Thus, Genesis 3:15 is a judgment and a promise, and the rest of Scripture unfolds the intention of God in these verses. From that moment on, the darkness, which would spread across the earth, was a tenuous darkness that would await the promised light, and those in bondage had but one hope: trust in the Word of God that hope was coming.

What is revealed in that one verse and unfolds in time affects every human being who has ever lived. Moreover, it affects each one of you today. Beyond the light of the Advent candles and in the words of our familiar carols and behind the calendar which marks something spectacular is the drama of this verse at work in your own soul and mine. It is the greatest drama of the ages. It is the answer to the longing for Eden, the longing for home.

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Based on what is revealed in this eternal Word, we come to understand three major truths that put life and eternity into focus so that we can finally find home.

Everyone Has a Longing for Eden

What happened in Genesis 3:15 affects us all. God's original intention for mankind was Eden, a place to call home forever. However, through the sin of our first parents, we have inherited that sin condition. We, too, live on the outside of the place called home. In a word, we live in exile. Simone Weil says,

To be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the human soul.2

You say, "I have lived in Chattanooga all of my life. I have never moved, except for that time I went off to college, and then I came back as soon as I could." But I am not speaking of a home here. Your home here is temporary. The Bible says,

. . . he has put eternity into man's heart, . . . (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Every man and woman who ever lived intuitively longs for his or her eternal home. You were made for Eden.

We are told that, ironically, the saddest time of the year is Christmas. Why is it that in the presence of such a commercial party, there is sadness? There are many reasons, but deeply rooted in this phenomenon is this longing for home. Not just the home of the "I'll Be Home for Christmas" song, but also a ticket back to the place where you instinctively were made to be.

Early in our marriage, I was traveling on business. It was Christmas time, and my business obligations took me a long way from home. A severe winter storm in the Midwest threw the airline schedule into havoc, and I was caught it in. One of thousands of travelers on the eve of Christmas Eve, I found myself with an airline traveler's kit and a voucher for supper, sitting alone in a cheap hotel room, dreaming of home.