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Genesis 3:15 — “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

The story of Christmas begins in Eden. Immediately after the fall, God promised a Deliverer—the seed of the woman who would crush the serpent’s head. This verse is often called the protoevangelium, the first gospel, because it foreshadows the victory of Christ over sin and Satan. Even in judgment, God revealed hope. The coming of the King was not an afterthought but His plan from the very beginning.

The imagery of bruising captures both suffering and triumph. The serpent would strike the heel of the Messiah, symbolizing His suffering on the cross. But the Messiah would crush the serpent’s head, symbolizing total victory through His resurrection. Gratitude swells when we realize that God did not abandon humanity in sin but promised salvation before Adam and Eve were even banished from the garden.

Christmas, then, is not just about a baby in a manger but about the fulfillment of this ancient promise. The birth of Jesus is heaven’s declaration that the serpent’s doom is certain and that God’s plan of redemption is unfolding. Every carol, every nativity scene, every Christmas reading should remind us of Eden’s hope fulfilled in Bethlehem.

For us today, this promise is a reminder of God’s faithfulness. He keeps His Word, no matter how long it seems to take. Centuries passed between Genesis 3 and the manger, yet God’s promise never failed. Gratitude grows when we learn to trust His timing, even when His plan seems slow.

As we begin December, let us remember that Christmas is about more than nostalgia or tradition. It is about the seed of the woman who came to conquer sin and crush the enemy. Gratitude begins at Eden, where hope was first spoken into a world of despair.