The first gospel

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 3v15

Did you ever notice how theologians like big words? Think about it – every major Bible truth has a big, foreign sounding word. I wonder why we do that?

Sorry, I got distracted there. Well, here is an example of what I mean by theologians liking big words. Genesis 3v15 is often referred to as the protoevangelium. How is that for a big word? Literally, I think, the word means ‘first gospel.’ At least that is what it looks like. I think for those of us who speak English that is a great way to describe this verse.

After the fall, and in the midst of God’s curse on Satan, humans, and the earth itself God interjects some good news. The day will come when Satan will bruise the heel of Eve’s Seed. Sounds like bad news, not good news. But there is more. Her Seed would crush Satan’s head.

What is He talking about here? The answer is in Galatians 4v4-5 – ‘But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.’

Note that God did not tell Satan that ‘their seed’ would be the centre of this bruising, but ‘her seed.’ From the very start the concept of the virgin born Christ was set in place. Eve’s seed, the virgin born Jesus Christ would one day indeed have his heel bruised on the cross. It would seem like a terrible blow, and if Satan did not remember this proclamation he may have ‘revelled and howled at the war he thought he had won.’ But in the back of his mind he must have wondered at the words that completed the prophecy ‘and He shall crush your head.’

In all those years Satan had never seen God fail to fulfil a promise. Deceive himself as he might he knew reality and he knew that God was not going to be wrong. But maybe, just maybe this time…

But no. ‘But then, in the dark of the grave the stone rolled away in the still of the dawn on the greatest of days.’ Jesus took the ‘breath that shattered all death with His life!’

Suddenly, with one breath the battle of was over. The Bruised Seed became the Crushing Seed.’ The words of the First Gospel came to fruition.

Thank God for the protoevangelium, or the first gospel, or whatever you choose to call it! The great fact is that it was fulfilled!