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Do you hate spoilers? Or are you one of those people who secretly reads the last page of a book first? Some people like knowing the ending, because it helps them get through the scary or sad parts. You know it's going to be OK.
The Bible gives away a spoiler very early: in chapter 3 of its very first book, at the darkest moment of the story so far. It tells us how the whole story will end. The hero gets hurt, but the hero wins.
What you'll learn
- What God promised in Genesis 3:15, the first promise in the Bible
- Why it matters that God spoke this promise straight after the first sin
- How Jesus is the "serpent crusher" God promised
The darkest moment
In Genesis 3, a serpent speaks to Eve in the garden. He makes God sound mean and untrustworthy, as if God were holding back something good. Eve eats the fruit God had told them not to eat, and gives some to Adam. Straight away, everything changes. They hide from God. They cover themselves up. When God asks what happened, Adam blames Eve, and Eve blames the serpent.
Later in the Bible, the serpent is identified as the devil, also called Satan (Revelation 12:9). He is God's enemy, and ours.
Imagine being Adam and Eve, hiding in the bushes. What would you expect God to say next? Probably something like, "You're finished." People had turned their backs on the God who made them and gave them everything.
The first promise
Look at the order in which God speaks in Genesis 3. He speaks to the serpent first, then to the woman, then to the man. And inside his words to the serpent is a promise:
"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." (Genesis 3:15)
That means the very first thing people hear from God after their sin is not the consequences. It is a promise of rescue. Here is what each part means:
| Part of the promise | What it means |
|---|---|
| God will put hostility ("enmity") between the serpent and the woman | God declares war on evil. He won't leave people on the serpent's side. |
| Her offspring and the serpent's offspring | Two "families" will struggle through history: people who belong to God and people who side with evil. |
| "He" will crush the serpent's head | One particular child of the woman will strike a death blow to the serpent. |
| The serpent will strike his heel | The crusher will be badly hurt in the fight, but the wound won't be the end of him. |
Christians since the early church have called this verse the first gospel, because it is the first time the good news appears in the Bible. God wasn't caught off guard by sin. Before he spoke a word about the consequences, he already had a rescue plan.
Who is the serpent crusher?
Adam and Eve had to wait to see who the promised child would be. At first, it looked bad. Eve had sons, but one of them, Cain, killed his brother Abel (Genesis 4). It seemed as though the serpent was winning.
But God gave Eve another son, Seth, and the family line kept going: through Noah, Abraham, David and many others. Thousands of years later, Luke traced Jesus' family tree all the way back to Adam (Luke 3:23–38). The line God protected led to Jesus.
"But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law." (Galatians 4:4)
Jesus is the child of the woman. And he did exactly what Genesis 3:15 said:
"Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil." (Hebrews 2:14)
| The struck heel | The crushed head |
|---|---|
| Jesus really suffered and died on the cross. The serpent hurt him. | By his death and resurrection, Jesus broke the devil's power. Sin, guilt and death no longer have the last word. |
| It looked like the serpent had won. | Three days later, Jesus walked out of the tomb. |
| The wound was real, but not final. | The victory is real, and will be complete when Jesus returns (Romans 16:20). |
The hero had to get hurt to win. That's not just a good story idea. It's how God chose to defeat evil.
The promise chain: link 1
| Who? | What did God promise? | Sign | Fulfilled in Jesus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adam and Eve | A child of the woman will crush the serpent (Genesis 3:15). | No sign yet, just God's word. | He defeated the devil through the cross and resurrection. |
This is the first link. Every promise that follows builds on this one, and they all hang from the anchor: God keeps his word (Numbers 23:19).
Key words
- Serpent: a snake; in Genesis 3, the devil, God's enemy.
- Offspring: children or descendants.
- Enmity: hostility; being enemies.
- First gospel: the name Christians give Genesis 3:15, the first announcement of the good news.
How this points to Jesus
Genesis 3:15 is a promise about one person, and the whole Bible follows the family line to find him. Jesus is the serpent crusher. At the cross his "heel" was struck and he really died. But by rising again, he crushed the serpent's head, so that evil, sin and death don't get the final word.
Think about it
Why do you think God spoke the promise before he spoke the consequences?Show answer
It shows that God's first move towards people who have sinned is mercy. He wanted them to hear about rescue before anything else.
What do the "struck heel" and the "crushed head" mean?Show answer
The struck heel is Jesus' real suffering and death on the cross. The crushed head is his victory over the devil when he rose again, breaking the power of sin and death.
The devil is real, so should Christians be afraid of him?Show answer
The Bible takes evil seriously, but its focus is on Jesus' victory. The serpent is real, but he is a beaten enemy, and Romans 16:20 promises his final defeat.
Take it further
Think about a time when things looked hopeless, in a story you love or in real life. This week, remember that the Bible's first promise came at the darkest moment, and it was a promise of victory. Your worksheet helps you unpack Genesis 3:15 and add the first link to your promise chain.
If you'd like to, you could pray:
God, thank you that you didn't give up on people when they turned away from you. Thank you that Jesus was wounded to win the victory for us. Help me to trust that he has won. Amen.