The Serpent, Seeds, and Our Savior: Restoring What Was Lost

The Serpent, Seeds, and Our Savior

As a recent bride, I found myself reading the account of Adam and Eve's nuptials with fresh eyes. God fashions a woman from and for the man, then personally officiates at their wedding, thus instituting the first marriage. The groom wholeheartedly, enthusiastically receives this bride and their union as a wondrous gift from their Maker. The creation narrative ends with a commentary on marriage as God ordained it to be.

The Fall of Man

However, this beautiful picture of marriage and creation did not last long. Soon after, the serpent, the craftiest of all the creatures, entered the scene and tempted Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. She took the fruit and ate, and then Adam followed suit. In that moment, sin entered the world, and the perfect relationship between humanity and God was forever broken.

From that point on, sin and death reigned in the world, and humanity was separated from God. But God did not give up on His creation. He promised a Savior who would one day crush the serpent's head and restore what had been lost in the Garden of Eden.

The Seed of the Woman

In Genesis 3:15, God announces this promise in the form of a prophecy: "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." This verse is known as the "protoevangelium," or the first gospel, because it is the first promise of a coming Savior in the Bible.

Notice that God says the seed of the woman will crush the serpent's head, even though it is usually the seed of the man who is mentioned in genealogies. This is a foreshadowing of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, who was born of a woman but had no earthly father. He was the only one who could crush the serpent's head and defeat sin and death once and for all.

The Serpent's Seed

But who are the serpent's offspring that will be at enmity with the offspring of the woman? Throughout the Bible, we see two distinct lines of descendants: those who follow God and those who follow the devil. Jesus Himself said to the Pharisees in John 8:44, "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires."

From the very beginning, there has been a spiritual battle between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. The serpent's seed represents those who reject God and His ways, while the woman's seed represents those who trust in God and follow His commands.

The Savior's Victory

But thanks be to God, the Savior has already won the victory over sin and death! Jesus Christ, the seed of the woman, died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead on the third day. He defeated the serpent and his seed once and for all.

As believers, we are now part of the woman's seed, children of God who have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We no longer belong to the serpent's seed, but have been transferred into the kingdom of light.

The Promise of Restoration

And the promise of restoration that began in the Garden of Eden will one day be fully realized. Revelation 21:3-4 says, "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'"

What a glorious hope we have as believers! We have been saved by grace, and one day we will be fully restored to our Maker. And in the meantime, we have the privilege of living for Him and sharing the good news of salvation with others.

Conclusion

The story of the serpent, the seeds, and our Savior is a powerful reminder of God's faithfulness and love for His creation. He did not abandon us after the fall, but promised a Savior who would one day crush the serpent's head and restore what had been lost. And that promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who defeated sin and death once and for all.

As we live in this fallen world, let us remember that we are part of the woman's seed, and that our Savior has already won the victory. Let us live for Him and share the good news of salvation with those around us, knowing that one day we will be fully restored to our Maker and live with Him forever in a new heaven and a new earth.

References

• Genesis 2-3


• John 8:44


• Revelation 21:3-4