December 4: The God Who Lives

The triumphant promise of Genesis 3 appears to stagger lifelessly as the story unfolds. On the cusp of exile and promise, Adam and Eve wait with bated breath. When will the Serpent Crusher arrive? But wait … did God really say the seed of the woman would slay the serpent? There must be some mistake. How would it be possible? Could a human truly defeat sin? Could a human conquer death? It would take more than a miracle. You and I are human. We know just how frail this sin-scarred flesh can be. 

The pages turn. You’ve read their names. Or maybe you’ve skipped over them, tucked right there between the fall and the flood. At first glance these names might mean nothing to us. But in them we’ll find the same thread of sin and sorrow woven through their stories that’s also found in yours and mine.

Adam lived…and then he died.

Seth lived…and then he died. 

Enosh…Kenan…Mahalel…Jared…Lamech…all lived. And then they died.

They’re only given one chapter in the epic we’re unfolding. Yet etched across their lives is the tragic tale of sin’s ravaging result. Oh, how we know the sting of death. Of loved ones lost, dreams dissolved, relationships destroyed, and hopes unraveled.

Where is the promised savior? The names stack up – cruel reminders of the sin-scathed path we walk. Who will save us from sin’s deadly blow? Where is the death conqueror? It seems that death has won. Has God forgotten? Are His promises as reliable as shifting sand? 

Perhaps you’ve asked these questions before. Maybe you’re asking them now. As you trim the tree and sing the songs, short on time and bankrupt of hope. As those around you make magical moments, but you’re simply trying to take the next breath. Where is the serpent crusher, sin slayer, and death conqueror? Why does God tarry to fulfill His promises? When the most wonderful time of the year is a hollow echo of what should have been. When we’re neck deep in regret and up to our ears in deadlines. When we’re wading through disappointment and drowning in what could have been but will never be. When our hearts sag beneath the heavy weight of broken promises and shattered dreams. Where is He? When will He come?

The entire Old Testament begs for an answer. Those lists of names we skip over, if we take the time to dig deeper, leave us wanting. It wasn’t Noah, or Abraham, or Moses. It wasn’t Joshua, or Gideon, or David. Not Daniel, Ezekiel, or Jeremiah. Their best efforts weren’t enough. The stain of sin sank too deep. 

When we turn the pages a bit more, we find another inventory of names. The opening scene of the New Testament continues the tale of a bedraggled family. Names you may know well and others easily forgotten. These names tell the same story of thwarted hope and twisted hearts. But there at the bottom of the list, there’s a new name. There, at the end of a long line of ragamuffin misfits, one name changes everything.

Matthew 1:6

and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

Here’s where the story takes a turn, and when we look back, we can see that this was always where the road was leading. For, even though sin and death shout from the pages, they never had the last say. The thread of grace, woven throughout every story of every desperate vagabond, points us straight to Him. 

Jesus — the serpent crusher — lived. He lived the life we couldn’t live. He did what Adam couldn’t do. He accomplished what Moses never could. He did what you and I can’t do. Those lists of names aren’t there to point us to them. Those names are there to point us to HIM! Our feeble efforts at righteousness are as worthwhile as chasing the wind. The serpent never stood a chance. 

Jesus — the sin slayer —  died. He carried our sin, dying on our behalf. Body bruised and battered, he became the curse that held us captive. Sin never had the final say. Jesus, God in the flesh, died the death we deserved. Sin's grip, now severed. Sin's power, now untethered.

Jesus — the death conquerer — came back to life. Oh, death, where is your sting? Our death defeater has come. And He not only came back to life, but He's bringing us back to life, too. Death has been undone because the King has come.

One day it will all be set right. One day that ancient serpent will receive his final blow, sin will stain our lives no more, and death will say its last goodbye. Until then we wait, holding onto hope. And when hope slips elusively through our fingers, maybe then we'll realize that hope isn't found in magical moments or winter wonderlands. We'll never find it in far-off destinations or time-honored traditions. It isn't in well-behaved children or tinsel and ribbon. Hope is found in the Name above all names. The Prince of Peace and Lord of lords. Our Immanuel, God with us.

Can you see it? The ember of hope. The trickle of light. The serpent crusher, sin slayer, death defeater — He’s here. He’s here to stay, and He will have the final say.

The question is … whose righteousness are you relying upon today? Are you trying to earn your way to God or are you resting in Jesus’ finished work on your behalf? When it seems like God is delayed in His promises, where will you find your hope?