After God created Adam and Eve and put them in a wonderfully-made garden, they broke the law of God, introducing sin into the world (Genesis 3:1-7). From that time on, all have followed in their steps by sinning against God, Thankfully, in this same chapter, we also find the prophecy of a Savior who would be able to save man from the depths of his transgressions.

Genesis 3:15 (ESV)
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.”

This verse is called the protevangelium (“the first gospel”) of the Old Testament because it is the first glimpse of redemption for mankind. The offspring of the serpent refers to all those who follow him, and the woman’s offspring, while it can be applied to humanity in general, seeing that Eve is the mother of all living (Genesis 3:20), finds its final fulfillment in Christ.

The great promise of this passage is that Jesus would win the battle against Satan on the cross. While His heel would be wounded, a reference to His crucifixion, He would destroy the power of the devil, thereby crushing his head (Hebrews 2:14), and becoming for us the perfect Savior.

Hebrews 2:10 (KJV)
¹⁰ For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

In order for Jesus to become the perfect Savior, He had to suffer for us. We should be eternally thankful that He was willing to do so. It was not a decision that Jesus made once He was here on earth, it was decided in heaven before His incarnation; thus, He was born to be our Savior.

Luke 2:11 (ESV)
¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

From what did Jesus come to save man? First, He came to save us from sin. From a physical standpoint, sin destroys lives. Think of all the damage that has come because of the sinful behavior of man. Many lives have been ruined and, sometimes, lost altogether because of sin.

The most detrimental effects of sin are spiritual. Sin separates man from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). Jesus came to save us, not just from sin itself, but from the consequences of sin, which is, the separation from God right now, and eternal separation from God in hell. He came to save us from the wrath of God (Romans 5:9).

Are you glad that you have a Savior in Christ? You should be; however, remember that He only saves those who obey Him.

Hebrews 5:8-9 (ESV)
⁸ Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.

Let Jesus be your Savior by obeying the gospel of Christ (Mark 16:16) and following Him faithfully. Heaven will be your reward (Matthew 25:31-34).

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.