Once, God and the first two people he created walked
together in close friendship, in a lush garden. But a serpent deceived the man
and the woman, and they took fruit from the one tree God had forbidden them to
touch. This disobedience shattered their relationship with God.
…and
the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the
trees of the garden. – Genesis 3:8
So God looked for them.
But
the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” – Genesis 3:9
When he found them, they talked about what had happened.
Fearing that Adam and Eve would next eat from the tree of life and live forever
in their corrupted state, God banished them from the garden. But first, he
covered their shame and warned the serpent that someday a descendant of Eve
would overcome him, redeeming mankind.
“He
shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” – Genesis 3:15
Adam and Eve’s sin nature was transmitted to every person
who has ever lived. No one is exempt.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God. – Romans 3:23
God hates sin. It degrades and harms the people He loves. Adam
and Eve’s fall presented a very serious problem. As in any criminal legal case,
justice had to be served: Adam, Eve, and all their descendants were doomed to die,
and to eternal separation from God.
Then
desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown
brings forth death. – James 1:15
The wages of sin is death. –
Romans 6:23a
What conflicting feelings burned in the pure heart of God!
His horror over sin compelled him to righteous judgment, while his infinite
love for his creation pleaded mercy. A holy God cannot simply pretend
everything is fine. Wounds that are poorly dressed never heal. They fester, and
eventually kill. The sin wound needed drastic treatment. Someone, somehow,
would have to pay the full penalty of sin. But no one was perfect enough.
So God did it.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the
world, but to save the world through Him. – John 3:16-17
This Son was Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah who lived 2000
years ago. He was the Christmas baby, born miraculously to a virgin. And he is
God incarnate.
Because he was God, Jesus lived a sinless life. Like an
innocent lamb, he gave himself up as the acceptable sacrifice for sin.
“Behold,
the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” – John 1:29
His death on a cruel Roman cross fulfilled many ancient
prophecies, written hundreds of years before crucifixion had been invented.
A
company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet. – Psalm
22:16
Surely
he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him
stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our
transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities…. With his stripes we are
healed. – Isaiah 53:4-5
God punished Jesus for the sin of the world, relieving us of
sin’s terrible consequences. This was the fulfillment of God’s warning to the
serpent. A descendant of Eve – the Son of God and also the Son of Man – had
defeated the deceiver.
God demonstrates His own love for us in that, while
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. –
Romans 5:8
Those who had known and loved Jesus were filled with fear
and sorrow. Their dreams were shattered. They had expected the Messiah to
deliver them from cruel Roman oppression. Now, he lay dead in a borrowed tomb.
They did not see that God was up to something far, far greater.
Three days after Jesus’ death on a Roman cross, God
validated Jesus’ teachings, life, and sacrifice, by raising Him from death. This
is no fairy tale.
For we
did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eye-witnesses of his majesty. – 2 Peter 1:16
You can explore the reasons for faith in Evidence that Demands a Verdict, by Josh
McDowell. McDowell examined the resurrection story in its historical context.
He concluded that all the evidence pointed to Christ’s actual, historical
resurrection. Many others have concluded the same.
And that’s better news than any of us could have imagined.
It means our sins are paid for, and salvation is ours for the taking.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus. – Romans 3:23-24
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of
God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:23b
Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be
saved – Romans 10:13
No longer need we fear eternal separation from the God who
loves us. He invites us into relationship with him. Because of
Christ’s sacrifice, God imputes Christ’s righteousness to our account. Instead
of being eternally separated from God, we can live forever with Him in Heaven.
Dear
God, I’m a sinner and I could never pay for that. I believe that Jesus paid for
my sin and that you raised Him from death. I accept your offer of forgiveness,
and I’d like to begin a relationship with you. I give you my life and ask you
to save me and be my Lord. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In Christ’s name, amen.
If you want to know more about the Bible’s authenticity, please see the Apologetics section of the bookstore. I’ve listed some in-depth explorations of why Christians believe what they do.
