Bible Question:
Does it say in the Bible that Jesus stomped on the head of a snake? This was at the time when He was praying before His crucifixion as revealed in “The Passion” move.
Bible Answer:
Mel Gibson’s movie “The Passion of the Christ” attempts to help us understand how Jesus suffered and died on the cross. He captured the horror of the Roman punishment, whipping, and abuse. He showed us how the Romans crucified a person and Gibson wonderfully showed us Jesus’ loving heart and compassion. But the movie contains a number of things that are not found in the Bible. They are fiction and were made up. One of them is Jesus stomping on the head of a snake. The film maker assumed that the statement in Genesis 3:15 implied that Jesus would stomp on the head of the snake.
And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel. (NASB) Gen. 3:15
But there is no reference in the New Testament that Jesus physically stepped on a snake. In Genesis 3:15 the snake represents Satan. The prophecy states that there will be “enmity” – a strong tension and personal war – between the future Messiah and Satan. The Messiah was and still is Jesus Christ. The New Testament tells us that Satan attempted to defeat Jesus, the Messiah. On one occasion Jesus was in the wilderness and Satan tried to cause Him to sin.
And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him. (NASB) Mark 1:13
We also read that Satan tried to use Peter to keep Jesus from dying on the cross (Matt. 16:21-23). Later Satan apparently had a new plan and attempted to use Judas to kill him (John 13:27). It was Jesus against Satan. But Jesus was victorious according to Eph. 4:7-10, 1Pet. 3:19, and Heb. 2:14.
Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, [Jesus] Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil . . . (NASB) Hebrews 2:14
Conclusion:
As a result Satan did “bruise” Jesus on “the heel,” but Jesus won the battle by bruising him “on the head.” Satan successfully used Judas to kill His human body, but Jesus defeated Satan when He returned to life. Jesus was victorious! Praise God and praise Him forever!