THE FIRST GOSPEL

Genesis 3:8-21

Tuesday, 23 December 2025

“And I will put enmityBetween you and the woman,And between your seed and her Seed;He shall bruise your head,And you shall bruise His heel.” – Genesis 3:15

The account of Creation and the fall of man is the content of the first three chapters of Genesis.All of Creation in its pristine state was good- it was meant for man to enjoy and rule over. But sadly, the first humans were sucked into the deception of the devil and it brought a crushing blow not just to them but all of God’s beautiful creation. Nevertheless, all hope was not lost—the good God had a plan, stated so poignantly in the key verse today. The story of Redemption starts here!

Sin was pervasive- it spread to all men, the descendants of Adam and Eve. So too the consequences! Look at how the first humans enjoyed uninterrupted fellowship with God in walking and talking with Him in the Garden of Eden. But they were soon banished from His presence- there was not just a physical separation, but a spiritual one came into being- the spirit in man became dead, losing its connection with God! Instead of the blessing God pronounced first at Creation, strings of curses came forth, affecting not just humankind but all of creation! Man, who was supposed to rule over and enjoy the productivity of the ground, became subject to toil of unproductive soil (that grew thorns and thistles). In telling Adam, “dust you are and to dust you will return” (V.19), God was pronouncing death on all of Adam’s descendants; they who were to live forever with God, now became prone to death. The impact of the Fall was much more—one can carefully study it.

Let’s now look into the ray of hope in all the gloom that covered the Fall of man. In announcing that the “Seed” of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent (V.15), God prophetically brought forth the good news of Christ Jesus who would rescue all humankind from the effects of the Fall- especially from the eternal separation between God and man—death! Genesis 3:15 is the “protoevangelium” that Bible scholars speak about- the first gospel, that was proclaimed to Adam and Eve. The offspring (seed) of the woman who could rescue fallen humankind would be another human, untainted by ;sin who could become the substitute, pay the penalty of sin in order to “redeem” humankind. That could only be done by Jesus Christ, the sinless Man—Galatians 4:4 says, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman…” and 1 John 3:15 [NLT] says, And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in Him.”

God’s principle for the penalty of sin is death; but He has offered us His gift of eternal life in Him through Jesus Christ whom He sent into the world to pay that penalty on behalf of sinful man. Romans 6:23 says “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Satan brought all of humankind under his power by making them salves to sin and the fear of death. But Hebrews 2:14-15 tells us what Christ did on our behalf : “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” The Resurrected Christ thus bruised the head of the serpent by His victory over death!

That’s GOOD NEWS, my friend! Its still offered to all who believe and accept Christ—the gift of eternal life through Him! Have you accepted the Saviour into your life? If not, would that be today? Come back to your Creator for He longs for you to be restored to Him!

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (2Cor.9:15)

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