Prophesied Incarnation-Advent 2 (2015)

Why Incarnation? Why not some other way?

Well, the truth is, there was no other way possible.

Today, we’ll look at the first of the reasons why it was the only possibility. The first hint of the Incarnation—the first occurrence of the Gospel in the Bible—was proclaimed, prophesied to mankind.  But it was also a shot across the bow to the serpent all the way back in Genesis 3:15 “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.”

Adam and Eve used to be in the Garden of Eden, naked as the day they were created. But then they disobeyed God, they rebelled against Him and they reaped the consequences that God told them ahead of time were going to happen.

Boom. Mortality.

Genesis 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

Once mortality happens, there’s no going back. Not even for God. There’s no rewind, do over, replay, or sending the video up to a booth for an official review. Why? Because God saw the play, the promised consequences happened (cause and effect!), and now Adam and Eve are mortals with a sin nature and they die. They surely die. While it may mean the end of their lives, it’s surely not the end of our story.

Hope is as sure as God’s promise…which is as sure as it gets. Why?

Boom. Love.

God enters the picture with a promise—a prophecy—telling humanity that there’s hope for their mortality. Sure, we aren’t going to like death—most people hate and fear the very idea at least of our own death—but eventually God will send a seed, an offspring of humanity, but not through Adam. Through Eve. This promised Messiah will defeat death.

Romans 5: 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ..12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned– 13 for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!

Thought for the day: Jesus, the prophesied seed of the woman, needed to become incarnated (God with us!) as the only way to overcome human mortality.

Questions for reflection:

1. Read all of Romans 5. Why is God’s action more than enough to overcome the action of one man named Adam? Both had lasting consequences. Why are the actions of Messiah eternal whereas Adam’s consequences only last until death?
2. Why was the seed prophesied to be from the woman Eve and not Adam?
3. In Romans 5, why does the Apostle Paul say the law was useful but not effective in saving anyone?

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Incarnation (2015 Advent Devotional Series) began November 29th.  By way of reminder, if you haven’t signed up yet, you can receive these devotional studies in your email throughout Advent 2015 by entering your email address on the SeminaryGal.com home page in the space provided in the sidebar.  Or “Like” the SeminaryGal Facebook page to access them there.  If you like these devotionals, I’d really appreciate your letting others know so I can continue to spread the Good News far and wide.  Blessings to you, in Christ always, Barbara <><