Where in the Bible would you find the first expressly written statement offering the hope of the Gospel? Hint: It is not in the New Testament. Would you believe that it occurs in Genesis?
In Genesis 3, we are told that Adam and Eve failed to obey the command of God (not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil). Consequently, all of mankind was condemned. A physical deformity is often passed on through genetics; so too are the tainted spiritual genetics of Adam passed on to us. We are all fallen and in need of a Savior.
Yet the curses unleashed upon Adam will eventually fall upon Christ. Consider the curses that were poured out upon both man and Satan at the Fall. Even Genesis proclaims that Jesus is the only cure for our curse!
In Genesis 3:17-19, God issued the curse of the Fall upon mankind. He told Adam, "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."
Just prior to this, in Genesis 3:14-15, God had told Satan, "You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 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."
God declares that mankind was condemned to return to the dust, and Satan was condemned to eat the dust. God is telling us that Satan will devour the remains of the dead, but He graciously promises that One would come who would crush the serpent's head. Indeed, God would bring ultimate death to the wicked one who thrives upon death. This is the first clear promise of the Gospel. Mankind would be saved from the wicked one who would otherwise swallow us up in death.
Instead, because of our Lord, we do not need to fear death as the end. Instead, death is our ticket to true life! It is our ticket into the arms of the One who conquered death! Thus, a Christian can mock death alongside the Apostle Paul who said, "When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
Jesus has turned everything right-side-up. He has taken the worst curse upon mankind (death), and He has made it into a doorway to true life. Jesus has borne our curses. We were cursed to suffer thorns, yet on the Cross, Jesus took our curse upon Himself and He made it into His crown. We were cursed to sweat and suffer for our bread, yet Jesus willingly faced the agony of the Cross -- fretting with sweat of blood -- so that He could freely offer Himself to us as the Bread of Life. We do not have to toil and sweat for this Bread; it is a free gift of grace. We were condemned to return to the dust (the spiritual food of Satan), and yet Jesus has stomped the head of this devouring serpent. We have been freed from the plague of death!
Jesus has reversed our curses!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
The Gospel of Adam & Eve
ADAM & EVE
The book of Genesis tells us, "God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." Scripture then tells us that "the Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.'"
It seems to me that God chose a very peculiar manner in which to create Adam's bride. Most of us know that God chose to create Eve from Adam's rib. Yet those who were not already familiar with this story might wonder why God did not simply grab another handful of dust, form her from the dust, and then give her the breath of life as well. Whatever the reason ... this is not the course that God chose for Adam.
Instead, Genesis 2:21-22 declares, "So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man."
What may have been God's purpose in ordaining the world's first marriage in such a manner? I would contend that God was painting a beautiful image of the Cross by ordaining this story of Adam and Eve.
God placed Adam into a very deep sleep and wounded his side. From this sinless man's wound, God created a beautiful bride (Eve). Then God raised Adam from his deep sleep, and he presented him with the bride that was created via his wounds. Do you hear the echoes of the Gospel? Adam was completely innocent and sinless, and yet God determined that he should endure a deep wounding for the sake of his bride.
Likewise, God has determined that Jesus must have a bride (the church). We are the fallen seed of sinful parents, and yet God has promised to redeem us from the fate of destruction. Thus, God sent His only begotten Son (another sinless man) into this world to die for our sins. He suffered a vicious death, but His sleep of death was only temporary. As Jesus slept in death, His side was pierced by the Roman's spear, and from this wounding poured forth the blood that would serve to make His beloved bride (the descendants of Adam & Eve) completely new and pure.
Even from the creation of man and woman, God has ordained history to magnify the beauty of His work on the cross. Like Eve, the church of Christ is the bride who was created from the wounding of her Groom.
Because of Adam, humanity fell into sin and death. We were cursed by God to return to the dust. Thankfully, we serve a God who will not leave us to perish as dust. He loves us too much.
Instead, when God provides us with our new eternal bodies, we will not be hastily refashioned merely from the dust of the ground. Instead, like Eve was fashioned from Adam's wounds, God has decided that we should be made radiant and new from the imperishable purity and power of Christ's own blood. What an awesome God and Redeemer!
1 Corinthians 15:20-22 declares, "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep [or as the Message paraphrase Bible says: 'the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries']. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."
The book of Genesis tells us, "God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." Scripture then tells us that "the Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.'"
It seems to me that God chose a very peculiar manner in which to create Adam's bride. Most of us know that God chose to create Eve from Adam's rib. Yet those who were not already familiar with this story might wonder why God did not simply grab another handful of dust, form her from the dust, and then give her the breath of life as well. Whatever the reason ... this is not the course that God chose for Adam.
Instead, Genesis 2:21-22 declares, "So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man."
What may have been God's purpose in ordaining the world's first marriage in such a manner? I would contend that God was painting a beautiful image of the Cross by ordaining this story of Adam and Eve.
God placed Adam into a very deep sleep and wounded his side. From this sinless man's wound, God created a beautiful bride (Eve). Then God raised Adam from his deep sleep, and he presented him with the bride that was created via his wounds. Do you hear the echoes of the Gospel? Adam was completely innocent and sinless, and yet God determined that he should endure a deep wounding for the sake of his bride.
Likewise, God has determined that Jesus must have a bride (the church). We are the fallen seed of sinful parents, and yet God has promised to redeem us from the fate of destruction. Thus, God sent His only begotten Son (another sinless man) into this world to die for our sins. He suffered a vicious death, but His sleep of death was only temporary. As Jesus slept in death, His side was pierced by the Roman's spear, and from this wounding poured forth the blood that would serve to make His beloved bride (the descendants of Adam & Eve) completely new and pure.
Even from the creation of man and woman, God has ordained history to magnify the beauty of His work on the cross. Like Eve, the church of Christ is the bride who was created from the wounding of her Groom.
Because of Adam, humanity fell into sin and death. We were cursed by God to return to the dust. Thankfully, we serve a God who will not leave us to perish as dust. He loves us too much.
Instead, when God provides us with our new eternal bodies, we will not be hastily refashioned merely from the dust of the ground. Instead, like Eve was fashioned from Adam's wounds, God has decided that we should be made radiant and new from the imperishable purity and power of Christ's own blood. What an awesome God and Redeemer!
1 Corinthians 15:20-22 declares, "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep [or as the Message paraphrase Bible says: 'the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries']. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."
Night Comes Before Morning
If I were to ask people to chronicle the events of a typical day in their diaries, most every human being would begin their day with waking up or getting out of bed. In our way of thinking, the morning always precedes the night. Our typical day would read something like:
- First, I woke up and got out of bed this morning.
- Next, I conducted my affairs X, Y, and Z during the afternoon.
- Finally, I laid down to sleep this evening.
However, this is not the biblical view of a normal day. In the fifth verse of the Bible, we are told that "there was evening, and there was morning—the first day."
According to God's calendar, a person should chronicle his day by starting in the eveving as a person lies down to sleep. Then he rises from his sleep and lives out his life. Should this pattern surprise us? We serve a God of resurrection and redemption, for whom sleep always comes before resurrection! We serve a God Who brings morning from night, light out of darkness, refreshing vitality from slumber, and life after death.
- First, I woke up and got out of bed this morning.
- Next, I conducted my affairs X, Y, and Z during the afternoon.
- Finally, I laid down to sleep this evening.
However, this is not the biblical view of a normal day. In the fifth verse of the Bible, we are told that "there was evening, and there was morning—the first day."
According to God's calendar, a person should chronicle his day by starting in the eveving as a person lies down to sleep. Then he rises from his sleep and lives out his life. Should this pattern surprise us? We serve a God of resurrection and redemption, for whom sleep always comes before resurrection! We serve a God Who brings morning from night, light out of darkness, refreshing vitality from slumber, and life after death.
The Gospel of Creation
The first four verses of Scripture lay out the pattern of our redemption in Christ. They are historically accurate, and yet beautifully fashioned in a manner that reveals the romantic heart of our God.
These verses declare, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness."
These profound and yet simple verses provide us with a glimpse of both the Trinity and the biblical pattern of redemption.
How do these verses offer us a glimpse of the Trinity? We are told that God created. Then we are told that the Spirit moved. And finally the Word (which would later become flesh) was spoken. In each of the first three verses of Scripture, a person of the Trinity is introduced as present and working in the story of creation.
Yet even more striking than this is the fact that the pattern of creation mirrors our own stories of redemption from sin. We too were once surrounded by darkness; our lives seemed empty of meaning and void of purpose. Yet the Holy Spirit moved within the depths of our souls, and we were called from the darkness. The Word, who called Himself the Light of the World, was spoken into existence within our hearts, and we were forever changed. At that moment, we became the light which separated from darkness!
The transforming manner in which the Gospel operates seems to be an echo of the story of creation. It is as if God is winking to us, declaring that the Gospel is bringing forward another creation, and we are the firstfruits of Christ's new creation. (1) We were first in darkness. (2) The Spirit moved in the depths of our soul. (3) The Word was spoken to us, and brought forth the light of Christ in our lives. And (4) light separated from darkness.
This is a concept captured by the Apostle Paul. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul explains that "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). And just how does this creation take place? In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul points out, "You were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth..."
Just as light marked the first day of God's creation, so too are we (the church) among the first of Christ's new creations.
These verses declare, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness."
These profound and yet simple verses provide us with a glimpse of both the Trinity and the biblical pattern of redemption.
How do these verses offer us a glimpse of the Trinity? We are told that God created. Then we are told that the Spirit moved. And finally the Word (which would later become flesh) was spoken. In each of the first three verses of Scripture, a person of the Trinity is introduced as present and working in the story of creation.
Yet even more striking than this is the fact that the pattern of creation mirrors our own stories of redemption from sin. We too were once surrounded by darkness; our lives seemed empty of meaning and void of purpose. Yet the Holy Spirit moved within the depths of our souls, and we were called from the darkness. The Word, who called Himself the Light of the World, was spoken into existence within our hearts, and we were forever changed. At that moment, we became the light which separated from darkness!
The transforming manner in which the Gospel operates seems to be an echo of the story of creation. It is as if God is winking to us, declaring that the Gospel is bringing forward another creation, and we are the firstfruits of Christ's new creation. (1) We were first in darkness. (2) The Spirit moved in the depths of our soul. (3) The Word was spoken to us, and brought forth the light of Christ in our lives. And (4) light separated from darkness.
This is a concept captured by the Apostle Paul. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul explains that "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). And just how does this creation take place? In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul points out, "You were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth..."
Just as light marked the first day of God's creation, so too are we (the church) among the first of Christ's new creations.
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