The First Gospel Mentioned - Redeemer En Route! | Allen Mashburn

Let's turn together in our Bibles to the book of Genesis, chapter 3, and focus our attention on verse 15. This is one of those pivotal verses in Scripture that has rightly been called the protoevangelium—the first announcement of the good news of salvation. In the King James Version, which we'll use throughout our study today, it reads:

"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

Imagine the scene in the Garden of Eden just moments after the fall. Adam and Eve have disobeyed God, eaten the forbidden fruit, and now they stand before Him in shame and fear. The harmony of creation is shattered. Sin has entered the world, bringing with it death, curse, and separation from God. It seems as though Satan, working through the serpent, has scored a complete victory. Yet right here, in the midst of pronouncing judgment, God speaks a word of incredible grace—a promise that shines like a beacon in the darkness.

This verse is the seed from which the entire message of redemption grows. It's the foundation for everything that follows in the Bible, pointing us ultimately to the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, I want us to unpack this promise carefully, phrase by phrase, and trace how it unfolds through Scripture. We'll see God's sovereign grace at work, the conflict between the two seeds, the suffering and triumph of the Savior, and what it all means for us personally. My prayer is that as we study this together, we'll gain a deeper appreciation for the gospel and a stronger confidence in God's unbreakable plan.

1. The Divine Initiative: "And I Will Put Enmity"

Notice first who takes the initiative here. God says, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman." The "thee" refers to the serpent, and as Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 make clear, this is none other than Satan himself:

"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."

God doesn't command Adam or Eve to start fighting the devil. No, He declares sovereignly, "I will put enmity." This is pure grace from beginning to end. Fallen humanity, left to ourselves, has no natural hostility toward Satan. In fact, we're at peace with him and at enmity with God. As Ephesians 2:1-3 reminds us:

"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."

And Colossians 1:21:

"And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled."

By nature, we love the darkness and hate the light (John 3:19-20). But when God plants this enmity in a heart, everything changes. The one who once listened eagerly to the serpent's lies now becomes his enemy. This is the beginning of regenerating grace—the Holy Spirit turning a heart of stone into a heart of flesh.

Think about it: Eve had just been deceived by the serpent, yet God promises to create hostility between them. From that moment, humanity is divided into two spiritual lines: those who remain friends with the serpent and those in whom God has worked to make them hate sin and love holiness. This isn't something we muster up on our own; it's God's doing. What encouragement this is! If you're a believer today, that enmity toward sin in your heart is evidence of God's grace at work in you from the very foundation of the gospel promise.

2. The Two Seeds: "Between Thy Seed and Her Seed"

Next, God speaks of the ongoing conflict: "and between thy seed and her seed." Throughout Scripture, this theme of two seeds runs like a thread, dividing all humanity spiritually.

The serpent's seed are those who belong to him by nature and choice. Jesus said it plainly in John 8:44:

"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

We see this line early on with Cain, who murdered his brother Abel. It continues through history: Pharaoh oppressing Israel, Haman plotting against the Jews, Herod slaughtering the innocents, Judas betraying Christ, and every unregenerate person who opposes God and His people.

But there's another seed—the seed of the woman. This is unusual language. Everywhere else in Genesis, offspring is described as the seed of the man: Abraham's seed, Isaac'