Why some Christians remember Adam and Eve on Christmas Eve
“The Rebuke of Adam and Eve.” Painting by Domenico Zampieri.
Within the Presbyterian faith, the story of Christmas is often seen as the second half of a grand rescue plan that began at the very start of time. While we don't usually celebrate saints' days, the Church still commemorates Adam and Eve each December 24.
This feast, as Catholics, Lutherans, and Episcopalians call it, helps us understand why the birth of Jesus is such a massive turning point. It reminds us that to appreciate the cure, we first have to understand the illness. By thinking about the first man and woman on the night Jesus was born, we connect the beginning of the human problem to the beginning of God’s ultimate solution.
The core of this idea is that Adam was the first leader of the human race, and his choices affected everyone who came after him. In the garden, there was a deal of sorts: life and blessing in exchange for obedience.
When Adam and Eve broke that trust, it wasn't just a mistake for them; it was a disaster for all of us. This fall from grace created a gap between God and people that no human could ever bridge on their own.
On Christmas Eve, looking back at Adam and Eve makes us realize that we are part of a family tree that has been struggling in the dark for a very long time.
This makes the arrival of Jesus even more powerful because He is described as the "New Adam." Where the first Adam was tested and failed, Jesus arrived to be tested and succeed. He came to do exactly what Adam could not! That is to live a life of perfect love and obedience toward God.
This is why we call the Gospel a "covenant of grace." We get the benefits of what Jesus did, even though we are the descendants of Adam’s failure. On this night, we see the transition from a history of "doing it ourselves" to a future of "trusting in what He has done."
There is a deep sense of relief in this perspective. It shows us that God did not give up on His creation when things went wrong in the garden. Instead, He had a plan for a Savior from the very start.
The Bible tells us that even as Adam and Eve were leaving the garden, God promised that one day a child would be born who would defeat evil once and for all. When we sit in a church on Christmas Eve, we are seeing that ancient promise finally come true. The baby in the manger is the long-awaited answer to the tragedy that began so long ago.
By the time the candles are lit and the carols begin tonight at Edgewater Presbyterian Church, the memory of Adam and Eve helps keep our celebrations honest. It reminds us that Christmas is more than just a cozy holiday about family and gifts.
Christmas is a celebration of a legal and spiritual rescue. We are cheering because the cycle of the fall has finally been broken. Because of the child born tonight, the story that started with a closed gate in a garden ends with an open door to God’s kingdom.
