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TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

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. Genesis 3:15

Read: Genesis 3:15
Listen: Genesis 3

TODAY’S MESSAGE

This year, we are looking for Jesus in the Old Testament to see how God’s plan always included Jesus saving us from our sins. This month, we are looking for Jesus in the book of Genesis. Genesis sets the foundation for the rest of the biblical storyline.

New Man. Genesis opens with the grand creation of the world, culminating in God creating man and woman in his image. God charges them to multiply and fill the earth. God intends for them to take the beauty and order of Eden and fill the whole world with it. Where man fails, Jesus succeeds. Jesus is the ultimate reflection of the image of God (Hebrews 1:3). He faces temptation and does not sin (Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus brings God’s kingdom and will one day restore the earth to Eden (Revelation 21:1-4).

Son of the Woman. Immediately after sin enters the world, God hints that a son of the woman will one day defeat the serpent. Jesus is the son who defeats the serpent. Some of her sons foreshadow Jesus. Noah saves his family and a remnant of animals from God’s judgment by flood. Similarly, Jesus makes the way for salvation from God’s judgment by his death and resurrection.

Heir of Promise. God chooses Abraham to be the patriarch of his family. Isaac is the promised heir, born of humanly impossible circumstances. God tests Abraham but does not ultimately require Isaac as a sacrifice. Instead, God will sacrifice his son. The ram as a substitute sacrifice symbolizes what Jesus will do on the cross. A later descendant, Joseph, provides a type of Christ when he suffers unjustly yet saves his family from certain death. He offers his family forgiveness, restoration and protection as Jesus will one day do. Yet it is through Joseph’s brother Judah that Jesus eventually comes. Judah foreshadows Jesus’s willingness to give himself up for his brother Benjamin (Genesis 44:32-34).

TODAY: As you read Genesis this month, ask God to open your eyes to all the people, places, events, promises and symbols that point to Jesus. Understanding Genesis is the key to unlocking the rest of the story.

JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Read Genesis 1-2. Highlight anything that points to Jesus. Pay attention to the creation of and charge to man and consider how Jesus is the new Adam.

Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.