Genesis 3 makes plain that even in the darkness of the fall there is a glimmer of hope: God pronounces judgement on the deceiver and promises that the woman's offspring will bruise the serpent's head, a first gospel that points to a coming Deliverer who undoes the curse and gives an assurance beyond the present gloom. [09:03]
Genesis 3:14-15 (ESV)
14 The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."
Reflection: Name one specific area where you feel deceived into thinking God is withholding good; today confess that misconception to God, declare the truth of Genesis 3:15 aloud, and write down one concrete step you will take this week to trust the promised Deliverer.
When God calls for Abraham to offer Isaac, Abraham walks forward in trusting hope—believing God would fulfill his promise even if it meant resurrection—so that the test both displays obedience and foreshadows the Father who would not hold back his only Son but provide a substitute. [15:07]
Genesis 22:1-14 (ESV)
1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."
2 He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.
5 Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you."
6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together.
7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"
8 Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together.
9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on the wood.
10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."
12 He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.
14 So Abraham called the name of that place, "The LORD will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided."
Reflection: Identify one treasured thing (time, money, relationship, plan) you are clinging to and, today, offer it to God in prayer; then take one concrete step this week that demonstrates trust—scheduling a conversation, giving a specific amount, or freeing up that hour to serve—trusting God to provide.
Luke 1 shows the fulfillment pattern: a miraculous conception announced by an angel, a young woman entrusted with the impossible, and the arrival of the promised child who bridges the promise from Abraham and Sarah into the incarnation—God entering history to bring hope where there was none. [19:01]
Luke 1:26-35 (ESV)
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.
28 And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!"
29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.
30 And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."
34 And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"
35 And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God."
Reflection: Think of one situation in your life that feels impossible; today pray in the spirit of Mary, saying, "I am the Lord's servant," and write down one faithful step you will take this week that trusts God's power instead of your own effort.
John 3:16 summarizes the heart of the Gospel: the Father did not hold back but gave his only Son so that whoever believes will not perish but have eternal life, and that giving is the ultimate proof of hope offered to a fallen world. [21:13]
John 3:16 (ESV)
16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
Reflection: Name one person in your life who does not yet know Christ; today pray John 3:16 specifically for them, and make a concrete plan this week to share the gospel with them—invite them to church, send an encouraging note about Jesus, or arrange a coffee and a gospel conversation.
Matthew 24 reminds believers that wars, famines, false prophets, and lawlessness are the beginning of birth pains—signs that should not provoke despair but hopeful perseverance: confess sin, live as light in dark places (especially at home), and share the gospel urgently because the love of many can grow cold but the one who endures will be saved. [24:11]
Matthew 24:7-14 (ESV)
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.
10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.
11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.
12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.
13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Reflection: This week, choose one concrete way to be light to a specific person—serve a need, initiate a reconciliatory confession, or share the gospel—and schedule the exact day and action now; after you do it, note what you learned about persevering in hope.
Hope is not wishful thinking; it is a steady assurance anchored in God’s promise. Like expectant parents who prepare in anticipation, we live this Advent season looking back to the promised Child and forward to the day when He returns. In Genesis 3, the serpent twisted God’s words and cast a shadow on His character, convincing Adam and Eve that God was holding out on them. We still feel that pull when we’re tempted to lie or bend the rules because it seems like obedience will make us miss out. Yet even in judgment, God gave a glimmer of grace—the first gospel promise that a child would come to crush the serpent.
That promise widens through Abraham and Sarah. Against all odds, Isaac is born, and then Abraham is asked to offer him up. Abraham climbs the mountain believing that God can even raise the dead. God stayed his hand and provided a substitute—an image of what God Himself would do in giving His only Son. The Christmas story completes those threads: a miraculous conception, a silent Savior led to sacrifice, three days in the tomb, and a substitute who bears our place. Jesus is the serpent-crusher and the hope of the world.
Still, we live in the tension: the curse is broken but not yet fully reversed. Death remains, yet for those in Christ it has become a doorway to life. Our times feel like birth pains, just as Jesus said—wars, deception, cold love—but birth pains signal that the Child is surely coming. So we don’t cave to despair; we practice hope.
What does that look like? First, confess sin with eager hope in forgiveness and restoration. Let God do the covering, and seek reconciliation without excuse. Second, live as light in ordinary places—at the gas station, on your commute, and especially at home, where it’s easiest to hide our light. Third, share the good news urgently so that your love doesn’t grow cold; joy matures as it is given away. Our Lord held nothing back. So we wait, we work, and we witness, expecting the day when all that is sad comes untrue.
- Genesis 3:14–15 — 14 The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” - Genesis 22:1–14 1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. 9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The LORD will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.” - Matthew 24:6–14 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. 9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
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