Advent Reading for December 3, 2023 | “Picturing Christ’s Triumph” from Genesis 3:14-15

¹⁴ The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all the beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
¹⁵ I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
He shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise His heel.”

Genesis 3:14-15

“Picturing Christ’s Triumph”
by Robert Morman

During this time of the year, when we picture Jesus, we typically picture a small baby laying in a manger surrounded by Joseph and Mary and animals and wisemen all bowing down around Him. He is lying there all tiny and wrapped in cloth. There is usually a star over the stable, and the stable looks like a shack. But go and look at the mention of Jesus in Genesis 3:14-15. Specifically, in verse 15, you see the following text, “I [God] will put hostility [acts of war] between you [Satan] and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring [Jesus]; He [Jesus] will strike your head, and you will strike His heel.”

God took the rebellious nature of Satan so strongly that God declared war on Satan from that moment on. And who would lead this war against Satan and his offspring? “Her offspring.” This is a reference to Christ. And what will this war look like? “He [Jesus] will strike your head, and you will strike His heel.” Satan will strike at Christ and His body. He will use every venomous attack in his arsenal. And if we are honest, we give Satan far too much power and credit than he actually deserves, but if you go back to verse 14, there is a visual representation of the position of Satan as God curses the snake to crawl on “his belly and eat dust all the days of [the serpent’s] life.” God has placed Satan low. He is nothing more than a snake crawling in the dirt.

          Jesus is the promised victor in this war. He strikes the head of Satan and defeats him for all time. That tiny child, lying in a manger, is the absolute victor in the eternal war of salvation. He reigns supreme and for all time. The son of a carpenter is the risen King that defeated death, hell, and the grave. He has saved us from the pits of hell and the serpent. That child born of Mary waged a war for our salvation and was bruised, broken, battered, and killed. But he rose. And he reigns. 

          During this time, when you think about the Child in the manger, think about the cross as well. Think about the sacrifice of Christ. Think of His death and His burial. Then think of His resurrection. The resurrection that was the death blow to the head of the serpent – Satan. This is why we celebrate the birth of Christ. 

          He is our King. Our Victor. Our Lord.

Reflection Questions:

1. When you think about passages like Genesis 3:14-15 and the Christmas Story, how does it change the way you see Jesus as a baby in the manger?
2. Think about Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection. How does this make you think differently about why Jesus was born and what He means to us as our forever King and Savior?

"Adorned with the Word" from Colossians 3:15-17 (Refresh & Restore: Colossians — Jesus Over All) – Refresh & Restore | A JustKeithHarris.com Podcast

Today's podcast is a Bible study looking at what it means to let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly — to understand what it means for our churches. Your can find the written version of this Bible study here at JustKeithHarris.com, complete with cross-references and footnotes.

1. "Adorned with the Word" from Colossians 3:15-17 (Refresh & Restore: Colossians — Jesus Over All) 33:14
2. "Adorned with Thankfulness" from Colossians 3:15-17 (Refresh & Restore: Colossians — Jesus Over All) 22:14
3. Advent 2023 — Christmas, December 25 | "The Light of the World is Here!" 10:56
4. Advent 2023 — Christmas Eve, December 24 | "Good News of Great Joy, or The Weary World Rejoices" 11:04
5. "A Tale of Two Saviors (Really, the One and Only)" from Luke 2:1-12 (Refresh & Restore) 19:37