Genesis 3:14–16 (ESV)

The LORD God said to the serpent,
            “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field;
            on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life
             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.”

To the woman he said,
            “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children.
            Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”

Was God referring to snakes or Satan when He said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring.”?

Note that, “he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel,” is all in the singular—and the “he” is masculine singular. That strongly points to a specific “he.” That “he” is Jesus Christ.

Genesis 3:15 is the first direct reference to Christ in the Bible.

Thus doth the plot thicken. The “catastrophe” of the fall sets up something else, something wondrous, something that glorifies God.

Remember, the purpose of everything is God’s glory. The fall of man looks, at first glance, like a huge setback.

But something bigger is going on.

This is important. The gospel isn’t just fixing or ameliorating something bad; it’s bringing the grand plan to a glorious conclusion. Even when Adam and Eve ate the fruit, things were not going off the rails.

Everything was on track.

The “he” in Genesis 3:15 becomes flesh in the incarnation. We can never fully understand this, but we can celebrate it.

Thank God for Christmas. Thank Him especially for the magnificence of His plan. He did something no one expected.

That’s part of why the first century Jews didn’t recognize Christ for who he is—despite all the miracles. It was just too fantastic to make sense.

There’s a reason that Christmas carols are some of the greatest hymns.

They’re trying to do justice to the glory of it all.

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These weekday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. Saturdays' by Matt Richardson. Subscribe here: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/community

The weekly study guides, which include questions for discussion or meditation, are here: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV stands for the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV stands for The Holy Bible, New International Version®. © Copyright 1973 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NASB stands for the New American Standard Bible. Used by permission. All rights reserved. KJV stands for the King James Version.