Theologians get excited about this obscure verse because it is actually the first reference in the Bible indicating that God will send a Saviour. It’s the first mention that Christmas is coming. "He will crush your head" finds its fulfillment in 1 John 3:8 "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work." In other words, the woman's offspring would eventually bring a Saviour into the world. It took several thousand years before it happened, but Jesus entered our world to become our Messiah, our Saviour.

After this initial prophecy, we find many more prophecies throughout the Old Testament that become more specific. We are told which nation (Israel), which tribe (Judah), and which family line (David), the Messiah would be born into. We are told his place of birth, the type of ministry and his sacrificial death. Yet when Jesus came, the religious people of his day didn’t recognise him, even the Pharisees who knew their Scriptures so well.

These people had made up their minds regarding the Messiah and Jesus didn’t meet their expectation. Unlike the wise men who expected to worship the new king at a palace, but seem completely unfazed by worshipping him in a simple home (Matthew 2:2, 11). Are we locked into preconceived ideas about Jesus? If he did something unexpected, would we recognise him?

God will continue to bring in his kingdom, and he will probably surprise us in the way that he does. Let’s be open to his unexpected ways. 

Jesus poured out His blood for the New Covenant of grace and truth, replacing the Old Covenant letter of the law of Moses. Believers are exclusively under the New Covenant, the last will and testament of Jesus that began after the cross.