"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." (Gen. 3:15)

Christmas time is never to be "old hat" or boring for believers. Oh yes, the decorating, the cooking, the parties, the shopping, and the traveling can become routine and wearisome, but when we think of the true meaning of Christmas it is always refreshing and filled with wonder. Why? The greatest surprise of Christmas is the message of grace in God sending His Son as our Savior. Interestingly enough, this unexpected surprise is found in the first spoken words of God after the fall. These words contain the first messianic prophecy in the Bible - Genesis 3:15. Some scholars call this passage the Protoevangelion because it is the first reference in the Old Testament to the gospel or good news of God's grace.

The context of this passage is the fall of Adam and Eve into sin. In vv.1-7 Adam and Eve chose to rebel against God by refusing to believe His Word and eating from the forbidden fruit. Satan successfully tempted Eve to believe God was being untruthful, unreasonable, and was not truly looking out for their good. Adam was right there with Eve participating in sin. Mankind was made in the image of God to experience His presence and to have dominion and rule over the earth. Because Adam was man's federal representative his sin plunged humanity into separation from God, depravity, and guilt under God's judgment. Not only did human beings lose communion with God, but they became estranged from one another. God says in vv. 16-19 that the results from the fall would be pain and difficulty in childbirth, marital struggle for control and power, toilsome frustration in work, and death.

The surprise is that in the middle of God's dismal curse there appears a promise. God says in v.15 that He has planned to do something amazing. He takes the initiative and provides the solution to man's desperate predicament. Ironically it comes in the form of a curse for Satan. God says He will put enmity between Satan and the woman and his offspring and hers. The enmity God creates between the offspring of the woman and Satan means God will rescue and restore a people for Himself. The rest of biblical history is the story of the offspring of Satan (those who follow after Satan) and the offspring of the woman (those who are called by grace to follow God).

From the offspring of the woman a Champion will come into this world, the Infinite God-man, Jesus Christ. Satan will strike the heel of this Savior, but the Savior will crush Satan's head. He will be wounded by Satan but will defeat Satan's ability to control and condemn God's people. This, of course, is an allusion to the incarnation, crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. At the cross Satan appeared to have won, but through it Jesus accomplished redemption. His resurrection proved He paid for the sins of His people and triumphed over the power of sin and death for them.

Through this unexpected first messianic prophecy of the good news we learn about God's gracious plan of salvation; this plan is foreshadowed in the Old Testament and fully revealed on the first Christmas. As you approach this Christmas season the greatest question you need to answer is: Have you understood your desperate need for a Savior because of the fall? Are you the redeemed offspring of the woman? Have you repented of your sins and trusted in Jesus and His work alone to save you? The greatest surprise of Christmas is the message of grace in God sending His Son as our Savior. May all who read this be filled with renewed joy for God's unexpected and indescribable gift!