Christmas Advent Bible Reading Plan: Jesus Is BornSampel

To Do What Adam Could Not

December is crazy. The Christmas carols, decorations, traditions, gifts, and family gatherings. There’s no denying it: This season is special - I love it… but it can be A LOT. Many of us hope to create the perfect Christmas experience for our loved ones. But why does Christmas bring us so much hope?

Let’s start at the beginning - Adam and Eve. God gave them complete freedom - with one exception. He warned Adam, “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:17). Satan, in the form of a snake, planted doubt about God’s goodness and love. We all know the story. They ignored God’s warning and ate the fruit.

With that poor decision came a world of shame, guilt, pain, and death. “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves” (Genesis 3:7). They hid from each other’s gaze and hid from God too. They tried to cover their shame and regret, but nothing could reverse their decision.

We all know the feeling too well. Just like Adam and Eve, every human effort we have to “make good” our broken promises falls short. We try to put on a brave face and cover everything up like it’s fine - but it’s not. There’s Good News, though - we have a gift of hope. As Paul reminded the believers in Rome, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

This is the hope that we can hold onto. The highest hope is during December and every day of the year. We can’t earn it, and we definitely don’t deserve it. The gift of righteousness is being right with God and each other once again. Whether we recognise it or not, we’re searching for this restoration, even amidst the twinkling lights and carols.

Because of Jesus’s birth, life, and death, our death sentence can be reversed. Only Jesus covers our nakedness, silences our shame, and delivers us from death to eternal life. “Through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19). Now, we can fully join the party, knowing Jesus has already delivered the gift we need the most—Himself!

Prayer

Jesus, thank You for being the greatest gift of this season. Thank You for doing what only You could - taking my shame, guilt, and pain on the cross and giving me true freedom. Help me walk in the beauty of this gift every day. In Jesus' Name, Amen.