Genesis 3:15
This verse is the first prophecy about Jesus in the Bible.
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”
Genesis 3:15
This verse is sometimes referred to as the ‘protoevangelium’, the ‘first Gospel’. This is because it foretells Jesus’ victory over Satan.
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman”
God tells the devil that there will be enmity between the devil and the woman, between the devil and humanity. This war will go on until the Lord Jesus returns. When Jesus was tempted by the devil, this fight became visible.
- Matthew 4:1: “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”
“And between your seed and her Seed;”
This fight happens between the seed of the devil and Jesus. Throughout the Gospels, the seed of the devil tried to kill Jesus. The Seed of the woman is Jesus. He is the only begotten of the Father. He came to set us free from the bondage of sin, and to defeat the devil. The Father will crush Satan under our feet through Christ.
- John 8:44: “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”
- John 12:31: “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.”
- Romans 16:20: “And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”
- Hebrews 2:14: “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil;”
- 1 John 3:8: “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
“He shall bruise your head”
Through His death, Jesus triumphed over the devil and disarmed him. He gained a kingdom for His people, and all peoples, nations, and languages shall serve Him.
- Colossians 2:15: “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”
- John 19:30: “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”
- Daniel 7:13-14: “I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.”
“And you shall bruise His heel.”
Although Satan tries to destroy the kingdom of God, he cannot keep God’s people away from His love. The devil will not overcome them, but he will try. He will persecute the church of Christ and kill God’s children, but in the end he will be thrown into the lake of fire.
- Daniel 2:44: “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break [or crush] in pieces and consume [Lit. put an end to] all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”
- Daniel 7:25-27: “He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute [Lit. wear out] the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time. But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it forever. Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.”
- Revelation 12:17: “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
- Revelation 20:10: “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
Today’s lesson: This promise from Genesis 3 was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He crushed the head of Satan. He is now preparing a home for His children and will one day bring them home. If the devil is tempting you, remember that Christ has already defeated him. Are you a citizen of His kingdom?