Jesus, the First and Last promise~Bob Coy

So the LORD God said to the serpent: " . . . 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 3:14-15 (NKJV)

This is the very first prophecy recorded in Scripture. It was personally given by God, it followed mankind's fall in the garden of Eden, it was addressed to the serpent (or Satan), and it forecasted the coming of a unique person. Notice three important features about this promised person.

First, He is identified as the woman's seed. In order for a woman to conceive, a man's seed must be planted within her womb. By mentioning the woman's seed, God declared that this person wouldn't come into the world through the normal course of human conception.

We also see that this figure will bruise Satan's head, which is a metaphor for completely conquering or destroying someone. Consequently, the person in this prophecy will eventually conquer Satan and destroy his dominion of power over mankind. The last portion of this prophecy tells us that Satan will strike back and bruise the heel of his conqueror. The difference between a head wound and a heel wound is significant. The heel wound is a smaller injury, but it is an injury nonetheless.

When we put it all together, we see that this prophecy can only refer to one person-Jesus. His birth was totally unique because He was conceived in His mother's womb by the Holy Spirit, not by a natural man (Luke 1:35). He conquered Satan and destroyed the dominion he held over humanity by paying for the forgiveness of our sin s on the cross (Colossians 2:15). And He was bruised, but not destroyed, in serving as our sin sacrifice: But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5 NKJV).

Jesus is the main character in all Scripture, including prophecy. So it's only fitting that He has been given the honor of fulfilling the first prophecy.


Discuss with your group the place of preeminence Jesus holds in prophecy. How does the fulfillment of the prophecies mentioned above help you to better understand who Jesus is?

Dig into Genesis 3:14–16. What do these verses disclose about events to come? What do you learn here about the enemy and his future? How do these Scriptures deepen your love and appreciation for our Savior?

Decide with your group to celebrate Christ’s redemption. Challenge each group member to encourage someone this week with his or her salvation story. (To hear more redemption stories, listen to “CR2nite” Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on ReachFM.org.)