Promises Given Before Christmas, and the Meaning of Entering a New Year | Raising the Young for Christ Ent. 10

Throughout this Sunday School series, our concern has been consistent: children must be taught to see Scripture as one unfolding account, spoken by a faithful God who does not contradict Himself or change His purpose. Christmas belongs within that account. So does the passing of one year into another; both accounts stand within the same line of promise and fulfillment.

As Christmas approached, our Sunday School lessons were directed to the promises that preceded it. These promises were spoken across generations, often in times of failure or waiting. Teaching them together to the children helps place the birth of Christ where it belongs: as the fulfillment of what God had already declared.

Adam and Eve: Promise Spoken in the Presence of Sin

Genesis 2:15–3:15 – Adam and Eve Face the Consequences
of Sin by YO! Ministry. FreeBibleimages.org.

The first promise was given after the fall. When Adam and Eve sinned, God spoke of the seed of the woman who would bruise the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15). This was in a moment of judgment. Though the promise did not erase the consequences of sin, it declared that sin would not have the final word.

This is important when teaching children about the significance of Christmas. Christ was not born into a neutral world. He was born into a world already broken by sin. The promise given in Eden explains why His coming was necessary. Christmas answers a problem introduced at the beginning, not one invented later. From the first pages of Scripture, God made clear that redemption would come through a person, not through human effort.

Noah: Judgment Does Not Cancel God’s Purpose

Noah and the Ark (Genesis 6:9–9:17)
by Sweet Publishing. Via FreeBibleimages.org.

In Noah’s generation, wickedness had increased, and judgment came upon the earth. Yet God preserved Noah and his family. The promise given in Eden did not end because God ensured that humanity continued, and with it, the line through which redemption would come.

This account helps establish an important pattern for children to learn. God judges sin, but He does not abandon His purpose. Christmas reflects this same pattern. Christ entered a world still tainted by corruption, not because God delayed His promise, but because His purpose required patience. Teaching this connection helps place Christmas within the reality of judgment and mercy, rather than sentiment.

Abraham: Promise Narrowed, Purpose Expanded

God Makes Promises to Abram (Genesis 15:1–6) by Amy & Carly of
Fishnet Bible Stories. Via FreeBibleimages.org.

With Abraham, the promise became even clearer. God declared that through Abraham’s seed all nations would be blessed (Gen. 22:18). This pinned down the family line through which the Messiah would come, while also showing that the promise was never limited to one people alone.

The birth of Christ is the fulfillment of a promise that always had the nations in view. Teaching this before Christmas guards our children against reducing Christ’s coming to a cultural or ethnic event. The children should understand that the Child born in Bethlehem came to bless all who believe.

Moses: Redemption Requires Substitution

Moses: Red Sea Crossing (Exodus 13:17–15:21)
by Sweet Publishing. Via FreeBibleimages.org.

Through Moses, the Passover revealed the seriousness of sin. A spotless lamb was required, and its blood stood between the people and judgment (Exod. 12). I believe this was the most important part of our discussion series, because the children would not understand the need for Christ, the spotless Lamb. They had to understand that redemption involves payment, and that deliverance does not come without cost.

Christmas prepares the way for this truth. The birth of Christ introduces the One who would later fulfill the foreshadows revealed in the Passover. The manger and the lamb belong to the same account. Teaching them together prevents the separation of Christ’s birth from His purpose. The child born would later become the sacrifice.

David: The Promise of an Enduring King

David vs Goliath (1 Samuel 15–17) by Amy & Carly
of Fishnet Bible Stories. Via FreeBibleimages.org.

God’s promise to David added another dimension to the whole promise of redemption. A kingdom would be established that would not fail (2 Sam. 7:12–13). This revealed that the Messiah would not only redeem but rule. His authority would extend beyond time and circumstance.

Christmas reveals the birth of this King. Teaching this promise before Christmas helps children understand that Christ did not grow into kingship later. He was born a King, that His authority is not granted by human recognition, but by divine promise.

The Prophets: Waiting Under the Word of God

The Minor Prophets (Bible overview) by James Tissot
(The Jewish Museum Collection). Via FreeBibleimages.org.

The prophets spoke during very long periods of waiting. Isaiah prophesied of a child called Immanuel. Micah pointed Bethlehem as the place of the Messiah's birth. These words were spoken hundreds of years before fulfillment. And God’s people were required to wait under His word.

Children also need to understand waiting. Teaching them how the old generation pre-Christ waited would give them a glimpse, and would be helpful in their walk. It teaches them that faith often involves trusting what God has said, even when fulfillment is not yet visible. Christmas stands as the moment when waiting met fulfillment, and God’s word proved reliable.

Christ: Fulfillment That Confirms Every Promise

Birth of Jesus (Matthew 2:1–12; Luke 2:1–18)
by VideoBible.com. Via FreeBibleimages.org.

All these promises converge in Christ. His birth fulfills what God had spoken across generations marked by sin, judgment, failure, and waiting. Christmas confirms it; it reminds them that God’s word held firm, and the Savior came as promised.

After Christmas: Entering a New Year Under the Same Promise

Though the well-recognized Christmas season passed, the true Christmas has not. And though new year begins, the promise of God does not change. It is important for us instructors to remind children that Scripture does not encourage confidence in resolutions or fresh starts grounded in human strength. We should direct their attention to the faithfulness of God. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8).

As teachers, the New Year reminds us that waiting remains part of the Christian life. The promise has been fulfilled in Christ, yet its final completion is still ahead. Just as God’s people once waited for the Messiah, believers now wait for His return. Let us hold fast to the truth that this waiting is sure as it rests on a promise already proven true.

Teaching this connection to the children also counts because they learn that faith is not tied to seasons, holidays, or the turning of calendars. It is grounded in God’s word across time. Christmas shows that God keeps His promises. The New Year reminds us that He continues His work according to that same word.

In this way, Christmas and the New Year belong together. One declares that the promise has come. The other calls us to continue trusting the God who speaks and fulfills, even when we are still waiting.