Progeny-Advent 17, 2021

God punished Adam and Eve,
but He cursed the ground from which Adam was made.
Every single man, woman, and child since that day
has been infected by sin as our legacy
and experienced fully as inherited, both a sin nature and the curse upon the ground.
Except Jesus never inherited sin. The ground was cursed, not man.

Hold that thought.

Jesus experienced the painful toil of hard work and hunger and sufferings, the curse upon the ground. The issue of mortality too. But it was all external to Him because He was without sin.

How was this possible? Let me speculate a bit.

Mary’s genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1 ) goes back to Abraham, not to Adam. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but I think it’s interesting that Jesus’ other genealogy, that of his legal father Joseph, goes further back to Adam.

Mary’s in Matthew shows the covenant promise of God
to His chosen people through Isaac.
Jesus is the Son of God.
Joseph’s goes back to the Garden.
Jesus is also the Son of Man.

Jesus alone was born without sin because He is the Son of God and birthed by the virgin Mary who is the progeny of Eve, the “mother of all living” in the protoevangelion of Genesis 3.

Jesus’ actual birth father is not Adam’s progeny at all because God is His Father.

Questions for further study:

How important is the Virgin Birth to the Christmas story and God’s redemptive plan?

How does removing the Virgin Birth make Jesus no different than any other man under the curse of sin?

Read these verses and reflect on the importance of the work of a sinless Christ.

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”(2 Corinthians 5:21)

1 Peter 2:21 “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. (1 John 3:5)

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. (1 John 3:8)

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Advent 2021 began Sunday, November 28th and continues to Friday, December 24th as we explore the multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King. By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “Interlude” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

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Last year’s Advent Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times. Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence. His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology. They began November 29, 2015.
Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols. You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives. They began November 30, 2014.
The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John. It began December 1, 2013.
The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story. It began December 1, 2012.