Christmas is not something that God hid until Jesus came in the flesh. Immediately following the sinful fall, God gave a hope-filled message that promised deliverance from the curse. By coming as a humble child, God made Christmas the eviction notice of the curse of sin and death.
Open: Have you ever experienced a time when having knowledge about something that was going to happen in the future kept you confident in a present difficult moment? Describe this experience:
Read: Genesis 3; Philippians 2; 2 Corinthians 8
Discuss:
1. When you hear the phrase, “Christmas begins with a curse,” what comes to mind? Is this accurate? Why or why not? Describe the curse in Genesis 3:
2. What do you make of the fact that God curses the serpent directly, but not man or woman? What was cursed in the domains of man and woman? In what ways do we experience the weight of the curse today?
3. God gave the promise of a coming curse-breaker before giving the consequence of sin. What does this tell us about God’s character, specifically as it relates to us? Describe the promise to “crush” the serpent’s head: How is this the first declaration of the gospel?
4. Why don’t you think God destroyed Satan in the garden? In what ways can God not undo sin without undoing us? How is God’s longsuffering a picture of His desire for the salvation of many?
5. Christmas came in the most unexpected way. How did Christ humble Himself to come at Christmas? In other words, what was the perspective of Christmas in heaven?
6. How should our hope in the end of the curse cause us to live differently? What does it mean to “have this mind in you that was in Christ Jesus?” Pray that you would be so overwhelmed with God’s compassion for you that you would be compelled to fulfill God’s commission through you.
Pray: Pray for opportunities to talk about God’s compassion with others.
Memorize/Meditate: Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…Philippians 2:5 O
