The Seed Of The Woman

”The Seed of the Woman” (Genesis 3:15a)

Introduction: At this time of the year our thoughts and hearts are irresistibly drawn to that event which occurred some 2000 years ago n a stable in Bethlehem, the birth of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. This, of course, was the birth of no ordinary man. This birth marked the cen er of the ages, the fullness of the time. This birth was the beginning of the greatest redemptive event which ever has or ever will occur in the history of man, for it was the birth of the Christ, of God’s Messiah, of Jesus, a name which means the Lord is salvation. The angel, foretelling of the birth of this Messiah, said to Joseph in a dream concerning his wife, Mary, ”AND SHE WILL BEAR A SON; AND YOU SHALL CALL HIS NAME JESUS, FOR IT IS HE WHO WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS” (Matt. 1:21 1. But this is not the first time that the birth of this child had been foretold in Scripture. Even as far back as the fall of our first parents, Adam and Eve, His coming was declared. After Adam and Eve had eaten of that fruit, which the Lord had forbidden them to eat, and had fallen under the curse of the broken covenant, God appeared in the spirit of the day of judgment in order to pass sentence upon the transgressors. Beginning with the perpetrator of this rebellion, the serpent, who was nothing more than a pawn of the devil to destroy what the Lord God had made, the Lord God pronounced His judgment. After He cursed the serpent to crawl on his belly all the days of his life, He said, ”AND I WILL PUT ENMITY BETWEEN YOU AND WOMAN, AND BETWEEN YOUR SEED AND HER SEED; HE SHALL BRUISE YOU ON THE HEAD, AND YOU SHALL BRUISE HIM ON THE HEEL” (Gen. 3:15). Charles Spurgeon called the curse which the Lord God pronounced upon the serpent, ”The first gospel sermon that was ever preached upon the surface of the earth. It was a memorable discourse indeed, with Jehovah Himself for the preacher, and the whole human race and the prince of darkness for the audience. It must be worthy of our heartiest attention” (Bethany 16). In His sentencing of these who were guilty, immediately following their transgression of God’s law, it is noteworthy that in pronouncing first the judgment on the serpent, that God was in fact delivering to our first parents the promise of a coming Champion, who would be the seed of the woman, who would destroy their enemy, and deliver them from his tyranny. What we will want to look at this morning is the birth of this promised seed of the woman as the fulfillment of the ages and reflect upon the Gospel accounts of His birth, and then this evening, we will look at how this promised champion of God dealt the deciding blow to destroy once and for all the prince of darkness. So this morning, what I want you to see is that, Jesus Christ is that promised seed of the woman who delivered His people from the destruction of their sins. First, I want you to see that Jesus is the seed of the woman; and secondly, I want you to see why God sent Him. For those of you who know Jesus as your Savior this morning, may this story delight your heart again. For those of you who do not, may you be found by Him.

I.

This Jesus, Who Was Born About 2000 Years Ago in Bethlehem, Was the Promised Seed of the Woman. A. Throughout the Whole Old Testament God Was Continually Narrowing Down and Bringing into Focus Just Exactly Who This Seed Would Be. 1. As we learn from our text this morning, He would be the seed of

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the woman. The promise of His coming was given as early as the need of a deliverer arose. b. But the strange thing is that He is called the seed of a woman, not of a man, which is usually the case. c. But here the Deliverer is called the seed of a woman, because He would be One who was conceived, not of the seed of a human father, but of the divine Father. That is, the woman was to possess this seed by the Holy Spirit. d. The prophet Isaiah wrote, ”THEREFORE THE LORD HIMSELF WILL GIVE YOU A SIGN: BEHOLD, A VIRGIN WILL BE WITH CHILD AND BEAR A SON, AND SHE WILL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL” (Isa. 7:14). e. This sign was given to Ahaz, the king of Judah, and yet it was a prophecy concerning the coming seed of the woman. a.

2. From the time of the promise being given to Adam and Eve, God continued to narrow down who this seed would be. He revealed that He was to come from the seed of Abraham. a. All of the human race was divided into two camps, or as Augustine characterized it, of two cities: the city of God and the city of man. b. One is the kingdom of God, the Old Testament Church, and the other the kingdom of darkness. c. The Messiah was not to arise from the city of man, but from the city of God. d. And Abraham was chosen as the one through whom Messiah would come. e. Moses writes in Genesis 12:l-3, ”NOW THE LORD SAID TO ABRAM, ’Go FORTH FROM YOUR COUNTRY, AND FROM YOUR RELATIVES AND FROM YOUR FATHER’S HOUSE, TO THE LAND WHICH I WILL SHOW YOU; AND I WILL MAKE YOU A GREAT NATION, AND I WILL BLESS YOU, AND MAKE YOUR NAME GREAT; AND SO YOU SHALL BE A BLESSING; AND I WILL BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS YOU, AND THE ONE WHO CURSES YOU I WILL CURSE. AND IN YOU ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.” And Paul tells us in the letter to the Galatians, ”NOW THE PROMISES WERE SPOKEN TO ABRAHAM AND HIS SEED. HE DOES NOT SAY, ’AND TO SEEDS,’ AS REFERRING TO MANY, BUT RATHER TO ONE, ’AND TO YOUR SEED,’ THAT IS, CHRIST” (3:16). f. The Christ was to come from the godly line of Abraham. 3. God further narrows the line down to that of Judah. a. Judah was the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham. b. Jacob prophesied before his death that the Messiah would come through the line of Judah. ”THE SCEPTER SHALL NOT DEPART FROM JUDAH, NOR THE RULER’S STAFF FROM BETWEEN HIS FEET, UNTIL SHILOH COMES, AND TO HIM SHALL BE THE OBEDIENCE OF THE PEOPLES. HE TIES HIS FOAL TO THE VINE, AND HIS DONKEY’S COLT TO THE CHOICE VINE; HE WASHES HIS GARMENTS IN WINE, AND HIS ROBES IN THE BLOOD OF GRAPES” (Gen. 49:8-11). 4. As time progressed, God further revealed that Messiah would come through the line of David. a. There were many sons born to Judah, and to Judah’s descendants. But yet the Lord further narrowed down from which line of Judah the seed would come.

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b.

The Lord promised David, in 2 Samuel 7:12-13, "WHEN YOUR DAYS ARE COMPLETE AND YOU LIE DOWN WITH YOUR FATHERS, I WILL RAISE UP YOUR DESCENDANT AFTER YOU, WHO WILL COME FORTH FROM YOU, AND I WILL ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM. HE SHALL BUILD A HOUSE FOR MY NAME, AND I WILL ESTABLISH THE THRONE OF HIS KINGDOM FOREVER. 5. This One who was to be sent forth was to be born in a small Judean town called Bethlehem, the city of David. a. The prophet Micah writes, "BUT AS FOR YOU, BETHLEHEM EPHRATHAH, TOO LITTLE TO BE AMONG THE CLANS OF JUDAH, FROM YOU ONE WILL GO FORTH FOR ME TO BE RULER IN ISRAEL. HIS GOINGS FORTH ARE FROM LONG AGO, FROM THE DAYS OF ETERNITY" (Micah 5:2). b. Bethlehem means "house of bread," and it was from this city that the bread which gives life to the world would come. "

6. He was to be born of divine parentage, He was to be the One through whom all the nations would be blessed, His kingdom was to be eternal, and He was the One whose goings forth have been from eternity. This One was to be none other than the Son of God in human flesh. a. "FOR A CHILD WILL BE BORN TO US, A SON WILL BE GIVEN TO US; AND THE GOVERNMENT WILL REST ON HIS SHOULDERS; AND HIS NAME WILL BE CALLED WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, ETERNAL FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE. THERE WILL BE NO END TO THE INCREASE OF HIS GOVERNMENT OR OF PEACE, ON THE THRONE OF DAVID AND OVER HIS KINGDOM, TO ESTABLISH IT AND TO UPHOLD IT WITH JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM THEN ON AND FOREVERMORE. THE ZEAL OF THE LORD OF HOSTS WILL ACCOMPLISH THIS" (Isa. 9:6-7). b. This is the seed of the woman. This is the One who would deliver Adam and Eve from their sins. B.

And in the Gospels, We See the Fulfillment of These Prophecies, in the Lowly Birth of Jesus, the Promised Seed of the Woman. 1 . We see that Jesus was born of a virgin. a. In the Gospel of Luke, we read, "NOW IN THE SIXTH MONTH THE ANGEL GABRIEL WAS SENT FROM GOD TO A CITY IN GALILEE, CALLED NAZARETH, TO A VIRGIN ENGAGED TO A MAN WHOSE NAME WAS JOSEPH, OF THE DESCENDANTS OF DAVID; AND THE VIRGIN'S NAME WAS MARY. AND COMING IN, HE SAID TO HER, 'HAIL, FAVORED ONE! THE LORD IS WITH YOU.' BUT SHE WAS GREATLY TROUBLED AT THIS STATEMENT, AND KEPT PONDERING WHAT KIND OF SALUTATION THIS MIGHT BE. AND THE ANGEL SAID TO HER, 'DO NOT BE AFRAID, MARY; FOR YOU HAVE FOUND FAVOR WITH GOD. AND BEHOLD, YOU WILL CONCEIVE IN YOUR WOMB AND BEAR A SON, AND YOU SHALL NAME HIM JESUS. HE WILL BE GREAT, AND WILL BE CALLED THE SON OF THE MOST HIGH; AND THE LORD GOD WILL GIVE HIM THE THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID; AND HE WILL REIGN OVER THE HOUSE OF JACOB FOREVER; AND HIS KINGDOM WILL HAVE NO END.' AND MARY SAID TO THE ANGEL, 'HOW CAN THIS BE, SINCE I AM A VIRGIN?' AND THE ANGEL ANSWERED AND SAID TO HER, 'THE HOLD SPIRIT WILL COME UPON YOU, AND THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH WILL OVERSHADOW YOU; AND FOR THAT REASON THE HOLY OFFSPRING SHALL BE CALLED THE SON OF GOD. AND BEHOLD, EVEN YOUR RELATIVE ELIZABETH HAS ALSO CONCEIVED A SON IN HER OLD AGE; AND SHE WHO WAS CALLED BARREN IS NOW IN HER SIXTH MONTH. FOR NOTHING WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD.' AND MARY SAID,

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b.

’BEHOLD, THE BONDSLAVE OF THE LORD; BE IT DONE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD.’ AND THE ANGEL DEPARTED FROM HER” (Luke 1 :26-38). And in Matthew, we read, ”NOW THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST WAS AS FOLLOWS. WHEN HIS MOTHER MARY HAD BEEN BETROTHED TO JOSEPH, BEFORE THEY CAME TOGETHER SHE WAS FOUND TO BE WITH CHILD BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. AND JOSEPH HER HUSBAND, BEING A RIGHTEOUS MAN, AND NOT WANTING TO DISGRACE HER, DESIRED TO PUT HER AWAY SECRETLY. BUT WHEN HE HAD CONSIDERED THIS, BEHOLD, AN ANGEL OF THE LORD APPEARED TO HIM IN A DREAM, SAYING, ’JOSEPH, SON OF DAVID, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO TAKE MARY AS YOUR WIFE; FOR THAT WHICH HAS BEEN CONCEIVED IN HER IS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. AND SHE WILL BEAR A SON; AND YOU SHALL CALL HIS NAME JESUS, FOR IT IS HE WHO WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS.’ NOW ALL THIS TOOK PLACE THAT WHAT WAS SPOKEN BY THE LORD THROUGH THE PROPHET MIGHT BE FULFILLED, SAYING, ’BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,’ WHICH TRANSLATED MEANS, ’GOD WITH US.’ AND JOSEPH AROSE FROM HIS SLEEP, AND DID AS THE ANGEL OF THE LORD COMMANDED HIM, AND TOOK HER AS HIS WIFE, AND KEPT HER A VIRGIN UNTIL SHE GAVE BIRTH TO A SON; AND HE CALLED HIS NAME JESUS” ( I : 18-25).

2.

This Jesus came from the line of Abraham. Matthew’s Gospel begins, ”THE BOOK OF THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF DAVID, THE SON OF ABRAHAM” (Matt. I: 1 ). 3. This Jesus was the ruler from the line of Judah, through whom David came, and yet He is David’s greater Son. ”NOW WHILE THE PHARISEES WERE GATHERED TOGETHER, JESUS ASKED THEM A QUESTION, SAYING, ’WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE CHRIST, WHOSE SON IS HE?’ THEY SAID TO HIM, ’THE SON OF DAVID.’ HE SAID TO THEM, ’THEN HOW DOES DAVID IN THE SPIRIT CALL HIM ”LORD,” SAYING, ”THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT THINE ENEMIES BENEATH THY FEET”? IF DAVID THEN CALLS HIM ”LORD,” HOW IS HE HIS SON? AND NO ONE WAS ABLE TO ANSWER HIM A WORD, NOR DID ANYONE DARE FROM THAT DAY ON TO ASK HIM ANOTHER QUESTION” (Matt. 22:41-46 ) . 4. And this Jesus was the One who was born in Bethlehem. Luke writes, ”NOW IT CAME ABOUT IN THOSE DAYS THAT A DECREE WENT OUT FROM CAESAR AUGUSTUS, THAT A CENSUS BE TAKEN OF ALL THE INHABITED EARTH. THIS WAS THE FIRST CENSUS TAKEN WHILE QUIRINIUS WAS GOVERNOR OF SYRIA. AND ALL WERE PROCEEDING TO REGISTER FOR THE CENSUS, EVERYONE TO HIS OWN CITY. AND JOSEPH ALSO WENT UP FROM GALILEE, FROM THE CITY OF NAZARETH, TO JUDEA, TO THE CITY OF DAVID, WHICH IS CALLED BETHLEHEM, BECAUSE HE WAS OF THE HOUSE AND FAMILY OF DAVID, IN ORDER TO REGISTER, ALONG WITH MARY, WHO WAS ENGAGED TO HIM, AND WAS WITH CHILD. AND IT CAME ABOUT THAT WHILE THEY WERE THERE, THE DAYS WERE COMPLETED FOR HER TO GIVE BIRTH. m n SHE GAVE BIRTH TO HER FIRST-BORN SON; AND SHE WRAPPED HIM IN CLOTHS, AND LAID HIM IN A MANGER, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR THEM IN THE INN” (Luke 2: 1-7). 5. And so we see that Jesus is the promised seed of the woman, and the Son of God. 11.

Secondly, the Bible Plainly Tells Us that the Reason That God Sent His Son into the World Was that He Might Redeem His People from Their Sins.

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A.

The Angels Proclaimed the Birth of One Who Was to Be a Savior. 1 . God sent His angels to the common people of Israel who were shepherds to herald this great news. Matthew tells us, ”AND IN THE SAME REGION THERE WERE SOME SHEPHERDS STAYING OUT IN THE FIELDS, AND KEEPING WATCH OVER THEIR FLOCK BY NIGHT. AND AN ANGEL OF THE LORD SUDDENLY STOOD BEFORE THEM, AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHONE AROUND THEM; AND THEY WERE TERRIBLY FRIGHTENED. AND THE ANGEL SAID TO THEM, ’DO NOT BE AFRAID; FOR BEHOLD, I BRING YOU Goon NEWS OF A GREAT JOY WHICH SHALL BE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE; FOR TODAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID THERE HAS BEEN BORN FOR YOU A SAVIOR, WHO IS CHRIST THE LORD. AND THIS WILL BE A SIGN FOR YOU: YOU WILL FIND A BABY WRAPPED IN CLOTHS, AND LYING IN A MANGER.’ AND SUDDENLY THERE APPEARED WITH THE ANGEL A MULTITUDE OF THE HEAVENLY HOST PRAISING an, AND SAYING, ’GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, AND ON EARTH PEACE AMONG MEN WITH WHOM HE IS PLEASED.’ AND IT CAME ABOUT WHEN THE ANGELS HAD GONE AWAY FROM THEM INTO HEAVEN, THAT THE SHEPHERDS BEGAN SAYING TO ONE ANOTHER, ’LET US GO STRAIGHT TO BETHLEHEM THEN, AND SEE THIS THING THAT HAS HAPPENED WHICH THE LORD HAS MADE KNOWN TO US.’ AND THEY CAME IN HASTE AND FOUND THEIR WAY TO MARY AND JOSEPH, AND THE BABY AS HE LAY IN THE MANGER. AND WHEN THEY HAD SEEN THIS, THEY MADE KNOWN THE STATEMENT WHICH HAD BEEN TOLD THEM ABOUT THIS CHILD. AND ALL WHO HEART IT WONDERED AT THE THINGS WHICH WERE TOLD THEM BY THE SHEPHERDS. BUT MARY TREASURED UP ALL THESE THINGS, PONDERING THEM IN HER HEART. AND THE SHEPHERDS WENT BACK, GLORIFYING AND PRAISING GOD FOR ALL THAT THEY HAD HEARD AND SEEN, JUST AS HAD BEEN TOLD THEM” (Luke 2:8-20). 2. The angel called Jesus a Savior, which is why the angel told Joseph to name the baby Jesus, ”FOR IT IS HE WHO WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS” (Matt. 1 :21).

B. But the Sending of a Savior Implied that There Are Those Who Are in Danger Who Need to Be Delivered from Their Sins. 1 . The Bible tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. a. As we saw at the beginning of the sermon, after Adam and Eve sinned when they were tempted by the devil, they were judged, and the curse of sin came upon them. b. The Bible says that all of us also became sinners and were condemned by that sin. Paul says in Romans 5:12, 18, ”THEREFORE, JUST AS THROUGH ONE MAN SIN ENTERED INTO THE WORLD, AND DEATH THROUGH SIN, AND SO DEATH SPREAD TO ALL MEN, BECAUSE ALL SINNED.” . . . ”SO THEN . . . THROUGH ONE TRANSGRESSION THERE RESULTED CONDEMNATION TO ALL MEN.” C. And we have added to the guilt of his sin immeasurably by our own breaking of God’s holy law. Isaiah the prophet wrote, ”ALL OF US LIKE SHEEP HAVE GONE ASTRAY, EACH OF US HAS TURNED TO HIS OWN WAY”; and Paul wrote, FOR ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD,” and ”THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH” (Isa. 53:6; Rom. 3:23: 6:23). 2.

But Jesus is a Savior from sin; He is the only Savior which the Father has given. a. ”FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE FREE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD” (Rom. 6:23). b. Christ is the life raft for you who know that you are

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helplessly lost in a sea of sin. c. He is the surgeon that can remove the malignant growth of sin from your souls. d. He is the advocate who can plead His perfect work before the Judge of heaven and earth, and clear your record from all guilt. e. But you must first be convinced of your need of this Savior before you will flee to the only One who can deliver you.

III. A.

Uses. And so Do You Feel the Weight of what the Apostle Has Told You This Morning? 1 . Have you embraced Christ as your own personal Lord and as the Savior from your sins? He is not just an ordinary man, but is God in human flesh. He is the second Person of the Triune God who took upon Himself a human nature in order that he might redeem man from all of his sin. 2. Are you convinced that what the Bible says is true, and that you have fallen away from God in Adam? 3. Are you convinced that you have also added sin upon sin in your daily life, so that you are lost in a sea of sin? 4. Can you feel the malignancy of sin eating away at your soul, and that you will surely die unless the great Physician of the soul operates by His grace on you? 5. If so, then see that the Lord offers to you this morning a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. He is the One who was born in that stable nearly 2000 years ago, the One whom the angels proclaimed and heralded, the One who was lifted up on the cross to atone for the sins of His people. 6. But what the Lord requires of you to be delivered is to repent of your sins and trust in Jesus to save you. ”REPENT, AND LET EACH OF YOU BE BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SINS; AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT” (Acts 2:38). ”BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS, AND YOU SHALL BE SAVED, YOU AND YOUR HOUSEHOLD” (16:31). ”THAT IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH JESUS AS LORD, AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU SHALL BE SAVED” (Rom. 1 0 : 9 ) . 7. If you are outside of Christ here this morning, then run to Him now and embrace Him. Jesus said, ”THE ONE WHO COMES TO ME I WILL CERTAINLY NOT CAST OUT” (John 6:37).

B. How Can You Know If You Have Savingly Come to Christ? 1 . As I have read what God has revealed concerning His Son, have you sensed the beauty of this Christ? Is He the desire of your heart and soul? Is He all that you long for and all that you live for? Can you say that to have this Christ is all that I need and nothing more? I have taken Him for my whole portion in life? Is to live for Him and to obey His commandments that for which your heart yearns? Those of you who are Christ’s here this morning know what I am talking about. 2. Christ is your pearl of great price, you have sold everything you have to obtain Him. You have given up all that you have and yourself besides in order that you might have this One. There is nothing else that even runs a close second to Him in your heart. 3. But if you have not this morning, if you have not seen the loveliness of Christ, if He is not your hearts desire, then your

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eyes are yet darkened by sin and you need to call upon God to give you a sense of His beauty. It is only by first seeing your own dreadful condition in the light of His law, that you will see the loveliness of this Messiah, this One anointed by God to remove the curse and stain of sin. If you have never come to God’s Messiah in faith and repentance, come to Him now! God extends His hand to you through the Gospel and commands you to be reconciled to Him. But if you cannot find it in your heart to come to Him and take hold of Him by faith, then know for sure that you will surely perish in your sins unless the Lord graciously changes your heart. Call out to Him; plead with Him; beg Him to change your heart and to open your eyes and remove the veil which covers your heart, S O that you might see the glory of God in Christ, come to Him, embrace Him as your all and all, and be saved. Don’t let another Christmas season, which has awakened you to your need of Christ pass without closing with this One in whom alone is salvation. Come to Jesus this morning and live! Amen.