Jesus Christ: Seed of the woman To the serpent God said, "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) This is the first recorded promise of a "future" Redeemer.
Satan tried to corrupt the human race genetically with the intermarriage between the fallen angels and human females. God destroyed the entire human race with the flood, and saved Noah, the only family whose "generations" were "perfect." (Genesis 6:9) Uncorrupted.
Shortly after the flood, God separated Abram out of Ur, to make a chosen nation through which to bring the Redeemer. "I will make you a great nation; ...and you shall be a blessing... in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed... in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:2-3, 22:18 )
Satan tried to destroy the nation of Israel in Egypt by drowning the male babies. (Exodus 1:15) But God preserved Moses, and 80 years later brought Israel out of Egypt as His own special chosen people.
Then, David became God's chosen one, as God's plans became more specifically narrowed and defined. "I will appoint a place for My people Israel... I will set up your seed after you... I will establish his throne forever." (1 Chronicles 17:9,12) "And the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever." (1 Kings 2:45) Jesus is called "Son of David." (Matthew 1:1, 9:27, 12:23)
So then, Satan tried to thwart God's plans by enticing the succeeding kings of Judah away from God, sending Judah into captivity to Babylon. And then attempting to annihilate Israel through the schemes of Haman. (Esther 3:8 ) But God provided Esther as the savior and prevented the slaughter. (Esther 9)
After the dispersion have returned, along the way come Joseph and Mary. Both with legal and hereditary lineage back to David, Abraham and Adam. (Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 3:23-38 ) And Jesus was brought to the "virgin" Mary through the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:35)
It is essential that Jesus was not born of a human male/female union. Otherwise, as we learned in the previous chapter, Jesus' zygote would have been corrupt with "inherited" sin. He would not be a perfect, unblemished, spotless sacrificial "lamb." Because it is through "man" that sin came into the world. (Romans 5:12) God's promise was through the "seed of the WOMAN." (Genesis 3:15) Thus, Mary's pregnancy could not be a result of Human Male intervention.
Even after the fact, Satan tries to discredit the matter through his apostates who insist that in Isaiah 7:14 "virgin" does not mean "virgin." And through perversions of Scripture, that say Joseph was Jesus' "father." (Luke 2:33)
So, here we have Jesus: perfect Deity and perfect humanity. "The Word, Who was in the beginning with God... Who WAS God... became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:1,14) We know that He was Deity because it says, "in Him was life." (Verse 4) It was "God" who breathed into man's nostrils the "breath of life." (Genesis 2:7) Jesus later claims, "I am the... life." And further solidifies His claim to deity, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." (John 14:6,9) And later demonstrates His authority in the garden when identifying Himself, "I am He," (John 18:6) using God's eternal name (Exodus 3:14), and the throng who had come to arrest Him were knocked backwards to the ground at the power of His Name.
Being perfect Deity insures perfect sinlessness. "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth." (1 Peter 2:22) Who could claim, "I always do those things that please Him [Father]." (John 8:29)
When human priests offered sacrifices, they had to first purify themselves. (Hebrews 5:3, 9:7) Then, they could represent the rest of the people. Thus, their sacrifices were imperfect.
Being Deity, and perfect, Christ was in a position to offer Himself. (Hebrews 1:3, 9:25) And He says, "I lay down My life that I may take it again, No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself." (John 10:17-18 ) And, His sinlessness made for a perfect sacrifice, which could atone for mankind's sin. He did not have any sin of His own which needed atoning. (Hebrews 4:15) He came from God, directly. (Hebrews 1:5)
Not only was Jesus "Deity." He was also humanity. The "last Adam." (1 Corinthians 15:45) While Jesus' deity could save man's spirit, His humanity saves man's flesh. His resurrection is the "firstfruits" for those who have died in Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:20) Adam (a man) sinned and brought death. Christ (a man) brought resurrection of the dead. (Verse 21) Adam brought sin into the world. Jesus brings righteousness. (Romans 5:19)
Being humanity, Jesus was an "equivalent" substitute for man's sin. "Man" had sinned, and thus "man" must die. Thus, if Jesus was to take man's judgment, He had to be a "man." He must undergo the same "test" Adam did to be sure He was well qualified. The opportunity to be tempted to sin, but then to resist the temptation. And that He did. "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Heb4:15) Thus, proving to all creation that He "measured up" to God's holy standard. (Colossians 1:15, Hebrews 1:4b, 5:9)
While He said, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father," Illustrating his deity, He laid aside all His splendor of heaven, and took on humanity with all its frailties, He "made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:7-8 ) As a person He, "learned obedience by the things which He suffered." (Hebrews 5:8 ) This, the context of His crucifixion. He was in the garden praying, "If it be possible, let this cup pass from Me." (Matthew 26:39) And in Hebrews 5:7 we see His agony, "supplication, with vehement cries and tears" to the Father. More agony than any other human could suffer as He sweat drops of blood. (Luke 22:44) ...as His "humanity" DESPERATELY DID NOT WANT TO go to the cross!!
But He did! "..knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep;
for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. Let us
walk decently, as in the day...putting on the Lord Jesus Christ..
...redeeming the time, because the days are evil."
Romans 13:11-14~ Ephesians 5:16
Author