𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟭 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝟯 𝘃 𝟭𝟯 𝟭𝟵
✨ 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗔 𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗢𝗨𝗥 ✨

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘴 … 🎄

The Christmas story begins almost at the commencement of human and world history 🌍.
Not quite the beginning, because our first parents were initially blessed with everlasting life in a disease free paradise 🌿. But then arrived that fateful day when the forbidden fruit was consumed 🍎 and they bequeathed to their successors a history of brokenness, illness, chaos, disaster, tears, bloodshed and death.

From that moment man became a cursed creature in need of redemption ✝️.
Where once the arrival of the Lord God into Eden was greeted with welcoming smiles, on this day Adam and Eve trembled as they heard His voice. Covering themselves with fig leaves they attempted to hide from God; many have tried this since and have failed, a futile exercise.

Yet there was pity and compassion in the voice that sounded throughout the garden, “Adam where art thou?” It was a strange mixture of grief, anger and love ❤️. With heads hung low the guilty pair came trembling.

The stage was set for the judgement of humanity and the affliction of the curse, which we experience to this day.

But the arrival of the Lord God into Eden, to confront His rebellious creatures also marked the beginning of the story of redemption ✨.

Another was present at that interview; Lucifer, the fallen angel who had cunningly beguiled Eve. Turning his attention to Lucifer, in his snake like-form 🐍, God announced His great plan for humanity, a plan which would not be thwarted.

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘥; 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘭
Genesis 3:15

While the woman would suffer through child bearing, there would be one woman, who would give birth to one man who would bring freedom and healing to ruined human nature. He would suffer, in that His heel would be bruised but with that heel He would conquer Satan and all the powers of darkness.

From that moment Satan watched with paranoid horror for the arrival of this Saviour. Adam and Eve too watched for His arrival, not in fear but in hope 🌟. The entire Old Testament would be taken up by this theme, the coming of the Messiah, Saviour, Redeemer.

Finally, in the fullness of the time, Jesus Christ would be born of a woman, bringing hope through His sufferings and triumphs ✝️.