Jesus and Isaac (2)

Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." Genesis 22:2

There are more pictures of Jesus in this event than we have time to fully develop.  Here are just a few:

• Isaac was Abraham’s only son—>Jesus is the only begotten Son of God

• Isaac was loved by Abraham—>Jesus is loved by God the Father

• Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son as per the will of God—>God was willing to sacrifice His Son to fulfill His will

• Abraham and Isaac went to a far place to offer the sacrifice—>Jesus came from Heaven to earth to offer the sacrifice

• Isaac carried the wood for the sacrifice—>Jesus carried His cross

• Isaac was to be offered on Mount Moriah—>It is believed that Mount Moriah is the location of Jerusalem—on the same mountain where the temple was later built, and where Jesus was crucified.

• Abraham believed God could raise Isaac from the dead—>God did raise Jesus from the dead

When Abraham was willing, but was stopped from sacrificing Isaac, God said: Genesis 22:18 “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." Who is the seed God was referring to?  Remember what Paul said in Galatians 3:16:  Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "AND TO YOUR SEED," who is Christ.”

The seed of Abraham is Christ!

Jesus and Isaac (1)

And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him--whom Sarah bore to him--Isaac. Genesis 21:1-3

The strife that existed between Sarah and Hagar grew worse when Isaac was born.  That gave way to strife between Ishmael’s descendants (Arabs) and Isaac’s descendants (Jews)—which continues to this day!

God directed Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away.  While that sounds harsh, it was God’s way of punctuating that He does not accept our works; the works of the flesh, which are our efforts to fulfill God’s promises that only God can fulfill.

When Isaac was probably around 21 years old, God commanded Abraham saying:

Genesis 22:2 "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."

This Abraham believed God and therefore he obeyed. Hebrews 11:17 offers NT commentary on this OT event:

“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,  18  of whom it was said, "IN ISAAC YOUR SEED SHALL BE CALLED,"  [Remember: Seed = Jesus] 19  concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.) believing that since God had promised to fulfill His promises through Isaac, that even if Abraham killed Isaac, God would raise Isaac from the dead.”

God stopped Abraham at the last possible moment saying:

Genesis 22:12 "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."

Abraham and Isaac are a prophetic type of God the Father sacrificing His Son, Jesus. The difference is that by faith, Abraham was willing, whereas God carried out the plan to sacrifice His Son.

More pictures of Jesus in this event, next time.

Jesus and Abraham (3)

But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, 7 nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, "IN ISAAC YOUR SEED SHALL BE CALLED." 8 That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. Romans 9:6-8

Even after God cut the covenant with Abraham, alas, Abraham still had no child.  Eleven years later, at age 86, Abraham’s wife, Sarah, suggested that Abraham conceive a child with her maid, Hagar.  Abraham followed his wife’s bad advice and Abraham had a son, Ishmael.  From that point forward, there was strife between Sarah and Hagar. And we might add that from that time until this day, the children of Isaac (Jews), and the children of Ishmael (Arabs), has been anything but peaceful!

The Bible teaches that when we try to take the fulfillment of God’s promises into our own hands—especially in the strength of our flesh—the results are not only disastrous, but altogether unacceptable to God.  Ishmael was not the son God promised to Abraham. Isaac (though not yet born at that time) was the son of Promise (Romans 9:6-8).

Though Abraham had to wait a long time for the fulfillment of God’s promise, God gave Abraham and Sarah a son 13 years later when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90.  That son’s name was Isaac and God’s promised Seed (Jesus) came through Isaac, not Ishmael.

Jesus and Abraham (2)

“And he [Abraham] believed in the LORD, and He [God] accounted it to him for righteousness.”
Genesis 15:6

God promised to make of Abraham a great nation. But alas, Abraham had no children. Abraham believed God, but even Abraham’s faith was tested when, in Genesis 15, Abraham was 75 years old and still childless. Abraham questioned God (not disrespectfully) “Where is the promise?” (v.2-3). God restated His promise (v.4-5), with a formal covenant that symbolized that God would fulfill His promise irrespective of what Abraham might do or not do (v.9-17).

In the midst of this narrative, even in spite of Abraham’s wobbly faith, God counted Abraham’s faith to him for righteousness.

From Abraham came a family that eventually became the nation of Israel. How has Israel blessed all the families of the earth? Besides being the nation through whom God gave His Law and sent His prophets (Romans 9:4), it was through the nation of Israel that God sent Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior (Romans 9:5).

In case there is any question regarding Jesus being the fulfillment of God’s promise, Galatians 3:16 makes it abundantly clear:

Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "AND TO YOUR SEED," who is Christ.

Genesis 15:6 is the first clear teaching in the Bible that God calls people righteous, not because of their ethnicity or because of what they do, but because they believe (or trust) GOD. (Paul points this out in Romans 4:1-3).

What is the promise one must believe to be declared righteous? The promise of Jesus the Messiah—given to Abraham prophetically, and fulfilled in Jesus, the Christ.

The story of Jesus did not begin with His birth in Bethlehem in the New Testament, but in Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament.

Jesus and Abraham (1)

Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you.  2  I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.  3  I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Genesis 12:1-3 

Remember our theme: One book, one story, about one Person—Jesus.  We have considered Jesus in Creation and in the Flood. Let’s turn our attention to Jesus and the Patriarchs, beginning with Jesus and Abraham.

That Jesus has some connection with Abraham is confirmed by the first verse in the NT.  “Jesus is the Son of Abraham.”  Jesus refers to Abraham 19 times in the gospels.

Abraham’s name first appears in the Old Testament book of Genesis, chapter 11. God first spoke to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3.  Besides calling Abraham to move to a land that God promised to show him, God promised to make of Abraham a “great nation,” or people. (Remember God’s plan to create a special people for Himself?)

God made three promises to Abraham: (1) God promised to bless Abraham and that he would be a blessing. (2) God promised that those who bless Abraham would be blessed and those who cursed him would be cursed. And (3) God promised that in Abraham all the families of the earth would be blessed.

To what (or whom) was God referring? Most have concluded that since Abraham was the father of the Jewish people, these promises must refer to the nation of Israel, or the Jews. Though Israel was especially blessed by God (Romans 9:4), there is a verse in Galatians (3:16) that identifies who the promised Seed of Abraham is, and is not. “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many [Israel], but as of one, "and to your seed," who is Christ.”

The promised Seed is Christ.  This corrects the error that God’s promises were ultimately and exclusively to Israel and the Jews.  Paul states emphatically that these promises are ultimately about Jesus Christ.

Jesus was Jewish and came from the Jews, but ultimately, Jesus is the Seed of Abraham—confirmed in Matthew 1:1 where Jesus is called the Son of Abraham.

Has the world been blessed by Israel and the Jews?  Yes, in many ways, but the greatest blessing this world has ever experienced is in Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior of the World, and the Seed of Abraham.

It is not a story about animals and a boat! (2)

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. Genesis 6:5-8

I will conclude my considerations on Christ in the Great Flood by mentioning five parallels between the account of the flood and salvation in Jesus Christ:

1. Just as all people were hopelessly sinful in Noah’s day, so are all people ever since, including every one of us.  We all deserve nothing but God’s judgment and wrath. That’s the bad news. Here’s the good news…

2. Just as “Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD,” so Christians find grace in God’s sight.  We are not saved because we are any better than anyone else.  Many who become Christians were actually worse!  Salvation is God’s grace poured out on the undeserving. And as mentioned last time, we do not find grace in God’s sight as the result of us seeking Him or His grace. Rather, by God’s grace, He finds us.

3. Just as “Noah walked with God” after he found grace, those who find grace in Christ are changed.  No change?  No new affections? There is no grace.

4. Just as God herded Noah’s family and the animals into the Ark, God places the people Christ saves: in Christ, and in the Church.  In Christ and in His Church is the place of safety.  There are still plenty of storms outside, but there is safety inside.

5. Just as God brought them all out of the Ark, God will deliver His redeemed people safely into Heaven.

Have you found grace in God’s sight?  Are you aware of your sin before God, who alone is holy? Do you believe that, as the Ark was the only way to be saved from the flood, Jesus is the only way to salvation from the inevitable flood of God’s final judgment and His just wrath? Does any of this matter to you? Have you therefore placed your trust in, and are you committed to following Him?

Trusting in and following Christ doesn’t capture God’s grace. Rather, trusting in and following Christ is evidence that you have found grace in God’s sight!

My goal in these studies is to demonstrate that Christ and the gospel are in every book of the Bible, beginning with in the opening chapters of Genesis. The Bible is one book, one story, and it is all about Christ! I pray you can see that! 

Lord, may Your people find grace in Your sight!

It is not a story about animals and a boat! (1)

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  6  And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.  7  So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them."  8  But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.  9  This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.
Genesis 6:5-9 

We are considering Jesus in all the Bible.

Genesis 6-9 is about The Flood.  The true account of the flood is not a story about animals and a boat.  It is a story about God’s judgment and wrath due to man’s sin—and it is a story about God’s grace to save select people.

Note the following:

• All mankind was wicked.  

• God justly destroyed man.

• Noah found grace… Noah was no less wicked than the rest of mankind…  All people were not equally wicked when compared with each other—but the standard is not each other.  The standard is God.

• Noah did not find grace because he walked with God—he walked with God because he (also wicked) found grace.  If Noah deserved God’s favor in any way, it would not have been grace.

The sequence is important: (v.5) Mankind is wicked.  (v.8) Noah found grace.   (v.9) Noah walked with God.

• When did Noah find grace? When he too was wicked. 
  When did Noah walk with God? After he found grace.

• When did you find grace?  When you were wicked. 
  When did you walk with God? After you found grace.

This is an essential picture of how grace works:

1. When Noah, or anyone else who “finds grace,” grace is found not because lost sinners are seeking God or His grace, since “there is none who seeks after God” (Romans 3:10-11). Rather, that one “finds grace” as the result of God first seeking and finding that sinner.

2. God not only saves sinners from wrath proactively, but He changes them!

Genesis 6-9 is the true account of God destroying all mankind because of sin (except for Noah and his family, who found grace, and two of every species of animals). 

But why did God also destroy the animals and presumably the plants?  Because everything on the planet was under man’s control (dominion).  This is an important principle: My sin not only affects me, it also affects the people and things I am responsible for.

Next time: The Flood as a picture of Jesus…

Giving generously and sacrificially requires faith

And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
Genesis 4:3-5

This is the second of two stand-alone topical blog posts on Genesis 4. The first was about worship. This one is about giving. Cain and Abel each offered a sacrifice as an integral component of worship. While we do not offer animal or grain sacrifices in our worship, we give (money) as an act of worship.

One of the big questions often asked of this passage is what was the difference between the sacrifices the brothers offered? More importantly, why did God respect Abel’s sacrifice and not Cain’s? The usual answer given is that Abel offered an animal (blood) sacrifice while Cain offered a grain sacrifice. Though that fact is true, I do not think this is the correct answer. Why?

There was nothing revealed at that point in the biblical narrative requiring blood sacrifices. Much later in the Bible when the Mosaic law was given, there was provision for grain sacrifices. So what made Abel’s offering acceptable and Cain’s unacceptable? This is where we need to apply the principle of asking Scripture to interpret Scripture. Hebrews 11 serves as a New Testament commentary on numerous Old Testament passages. Consider Hebrews 11:4:

By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. (Emphasis added.)

The difference was that Abel offered his sacrifice “by faith.” Abel was trusting God. Cain apparently was not. How are we to give “by faith,” trusting God? 2 Corinthians 8:1-3 provides a principle of what it means to give “by faith.”

Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality [generosity]. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing…

Paul pointed the Corinthians to the Macedonians as an example of how to give “by faith.” The Macedonians did not give out of their abundance. They were poor, yet they gave. How? “According to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing.” They generously gave sacrificially, and sacrificial giving requires faith—faith that God would supply their needs even though they generously gave sacrificially. Additionally, the Macedonians “freely willing” to give, eagerly, not grudgingly.

An application for us regarding giving: Let us generously give sacrificially—in a way that costs us, forcing us to trust God to provide for us. And let us give eagerly, never grudgingly. It is a matter of faith, and “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).

Worship and Murder!

4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell… 8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Genesis 4:4-5, 8

I mentioned in a previous blog on Genesis 4 about Cain and Abel that there were other lessons that I would address in a stand along blog post. This is a first of two such stand alone posts. The first item worthy of note is that the first conflict between human beings recorded in the Bible—and it escalated into a murder—was about worship. How sad.

It is obvious that human beings differ regarding worship. The solution is to understand that it matters not one bit whether we, or any other human beings, “like” how we worship God. It only matters whether or not God “respects” our worship. When will we get it into our self-centered hearts that worship is neither for, or about, US!? Worship is for, and about, GOD!

What ever shall we do to ensure that our worship is pleasing to God?

• We must worship only as directed in God’s Word, the Bible.

• We are not free to worship God according to our desires or based on any creative innovations we might concoct.

• To do this we must know and follow what the Bible says about worship.

• Conversely, we must reject every form of worship that is not according to what God’s Word teaches. (One way to discern whether a form of worship is pleasing to God is to see if it is worldly in nature, like the rock-concert, entertainment oriented types of worship common in so many churches.)

During the Reformation (1500s) and later (1600s) when the Reformed Confessions were being hammered out, the “Regulative Principle” of worship was established. It says regarding what is a permitted in worship: “Unless it is commanded, it is prohibited.” Conversely the “Normative Principle” says, “Unless it is prohibited, it is permitted. You may need to read that again to get the difference, and the importance of the difference.

If we want to be sure that how we worship God is pleasing to God, we are wise to follow the “Regulative Principle” and do only what God’s Word teaches. To follow the “Normative Principle” opens the door to doing whatever we want unless it is expressly forbidden in the Bible. This could include “juggling for Jesus,” which is not forbidden, but neither is it commanded!

Let me conclude with a short list of what Christian worship must be:

• God honoring and Christ exalting. (This is the purpose of biblical worship.)

• Balanced between reverent and celebrative. (Both are biblical and important.)

• Singing biblical and theologically faithful songs with or without instruments.

• Reading and expositing scripture.

• Prayer following biblical guidelines.

Let us worship God according to His Word!

Sex and Death

When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died. Genesis 5:3-5

 Adam and Eve had children, who had children, who had more, and more, and more children.

In Genesis 5 we see that if there was one command of God that human beings have tended to obey, it is the command to be fruitful and multiply.  God not only ordained that human beings procreate more human beings, He programmed into human beings a desire to do what leads to propagation of the human race. 

First, God ordained marriage of one man and one woman, for life, as the one and only place that the procreative act is to take place (Genesis 2).

Second, God ordained that the act leading to procreation be exceedingly pleasurable.

Sadly, since the fall, one of the most universally perverted aspects of human existence is sex.  Sexual intimacy is not perverted.  It is supremely holy as long as it is within the confines of God ordained marriage (Hebrews 13:4a).  What is perverted is what sin does with sexual intimacy outside of marriage that is a perversion of marriage.  God will judge all perversions of sex (Hebrews 13:4b).  All.

What has this to do with Jesus?  As wonderful as marriage is intended to be, and in fact can be, marriage is about more than the union of a man and a woman in matrimony.  Marriage is a living parable about the love relationship between Jesus (the Bridegroom), and His Church (the bride) described in Ephesians 5:22-33.

That passage in Ephesians 5 contains the most concentrated instruction about marriage in the Bible, but note that the passage on marriage concludes these words in (v.32): “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”

Understood correctly, sexual perversion is a desecration not only of the image of God, but of the parabolic image of Christ and His Church.  That goes a long way in explaining why God’s law requires the death penalty for certain sexual sins.

Genesis 5 not only informs us of mankind’s proclivity to reproduce (there is a whole lot of “begetting” (KJV) going on in the chapter), but it also reminds us that God was serious about death being the consequence of sin.  Don’t miss that as many times as we read of “so-and-so fathering so-and-so,” we also read that every so-and-so “died.”

Because sin and death are universal, so is our need for a Savior who conquers death.  His name is Jesus!

Cain and Abel both needed a Savior

Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Genesis 4:8

One of the reasons people misunderstand the Bible is that we fail to understand it is one book. The Bible is ONE STORY—with a beginning, a middle, and an end. The story is all about GOD. God is the HERO of every story in the Bible. We make a big error when we read the Bible, thinking it is about us—our happiness, our fulfillment, or even our salvation and eventual our eternity in heaven.

Nope. It is about God.  More specifically, it is all about Jesus who is the Redeemer of lost mankind (John 5:39-40).

By way of review, Genesis 1-2 is about Jesus in creation.  Genesis 3 is about the Fall and God’s initial promises regarding the Redeemer (Jesus) who would one day come.

Genesis 4-5 instruct us that the effects of Adam and Eve’s sin are broader than merely in their lives.  In Genesis 4, Adam and Eve had children who, because of Adam and Eve’s sin, were sinners as well.  Both Cain and Abel were sinners, evidenced by the fact that they offered sacrifices to God.  Otherwise, why would they offer sacrifices if they had no sin requiring atonement?

That Cain’s sacrifice was unacceptable to God further reveals that even in their religious sacrifices, Cain sinned.  Taken to the next level, Cain slew his brother Abel because he was jealous that God respected Abel and his sacrifice, but not his.

There are other lessons to be learned from this sad sequence of events.  I plan to address one of them in a subsequent post, but for now, let us not miss three important lessons:

1. Sin is inherent in all human beings.  Adam and Eve were created sinless, though they obviously had the potential to sin.  But all their offspring were and are natural born sinners.

2. While all human beings are born sinners, not all sin equally.  Abel offered a sacrifice for sins, but he was not a murderer.  Cain was a murderer.

3. While all sin is not equally damaging, all sin is equally damning.

That is why we all need a Redeemer!  Both the Abel’s and the Cain’s of humanity need a Savior. Jesus is that one and only perfect Savior.  Let none of us think we are better than others. And let none of us think that we need Christ the Savior any less than murderers need Him.

Jesus' defeat of Satan revealed in Genesis 3

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.
Genesis 3:1

One more important detail in Genesis 3. A little about the devil. The devil (Satan) was an angel—the highest angel. But he became prideful and he rebelled against God, demanding that he would be like God. This is, of course, impossible, since angels are created beings—whereas God is the uncreated Creator of all things.

God cast Satan out as an angel, along with one-third of the angels that joined Satan in his rebellion against God. Since that time, Satan has had one agenda: to foil God’s plans—especially His plans about the special people God had in mind.

The serpent was indeed cunning. He said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’” (Genesis 3:1)

It was Satan (called the serpent) who tempted Eve to disobey God by eating the forbidden fruit. Eve, in turn, tempted Adam, and both sinned. God had a few choice words for Satan in the aftermath of man’s sin. God said: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

God’s words to Satan were also the first words about the Messiah to come (Jesus), referred to as the Seed of the woman. Satan would bruise the heel of the Seed of the woman, but the Seed of the woman would bruise the head of Satan. This is the first prophecy of how Christ would defeat the devil to save His people.

1. The Seed of the woman is CHRIST.

2. That Satan would bruise Christ’s HEEL = Christ’s suffering and death in the cross—from which He would arise!

3. That Christ would bruise Satan’s HEAD = Jesus would utterly defeat the devil.

This is the first direct reference to Jesus and the revelation of God’s plan to save a special people for Himself that would be instrumental in the demonstration of the love between God the Father and God the Son—and of God’s love for the people Jesus would save.

REMINDER: The goal of these studies is to reveal Christ in all the Scriptures. The goal of this study in particular is to show you that the Bible is ONE STORY about God’s ONE GRAND PLAN. That grand plan is Christ and the gospel—even in the opening chapters of Genesis. The Bible is one book, one story, and it is all about Christ!

Sin, Sacrifice, and Jesus

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. Genesis 3:7

Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. Genesis 3:21

God wrapped His law concerning not eating the forbidden fruit in a threat (Genesis 2:17) “In the day you EAT (disobey Me) you shall surely DIE.”

Genesis 3 is the record of Adam and Eve (and all mankind in them) breaking God’s command that prohibited eating the forbidden fruit. As a result of their trespass, some basic things changed:

1. From that point forward, women would experience pain in child bearing.

2. The man’s work (tending the garden) would now be difficult (thorns and sweat).

3. Mankind’s relationship with God was tainted by man’s rebellion against God’s rule.

4. Even though God graciously did not kill the man physically (though he did begin to die), all mankind entered into a state of spiritual death.

In Genesis 3:7 Adam and Eve knew they were naked, and they were ashamed. They tried to cover their own nakedness and shame (guilt). The problem is, their sin, guilt, and shame was not, and could not be hidden from the eyes of God by man’s efforts. This is a picture of man’s religion trying to cover his sin and make himself acceptable before the eyes of God. It didn’t work then. It never has, and it never will!

This did however lead to what God graciously did in 3:21 that points to Jesus. The LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. Do not miss this! God made a covering for man’s sin.

Further, the covering was made of animal skin. That was a reminder that sin calls for death. The covering of animal skins provided by God symbolizes three facts:

1. BLOOD must be shed to cover one’s sins…

2. An innocent SUBSTITUTE can die in place of the guilty—and…

3. GOD must do it!

These are beautiful prophetic pictures of Jesus and His blood sacrifice that would cover the sins of those He came to save. Hallelujah!

Jesus will solve mankind’s biggest problem

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27

God created mankind (both male and female). Human beings are the only created things made in the “image of God.” Male and female are created equal, yet they are designed to fulfill different roles. Only those who are spiritually, and to a degree mentally, delusional refuse to acknowledge the differences between male and female. (And by the way, the difference between male and female are true in the animal kingdom as well.)

In Genesis 1:28 we read that God blessed Adam and Eve (the first parents of all human beings), commanding them to “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

This God-given “dominion mandate” charged human beings to exercise stewardship over God’s creation. The creation belongs to God, not man, but man is to manage God’s creation.

Genesis 2 is not another creation story, it is the same story retold with the emphasis on the relationship between man and woman. In this chapter (v.18-25), God ordained marriage. This is supremely important because marriage is a parable of the love relationship between Jesus Christ and the people to whom God shows special favor—a people whose ultimate purpose is to be about the love relationship between the Father and the Son. See, I told you it is about God, not us!

Genesis 2:16-17 also contains these words: “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’”

The one prohibition God gave to these first two humans: “Enjoy My creation, but do not eat of the fruit of a particular tree.” There was nothing poisonous about the tree. This law was enacted for the to remind the human image bearers of the “Creator-creature distinction” based on God’s authority and man’s responsibility to obey God.

Note that God wrapped that one law in a threat (v. 17). “In the day that you eat of it [disobeying God] you shall surely die.”

What has this to do with Jesus? As we will see, this grand problem of mankind’s disobedience to God, and the consequence of death, is what Jesus came to solve for we who cannot solve it by ourselves.

The Member of the Trinity who has a special relationship with human beings

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. Colossians 1:15-17

While no member of the Trinity is greater or more important than any other (they are co-equal, co-eternal, distinct but never separated), as we will see, Jesus is the member of the Trinity who has a unique relationship with human beings. How?

(a) He was to, and has, become a human being (while not ceasing to be God in any way).

(b) He was to do, and has done, for human beings something we need more than anything else—but that we cannot do for ourselves. More on that later…

It is in part because of this that Jesus said in John 5:39, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” This is the first of two New Testament reminders that the entire message of the Bible is about Jesus.

The second reminder is found in Luke 24:27 “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”

God is a Trinity: One God, three Persons, who are one God. Don’t worry too much if you can’t fully comprehend that—neither can anyone else! Those who believe they can fully comprehend God only reveal that they do not!

God is Love. Before anything else existed for God to love, the three members of the Trinity loved each other perfectly, needing nothing or no one. However, in the infinite wisdom of God, He determined to create human beings who would be, and now are, the special object of His love—but not merely for the benefit of those beloved creatures. Rather, God’s love for human beings is an expression of the love of the Father for the Son, and for the love of the Son for the Father, orchestrated by the Holy Spirit.

I hope you can see that Jesus is in creation, and especially in the creation of human beings. We are created in God’s image and are the special objects of His love. This is shown by the fact that Jesus was to become a human being in order to save those God loves (John 3:16). More next time…

Jesus in Creation

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Genesis 1:1-2

One of the reasons many people misunderstand the Bible is that they fail to understand that it is one book. There are sixty-six “books” that make up the one book. But that Bible is ONE STORY—with a beginning, a middle, and an end.

The story is all about GOD. God is the HERO of the whole Bible, as well as every part of the Bible. We make a big error when we read the Bible if we think it is about us—our happiness, fulfillment, or even our salvation and eventual eternity in heaven.

Nope. It is about God.

As Jesus said in John 5:39, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” This is not surprising since Jesus IS God!

From the very beginning in Genesis, the Bible is about Jesus who is God. Genesis 1-2 is about God creating everything but Himself. God is uncreated and has no beginning. Everything else that exists owes its existence to God. “In the beginning” (means when time began), “God” already always was. God is eternally self-existent. No one or nothing created Him. He did not create Himself because that would mean He was creating before He existed, which is impossible, even for God! He simply always was, is, and ever will be.

The main character of the creation account is God the Creator, not the creation.

The Bible teaches the doctrine of the Trinity, that God is one in essence, while being three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All three persons were involved in creating everything out of nothing.

The first member of the Trinity specifically named is the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:2). Elsewhere, Jesus the Son is said to have been an active participant in creation. Consider John 1:1-3

1“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

Likewise consider Colossians 1:15-17:

15 He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

The main Character of the Bible, beginning with creation, is God, including Jesus our Savior and Lord.

Worldview: Biblical or Christian?

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2

There was a time when the words biblical and Christian were synonymous. Not anymore! Why? Because many (and I do mean many!) who identify as Christian are no more biblical than a self proclaimed secularist.

On a recent Sunday television talk show Face the Nation (March 31, 2024) the guests were, Catholic Archbishop of Washington, Wilton Cardinal Gregory, and Episcopal Bishop of Washington, the Right Reverend Marianna Budde. They were asked and spoke about (among other things) President Biden’s views on the LBGTQ+ adherents and supporters, as well as being an outspoken supporter of abortion.

For those who do not know, Mr. Biden continues to claim to be Roman Catholic, despite the fact that he is one of the loudest supporters of the patently unbiblical LBGTQ+ agenda and abortion for any reason. How can Mr. Biden make this claim? Many, including Catholic Archbishop Gregory, describe the President as one who claims to be Catholic, but rejects many of the teachings of the Catholic church. Some call this “cafeteria Catholicism” because it allows people to choose the parts of Catholicism they like, and skip what they do not like. This kind of duplicity is rather like a man claiming to be a plumber who refuses to have anything to do with water or pipes! That man may be a lot of things, but a plumber isn’t one of them! Likewise, Mr. Biden may be a lot of things, but Catholic isn’t one of them! (1)

Ironically, the “Protestant” Episcopal Bishop Budde defended the President, as though there is no inconsistency between Mr. Biden’s claim to be Catholic and his unequivocal un-Catholic beliefs!

This kind of religious incongruity was first publicly championed in a big way by the then Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy. As a Catholic, running for President in what was at the time a predominantly Protestant United States, candidate Kennedy assured Americans that though he was a Catholic, he would not allow his religious beliefs influence how he would govern if elected president. Translation: his religious beliefs meant nothing at all.

Since then, many politicians (Mr. Biden being among them) claim some sort of religious affiliation but do not believe the teachings of the religion with which they identify. In other words, they are either altogether ignorant, or they are liars.

This is not an exercise intended to bash either Catholics or politicians. Rather, it is first a reminder that though Christian used to mean at least somewhat biblical, popularly it doesn’t anymore! Secondly, this is as a call to self-identified Christians (including you and me) to be biblical or stop calling ourselves Christians.

Remember, having a truly biblical worldview means thinking biblically. Let us not settle to be either ignorant or to be liars.

(1) Even more shocking is the fact that the current Roman Catholic Pope does the same thing by denying certain Roman Catholic dogmas.

Holy Week: Resurrection Sunday

RESURRECTION  SATURDAY:  Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-18

But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
Matthew 28:5-6

What happened: I try to imagine how distraught Jesus’ followers must have been in light of His crucifixion.  I’m not sure I can fully comprehend it. They wagered their lives Jesus being the Messiah.  And now He was dead and buried.  The men were hiding out.  The women, were serving, going to the tomb to anoint His mangled and lifeless corpse.

When the women arrived at the tomb, the stone door was rolled away.  His body was not there.  Angels appeared speaking words of comfort that Jesus was not there because He had risen from the dead.  When the women went to tell the disciples (Mark 16:9-10), “they did not believe.”

Key thoughts: Jesus did not rise from the dead because we believe He did.  Neither is He the way, the truth, and the life because we believe His is.  No.  Our belief does not make what is untrue, true.  Neither does our unbelief make what is true, untrue.  Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and He did rise from the dead whether you or I, or anybody else, believes it or not.

Application: All who are saved believe in the risen Savior,  While people’s belief or unbelief do not change the facts about who He is or that He rose—each person’s belief results in forgiveness of sin and everlasting life in Heaven with Him. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!

If you have believed, REJOICE! If you haven’t believed, I pray that you will!

Holy Week: Saturday

BLACK SATURDAY:  Matthew 27:62-66

On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, "Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.' Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.' So the last deception will be worse than the first." Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how." So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard. Matthew 27:62-66

What happened: There is only one even recorded in the gospels that happened on Saturday—and it may have happened on Friday.  It is the account of the Jewish religious leaders insisting that the tomb, in which Jesus was buried, be secured so that the disciples could not steal the body and claim that Jesus rose from the dead.  They petitioned Pilate to do something about it.  Pilate, who was seemingly “done” with the entire matter, either secured the tomb with Roman soldiers (more likely), or permitted the Jewish temple police to secure it (less likely).   

Key thoughts: First, the Jewish religious leaders seemed to be aware that Jesus foretold His resurrection—when the disciples seemed to be in the dark about the resurrection until after it happened.  Second, isn’t it sinisterly ironic that the chief priests and Pharisees—who had presided over a trial at which they supplied “false witnesses”—called Jesus, who is the personification of truth, “that deceiver”!

Application: Securing Jesus’ tomb, which was intended to prevent the tomb from being robbed, was a complete farce, if Jesus really was God who was to be raised from the dead!  After all, who or what could keep God dead and buried!  

Holy Week: Friday

GOOD FRIDAY: Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, John 12:12-19

Then [Pilate] delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away. And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha… John 19:16-17

What happened: Later on Thursday night Jesus was put on trial.  He was tried twice before the Jewish religious leaders, once by Pilate, once by Herod, and a second time by Pilate.  Though His prosecutors arrived at their verdicts differently, the sentence was the same.  Though innocent of any wrongdoing whatsoever, Jesus was condemned to death by crucifixion.

On Friday Jesus was crucified.  Though the Jewish religionists insisted Jesus be crucified, and though the Roman civil authorities carried out the crucifixion, neither the Jews nor the Romans killed Jesus. Rather, Jesus laid down His life so He could take it up again (John 10:17-18), when He rose from the dead on Sunday.

Key thoughts: Jesus was not a victim.  As King of kings and Lord of lords, He was in absolute control of everything that transpired.  He came to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).  The means by which He accomplished this fete included every detail of His passion, death and resurrection.

Application: Two things:

(1) Jesus secured salvation for His people.  His people receive salvation by trusting that what Jesus did is the only way to God and Heaven.  Have you trusted Christ and repented of your sins?  If so, your sins are forgiven!  If not, won’t you trust Him today?

(2) Just as Jesus was in control of every horrific detail of His crucifixion, He is likewise in control of every detail of our lives.  Whether life is going smoothly or life is in seeming disarray, Jesus is in control and we can trust Him that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).