“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15
This is a good verse to consider as Christmas approaches because it’s the first reference in the Bible indicating that God will send a Saviour. “He will crush your head” finds its fulfilment in John’s words, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8). In other words, the woman’s offspring would eventually bring a Saviour into the world who would defeat the devil.
After this initial prophecy, we find many more prophecies throughout the Old Testament that become clearer and more specific. We are told which race, which family, and which tribe he would be born into. We are told his place of birth, type of ministry, type of death and his resurrection (Psalm 16:9-11). Yet when Jesus came many people missed Him. The Pharisees who knew their Scriptures so well didn’t recognise him.
The Pharisees were so locked into their preconceived ideas of the Messiah that they wouldn’t consider it could be Jesus. It raises the question: Are we so locked into our own ideas about Jesus that if he did something unexpected, we wouldn’t recognise Him either?
God won’t be stopped by our finite minds, lack of understanding or preconceived ideas. If we miss what God is doing it will be our loss.
This Christmas as we consider Jesus’ coming into the world, let us be open to him when he makes his presence known in unexpected ways.
It’s interesting to consider simeon the guy at the temple who recognised Jesus as the messiah. Jesus was 33 days old and simeon who knew God not just scripture was able to see the messiah amongst potentially a crowd of people and children who all looked alike. when jesus was 33 years old he preforms miracles, raises the dead drives out demons and the pharisee’s can’t see the messiah because all they knew was God’s word rather then god himself
It’s interesting to consider simeon the guy at the temple who recognised Jesus as the messiah. Jesus was 33 days old and simeon who knew God not just scripture was able to see the messiah amongst potentially a crowd of people and children who all looked alike. when jesus was 33 years old he preforms miracles, raises the dead drives out demons and the pharisee’s can’t see the messiah because all they knew was God’s word rather then god himself
I read this morning of blind Bartamaes. Jesus walked by on the road and Bart cried out to Him and the people told him to be quiet. It made me pray that I will notice people’s hunger for God and not be someone who tells them to be quiet coz the way they cry out for him seems to be crazy or inappropriate.
I read this morning of blind Bartamaes. Jesus walked by on the road and Bart cried out to Him and the people told him to be quiet. It made me pray that I will notice people’s hunger for God and not be someone who tells them to be quiet coz the way they cry out for him seems to be crazy or inappropriate.
ohhhh that’s good Kel. Makes me think a lot.
ohhhh that’s good Kel. Makes me think a lot.