A Promise & a Picture was a short challenge presented to the employees of The Hearing Healthcare Center, Greenville, SC, at their annual Christmas Banquet, 2022.

Although the world sees the presents and the commercializing of Christ’s birth, we who have come to trust in Jesus as the Christ understand that Christ’s birth marked the fulfillment of God’s promise. The promise is of a Deliverer, a Victor over the Devil, called by God, “her seed”: The Seed of the Woman (Genesis 3:15). Though his heel would be bruised (an amazing description of Christ’s death on the cross), he would bruise the serpent’s head.

This promise to Adam and Eve, picturing the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3) is not fulfilled in Christ’s birth. Men do not know the forgiveness of their sins because of the birth of our Lord. We know the forgiveness of our sins because of the blood he shed in his death on the cross. We preach, Christ crucified, the power of God unto salvation (1 Corinthians 1:17-24).

His single act of death, once, for all time and for all people, sanctifies us by the taking away of our sins (Hebrews 10:9-18). His resurrection from the dead seals our victory over death; and, his being accepted by God the Father, seated at his right hand, guarantees our acceptance through Christ!

There is no more offering for sin; rather, there is a boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19). Having an High Priest, Jesus Christ, over the house of God, let us draw near unto God, therefore, with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with the pure water of the Word of God (Hebrews 10:22; Ephesians 5:26).

Christ’s birth marked God’s intention to keep his promise. The mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but is now made manifest; and, by the scriptures of the prophets (according to the commandment of the everlasting God) made known to all nations for the obedience of faith (Romans 16:25-26), that mystery is now made known among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

To Adam & Eve & all who believe: The Seed of the woman is introduced.

And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 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 (Genesis 3:14-15).

Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them (Genesis 3:21). The “coats of skins” refers to a lamb used for a covering.  Both Old and New Testaments agree: “Blessed is the man whose sins are covered” (Psalm 32:1; Romans 4:7).

To Abraham & Sarah & all who believe: The Promised Son

And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.  And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.  Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear (Genesis 17:15-17)?

And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife?  And he said, Behold, in the tent.  And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son.  And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.  Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.  Therefore, Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?  

And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?  Is anything too hard for the LORD?  At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son (Genesis 18:9-14).

And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.  For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.  And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac (Genesis 21:1-3).

And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of (Genesis 22:1-2).

And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son.  And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together (Genesis 22:7-8).

And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.  And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.  And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.  

And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.  And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen (Genesis 22:10-14).

  The extreme age of both Sarah (90) and Abraham (100) demonstrated that God can give life out of death. We, being dead in our trespasses and our sins (Ephesians 2:1-9), need a Deliverer. The Seed of the woman would be a virgin-born Son (Isaiah 7:14). He would be offered for our sin as the Lamb of God, shedding his blood for our forgiveness ( John 1:29). His death and resurrection provide for us his righteousness as our covering before the Father (Romans 3:21-26).

To Moses & Israel and all who believe: The Passover Lamb

And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you (Exodus 12:1-2).

Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house (Exodus 12:3).  And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.  And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it (Exodus 12:6-7).

For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you (Exodus 12:23).

The whole assembly of the congregation of Israel slew the sacrifice in the evening (Exodus 12:6).  It demonstrates two great truths: first, that all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and, second, that Christ died for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).

On the night of judgment, the night of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, all the firstborn in the land of Egypt would die, from the firstborn of Pharoah, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant behind the mill and all the firstborn of beasts.  But, against any of the children of Israel, not a dog moved his tongue, that ye may know the Lord puts a difference between the Egyptians and Israel (Exodus 11:5-7).  That difference was the blood of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).

To All who will believe: The Door of the Tabernacle pictures the Door who is God’s Passover Lamb

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them; This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, saying, What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, and bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people: to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and offer them for peace offerings unto the LORD (Leviticus 17:1-5).

Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.  All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep ( John 10:7-11).

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.  But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.  All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out ( John 6:35-37).

The Lord let Israel make him a sanctuary, that he may dwell among them (Exodus 25:8).  There, the Lord met with the children of Israel, sanctifying the tabernacle by his glory (Exodus 29:43).  But, they had to bring their sacrifices to the door of the tabernacle to be accepted of God.  Christ is that DOOR: no man can come unto the Father without coming through the Lord Jesus Christ by faith (John 14:6).

God’s promise as pictured:

We celebrate Christ’s birth each year because we have come to receive the Gift of God that the Lord Jesus represents.  He became flesh to take on our sin, to die in our place, that we might receive his love and accept the promises of God.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:5-11)

As Peter told Cornelius and all of his household: The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) that word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.  To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins (Acts 11:36-43).

Christ came unto his own (the Jews), and his own received him not.  But as many as received him (Jew and Gentile), to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:11-13).

Have you believed on His name?

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it?

The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:4-13).