The first word we will look at is only two letters long. Nevertheless, it is the promise of the Gospel laced between the pages of Scripture. When Jesus walked with two men on the road to Emmaus, he began to teach them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself (Luke 24:27). I doubt he would have turned to this word found in Genesis 3:15. Genesis 3:15 is called the ‘protoevangelium’ (First Gospel). The promise of the Gospel comes before God announces the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin. God turns to the serpent and says,

“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 3:15)

The small word with a significant implication in this verse is ‘he.’ There are many powerful theological concepts found in this tiny word. We see the first promise of the Gospel and what I like to call the seed of the Gospel. The promise continues to unfold throughout the pages of Scripture. He, in this passage, speaks of someone other than Adam and Eve (the doctrine of substitution). He, in this passage, speaks of one singular man coming to defeat the serpent (the doctrine of Christus Victor). He, in this passage, speaks of the incarnation; although not clearly spelled out, we see that ‘he’ will come from the woman’s offspring.

We need to stop and consider the glorious moment: Adam and Eve have sinned against God, the one who made them in his image. The one who had blessed them. God had given them all that they had needed, with one command. However, they turned their backs on him. They sought to be like him. They committed the first sin. Yet God’s words to them are the promise of Jesus who would be bruised for them and who would conquer the serpent for them. Before the curse was announced upon them, they heard the promise of grace. They heard of the offspring born of a woman who would defeat Satan. We know who this offspring is. We know that ‘he’ speaks of Christ, the one whom the two men on the Road to Emmaus heard about as Jesus taught them that in the first promise of the Gospel, he spoke concerning himself.

Small Words, Big Meaning looks at one small word of Scripture each week. Read the whole series.