:14). Christ took “the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Phil 2:7). He was called Immanuel—which means “God with us” (Matt 1:23).
Jesus is no ordinary child. He had no ordinary birth. Jesus Christ is the virgin-born restorer of Israel and Savior of the world. This is the most important arrival in the history of the world. God has provided a rescue plan for his people from separation, death, and personal sin. Jesus died for our sins and rose again (1 Cor. 15:3-4).
Make this a special Christmas by trusting the Lord Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness for sin and guilt before a Holy God. God will forgive and restore. He is faithful to his promises. You can believe him. You can have confidence in him. This is real hope. What is keeping you from trusting Jesus Christ?