What do Adam and Eve have to do with Christmas?

The eve of Christmas and in the local tavern the people gather to watch a show.

A man, A woman and the serpent re-enact the events in Eden.  A fir tree stands on the stage with red fruit and white wafers all over it. God warned them to not eat from the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil.  Satan tells them that God is just trying to keep them from being gods themselves. Eve takes the apple and bites.  Adam follows and takes a bit as well.  Adam and Eve chose to believe Satan’s twisted words instead of what God told them.  They are expelled from the garden and are forced to toil the land until they eventually die.  They now know (experience) both the good in life and the evil in life.

The actors presented the Paradise Play on Adam and Eve Day, December 24th.  They used a fir tree because it is the middle of winter and they are the only green trees.  They covered it with apples to represent the fruit of knowledge of good and evil. But the play makes sure the audience knows that tomorrow on Christmas a baby is born who is the Son of God.  Jesus dies for our sins.  The white wafers, eucharist, symbolizes his body that is given as a sacrifice for us.

Christmas eve we see the fall of human kind due to sin, but on Christmas morning we celebrate the birth of Jesus who is come to save us.

The modern Christmas tree, the ornaments and the colors of Christmas are all based on these paradise plays on Christmas Eve.  These and other bible based plays originated around 1000 AD and then are banned for awhile by the Pope.  They become popular again around the late 1400’s to early 1500’s when we see the first documentations of Christmas trees.

When you walk past the elaborately decorated trees of Christmas, remember that the babe born on Christmas morn came specifically to shed his blood for your sin.  He came from heaven to earth for you.

Watch every where for the red, white and green of the season and remember to not make the mistake of Adam and Eve.  They chose to trust Satan.  Chose to trust Christ and accept his sacrifice for your sins if you have not done so before.

If you have all ready chosen to trust Jesus, spend this season thanking Christ for coming from heaven to earth for you.

Journal exercise

Write how it makes you feel to know Jesus left heaven to come to earth to be a sacrifice for sin–for your sin.  He came for you.

 

John 1

¹⁴ And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.