Apocalyptic Christmas: The Plan Before the World Began
Apocalyptic Christmas: Week 1 - The Plan Before the World Began
So where we’re going today is Apocalyptic Christmas.
Before we define what that means, let me confess a few of my favorite apocalyptic movies. (This is not a pastoral endorsement…just childhood honesty!) Maybe some of you have seen them:
The Book of Eli
World War Z
I Am Legend
Waterworld
And one of my all-time favorites at age 14… Armageddon.
Yes, I may or may not have broken into Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” in church. Jury’s still out on whether that was wise. My wife did not get a heads-up - which was intentional.
But today, we begin a four-week journey, one not defined by a season or holiday, but by the story behind every story in Scripture. A story older than creation, deeper than human history, and more beautiful than any December tradition.
What “Apocalypse” Really Means
When most people hear apocalypse, they think destruction, the end of the world, zombies, or meteors exploding (thanks, Hollywood).
But biblically, the word comes from two Greek roots:
apo - to take away
kalypto - to cover or conceal
Put together, apocalypse means an unveiling.
The entire Bible is, in this sense, an apocalyptic book, because it unveils God.
This series is not about predicting the end of the world or “25 signs Jesus is returning before Christmas.” It is about revelation - God unveiling His heart, His plan, and His presence.
Seeing Christmas with Clarity
I want to be sensitive here: the Christmas season isn’t always joyful for everyone. Many face grief, empty seats, or painful memories. When I say we are seeing Christmas differently, I don’t mean we’re forcing ourselves into naïve joy or holiday cheer.
I mean we’re seeking biblical clarity.
Christmas is not sentimental escapism - it is God stepping into the middle of our story, not erasing pain but entering it.
Christmas is the cosmic unveiling of the eternal Son of God - a story beginning long before shepherds, angels, or a manger in Bethlehem.
When we shrink Christmas to something that starts in Bethlehem, we unintentionally make it too small.
Christmas Begins Before Time
When we follow the story back, not just 2,000 years but into eternity, we discover:
Christmas is not God reacting to humanity.
Christmas is not a seasonal hallmark moment.
Christmas is the revealing of a plan older than time itself.
Jesus is not a sudden answer to a sudden problem.
Jesus is the eternal plan of God coming into view.
The invisible God becomes visible in Bethlehem, but the plan began long before.
Creation Was Not Random - It Was the Stage for Redemption
Paul writes:
“He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.”
- Ephesians 1:4
Before God created anything, you were already known. The cross was not a reaction to sin:
“The Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world.”
- Revelation 13:8
And Paul again:
“…grace… given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”
- 2 Timothy 1:9
Grace did not begin in the garden.
Grace did not begin at the cross.
Grace began in eternity.
Creation did not happen first and then redemption second.
Creation happened inside a redemptive plan.
Eden: The First Temple - God’s Dwelling With Humanity
Genesis 2 shows us the garden was not merely beautiful, it was the first place heaven and earth overlapped.
Genesis 3:8 says Adam and Eve recognized God by the sound of His footsteps.
Imagine that level of intimacy.
Before seeing His face.
Before hearing His voice.
They just knew the sound of God moving.
Humanity was created for that kind of knowing.
Eden reveals:
We were made for unbroken intimacy.
We were made to dwell with God.
Eden was the prototype of every temple and sanctuary that came later.
Theologians across traditions agree:
Michael Heiser: “Eden is God’s dwelling place - the first sacred space.”
Meredith Kline: “Eden was the original holy mountain of God.”
G.K. Beale: “Eden is the first temple.”
Adam & Eve were not just gardeners—they were priest-kings.
Eden wasn’t just a garden.
Eden was the cosmic beginning of God’s plan.
The Devastation of Separation - and the First Promise of Redemption
God warned Adam and Eve:
“In the day you eat of it, you shall surely die.” (Gen. 2:17)
But after they sinned, they were still breathing.
Because life is not a condition - it’s a person.
“I am the way, the truth, and the life.” — John 14:6
Their deepest wound was not sin, it was separation from God.
Yet the moment humanity hid, God unveiled the plan.
Genesis 3:15 - The First Gospel
This single verse is the entire Bible in seed form:
“He will bruise your head, and you will bruise His heel.”
This is the proto-evangelium - the first gospel.
In it, God:
1. Declares war on darkness
“I will put enmity…”
God initiates the conflict.
2. Promises a miraculous Redeemer
“…her seed…”
Scripture always traces lineage through men, except here.
A child would come…human, born of woman, but not by a man.
The whisper of the virgin birth begins here.
3. Foretells both suffering and victory
The Messiah will be wounded (heel).
The serpent will be crushed (head).
Temporary pain. Permanent victory.
The Entire Bible Becomes a Seed Story
From this moment on:
Every genealogy
Every covenant
Every temple
Every prophet
Every king
…all ask the same question:
Where is the Seed? Who is the Seed? When will the Seed come?
The answer:
“To your seed… who is Christ.” - Gal. 3:16
Revelation 12: The Apocalyptic Retelling
Revelation 12 unveils Genesis 3:15 in cosmic form:
A woman in labor
A dragon waiting to devour
A male child destined to rule
It is Eden retold in heaven’s language.
The conflict is cosmic.
The victory is certain.
What This Means for Us Today
1. God moves toward you at your lowest point.
Adam and Eve were hiding when God spoke redemption.
2. Your story cannot undo God’s eternal purpose.
The seed was promised before time.
3. Jesus came to crush everything that separates you from God.
Sin, shame, numbness, lies, darkness - He restores Eden’s intimacy.
4. You were made for the presence of God.
Not to hide.
Not to distance yourself.
But to walk with Him in the cool of the day.
Conclusion: The Unveiling Has Begun
Christmas is God declaring:
“I am coming back for what was lost.”
The Seed has come.
The serpent’s head is crushed.
The way back to intimacy is open.
Next week, we will trace the shadows - Abraham, Isaac, the Passover, the tabernacle, the kings, and the prophets - to see how the promise unfolds through the Old Testament.
But today, we worship the God who unveiled His plan before the world began and continues unveiling His heart to His people.
You were the Word at the beginning…