Sunday November 29, 2020
I’ve Been Waiting a Really Long Time
From the very beginning of fallen human history we had the promise of a Savior. From the moment Adam fell, God had a plan of redemption and restoration in place…that one day, the serpent that deceived the first Adam would be smitten by the Second Adam…Jesus Christ, Savior of the world.
So the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” (Gen.3:14-15)
The serpent’s deception introduced sin and separation into humanity, creating a rejection of God’s holiness and righteousness. The serpent, Satan, would continue to be at enmity with God and an enemy of God’s ways. What was destroyed in a garden of Paradise would one day be restored in another garden…Gethsemane. But before that, there was to be a manger.
It would prove to be a long wait (as some would count it) and we really are not very good at waiting. But a promise is a promise, especially to God. If you think about it, that’s exactly what Christmas is all about…celebrating a promise fulfilled. (See WORD WISDOM for a deeper study of wait)
Jesus Christ did not come at some random time in human history. His entry into humanity fulfilled thousands of years of promise, anticipation, and hope. When we were dead in our sin, new life would be offered. Where there was broken fellowship with God, restoration was accomplished. And where there was despair, hope was reborn.
But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. (Gal.4:4-5)
So, just what did the Bible say about such promises? Well if we look at what the word actually means, we can understand the power of God’s promises. The word promise means, “an announcement, especially a divine assurance of good.” An assurance of good…let that sink in…an assurance.
They are declarations of His Word in which He has assured us that there is a “good” in our future…a goodness in which He will bestow blessings on His people. It is a declaration of the divine will of God. His promises are meant to give us hope and build our faith.
Christmas is about a Savior who came to earth to crush our adversary, and to pay the penalty of sin with His own flesh. We cannot celebrate His birth without remembering why He was born. Without Easter, Christmas is just another lovely story.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning—Yes, more than those who watch for the morning. (Ps.130:5-6)
You may be waiting on a promise from the Lord. Keep hoping, keep watching, keep believing. Know that His promises are sure. How do we know? Because two thousand years ago, God took on flesh to fulfill a promise…it was worth the wait! Amen, and amen!
