THE PROMISED RESCUE
Greetings church family!
In May of 1940, during World War II, the British Expeditionary Force and thousands of Allied soldiers were cornered on the beaches of Dunkirk, France. Surrounded by German forces, bombarded from the sky, trapped with their backs to the sea, they faced annihilation. If these soldiers were lost, Britain’s hope of resisting Nazi tyranny would die with them. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill addressed the nation with a fierce resolve. Although the situation was catastrophic, he assured the British people that they would not be abandoned. Every possible effort would be made to bring their sons home.
It was, effectively, a promise of rescue.
At that moment, many doubted such a rescue was even feasible. German tanks were closing in. The German fighter planes dominated the skies. The seas were narrow but treacherous. The harbor was destroyed. The soldiers were exhausted, hungry, and weaponless.
And yet—against every prediction—the rescue came.
Through Operation Dynamo, through calm seas, through civilian courage, and through the mysterious “German halt order,” 338,000 men were delivered from destruction. A rescue had been promised. A rescue was provided.
The heroic evacuation of Dunkirk is inspiring, but it is only a shadow of a far greater salvation.
Humanity had its own spiritual “Dunkirk event.” In Genesis 3, we read of Adam and Eve’s choice to rebel against God’s command to refrain from eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Thus, humanity was surrounded—not by armies—but by sin we could not conquer, guilt we could not remove, and death we could not escape. We were utterly helpless to save ourselves.
At that moment, God gave a promise of rescue. In Genesis 3:15b [GNT], God spoke against the enemy, Satan, saying “[Eve’s] offspring will crush your head, and you will bite her offspring's heel.” This symbolic declaration pointed to a coming Messiah that, through sacrifice, would defeat Satan, sin, and death.
At the very first Christmas, God kept his promise. “But when the right time finally came, God sent his own Son. He came as the son of a human mother and lived under the Jewish Law, to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might become God's children.” (Galatians 4:4-5 GNT)
Christmas is not merely the story of a child’s birth—it is the arrival of the long-promised Rescuer, the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15, the One sent to crush the enemy and save God’s people from their sins.
While Churchill promised rescue from temporal destruction. Jesus promised rescue from eternal separation. While Churchill promised to save an army. Jesus came to save the world. While Churchill risked his nation to save his people. Jesus gave His life to save His enemies.
Every time we look at the manger, we are reminded that God keeps His promises, He does not abandon His people, He sends rescue at the moment of greatest need, and Jesus is the Deliverer our hearts long for!
Christmas is our reassuring gift that God is for us, God is with us, and God loves us!
Pastor Chris
