Through The Bible in a Year - January 15, 2026
"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
At the battlefield of Waterloo, where Napoleon once was defeated by the armies of Europe, there's a massive earthen mound with an observation deck on top. From that vantage point, you can see the entire battlefield—where the infantry met, where the cavalry waited, where the artillery was positioned. Every piece of the battle makes sense when you see it from above.
Genesis 3:15 is the observation deck over the rest of Scripture. It's the first gospel promise, right in the middle of humanity's greatest mess. God looks at fallen creation and fallen creatures and says, "This is not the end of the story. One will come from the woman's offspring. He will crush the serpent's head, though Satan will wound His heel."
This is the promise that helps everything else make sense. From this vantage point, you can look across all of Scripture and see God's unfolding plan of redemption. Creation—everything is good. Fall—everything is broken. Redemption—God is pursuing His plan to restore. Consummation—God makes everything right.
Between the fall and the final consummation, when everything is restored and made better, God spends the entire Bible showing us that we need a Redeemer. Kings don't work. Prophets get killed. Priests fail. Sacrifices aren't enough. The law can't be kept. For 1,500 years, God keeps signaling: "Not this, not this, not this—but THIS." So when Jesus comes, we know who He is and what He must do.
Respond: When you read Scripture, are you looking for random moral tales, or are you standing on the observation deck seeing God's unfolding grace? Today, read one complete Bible story with your "gospel glasses" on, Ask the question, "What in this text is God revealing about Himself, and what am I learning about my need for a Redeemer?" We should pray in the reality that God is using the whole of scripture to reveal our need of Him, and his provision of Jesus.
Prayer: Father, thank You for not leaving us in the mess of Genesis 3. From the very beginning, You promised a Redeemer. Help me see all of Scripture as Your relentless pursuit of Your people. Give me gospel glasses to see Your grace unfolding in every passage. I pray this In Jesus' name, amen.