The Problem of Sin

“Then the LORD God said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’” - Genesis 3:13

A professor of a great law school used to begin his first class every year by putting two numbers on the blackboard – a 4 and beside it a 2. Then he would ask this question, “What is the solution?” A student would immediately call out, “6.” Another would cry out, “2.” Then, several would shout out, “8.” At each answer the professor would shake his head, “No.” When they were done guessing the professor would point out their one fatal error. He said, “There is one reason why you cannot find the solution and that is because you have failed to ask this key question: ‘What is the problem?’ Unless you know what the problem is you will never find the solution.”

Deep down there is something within all of us that knows something is not right with our world. Deep down we know this place is not what it should be or even what it was meant to be. We see evil in the world. We see the moral evil of terrorism, war, crime, and injustice. We see the natural evil like hurricanes, tsunamis, floods and earthquakes that kill innocent people every year. We see social evil like poverty, hunger, and homelessness. There is something wrong in our world.

Then we look at our own heart and know there is something wrong with us. Why do we do things that we know we shouldn’t do? Why do we not do things that we know we should do? Why are we always falling short even of our own self-prescribed standards of decency and righteousness? What is wrong with us?

This is where we begin to get to the heart of Christmas. Contrary to popular belief, the story of Christmas does not begin in the New Testament with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The story of Christmas actually begins in the beginning…in the first Book of the Bible. It begins in a garden – The Garden of Eden.

The story of Christmas is much deeper than Santa and Rudolph and Frosty. It begins with two people named Adam and Eve who lived in perfect peace with God and each other. They lived in a perfect world. But something happened that plunged the world into the conflict that we are still fighting today. It is the cause of every single problem on this planet. And you will never understand what happened in Bethlehem until you understand what happened in The Garden of Eden.

The first mention of Christmas was B.C., not A. D. You might wonder, “How could there be a Christmas before Jesus even came?” The story of Christmas is an integral part of a much greater story that goes back to the beginning of the human race. The heart of Christmas is this: Sinners need a Savior.

Father, Thank You for seeing my greatest need – a Savior. And thank You for sending Jesus so that I might be forgiven and saved.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.