The Advent of the Promised Messiah

Introduction

It was time for our second child to arrive in this world. This one was special because we had lost one in between our first and now second on the way. Each ultrasound and visit we walked away with a certainty that Addalyn Rose was on the way. We bought girl outfits and decor. We planned for this moment in great anticipation.

The day of arrival had come, the advent of Fisher baby number 2 and we were ready. Except Jenny near the last minute she could said, what if this is a boy? We need to have a name picked. I laughed and thought it wasn’t necessary, but we played the name game and landed on Malachi.

During her C-section we hear the doctor say, we are almost there. The feeling welling up inside as I waited to hold my next child building. That and I looked at the surgery taking place only to hear the nurse say, “Dad, let’s sit down and breath.” Apparently I got real pale for a minute.

The doctor says, here is your brand new baby…boy? I’m sorry, what?! Sure enough, God decided that we needed another boy, though we expected a girl. Needless to say, we had some work to do to transform the nursery into a different space.

An advent is the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event. We all experience advents in our life- birth of children, marriages, graduation, first job, new cars, etc.

There is an advent that is above all others, however. The greatest advent comes in Jesus Christ. His advent is the advent of God’s plan of redemption wrapped up in the person and work of Jesus.

But, this begs the question many of us know the answer to, but many today also do not know. Why do we need the advent of Jesus? Why was an advent of the promised Messiah necessary?

These next few weeks we are going to look at the advent of Jesus. This morning we will explore the advent of the Promised Messiah. We will also look at the advent of the Promised Heir, the advent of the Promised King, and the advent of Return.

Back to the question at hand: Why do we need the advent of Jesus?

Pastor HB Charles Jr once said in a sermon, “if you get the diagnosis wrong you will get the prescription wrong too.” To fully understand Christmas and the reason we celebrate it we have to go back to Genesis 3. Jesus is more than, “eight-pound, six-ounce, newborn infant Jesus, who doesn't even know a word yet—little infant, so cuddly but still omnipotent…” as Ricky Bobby once said.

Genesis 3:8-15

Background Context

We will be exploring Genesis 3 in a few weeks when we go through Genesis so I don’t want to get too in depth today.

Genesis 3:1-7 depicts the moment Satan brings forth the temptation to Eve to rebel against God. He twists God’s Word and will to deceive Eve and ultimately Adam. They choose their way over God’s and from that moment sin entered the world and became the nature of humanity.

We are all bent to rebel and reject our Creator and the life He offers us. Why? Because we are deceived to believe our way is better; not realizing we become enslaved to our sin.

As the pastor I mentioned earlier said in the same sermon:

Does a tree become better when it is uprooted from it’s foundation?

Does a fish become better and free when it is pulled from its boundary of water?

Does a train express true freedom when it is not contained to it’s tracks?

The answer of course is no. The tree and the fish experience death. The train brings chaos and destruction. So it is for us in rebellion to God.

Application

The deception of sin is that we have no need of God, yet, He is actually the source of life and all that is good.

The created have no place to take the authority and place of the Creator.

The Need For The Messiah (v.8-14)

The Man and Woman are caught in their sin.

But notice how they react in their being caught.

They try to hide from God in their sin.

Sin has this sneaky way of deceiving us to believe that if it is not exposed it doesn’t matter or count. So we try to hide it like the child who is asked to clean their room and throws everything in the closet. It looks clean, but in fact it is not taken care of properly.

They each blamed someone else for their own choice of rebellion.

Diffusion of responsibility is another deception of sin. If we can somehow find anything and everything else that is the reason behind our sin we use it.

There may be good reasons, but it doesn’t take away from the responsibility of the choice made.

The reason Adam and Even do this and we do the same is because we are trying to remove guilt from us or make it less. In God’s eyes, guilty is guilty.

The consequences of sin revealed (v.14-24)

We didn’t read through all the consequences of sin that come from God speaking them over Adam and Eve, but all of them make like hard.

Childbirth become difficult and painful. The ground will become difficult to grow crops.

The choice to rebel against God didn’t make life easier or better it actually made it worse and harder.

Physically, relationally, spiritually consequences came and on a global scale. How do I know?

Romans 5:12 CSB

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.

No one escapes sin or it’s consequence. It creates separation from God who is holy and righteous. It creates strife between others and this world.

The diagnosis is clear: We are spiritually sick people who all carry a terminal prognosis. Our only cure can come from our Creator who gives us life.

In Genesis 3:15 He gives us the prescription.

The Promised Messiah

God speaks to Satan and places a curse upon him. There will me strife, hatred, enmity between you and the offspring of Eve.

What is Eve’s offspring? Is it all of humanity? Yes, that is true. Is it her immediate children? Yes, that is true too.

However, in the Hebrew the word is a collective singular noun. This means it can refer to a collective. However, the pronouns that surround it are singular in the masculine. This is why our translations use “He will strike your head and you will strike His heal.”

Many scholars call this the first gospel message. This is the moment the Father speaks of the advent of the promised Messiah, the One who would take the sins of the world. The One who would heal our brokenness by His broken body. The One who would wash us clean of sin by His shed blood on the cross as the sacrifice to wash away our sin.

Charles Spurgeon said this,

Is it not remarkable that this great gospel promise should have been delivered so soon after the transgression? As yet no sentence had been pronounced upon either of the two human offenders, but the promise was given under the form of a sentence pronounced upon the serpent. Not yet had the woman been condemned to painful travail, or the man to exhausting labour, or even the soil to the curse of thorn and thistle. Truly “mercy rejoiceth against judgment.” Before the Lord had said “Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return,” he was pleased to say that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head. Let us rejoice, then, in the swift mercy of God, which in the early watches of the night of sin came with comfortable words unto us.

Gen. 3:15 is not the card handed to us that says sin is just taken care of and you get to live how you want. Gen. 3:15 is not exemption from the consequences of our sin.

It is the promise that through a Messiah all will be made right.

This verse stands as the heartbeat of all of Scripture and all that Scripture is pointing to: Jesus. This verse stands as the heartbeat of God for His creation: Our redemption.

Matthews 1:18-21

Background Context

Matthew writes of the beginning of Christ’s earthly ministry, the beginning of the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15 with a genealogy and His birth.

Meek and lowly does this Messiah enter into the world. Though He is a part of the Triune Godhead who was at creation in Genesis, who bears all authority and power in this world; He enters into humanity in power, yet in humility.

The birth of Jesus looks disgraceful to the world around.

Joseph and Mary are betrothed which means they are set to be married, but are not yet married. Joseph is put into a position where legally he can divorce Mary.

To marry Mary would is to bring shame upon the family. To enter into something shameful by the community around them.

But, God takes what is shameful, what at its appearance seems broken and brings redemption. An angel visits Joseph and tells him to marry her.

Through Jesus, our brokenness is made right.

The birth of Jesus reveals God’s power and work.

God promised in Gen. 3:15 to produce an offspring of Eve that would one day defeat Satan. It is the work and will of God for this to happen.

Mary conceives of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. In a miraculous and supernatural moment, God breaks through. This provides basis for the deity and humanity of Jesus. This provides the basis for God’s work taking place to fulfill His promise.

The birth of Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise.

The birth of Jesus is the advent of the promise of Genesis 3:15.

I believe that Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, Josiah, etc all wondered if their son was the Messiah. They hoped this was true to see the fulfillment of the promise of salvation.

Yet, we read in verse 21 it is fulfilled in Jesus, the One who will save His people from their sins.

How do I know this is true?

Romans 5:17–18 CSB

17 If by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 18 So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is justification leading to life for everyone.

Romans 5:21 CSB

21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:8 CSB

8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:10–11 CSB

10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11 And not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.

Christmas is about the hope that has come in Jesus Christ who saves us from our sin. Before it is presents, family, festive fun, good tidings, or Santa Clause, it is about the Savior’s arrival to end sin and it’s curse.

Understand, this is God’s only plan. Genesis 3:15 isn’t about being good. It isn’t about earning God’s favor. It isn’t about any other religion that exists. It isn’t about self-actualization, thinking good thoughts, or being true to yourself. God’s plan has been and will always be Jesus. Christ Himself testified,

John 14:6 CSB

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Application

What does this mean for us today?

There is hope and salvation for eternity with God

The God of the universe, your Creator desires a relationship with you. He desires to walk with you like He did with Adam and Eve. Sin keeps that from happening, but in Jesus hope is found!

Remember what Spurgeon said, it was God’s mercy first spoken before the curses. His heart is for you.

You can enter into this hope and salvation today.

God keeps His promises

God is a God of promise and a keeper of promises. The text today testifies to this. While it may be hard to see and know those promises fully in our time, we can trust He keeps them.

It was thousands of years between Genesis 3:15 and Matthew 1. Throughout God offered reminders of the promise; pointing to the fulfillment at the right time.

Perhaps you are facing something that is challenging your trust in Him and His promises. May you be encouraged today to know that all He does is for the right time, the right purpose, and the right way for you.

There is hope that evil has been and is overcome.

Satan is bent on destroying all that is associated with God. He wants nothing more than to bring evil into this world and he is hellbent to win.

But, he has lost as the promise and the fulfillment of it shows.

In Revelation 13 there is a depiction of Satan having what appears to be free reign on earth. He is destroying, devouring this world. It even says he is able to overcome the saints for a time. It looks bleak for those who walk in this moment of time when it comes.

Then Revelation 14 enters the picture. First a picture of 144,000 standing on Mt. Zion singing praises. This is followed by a proclamation of about the downfall of all that takes place in Revelation 13.

I asked myself, why would God have John put that scene in that place? Because when defeat is near, victory is ever present. Hope remains even when it seems like evil is winning. Our text provides hope that in the midst of heartache, sin, destruction, death, chaos, etc. victory belongs to the Lord and He has granted victory to us through His Son!

Conclusion

If you are in need of salvation today, look and come to Jesus.

If you are in need of hope this season, look to Jesus.

If you are in need of not being overwhelmed by the brokenness of this world and the work of evil, look to Jesus.