The Serpent Crusher

Amen. Thank you for that song. I’m thankful for the cross. I’m thankful for our Savior. I’m thankful for the sacrifice He made, and we should always be mindful of the cross because without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. We should always be thankful for His substitutionary sacrifice.

The cross reminds us of the holiness of God. It reminds us that we’re sinners, and we were so wretched and vile and depraved that nothing less than the death of God’s Son could redeem us. It’s also a picture of the love of God for us, showing the extent to which He went to display His love because this is how we know what love is: Christ died for us. It shows us the mercy of God and the compassion of God.

So at the cross, where love ran red through the blood of Jesus, that’s where justice and mercy met. That’s where they embraced. That’s where the wrath of God was poured out on us in our place. That’s where the justice of God was satisfied, and that’s where the love of God was put on display. So praise God for that cross. Praise God for the Savior who died upon it.

But let’s journey back to the dawn of time, to Genesis chapter 3, verse 1. Here lies the root cause for the cross, the very reason our Savior had to live a sinless life and ultimately die in our place. For it is here we witness the fall of man, the entrance of sin into this world, and the necessity for redemption through Jesus Christ.

We’re going to begin in Genesis chapter 3, verse 1. Now, truthfully, when I prepared these sermons through Genesis, I had no plans to be here during Passion Week. But God, in His providence, worked it out, revealing how they connect to Good Friday and Easter Sunday. So bear with me; we’ll do a quick verse-by-verse exposition of this chapter, tracing themes throughout Scripture that culminate at the cross.

Now verse 1 tells us, “The serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.” And he said to the woman, “As God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree in the garden’?” Remember, back in chapter 2, God planted a garden and placed Adam within it. He gave Adam a wife named Eve, and they were allowed to eat from any tree except one—the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

And some people might ask, “Why did God place that tree in the garden if He knew they would eat from it?” Well, let me ask you this: Can you love someone without choosing to love them? Relationships involve a choice, don’t they? If there was no choice here, they’d just be automatons. They didn’t have a sin nature, but they were able to sin, able to choose between good and evil.

Now, however long they remained in the garden before choosing to eat the forbidden fruit is unknown. It truly doesn’t matter.

Now, we know that the angels followed Satan, Lucifer. And this was sometime after the fall because here the serpent slithers into the garden. This serpent is possessed by Satan, Lucifer, who animates him. He slithers into the garden. Remember, God had told Adam to have dominion over the earth, to subdue it. Why? Because sooner or later, an adversary was going to come slithering into the garden. And he would be wily, cunning, conniving.

And the first thing that he does, Satan through the serpent, approaches Eve and asks a question: “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree in the garden’?” He begins by planting doubt about God’s word. You see, this is where every deception starts, isn’t it? Satan always seeks to place a question mark where God has placed a period. But remember, God had promised that the seed of the woman would bruise the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). This was not the end; it was merely the beginning of God’s redemptive plan, a plan that would ultimately be fulfilled through Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, crushing Satan’s power once and for all.

So when Eve responds to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,” but not from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, she is unwittingly setting the stage for God’s promise to be fulfilled.

And the woman said unto the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden.” That was true. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, “Ye shall not eat of it.” That was also true. Yet here’s something added to God’s word: “Neither shall ye touch it,” lest ye die. Problem number one: Adam should have stepped up and declared, “You know what, serpent? Get out of here before I strike you down.” Adam was present but failed in his role as protector of his family.

Number two, Eve engages in dialogue with the serpent. She begins to ponder his question, “Can we truly trust God’s word?” However, she also starts adding to God’s word. God never said, “You shall not touch it,” but only, “Don’t eat from it.” Perhaps this was a stipulation Adam had placed. Maybe he said, “We shouldn’t even go near the tree, lest we be tempted to eat from it.” Nevertheless, she adds to the word. Whenever we question God’s word or add to it, bad things always happen because God tells us not to do something for a reason. The serpent’s deception led to their fall, but praise be to God, through His promise fulfilled at the cross of Jesus Christ, we are redeemed and triumphant in Him.

And the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die, for God knows that when you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Now they were questioning not only the word of God but also His character. “God is holding out on you; you’re missing out. He knows that if you eat of this fruit, you’ll be like Him. God is scared for His position.” How about you? You can be your own god, create your own truth, decide what’s right for you. You will know good and evil—not because you know better than God, but because you experienced the consequences of evil in your own body and life.

Verse 6 tells us that when the woman saw the tree was good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and desirable to make one wise, she took its fruit, ate it, and also gave some to her husband. Here we see the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life in action, just as John warned us about in 1 John 2:16. This fruit looked good, tasted good, and promised wisdom, but it was forbidden because it led to sin. Remember, Jesus faced these same temptations in the wilderness, proving that even He could resist them.

And by the way, Jesus in the wilderness was tempted in these three ways—not with forbidden fruit, but with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. We’ll talk more about that this Sunday, but remember: the same serpent that slithered into the garden tempting our first parents also tempted Jesus, the last Adam. “If you’re really the Son of God,” he said, “turn these stones into bread.” Lust of the flesh—fulfill your appetite, do what feels good.

Then he’ll say, “If you’re really the Son of God, cast yourself off from the temple. Prove everyone beyond the shadow of a doubt that you are the Son of God.” Pride of life. Then there’s the lust of the flesh. You see, if you’ll just bow to me, I’ll give you all the kingdoms of the earth, everything your heart could ever desire. Satan’s modus operandi has not changed; he tempts us with those same sins. So Eve gives in, Adam gives in, they eat the forbidden fruit—whatever it was. Some old rabbis said it was like a cluster of grapes. We don’t know for sure, but whatever it was, it was forbidden, laden with temptation and deceit.

And then their eyes were opened; they knew they were naked. For the first time, they realized they weren’t wearing clothes. They had been like this since creation, but it meant more than just realizing they were unclothed for the first time. Their eyes were open for the first time. They felt shame and guilt. I dare say they were once closed in light with the glory of God, but now their innocence was gone, and they were no longer clothed. For when we’re born again, we’re clothed in righteousness—the righteousness of Christ. So we’re not going to be able to live in glory anymore, nor can we cover ourselves with something we’ll wear.

They said, “Did we plan this?” When they weren’t implicated, disappointingly, we didn’t believe it. So I’m happy to lay this on the table: These people found that they were naked and ashamed. So what do they do? They come up with a brilliant plan: “We’ll sew fig leaves together. We’ll make clothes for ourselves.” But such is our righteousness when we try to cover ourselves, isn’t it? When we try to improve, we hear the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.

Evidently, this is something God had been doing since the beginning with His creatures. They were familiar with this sound; the Hebrew actually translates it as “they heard the storm of God.” So God would come in like a mighty storm, powerful and glorious, yet they had no fear because they were in perfect fellowship with God in the cool of the day. But this time, instead of running to God, what did they do? They ran from God and tried to hide because the fellowship had been severed.

And the Lord God called to Adam, saying, “Where are you?” And Adam said, “I heard your voice in the garden; I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” It’s like asking a child with chocolate on their face if they’ve been in the candy bowl. Of course, God knew what had happened. His question was meant to get Adam to confess: “Where are you now, Adam? What have you done? Where do we stand in our relationship, Adam? Have you obeyed me or disobeyed?”

You see here the model that God follows: Adam didn’t seek God, but God sought him. Even though they failed, God was still seeking His own; God came to His own. God initiates the search for salvation. Even when we’re running and hiding, He came to us. Then He invites the sinner to repent: “Adam, where are you? What have you been doing?” He’s looking for a confession—not so He can judge Adam but so that He can forgive and restore Adam. And then thirdly, God works our redemption, which we’ll see how in just a moment.

Adam, in his guilt, begins a familiar game of blame. “The woman You gave me,” he says, “she enticed me so I ate.” Then, turning to Eve, he asks, “Didn’t you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to?” The fault lies elsewhere, always with someone else. It’s never his own doing, is it? But God doesn’t let him off so easily. He sees through Adam’s deflection and will hold him accountable for his actions, just as He will with Eve and the serpent. Yet even in this confrontation, we see the beginning of God’s redemptive plan unfold, a plan that ultimately triumphs over blame and sin.

In verse 14, here’s where it gets real. The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle and more than every beast of the field. On your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Without further ado, God grants His grace. He sets up a strife between snakes and humanity that will ultimately lead to the serpent’s defeat.

But in a triumphant declaration, God makes His stance clear in verse 15. He is not merely condemning the serpent; He is declaring war against it. Imagine if God had simply opened the earth and started anew, but instead, He pronounces a curse upon the serpent first and foremost. Yes, Adam will have toil and Eve pain, but God’s judgment is unmistakable: “You are cursed more than all creatures,” He says, “you shall slither on your belly, eat dust, and I will put you under My heel.” This is not just defeat; it is perpetual humiliation. As Psalm 72 and Micah 6 attest, the enemies of God shall eat dust, buried beneath His mighty hand. And so, God declares war on the serpent, setting the stage for our passage in verse 15, where He promises enmity between the serpent’s seed and the woman’s.

Let’s delve into verse 15, as that’s our focus today. This verse is truly the turning point of our sermon. “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Notice how “seed” or “offspring” in most translations is capitalized. We’ll explore this further momentarily.

Verse 21: “Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin and clothed them.” The first sacrifice ever made on the planet was made by God. It was a vicarious sacrifice, an innocent animal dying in place of Adam and Eve, whose skin would cover their nakedness. Friends, this prefigured the perfect, vicarious sacrifice—the Lamb of God who would be slain upon the cross, covering us in His righteousness. So the very first sacrifice was made by God Himself, typifying His ultimate sacrifice when He sent His own beloved Son to the cross.

But going back to verse 15, this verse is known as the Proto-Evangelium, the first gospel. It’s a divine promise: one day, a child will be born of a woman who will defeat the serpent, who will defeat Satan. From that moment in the garden forward, there has been a cosmic conflict between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. Tonight, briefly, we’re going to trace these two parallel lines throughout Scripture: the seed of the woman—God’s people, ultimately God’s own Son—and the seed of the serpent, those opposed to Him.

Now let’s keep our focus right there, on Genesis chapter 3 verse 15. This is where it all begins, the first prophecy of the coming Savior who will crush the serpent’s head. The conflict that started in the garden continues immediately in the next chapter with Cain and Abel. Here we see the serpent’s influence at work, for Cain, as 1 John 3:12 tells us, is “of the evil one,” a child of the devil, a seed of the serpent himself. In his hatred and jealousy, this spawn of the serpent raises his hand against his own brother Abel, becoming the first murderer on earth. Did God not know what He was doing when He said they would know good and evil? Indeed, they experienced it firsthand in the most terrible way imaginable.

Now think about this. Could it be? Satan knows exactly what this means. “I’ve come and I’ve tempted them,” he thinks, “and I’ve succeeded. They have now fallen; they are a fallen race. But God is declaring war on me from generation to generation. He’s going to send a Savior who will be from the seed of the woman, eventually crushing my head and undoing all this mess. I must stop Him at any cost.” So who does he use? Cain, to try extinguishing the godly line, the seed of the woman, by killing his brother Abel.

And then we find it again in Genesis chapter 6. Different theologians have different theories about what this means. I have my opinion, and we’ll discuss it more on Sunday mornings when we get there. But if we go by verse 2, “When men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful, and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.”

Now there are really two main lines of thought here. Some people suggest that the “sons of God” represents the godly line of Seth. After Abel’s murder, Adam and Eve had another son named Seth, from whom the promised seed would come. They believe that these sons of Seth intermarried with the daughters of Cain, the “daughters of men.” However, another view proposes that the “sons of God” were actually fallen angels who cohabited with women. While you may disagree, I tend to lean toward this latter perspective.

Now, biologically, how it works, I don’t know. We do know angels can appear as humans. We read about that in Genesis 18 and Genesis 19. Some people unwittingly entertain angels, and early rabbinic traditions suggest these sons of God were fallen angels who married human women. To them were born mighty men, powerful in stature and deed, but wicked and violent. Soon after, God sent a flood to judge humanity’s wickedness.

Could it be? You may disagree, but I’m fine with it. Could it be that Satan and his demons are attempting to corrupt the bloodline to keep the seed from coming? I’ll throw that out there. You have every right to disagree with me, but humanity increased, and so did sin. Satan was trying his best to destroy humanity, yet Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Through his son Shem came the Jews, and through them, Abraham. Then through Abraham’s line came the promised Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now we finally get to Abraham. A son is promised in chapter 12. God calls Abram out of the land of Ur of the Chaldeans, telling him to leave his home and go to a place He will show him. So Abram takes Sarah, his barren wife, and together with all his people they move, eventually reaching the promised land. There, God promises Abram that through his offspring, all the nations of the earth will be blessed: “Through your seed, all the nations on earth will be blessed.”

This offspring, or seed, would not just be a physical descendant, but ultimately point to one specific descendant: Christ, as stated in Galatians 3:16, who is the promised Son through whom all nations on earth would be blessed. This line of promise continues through Isaac, not Ishmael, and then Jacob, not Esau.

Then Jacob blesses Judah in Genesis 49, saying, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” God keeps His promises. From Adam to Seth, to Noah, to Shem, to Abraham, to Isaac and Jacob, and finally to Judah, we can trace this line, the seed of the woman, all the way through to the New Testament, where Matthew’s genealogy records it leading to Jesus (Matthew 1:1-17).

But not only is this seed a Son who is promised to bless all the nations on earth. Have all the nations been blessed through Abraham’s seed? Yes, absolutely. Look at us; we’re Gentiles, and we too participate in God’s covenant of blessings.

But then comes David, many centuries later. And God promises not only a seed, not only a Son, but a sovereign: a sovereign king will reign. In 2 Samuel chapter 7, verses 12 and 13, it says, “I will raise up your offspring after you, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” Now, who comes directly from the seed of Abraham and then from the line of David? Clearly Jesus Christ. And, by the way, His lineage is traced through whom? Through Mary, a direct descendant of David, as we can read in Luke chapter 1.

This Son of David will be a king, righteous and eternal. He’ll rule over David’s kingdom forevermore. In Scripture, who promised an everlasting earthly kingdom? Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, claiming to be David’s Son, the Messiah King, with crowds crying, “Hosanna!” It was the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now fast forward. We come to not only the promise of a seed, of a Son, of a sovereign, but also the promise of a servant. The promise comes through the prophet Isaiah. And in Isaiah 53, it says that this suffering servant would be pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities. It was upon Him that the chastisement for our peace fell, and by His wounds we are healed. Upon Him the Lord laid the iniquity of us all.

Now remember God’s promise to the serpent: “You’re going to bruise his heel.” In other words, you’re going to cause this seed, this promised champion, this deliverer, immense agony and suffering. In fact, it’s going to cause His own death. Did Jesus not suffer? Was His heel not bruised on the cross? Did the serpent not strike at His heel? Yes, he did. Was He not crushed under the weight of our sins? Was the wrath of God not poured out upon Him? Yes, it was.

And there were multiple attempts by the serpent’s seed to stop the seed of the woman. Remember Pharaoh in Exodus 1? He commands the murder of every Hebrew baby boy, saying, “Kill them all. We can’t have them growing, multiplying; they might throw in their lot with a foreign nation, overthrow us.” What happens? God spares Moses, who then leads His people out of Egypt. Similarly, in 2 Kings 11, we find the wicked queen Athaliah trying to eliminate this royal line of David. She’s determined not to let it continue, saying, “Not if I can help it; I’m going to be queen.” But she too meets her end, and her plot is ultimately thwarted.

We find in 2 Kings 11 a wicked queen named Athaliah. She attempts to eliminate the royal line of David, whose Son is prophesied to reign forever. She declares, “Not on my watch,” and orders the execution of every descendant. However, her plot fails, and she herself is ultimately killed.

Then we read in the book of Esther, a man named Haman plots to annihilate the Jews. Brother Kevin has been doing a wonderful job in Sunday school going through the book of Esther. Haman hates the Jews; he wants every one of them exterminated because Mordecai refuses to bow down to him. He makes a deal with the king: “I’ll collect money, give it all to you, just let me have my way with them. I will exterminate them from the empire.” There we go again, the seed of the serpent trying to eliminate the seed of the woman in any generation. Keep this seed from coming, keep Him from being born. Of course, Haman’s plan backfires. Instead of Mordecai hanging on the gallows, he and his sons hang there. Once again, the seed of the woman triumphs through Esther.

Fast forward to Matthew chapter 2, we find another snake-like man. Herod, much like Pharaoh centuries before, orders the massacre of the infants in Bethlehem. He heard that a king was going to be born there, and he had no rivals. This man had to think twice about killing an infant he had never seen before. The Magi said they had followed his star for several years and needed to find out where he would be born. Herod asked his scribes, who told him it was in Bethlehem, as Micah had prophesied centuries ago. So Herod orders the slaughter of all male children there, aiming to wipe out this potential king’s lineage.

Well, what happens? Joseph is warned in a dream. They flee to Egypt. Herod dies a horrible death. His flesh begins to rot off his bones; he’s septic, absolutely disgusting. He rots from the inside out. God cuts off the seed of the serpent once again.

Well, then we have John the Baptist and Jesus who both, in their ministries, rebuke the Pharisees and religious leaders as part of God’s ongoing plan from Genesis to Revelation. John, in Matthew chapter 3, baptizes people while the Pharisees approach him curiously. He doesn’t mince words; he calls them “you brood of vipers,” “children of snakes.” Jesus, in Matthew 12, faces their plots and challenges. They’re trying to trap Him with questions, planning His death, disputing His authority. He responds, “You brood of vipers! You are of your father the devil.” In John 8:44, it’s clear: the seed of the woman is being persecuted by the seed of the serpent, a theme that echoes throughout history.

Now remember Matthew chapter 16, verse 23. Jesus says, “I must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that I will be killed.” Peter takes Him aside and begins to rebuke Him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. You are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” Behind Peter’s words was the familiar hiss of the serpent, trying to turn Jesus from the path of the cross. For he knew that if Jesus went to the cross, his own head would be crushed. Yet despite Satan’s efforts, Jesus would not be deterred. He would go to Jerusalem and fulfill His purpose.

And then we have Judas. Judas was of the serpent’s seed. He was possessed by Satan on two separate occasions. And he attempted to destroy Jesus through betrayal and death. But ultimately, God’s providence prevailed. What do we learn by tracing these two themes throughout Scripture? We learn that God preserves His seed, protects His Son, and His promise cannot fail.

Now the Seed, the Savior, arrives. The incarnation of the Son of God. Remember, to Mary, the angel proclaimed, “You will bear a son, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.” This traces all the way back to God’s promise to David, doesn’t it? And into Joseph, he says, “You shall call his name Jesus,” which means “Jehovah saves,” for He will save His people from their sins.

And then, in Galatians 4:4, Paul declares that “when the fullness of time had come,” God sent forth His Son, born of a woman. This is the seed of the woman promised in Genesis 3:15. Curious indeed, for women do not have seed; they bear children from men’s seed. Yet here God reveals His plan: this hero, savior seed would come through the seed of a woman, conceived by the Holy Spirit without human intervention—exactly what we know as the virgin birth. Jesus is truly the seed of the woman, and it is only in Him that we find our redemption.

As we move toward the close of our reflection tonight, coming to a close, Jesus is our serpent crusher. As 1 Corinthians 15:45 tells us, Jesus came as the last Adam, standing where the first Adam fell. He defeated the serpent not by military might but by self-sacrifice. The very cross that was meant to kill Him became the means of His victory. Tonight we gather not to mourn Jesus’ death but to celebrate His triumph over sin and death, crushing the serpent’s head.

How would He crush his head, though? By being crushed for us. God uses the word “bruise” in Genesis 3:15, indicating that Jesus’ heel would be bruised, He would be crushed. Isaiah’s suffering servant, as described in Isaiah 53:10-12, would also be crushed with the wrath of God, for God laid on Him the iniquity of us all. The horror of the cross lies not just in its physical pain but in God treating Jesus as if He were us, so that we could be treated as if we lived His life. This intense emotional anguish caused Jesus’ sweat to become like great drops of blood in Gethsemane. But in being crushed for us, He crushed the enemy’s head.

Now consider the bruise. You’ve had one before, right? It’s painful for a while, but it fades after a few days. That’s like Calvary. After the cross, suffering ended. He bore a terrible bruise, was crushed, yet rose again on the third day. The serpent, however, suffered permanent defeat. Its head was crushed by the Serpent Crusher.

Jesus faced the serpent, remember, not in the garden but in the wilderness. Adam fell to the temptation of the serpent, but Jesus overcame him. Adam was cursed for his disobedience, yet Galatians 3:13 tells us that Jesus, the last Adam, became a curse for us by hanging upon the cross. What did the cross mean? It was Jesus’ means by which He came and destroyed the works of the devil. As 1 John 3:8 and Colossians 2:15 say, Jesus disarmed the rulers and authorities, putting them to open shame, triumphing over them through the cross. No wonder he wanted to cut off the seed; through Jesus’ death, he would be destroyed.

Really quickly, turn to Hebrews chapter 2. This is an important passage of Scripture. I really want you to get Hebrews 2. In verse 9 it says, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for every man.” Verse 14 continues, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that is, He came in a body of flesh, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Now there’s a victory passage if there ever was one.

The cross which appeared to be Satan’s victory was actually his undoing. Can you imagine? Perhaps, just maybe, the seed of the woman has finally been exterminated. Maybe He won’t rise again. Perhaps I finally pulled it off. However, it was through Jesus’ death that He tasted death for all of us. He absorbed the curse of sin, which is death, for the wages of sin is death. On the cross, the heel of our Savior was bruised. The innocent One was crushed for our sins. But through His cross, He put Satan to open shame.

Friends, Jesus didn’t die as a martyr. He died as a conqueror. The cross wasn’t a tragic accident; it was the plan of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit from the beginning of creation. We’re not here to mourn His death; we’re here to celebrate Jesus’ victory. Through His death, Jesus demonstrated His power over death. He absorbed the wrath of God in our place, satisfied the justice of a holy God, and atoned for the sins of all who believe, paying the price of their redemption.

Think about what the death of Jesus accomplished. He tasted death for every man, destroying Him who had the power of death. When Adam and Eve fell prey to the serpent, death entered humanity—not only physical death, but spiritual and eternal death. Jesus came as the serpent’s undoing; God declared war on the serpent in Genesis 3:15 and delivered us through the cross.

But not only does He taste death for every man, not only does He destroy Him who has the power of death, but He also delivers those who were subject to the fear of death. Friends, we don’t have to fear death anymore. Why is that? Because Jesus took the sting of death away. The strength of death was sin and Jesus bore our sins in His own body. There’s no more sins to answer for. There’s no condemnation to those who are in Christ. All death can do to us is usher us right into the presence of God.

We serve the One who died on the cross, went into the grave, and burst forth from it. We serve the One whose heel was bruised but who crushed the serpent’s head in return. That final blow was fatal; Satan will never rise again. Though he may slither about now, he knows his end has come. Revelation 20 confirms this: the ancient serpent is thrown alive into the lake of fire, tormented day and night forevermore. From Genesis to Revelation, the serpent’s defeat is assured.

Because all the way in Revelation chapter 20, it says that the old serpent, the Satan, how about that, the ancient serpent was taken and thrown alive into the lake of fire where he is tormented day and night forever and ever. So from Genesis 3, verse 15, he’s the serpent all the way to Revelation chapter 20. That snake who’s slithered his way throughout the biblical narrative, he’s finally defeated at the cross, and then in the last days, along with death, he’s thrown into the lake of fire. His head is crushed. He is a defeated foe.

I’ll leave you with one last point here. Because of Jesus, death is swallowed up in victory. 1 Corinthians 15:54-55 says, “O Death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting?” This fulfills a prophecy from Hosea 13:14. God promises to come after death, declaring war on it. He says, “O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction!” In other words, God looked at the serpent and all its chaos, saying, “I’m declaring war on you.” Then He looked at death and said, “I’ll put an end to you. I’ll spare you not, have no mercy on you.” And then comes the victory chant: “O Death, where is your sting? O Grave, where is your victory?”

So, friends, because of Christ’s death and resurrection, death is stingless, toothless, powerless over us, with no claim upon us. The serpent’s head is crushed. Thus, we see redemption as a story of two seeds: one annihilated, one triumphant through suffering.

But it’s also a story of two trees. And here’s where I want to tie this in with Good Friday: In Genesis 3, one man ate from a forbidden tree, plunging humanity into chaos, darkness, and death. But fast forward through history, and we have another Man—the second Man, the second and last Adam—who hung upon the tree on Calvary, bearing the curse of sinners. And it’s through His atoning vicarious sacrifice that He defeated sin and death, crushing the head of the serpent.

So the cross, friends, it’s not a symbol of tragedy. It’s a symbol of triumph. To the first-century Jews, it would be a symbol of defeat and death, an agonizing one. But to us, it’s a symbol of victory. It’s a symbol that our Savior has delivered a decisive blow against sin, death, and the devil, and our God reigns. So 1 Corinthians 15:57 says, “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” God declared war on the serpent in Genesis 3:15, and He triumphs through the Lord Jesus Christ.

I want to conclude by reading from John’s account, as it’s crucial we understand and honor our Savior’s sacrifice. Please turn to John 19. Picture this scene in your mind, read reverently, and adore our Lord. Here’s verse 1: “Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged.” Let’s pause here, for this is where the seed of the serpent meets its sovereign defeat. This is our servant King, bearing our sins, yet remaining silent before His accusers.

Then Pilate said, “Behold the Man.” Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die because He made Himself the Son of God.” Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was more afraid. He went again into the praetorium and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You and power to release You?” Jesus answered him, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it was given to you from above; therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

From then on Pilate sought to release Him. But the Jews cried out saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.” When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place called the pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the preparation day for the Passover, about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” Then he delivered Jesus to them to be crucified.

And they took Jesus and led Him away, bearing His cross, going out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross; and the writing was, “Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. And it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that He said, ‘I am King of the Jews.’” But Pilate answered them, “What I have written, I have written.”

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from top to bottom in one piece. They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says, “They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son.” He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

After this Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” A vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Then Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus. And Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. There they laid Jesus because of the Jews’ preparation day, for the tomb was nearby.

As we reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice, let’s go to the Lord in prayer and conclude our service in worship.

Lord, we thank You for Your Word this evening, for Your plan of redemption that we’ve traced from the beginning in the garden. We’ve witnessed the enemy’s repeated attempts to exterminate the seed of the woman, trying to prevent Adam’s race from having a chance at life through a Redeemer. Yet time and again, his efforts failed, and Your promise prevailed.

Then we see Jesus born of a woman, at the right time, born under the law to redeem those who were under the law. We behold Him made a curse for us, as it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” We witness His bruising and crushing for our iniquities and sins. We see Him crowned with thorns, beaten into His head, clothed with a purple robe and mock scepter, blindfolded, spat upon, having His beard plucked out, slapped in the face, and beaten by 500 trained Roman soldiers—mocking, ridiculing, humiliating Him.

We observe Him examined by Pilate, who finds no fault. We hear the words of false witnesses whose story could never align. We see Him tied, considering the cat of nine tails tearing into His flesh with each blow, nearly disemboweling Him. We see Him beaten beyond recognition, more than any man has ever been mutilated before. And we recognize, Lord, that this is what we deserve.

We see Him nailed to a cross, lifted up for all to see, hanging in naked shame and humiliation. Yet even here, we hear His words, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

We see Him hanging between two thieves, one saying, “Lord, remember me,” and He responds, “Today you will be with Me in paradise.” We see Him thinking about His mother, crying out in dehydration, “I thirst.” The sky turns black for three hours as He cries out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” This is a sign that we have surpassed tomorrow. No matter what, God is with us. He is eternal, our hope, our joy, our faith, our love, our life. We join in worship, singing of His love and strength, making service and peace possible. The serpent’s head is crushed, Adam’s race redeemed. Then we hear Him say, “Into Your hands I commend My spirit,” giving Himself permission to die, but not until then.

We see Him buried in a borrowed tomb, knowing He won’t need it for long. We anticipate Sunday morning, celebrating His victorious resurrection. We praise Him as the Son, the Sovereign, the Servant, the Seed who wins the victory over sin and death. Tonight, we celebrate His victory and worship Him, giving glory, honor, and praise in Jesus’ name. Amen.