Jesus in the Old Testament: Adam

As our families and churches prepare for the Christmas celebration, many are seeking to emphasize the biblical expectation of the promised Savior, rather than the commercial and sentimental emphasis of our society.  One way to do this is to walk through the Old Testament, following the centuries-long expectation of God's people for the promised Messiah.  This spirit is found in one of our advent hymns: "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus."  It reads:

Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free;

From our fears and sins release us; let us find our rest in thee.

Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art,

Dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.

In this spirit, I would like to offer a series of brief meditations on how the Old Testament anticipates Jesus' coming and in which Christ appears prior to his incarnation.  If these direct our thoughts to Christ during the holiday season, and especially if these meditations prove suitable for parents to read to their children, I will be greatly rewarded.