By: Pastor Zac Ethridge
Christmas is about the birth of a child. It’s about the gift of a son.
Long before Bethlehem, angels, and a manger, God was already telling a story, a story of promise, waiting, impossibility, and faith. Scripture establishes a pattern beginning in Genesis that ultimately culminates in the birth of Jesus Christ. To understand Christmas more deeply, we go back to where that pattern begins: the birth of Isaac. Isaiah reminds us of the promise:
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…”
— Isaiah 9:6
Isaac’s story is the story of an unlikely couple, impossible circumstances, unexpected challenges, and the unwavering faithfulness of God.
1. Promises
God’s story with Abraham begins with a promise. In Genesis 12, God calls Abram to leave everything familiar and promises to make him into a great nation, one through whom all the families of the earth would be blessed. This was more than a command; it was a divine commitment. God was no longer telling humanity what to do, He was promising what He would do. Years later, God reaffirms that promise:
“Your very own son shall be your heir.”
— Genesis 15:4
By this point, Abraham was in his 80s and Sarah in her 70s. Yet God’s promise remained unchanged. Delay did not mean denial.
2. Problems
There was one major issue standing in the way of God’s promise:
“Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.”
— Genesis 11:30
This is the first instance of barrenness recorded in Scripture, a sudden break in the genealogical pattern of Genesis. The couple through whom the world would be blessed could not grow their own family. God has always chosen unlikely people. He chose Abraham and Sarah, not because they were strong, but because He is. God delights in using weakness to display His power. You may feel unusable, broken, or too weak, but God can use anyone who is willing to trust Him by faith. Impatience led Abraham and Sarah to attempt a shortcut through Hagar, resulting in more pain and conflict. Later, Abraham’s fear led him to lie about Sarah, nearly jeopardizing the very promise God had made. Yet even then, God intervened.
“God’s sovereignty has already accounted for your stupidity.”
God protected His promise, not because Abraham and Sarah were perfect, but because God is faithful.
3. Perplexities
The waiting was not just painful, it was confusing. Abraham prayed for others to have children while still childless himself. Lot had sons through deeply broken circumstances. Abraham’s brother had twelve children with no promise at all. Why do those who aren’t living by faith seem to receive what the faithful are waiting for? These moments are deeply perplexing, but they are not meaningless.
As Pastor Grant often says:
“Give what you need most.”
If you need breakthrough, pray for someone else’s breakthrough. If you need grace, give grace. God often works in ways we don’t understand, but He is always at work. What do you do when you’re in pain? When you can’t understand what God is doing? You trust His Word. You walk by faith. You persevere with the grace He provides.
4. Prophecies
At the appointed time, God spoke again.
“Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
— Genesis 18:14
Despite laughter born from disbelief, God fulfilled His Word exactly as promised.
“The Lord did to Sarah as He had promised.”
— Genesis 21:1
Isaac’s name means laughter, once laughter of doubt, now laughter of joy. God will sooner defy the laws of nature than defy His Word. By grace, God keeps His promises. In July 2023, after losing two baby boys, the Lord allowed us to welcome another son, and we named him Isaac, a living reminder of God’s faithfulness and grace.
5. Patterns
Isaac’s story points beyond itself. In Genesis 22, Abraham is asked to sacrifice his miracle son, his only son, whom he loves. This is the first time the word love appears in Scripture. A father offering his beloved son. Isaac carries the wood for his own sacrifice up Mount Moriah. At the final moment, God provides a substitute, a ram caught in the thicket.
“And Abraham… offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.”
— Genesis 22:13
This moment foreshadows another Son. Jesus, the promised Son of Abraham, the Son of God, would carry the wood of His own sacrifice up another hill. But this time, there would be no substitute.
He was the substitute for us.
The Heart of Christmas
Christmas is not just about a baby in a manger.
It’s about God keeping His promises.
It’s about a Father giving His Son.
It’s about Jesus coming to die in our place, so that through Him, all the families of the earth, including yours, might be blessed.
That is the miracle of Christmas.
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