Christmas, A New Genesis

photo from stockxchng/ven-

Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Christ. It's also a time to consider why he came. Scripture tells us Christ came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). The baby born into this world, whose birth we celebrate, came to be the Savior of mankind.

The First Genesis
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (GE 1:1 KJV)." Scripture tells us God saw each phase of his creation as being good. God created Adam and placed him in a perfect garden, Eden.

Adam's disobedience in the matter of the forbidden fruit plunged all humanity into a world of sin resulting in both physical death and spiritual death. God instituted a plan of sacrifice for humanity to follow to push redemption from sin forward until the time of the ultimate sacrifice of the coming Messiah.

Hebrews 10:4 tells us it's not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin. Something more was required. God never intended to leave humanity without the hope of redemption and restoration. God had a plan from the beginning. The sacrifice of a Lamb was already in his mind when he spoke this world into existence. However a new genesis was required.

A New Genesis
"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise (Matthew 1:18 KJV)." My Pastor presented this verse in a recent Bible study. His focus was on the word birth. The original Greek used for this word is gennesis (Strong's 1083). The birth of Jesus Christ was a new genesis for this world.
 
Jesus came into this world as a baby. He experienced all the troubles and trials of human life. His life ended as a man cursed to die on a tree. Thank God he didn't stay dead, he arose! His resurrection put into motion the process of a brand-new creation. God made that same Jesus, who was crucified, both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).

We can become a part of God's new genesis through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul put it like this, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV)."

As we celebrate the "reason for the season", let's remember the reason was he came to seek and save the lost. He came to bring a new genesis for humanity. May all be blessed and have a safe and joyful Christmas.