THE SEED

 “The Lord said to the serpent:…I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”      Genesis 3:15

Over salad and sweet conversation last weekend, my friend spoke passionately about the above pivotal verse in Genesis 3 and its importance to the subject of our “seedless-ness” trend.  I would be remiss if I did not take us back there today, dear readers, for it truly is God’s confrontation with the evil personified and portrayed.

We know that this prophesy is fulfilled in the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The Gospel of Mark begins by speaking directly to its unfolding:

…John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins…In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And when He came up out of the water, immediately He saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven, You are my beloved Son, with You I am well pleased.”           Mark 1: 1-11  

(As I’m typing this powerful Word, which Father God repeats two more times, I’m also noticing the descriptive phrase:  “…heavens being torn open …”  My thoughts leap to: “And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed His last.  And the curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom.”  Mark 15:37-38   This might be a stretch but the visuals are vividly similar.)

The Spirit immediately drove Him out into the wilderness.  And He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan…”  Mark 1:12-13

As Jesus begins His public ministry entering the wilderness, He is back in a space of confronting Satan.  Sitting with that reality I wonder….could it actually be the same piece of real estate where the previous confrontation took place – only then it was a garden?  God alone knows that.  The important things are how Jesus handled those confrontations and of course, the outcomes. 

Dear readers, be encouraged as we fast forward to today. This is a bare minimum view of a vast theological truth.  Know that the most important thing of all is your answer to Jesus’ question:  “But you, ‘Who do you say that I am?’  Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.’”  Matthew 16:15-16

Oh yes, and do enjoy those wonderful seed-filled grapes, watermelons….and tomatoes!  The next blog will be much lighter.  I promise.          

Carolyn