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Sin Enters the World
In the beginning of the Bible, we see Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2-3). Everything is perfect. However, God tells them not to eat from one tree in the garden – the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He tells them it is dangerous and would lead to death. There is a serpent in the garden that questions God’s truth. The serpent says eating from the tree will make them like God. Adam and Eve believe the serpent instead of God and eat the fruit. Death and evil enter the world at this time.
The Bible does not tell us how this serpent got into the garden but does tell us that it is a creature that is in rebellion toward God and wants people to rebel also. He wants people to doubt God’s goodness and to be on a path that leads to death.
God’s Promise of Restoration
Although the situation looks grim, God gives Adam and Eve hope. He promises that someone will come in the future and crush the serpent’s head and destroy evil. However, they are told that during the battle the snake will bite the heel of the “seed.”
Genesis 3:14-15 (NASB) The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; 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.”
Later God singles out Abraham (Genesis 12). He promises that through his family, goodness and blessing will be restored to the world. As we follow this family, we get to one of Abraham’s great-grandsons, Judah. He receives a promise that a king will come through one of his descendants. The whole world will follow this king and it will bring peace and harmony to the nations.
The first of these kings is David (2 Samuel 8:7-16). He is to rule over the nation of Israel, but unfortunately, he is infected with sin like the rest of humanity. And the generations of kings after him also give into the snake and chase after money, power, sex, and other worldly things. They run the nation of Israel into the ground, and they are eventually conquered by Babylon.
Even though things look bad for the nation of Israel, God sends prophets. These prophets keep talking about the coming king and remind them of God’s promise to defeat evil and restore the garden. One of these prophets, Isaiah, tells them why this king is to be sent. He tells them that he will receive a wound because of the evil of humanity. Although this wound will kill him, he will come back. Because he suffered this wound, he can now bring healing to others.
God’s Solution Is Jesus Christ
The New Testament (NT) introduces us to Jesus, who comes to fulfill these specific ancient promises. He is from the line of David, Judah, and Abraham. He travels Israel saying that the goodness of God’s kingdom is here now and he begins to confront evil by healing and forgiving people of their sins. Jesus begins to tell his followers that he is going to bring peace and become king, but that he is going to do this by taking the full effect of humanity’s evil onto himself. This would be a tragedy…except that Jesus rises from the dead! He has power over evil and death.
The rest of the NT claims that Jesus’s power is now available to all who follow him in order that we can confront the evil and sin in our own lives. Even though there is still evil in the world now, the story of the Bible ends and describes a day in the future when Jesus will return and finish the job. He will destroy the snake once and for all and will restore the garden here on earth.
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- What information in this video was new to you, or what was something that jumped out at you?
- What does this story demonstrate about God? What attributes (characteristics) of God do you see in this story?
- Read 2 Corinthians 11:3. What areas in your life are you most susceptible to being deceived by Satan? How can you protect yourself in these areas?
- In what ways do we tend to ignore God’s commands or rationalize our sinful behavior like Adam and Eve did in the garden of Eden? What are some of the major areas of life where people tend to ignore what God says?
- Although the coming Messiah was predicted throughout the Old Testament and this was God’s perfect plan of salvation, he was not what the people expected. Have there been times in your life where God showed up in unexpected ways? Explain.
- Read John 14:16. Do you believe that this verse is true? Have you accepted God’s plan of salvation?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
