“And I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
Genesis 3:15
Have you ever paused to consider how many Christmas carols and songs refer to bells?
- Carol of the Bells
- Silver Bells
- Jingle Bells
We sing about bells. We decorate with bells. And we love to ring those bells!
Bell ringing has long been used to make an announcement or signal something is about to happen. The country church bell rings to signal the beginning of the service. A bell rings to call children to the classroom. And cancer patients ring a bell to celebrate the end of chemotherapy.
The sound of bells is an announcement, a celebration, and perhaps a new beginning.
God’s prophetic words to the evil one in Genesis 3:15 may seem an odd choice for the celebration of Christmas. But make no mistake—these are, in a sense, the ringing of a bell. God announces His plan to redeem the world. Satan may have thought he won out in the Garden, but God rings the bell for the gospel: the offspring of a woman would eventually crush the evil one’s head.
Genesis 3:15—often referred to by theologians as the “proto-evangelism” or first gospel—was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. Fully God and fully human, Jesus is the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15.
Matthew 1:21 is another bell echoing the Genesis 3:15 announcement:
She will give birth to a son,
and you are to give him the name Jesus,
for He will save His people from their sins.
Matthew 1:21 is God making good on His Genesis 3:15 promise. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus brings victory over sin and death.
The coming of Jesus Christ is a spiritual bell-ringer for all humankind.
Is His coming a bell-ringer for you? Have you received the gift of spiritual victory that comes through the person of Jesus Christ? If so, ring your bell this holiday season so that others will hear and be drawn into Your worship of Jesus!
In this week’s devotional video, Laura discusses how the birth of Jesus fulfilled God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:
“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
