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.
I love superhero movies. Avengers. Batman. Spiderman. Even if you don’t love comic book heroes, you probably love a good story about a hero. Everyone does. Why? Because deep inside we all know that we need a hero. We need someone to come and rescue us from evil, from danger, and even from ourselves.
Genesis 3:15 is God’s first promise of that hero.
When the worst thing in human history happened what was God’s immediate response? When evil, chaos, and corruption invaded creation through Adam and Eve’s sinful choice what did God do? He gave us what theologians call the protoevangelium, the “first gospel.” He promised us that he wouldn’t just let us die in our sin. He promised that he would pursue us and rescue us like a superhero. That he would even destroy evil and death at great cost to himself.
Genesis 3:15 is God’s first promise of Jesus Christ.
Undoubtedly, this verse leaves us with a couple of questions. The prophecy in Genesis 3:15 says that a human (her offspring) will defeat evil, but how could a human defeat evil when evil is now woven into the very souls of all humanity? Also, how can a human forgive a sin that was committed against God himself? Adam and Eve’s sin was an offense against God. So only God can forgive Adam and Eve. Your sin is also an offense against God. So only God can forgive you, right?
You see forgiveness only works when the offended party agrees to sacrificially pay the penalty or debt of the offender. Our common rebellion with Adam and Eve leaves us owing God our very lives. Therefore, only God is powerful and pure enough to conquer sin and death, and only God could forgive humanity’s debt by paying for it himself. Anything else would be unjust. Anything else would be impossible.
Here’s what we’re left with: Only a human can pay our sin debt, and only God can pay our sin debt. This is the hero we need, one that is both human and divine. We need a God-man to restore our human nature by sharing with us his divine nature. That is exactly the hero God sent to us – himself.
Galatians 4:4-5. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
To live is Christ means humanity’s son-ship is restored. Our debt is paid. Our sin is forgiven. Our hero has done it. In allowing himself to be bruised for us, he has bruised forever the head of the evil one. The fatal blow has been dealt. As our serpent-enemy faces certain death, we the sons and daughters of God face certain life. Life forever with our hero, Jesus. Life forever that begins right now, today! The life of victory. The life of love. The life that overcomes anything the world might throw your way today.
You: Do you believe that you need a hero today and every day? Or are you still trying to rescue yourself?
You in Christ: Christ’s victory over the life-stealing serpent is your victory over him too. How can you rest in your co-victory with Christ today?
Christ in you: If the hero lives in you what does that mean for you today? How can you live like the hero’s sidekick that you are?
To Live is Christ 