The Genesis Promises of Jesus

Matthew's Gospel contains many references to events and promises found in the Old Testament.  This makes sense since he primarily wrote to a Jewish audience who was familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures promising a Messiah.  Two significant promises found Genesis speak about Jesus:

Genesis 3:15 

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

This is also called the protoevangelium or "first gospel," the first time we heard the 'good news' about Jesus coming as the promised Messiah.  It seems a little cryptic, but the emphasis is how one of Eve's offspring would crush the devil's head while the devil would strike at his heel.  On the cross it looked like Satan had won (strikes Jesus' heel), but by doing so he really defeated death and the devil (crushes Satan's head).

God's promise to Abraham is also really powerful - a promise to bless all nations (not just Israel) through him.

Genesis 12:1-3

The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

 ² “I will make you into a great nation,
   and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
   and you will be a blessing.
³ I will bless those who bless you,
   and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
   will be blessed through you.”

How were all nations blessed through Abraham?  Because one of his descendants, Jesus, saved the world.  These two verses stand as two of the four major promises of a Savior in the Old Testament.  The other two would be a promise that David's throne would last forever (through Jesus) and that God is making a new covenant with his people through the prophet Jeremiah.  The whole Old Testament is littered with promises of the Messiah, but these four would be the highest peaks in the mountain range of passages pointing to Jesus.

So, the whole Old Testament points forward to Jesus

And the whole New Testament points back to Jesus

The whole Bible points to Jesus!