Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Before there were shepherds in the field, before angels sang their heavenly chorus, before Mary held her newborn son, there was a whisper—a promise spoken in the shadow of humanity's first failure.
Genesis chapter 3, verse 15 says, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."
Paradise Lost
Adam and Eve have just eaten the forbidden fruit, and everything has changed. Sin has entered the world like poison, bringing separation from God, shame, and fear they had never known. The garden, once a place of perfect communion, is now a place of hiding behind fig leaves and trembling behind trees. The serpent's lie—"You will not surely die"—seems so convincing. But now death has entered, not just as a future reality, but as present separation from the source of all life. Paradise is lost.
A Promise in the Ashes
But watch what happens next. In the midst of judgment, God speaks a word that changes everything—a whisper of redemption. God turns to the serpent and delivers the first gospel: "He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." This isn't just a poetic justice. It's a cosmic promise. One day a child will come, born of a woman, born through the very humanity that is fallen. And though the serpent will strike His heel, this child will deliver the fatal blow, crushing the serpent's head forever.
This is the first whisper of Christmas, spoken not in joy but in judgment, not in celebration but in the ashes of Paradise lost. Before Adam and Eve even asked for forgiveness, God was already setting redemption in motion. For 4,000 years, this promise simmered in the hearts of God's people.
The Serpent Still Strikes
It's easy to feel the weight of separation in our own lives—distance from God, broken relationships, inner battles we can't seem to win. We feel crushed by anxiety, guilt, and grief. The serpent still strikes at our heels. Where do you feel separated today, from God, others, or even yourself? What serpent in your life feels like it has the upper hand? How does the promise of a Redeemer, spoken in Eden and fulfilled in Bethlehem, give you expectant hope in this moment?
Genesis 3:15 reminds us that God saw our brokenness and immediately set a plan in motion. He didn't wait for us to fix ourselves. In our darkest moment, He promised a Redeemer.
