The Pilgrim Path---Genesis 3: 14, 15

The LORD God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.

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.”

“…AND YOU SHALL BRUISE HIS HEEL.”

The cosmic clash is real. The seed of the serpent (devil) versus the seed of the woman (God’s Son). All the remarkable narratives take their thrills from this genuine history of humanity---and redemption. Many do not believe it, only because the Holy Spirit has not given them “eyes” to see. But its breadth and depth explain all that is wrong with man---and all that may be right---through the power of the Risen One. The “first” Adam doomed us all. Only a Second, Perfect Adam could “redeem” man---but great would be the cost. His heel would be bruised---and terrible would be the bruising on Calvary’s Cross for All His Own. Marvelously---the Second Adam---the Seed of the Woman, The Son of God---would crush the devil at the Cross. Paying sin’s debt forever, removing the sting of death for the Christian---and making death merely a passage to Glory. The resurrection proved the Father’s acceptance of the Son’s sacrifice---but look at the price that was paid to deliver fallen men! Unimaginable---but for Gospel revelation!

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3: 16, 17

From Hugh Martin: When God appears to you in the gospel---draws near to reveal himself to you and reconcile you to himself---his infinite unbending justice and his infinite endearing mercy both appear, comforting you---standing before you, face to face. And they stand before you in covenant alliance, hand in hand; mercy and truth meeting together, righteousness and peace embracing each other. Behold that justice of God that remorselessly assigns eternal death to the very least of sins! Behold that love of God that triumphantly bestows eternal life on the very chief of sinners! In the sacrifice of the cross, God is infinitely just and infinitely gracious in forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. And this is his glory in the face of Jesus Christ---the glory of eternal satisfied justice blended with the glory of eternal saving love: divine justice wholly satisfied for sin in the blood of God’s dear Son; divine love freely saving sinners by that precious blood. Such is the attitude in which the glory of God appears to you in the gospel.

From Martyn Lloyd-Jones: If we believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the only begotten Son of God and that he came into this world and went to the cross of Calvary and died for our sins and rose again in order to justify us and to give us life anew and prepare us for Heaven---If you really believe that, there is only one inevitable deduction, namely that HE is entitled to the whole of our lives, without any limit whatsoever.

Meanwhile on the other side of the world:

---Widespread reports indicate that Russian General Alexander Dvornikov has been put in charge of the Ukrainian invasion. He is credited with the terrible atrocities associated with the Syrian forces under Bashar al Assad (Sky News). May the LORD confound his efforts…

---THE EU’s Ursula Von Der Leyen, Austria’s Karl Nehammer, Slovakia’s Eduard Heger and Britain’s Boris Johnson---all met President Zelenskyy in face-to-face meetings in Kyiv---in the last few days!

---Dal Stanton says over 4 million dollars has been raised to help Ukraine Crisis Church Fund (MTW). Thanks be to God!

---Please continue to pray for the MTW Ukraine Crisis Response Team based in Krakow (Poland). Pray for the children of the team members that they would be able to find rest at night and not be bound by fear. Pray for grace and strength beyond measure for team members---very long days!

Grace and Peace in Jesus, the Only Redeemer of broken and wretched souls, Pastor Jason