Did you know God reveals His plan for a Savior as early as Genesis 3? “I’m declaring war between you and the Woman, between your offspring and hers. He’ll wound your head, you’ll wound his heel.” (OTP 1 and 2; Genesis 3:15 MSG/emphasis mine).
The word “you” refers to the serpent in the garden (Satan). “Woman” refers to Mary, the mother of Jesus. How do we know this? God declares there will be war between her offspring and Satan’s offspring. Who are Satan’s offspring? The fallen angels and people who reject God. John the Baptist even referred to the evil men he encountered as a “brood of vipers (serpents).” (Matthew 3:7 NIV).
Who was the specific offspring of woman? Jesus. The verse refers to “her” offspring, or “her” seed (depending on translation). This is significant in pointing to a virgin birth. The Bible always refers to offspring coming from the man, except in this one verse. Sin is passed down from generation to generation, through the seed of man, not woman.
Jesus is God, and Jesus is human, but to become a perfect human sacrifice, He also had to be sinless. This could not happen from the seed of man, since this is how sin is passed. Jesus had to come from the pure seed of woman, otherwise Christ would not be sinless. A virgin birth had to occur if He were to become the perfect sacrifice, perfect substitute, to pay the penalty of our sin at His death.
“You (Satan) will wound his heel.” Satan wounded Christ at the cross. “He (Jesus) will wound your head.” Christ crushed Satan’s head upon His death and resurrection, claiming ultimate victory over evil. God provided us a way back to Him, by way of the cross, but it is up to us to accept His gift of salvation.
“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10 NIV).
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV).
God provided the way, but we must take the steps to accept His gift. No one can take away our sin. No one can bestow the gift of salvation on us. WE must believe in our hearts; WE must declare with our mouths that Jesus is Lord.