The Serpent Crusher

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.     (Romans 16:20 ESV)

This verse from Paul's letter to the Romans is filled with imagery.  The imagery isn't original with the apostle. He's echoing back to the very first prophecy in the Bible; Genesis 3:15.  After Adam and Eve rebelled against God and hid their own nakedness and tried to hide from Him, God didn't throw up His hands and quit. God is never aloof... He has always had an active, initiating role from creation on and will do so for eternity. God slaughtered an animal to cover their nakedness, which is a clear picture of one who is not guilty dying for those who are guilty. But before He even covered their nakedness He made them (and us) a promise... He promises the serpent something as well as promising mankind something... "He (the Seed of the woman) will bruise (crush) your head, and you (Satan) will bruise His heel." (Gen. 3:15)  The crushing of the serpent's head will require suffering on the serpent crusher's part. The fulfillment of this is Jesus Christ, who's suffering is unparalleled. No one suffered or ever will suffer like He did.  But His suffering would be a simple bruise on the heel compared to the glory that awaited Him... Satan's head was crushed... He will forever be the loser. Jesus won our freedom from sin by the death He died on the cross and by His glorious resurrection! The Easter story is the story of new life. We celebrate because in the process of having His heel bruised He crushed our enemy's (death) head. His resurrection is a foretaste of our own resurrection and future glory. Satan, sin, and death have been conquered. Rejoice, Christian!!