The Promise of Christ

Genesis 3:15 ~ “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
 
The greatest cataclysmic event that occurred for all of humanity had just taken place. Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden, turned their backs on the command of God and obeyed the voice of the enemy. They ate of the forbidden fruit and sent all of mankind into the depths of despair. Now, separated from God, ashamed of their exposure, they hid from the LORD until He called them out. Reluctance to forthright confession of their sins, they took to blaming each other. All they had reason to expect was the dread wrath of the Almighty, for He had declared, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17). What humanity received, even in the midst of God’s curse, was a promised mercy and grace—and, ultimately, a Savior.
 
What we discover as we look upon our text today is that there is a genuine hatred now instilled between mankind and the serpent. We read, “I will put enmity between you and the woman.” From this moment, the war has begun. The genuine hatred between the enemy of God and the Almighty is brought into the condition of humanity. From this moment, the battle lines have been drawn. The enemy of God furiously hates mankind and desires to deceive as many as possible to drag them away from God. Do you want to know how truly deceptive the enemy is? Consider this: the devil has convinced billions of people that his ways are good. False religions, worldliness, atheism, and a multitude of deceptive ideologies fill up the minds of men. Those who follow the enemy find themselves in the dangerous position expressed in James 4:4, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
 
This war that begun in the garden is carried on down through the ages in a continued generational hostility. We see in our text today, “and between your offspring and her offspring.” Let us understand this portion, for the word “offspring” is the word “seed” and it is a singular word. What does that mean? It is an indication that this great war begun in paradise will flow down through the ages of humanity. To see the “seed” or the offspring of the enemy, Jesus confronts them in John 8:44, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” Hatred, lies, murder, deceptions, and all other manner of wickedness is the seed of the enemy. Jesus, beloved, is the seed of the woman. We read in 1 Corinthians 15:22a, “For as in Adam all die.” Yet the Savior, the Hero of Salvation, is promised, and He is not born of Adam—He is born of God. Matthew 1:23 declares, “’Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).”
 
 It is hard to imagine the Christmas story begins with a declared enmity—a war—between God and the devil that would be fought in the lives of humanity. But our text concludes with a glorious hope. We read, “he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Some might look upon the “bruising” as a similar wound, but you must look upon the location of that bruise, for the serpent will receive eternal destruction. And, dear ones, here is where the war ends. The death of our Savior in His crucifixion is the bruising of His heel. But the LORD rose from the dead and He is coming with the promised salvation for all who believe. He will ultimately and eternally crush the head of the serpent. This is the glorious hope of all who believe. We read in Romans 16:20, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” Though the enemy still prowls around like a roaring lion looking to devour (see 1 Peter 5:8), we who belong to Christ will stand in His victory.
 
Christmas for the Christian is a time of fulfilled promises—the very first promise that was given even in the midst of the curse. God Almighty is gracious and compassionate. He has every right to execute judgment upon the earth, but He delights to show mercy. Let us, this Christmas, surrender to the One who was born to be the Savior of the World—our LORD Jesus Christ.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

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