The First Sunday of Advent—December 1

SOMEONE VICTORIOUS: THE COMING MESSIAH

Genesis 3

     Several years ago, the small town of Hope, Alaska, was destroyed by a flood.  Miraculously, no lives were lost, but there was tremendous property damage.  When church officials came up to see how they might help, they found the devastated town completely abandoned.  In the center of what used to be Main Street, they found a sign that read, “The community of Hope has moved to higher ground.”  In a day of terrorism, sniper attacks, and rumors of wars, many today find it difficult to see any hope at all.  Hence, Christmas!

     Yes, Christmas—even in the first book of the Bible.  As we turn to the true story of Adam and Eve and their fall from grace, many people find it hard to believe in an omniscient and omnipotent God, that is, a God who knows all things and can do all things.  They suggest that if indeed God is all powerful, why doesn’t He just wipe sin out and be done with it?  Likewise, if He is all-knowing, and therefore knew that Adam and Eve would sin, why didn’t He stop them OR not even create them in the first place?  The question of evil, and the resulting rebellion and sin, go way back—even long before Adam and Eve.  Before Creation, the Triune God was worshipped continually by billions of angels.  One of those spirits—a leader of the worship—rebelled, wanting the praise for himself, and one-third of the angels joined him in that rebellion.  Kicked out of the presence of God, the angel and his followers—Lucifer and the demons—have been looking for ways to get back at God ever since.

     Hence, the Fall in the Garden of Eden.  It would seem as though Lucifer, now referred to as Satan, our “adversary,” was victorious.  But when God curses him for all he had done, He tells him, “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 heal.”(3:15)  Yes, the coming Messiah, and all who will follow Him, will have their heals nipped at by Satan, but Jesus, in suffering and dying to take away our sin, will crush the head of Satan.  Oh, the abounding Hope of a God who lives on a higher ground!  This very verse contains the first explicit promise of victory over sin and the One who will be victorious.  It is the very first explicit reference to God’s plan for redemption and salvation.  God was not caught off guard by this “predicament” in the Garden.  God knew what was going to happen all along—He wanted to use it to reveal Himself and His love.  He does the same thing today, as many cannot figure out why tragedies abound.  He didn’t want a bunch of marionette-type angels in heaven, just bowing to Him because He pulled the strings AND He doesn’t want that here on this earth, either.  He gave his angels and His people free-will on purpose—as His creation worships Him from the heart, and not because they have to, He alone gets the glory.  He alone is the victorious One.  He alone is Someone Special.  Praise and Worship to His Holy Name—no strings attached!

~ Rev. Roy D. Warren, Jr.