From Eden to Resurrection: Tracing the Path of Redemption and Grace

Embark with us on a profound exploration of faith that begins at the very dawn of human existence. We take a deep look at the Easter story's origins in Genesis, revealing a narrative of redemption and reconciliation that spans from the Garden of Eden to Christ's resurrection. Join me as we navigate through the creation story to uncover the profound connection between the first act of disobedience and the restorative journey that culminates with Jesus's ultimate sacrifice.

As we traverse the pivotal moments of the Easter narrative, we reflect on the parallels between our daily struggles and those of biblical times. The story of Adam and Eve's fall from grace not only sets the stage but also mirrors our own encounters with temptation and the emotional turmoil that follows. We then transition into the New Testament, where Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, takes the first steps toward mending the rift caused by the original sin, a path that leads us through his teachings and to the cross.

Feeling unworthy is a common thread in the tapestry of human experience, especially when it comes to matters of faith. This episode illuminates the transformative power of grace and the freedom that Jesus's sacrifice offers. We invite you to contemplate the significance of this gift and the boundless love it represents, encouraging a heartfelt reflection on the liberation and salvation found in the Gospel message. Join us in this heartfelt episode as we seek to understand the extraordinary choice made by Jesus for humanity.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 1:05

I've uh, I've been doing this for Probably since I was 15 years old. Well, I first gave my life to Christ and I was at a church for a couple years and then, when I was about 19, 20 years old, I started going across Rhodes Christian Church, which is in Wintersville, ohio, and and Jeff Greco was there he's not there anymore, but was a huge mentor, part of my life and so I was there and I kind of did like some volunteer stuff as their student minister and then I eventually, you know, went to school and I came back here in 2011 and I was the student minister here and then, you know, here we are 2024 and you know, I've done a lot of study, I've done a lot of Sermon prep work, I've read a lot of things, I've been through a lot of Easter's In my very short life and one of the things that that really struck me this week and this is something I don't know if I just never Thought about it or it's never been presented in such a way that it that it kind of made sense, but I love that video that watch, because it frames Easter in light Of the beginning of creation, so all the way back in Genesis 3, after Adam and Eve had been made and and God had given them everything they could possibly want, that they lacked for nothing. But it still wasn't enough for them. And and if you read the Genesis 3 account you know you were in. So Genesis 3, chapter 1, verses 1 through 13 so now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman that God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden. The woman said the serpent, we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say you must not eat fruit from the tree that's in the middle Of the garden. You must not touch it or you will die. You will not certainly die, the serpent said to the woman, for God knows, when you eat from it, your eyes will be open and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and she ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, and the eyes of both of them were open and they realized they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together and make coverings for themselves.

Speaker 1: 3:55

And then a man and his wife. They heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. The Lord God called to the man when are you? He answered. I heard you in the garden. I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid and he said who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from? The man, said the woman you put me here with. She gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it. When the Lord God said the woman, what is this you have done? The woman said the serpent deceived me and I ate.

Speaker 1: 4:35

I apologize for my chuckle there, but I always think it's funny that Adam is quickly to blame his wife for his own decision. So so you know the very beginning. It starts out that that they have everything they want and God says listen you, you can have all of this, all of this, just this one thing you can't have. I've got three kids. The moment you can't tell them. They can't have one thing. What do they want? The one thing I'll give you everything. You have Everything in our house, but you can't touch this. I'm gonna touch that. Stop it, don't do that like you don't understand. And in God is saying to them listen, I love you, I have given you everything that you want. Just leave it alone. Leave this one thing alone.

Speaker 1: 5:28

And and so Satan comes in as a serpent and he deceives them and and he plays to their ego Because he says listen, you're not gonna die. God just doesn't want you to be like him. And I can imagine that peaks their interest. Oh, all knowledge, all wisdom, everything good, everything evil. I mean they, they have everything that they could have done. I mean they, they have everything that they could possibly want. But they wanted one more thing. And so the satan, satan, comes in and he tempts them and they eat of the fruit. And it's so interesting to me, because what they don't realize Is the moment they eat of the fruit, every negative thing that exists comes with it. So they feel afraid, they feel shame, they feel guilt. Those are emotions that that you and I try to run from as far away as we possibly can. And and all of a sudden they're afraid of God. He shows up, the God that they've walked with, that that they've spent time with in the garden, shows up and they hide from him.

Speaker 1: 6:49

That moment, this moment in time, this one decision, this one garden would set the tone for humanity. The disobedience, the wars, the famines, the fight, the murder, the hate, the shame, the guilt, everything was now on the table and everything was now available to us. And the only thing God was trying to stop from happening was all of that. He didn't want that for us. He didn't want shame and guilt and war and famine and and death for his creation. He, he, was willing to give us everything, but he spared us those things. And then we Messed up. We wanted to be like God. This one disobedience, this one decision and the garden of Eden Would destroy humanity. Childbirth became painful, we had to work the land, laboring was hard, eventually death would come. Murder, drunkenness, all of it Because in the moment of one act of disobedience, humanity was condemned.

Speaker 1: 8:27

Like I said, I don't know why it's never dawned on me how intense where we find ourselves today is, because it what Jesus does in his garden is about to undo everything that we screwed up. So we find ourselves in the book of Mark, mark 14. So last week we talked about Jesus' triumphal entering into Jerusalem and we talked about there's a moment in the scriptures where it says that it turns. He turns his face toward Jerusalem. He has this resolve, this determination to get to what he knows is his destiny. He understands what's about to happen. So he enters into Jerusalem and they love him, they honor him as king and they lay their cloaks out and they lay down the palms and they're singing praises and they are just so ecstatic that he has arrived. But he knows that that'll be very short lived. He knows that within a week's time all of that praise, all of that honor will return to shouts for his death. So before we get to the garden, I'm gonna kind of do a quick recap of everything that happens.

Speaker 1: 10:11

If you compare the four gospels together, this is Jesus enters as king. Jesus finds himself flipping over tables in the temple court because of how they're abusing it. He has his authority question. He has several teaching moments during this time. He talks about the parable of the tenets, talks about paying taxes to Caesar, talks about resurrection and marriage. He establishes himself as before David, talks about false teachers. You see the widow in her offering. There's a destruction of the he talks about the destruction of the temple. There's a moment where Judas agrees to betray Jesus. These are all found, by the way, in Luke's account of the gospel. And then you see the last supper and the establishment of communion.

Speaker 1: 10:59

So when you go to Matthew and once again we're kind of comparing here there's a moment where he curses a fig tree. There's two sons, the two sons parable, the parable, the wedding banquet, the greatest commandment. Jesus talks about how unknown the day and hour of his second coming is. The ten virgin parable, the bags of gold parable, the sheeps and goats, peter's denial, starting in Mark, there's an account of his anointing of Bethany. And then you go to John. Jesus predicts his death, washes his disciples feet. He establishes alone that he's the only way to God. He promises the power of the Holy Spirit, talks about the vine and the branches and he talks about how the world will hate him and his disciples, talks about the work of the Holy Spirit. At the end of John, he finds himself praying for himself, his disciples and all the people.

Speaker 1: 11:52

And listen. I realize that that's a lot of information, but I want you to understand that Jesus came to Jerusalem. It wasn't vacation time for him. He knew that he had a very limited amount of time left in his life and so he accomplished everything that he intended on accomplishing. He knew he knew what he had to teach. He knew that he had to get the disciples ready. He knew that that he had to correct some false teaching, but ultimately he knew that his decision to enter Jerusalem was going to lead to his death. All these other things that I mentioned. They're good Don't don't get me wrong. There's a lot of wisdom there but nothing is as important as why he came, and the reason he came was to die.

Speaker 1: 12:55

I have this conversation with people a lot of times who are, who call them non-believers. I think they're, or I call them pre-believers because I think that once you interact with Jesus and you find them, it's hard to ignore that. But one of the things that, whenever you talk to someone who maybe doesn't have much of a church history is, you always go to the Gospels, because until you understand the sacrifice and the importance of the cross, nothing else matters. Nothing. I can teach you, nothing in Paul's letters, nothing I can show you. No church doctrine, no church teaching, none of it matters unless you understand the sacrifice that was made on your behalf Because of the sin that Adam and Eve brought into the world. So so when Paul, even when Paul writes, he talks about how his purpose is to preach Christ and Christ crucified. That's it. That sums up his exact purpose. And so, as we get into the Garden of Gethsemane, I need you to understand that this is not something that Jesus Listen.

Speaker 1: 14:17

It wasn't easy for him. I know and I believe with everything in me that he was the Son of God, but I do not believe that entering into the knowledge of knowing that he was about to die Was an easy task for him, and we talked about it last week that this idea of burdens, I, he was burdened with it. He, he knew how bad this was gonna be. So, mark 1432, 42 Jesus just got done eating with his disciples. You wash their feet. He established communion. He showed them how much he loved them. He told them how much he loved them. He sent Judas to do what Judas was gonna do. We're starting in.

Speaker 1: 15:15

Verse 32 says they want to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said his disciples sit here while I pray. He took Peter, james and John along with him, and began to be deeply distressed and troubled, says. My soul was overwhelmed with sorrow, to the point of death. He said to them Stay here, keep watch. Going a little further, he fell to the ground and he prayed that, if it was possible that this hour might pass from him. Father, he said, everything is possible for you take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.

Speaker 1: 15:58

Then he returned his disciples and found them sleeping. Simon, he said it Peter, are you asleep? Couldn't you keep like watch for one hour? Watch and pray that he will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. And once more he went away and he prayed the same thing. And when he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. Returned the third time, he said to them are you still sleeping and resting enough? Because the hour has come. Look, the Son of man has delivered into the hand of sinners. Rise, let us go. Here comes my betrayer. So Jesus has has this moment where he's he's just, he's overburdened with grief.

Speaker 1: 16:50

There was a John, or, as one of Luke's accounts talks about that that he was sweating so intensely that he was sweating Drops of blood like he was so distressed from it. There was research done a couple years ago that I thought was really cool. But they, they had shown that people and they were looking at people were in high pressure situations in ABCs, you know people in the army, military things like that but they were, they were showing, they did some retros that showed that there are times when they are in a situation that is so stressful to them that they would find traces of blood in their sweat. And it's because that your body has this way of of kind of protecting itself right, and so it's a natural response, your body kind of kicks in the overdrive. You know fight and flight. By the way, if anyone's a Navy seal and you don't take it personally if I just said you're stressed, I know you guys are like tough as nails man, so don't beat me up, I don't want that, but it just the way the body handles itself.

Speaker 1: 18:02

And so, looking back at this moment, jesus was in such distress, he was so overwhelmed with the burden of this moment that his body had a physical reaction. So so what that tells me is, in the moment, his humanity Right, let's not lose focus of that. I understand he's the son of God, but in the flesh, in his humanity, everything in his body was saying it's time to run. Everything Was saying you, you don't have to do this. You, you don't have to take on this burden. You, you really don't need to get up, leave the garden, disappear, no one will find you. And Just run. Ever been in a situation like that? Or you just want to run? I Don't know if we, if we appreciate that as much sometimes, jesus could have gotten up and made the decision to walk away, could have never been heard from again.

Speaker 1: 19:27

His disciples are sleeping, as he's stressed, as he's burdened, as his humanity and he cries out. The goddess is listen, god, if you can make this happen any other way. This Jesus confidence. And the father is without exception. Even as he plans for his pending death, he knows that his father will provide salvation. And explaining his heart to his disciples, jerry Jesus nearly quotes a passage from Psalm 42.

Speaker 1: 20:06

Alan Cole reminds the reader the quotation from Psalm 42, 5 and 42 11 is doubly suitable, by the way. Psalm 42, 5 says why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise you, my Savior and my God. And then Psalm 42, 11, repeats the same thing. Why, my soul, are you down, you downcast? Why are you so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for yet I will praise him, my Savior and my God. And and so Jesus has has this moment when everything in his existence, everything in his humanity, is saying it is time to get up and it is time to leave. But his response and thank God for it, his response is more beautiful than anything we could ever imagine. In the moment of distress, in the moment of feeling and knowing what was coming, it says God has stopped my will but a choice. Whatever I need to do, I trust you with my life, even unto death.

Speaker 1: 21:47

Adam and Eve, when faced with everything they could have ever wanted, all of the joy, all of the hope, all of the provision they could have ever needed, still wanted more. Still it wasn't enough, still defied God in disobedience, because they wanted to be like God. They were not willing to sacrifice one thing to have everything. They weren't. And listen, that's you and I. We are selfish, sinful people. We wanted our way. We want things to be done the way we want them to. We want things not to be difficult, we want God to. We have some kind of genie and we want them to grant us wishes. That's what we want.

Speaker 1: 22:54

Even today, thousands of years after their decision, you and I are still struggling with not fulfilling his will, his purpose, not willing to give our life for his. I can prove that by looking at the state of the church today. People are not willing to commit to a relationship with God, they're not willing to be part of a fellowship because they're always too busy. But in the moment as Jesus is burdened with death, knowing that he cannot, knowing how bad it's going to be, in the moment, with full knowledge of what's coming, he submits his life to God. Adam and Eve couldn't give up one thing to have everything. Jesus gave up one thing so you could have it all the one thing, his life. He knew the pain, the suffering, the torture. I Know, and if you've never seen it and I don't if you haven't but you know the passion the crisis is.

Speaker 1: 24:33

I remember the movie came out. I was, and I was on a college campus and In up in Philadelphia and I remember that it came out R rated and there's, like this big debate among like churches and stuff like Like we can't do that, we're not allowed to. And then there's a big discussion and the reason why it's R rated is Because if you watch the the torture and the crucifixion of Jesus, jesus, it's one of the most brutal things you'll ever see. But I I still think, in my opinion, that what you saw in that movie was not even close to what he went through. I Think they tried Right, but but he, he knew all of that was coming and he knew that it was God's will for him to die in order to save you. That's what makes this so beautiful, said.

Speaker 1: 25:39

The emotion of Jesus is deep and rich as we look into the text. Said mark explains that Jesus was greatly distressed and troubled. Seeing Jesus praying in this way should help us to better understand the seriousness of the cross that awaited him. Don on Don on English explains whichever way we interpret the prayer Jesus in Gethsemane, the seriousness of the occasion must be underlined. It is not a drama acted out for the benefit of the faithful. It represents a real struggle by Jesus who, alone on earth, knew what was involved. Just take this cup for me, said RP Martin suggests the cup here may refer to the fierce struggle of temptation to go another way, in his father's way.

Speaker 1: 26:25

It is usually, however, understood to represent requests by Jesus that if there is any other way possible for his work to be done and the awful sin-bearing death set out as we have seen in relation to the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 and the ransom of mark 1045 then that way you should be followed. It's not opposition to his father's will, but a facing of the horror of the death. He faces it. Even with this horror ahead of him, he reaffirms his father's will. I, the garden of Gethsemane, sets a tone that is unlike any other.

Speaker 1: 27:08

Jesus is, in all humanity, so focused on doing what God needs him to do that, even if it cost him his own life, is willing to do it. That that's why I tell people All of Christianity doesn't make sense if you don't understand the cross, because the the way we live, the things God asked us to do, the kind of people he asked us to become. It doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense for you and I to sacrifice our life to God wants us to be, and so we understand that he sacrificed everything so we could do this, that that he gave up everything that that he suffered, he and he died, and he went through so much pain and turmoil Just because he knew that that was the only way for you and I to get back to him Can imagine that night was stressful when Jesus was arrested.

Speaker 1: 28:26

Peter tries to stop it. Jesus corrects him. Jesus is. He's taken away. And Listen he an unfair trial for an innocent man. He doesn't say anything. They beat him, they torture him, they falsely accuse him that the same Men and women who were cheering for him as king he now finds those same People cheering for his death. An innocent man who deserved None of it. And yet he chose to do it. Because you and I couldn't. God knew that we couldn't save ourselves. That's there's proof in Genesis 3. God gave Adam even everything, and they still did it wrong Everything they could have ever wanted, and they still screwed up, and so Jesus had to make it right.

Speaker 1: 29:37

I Love Easter. I Love Easter for a lot of different things, but I really love Easter because of what God did for me. The world some of them get it, some of them don't, but you and I have this incredible responsibility and we talked about this last week this burden to tell them this story, to tell them again and again, and again and again until they get it, because until they understand how loved that they are, nothing else will matter All week or all year. So far we were talking about this idea of being transformed. Transformation starts at the cross. Transformation starts at the understanding that your life was paid for. So now the things that you do, the way that you live, are all in light of the sacrifice that was made that you and I did not deserve. I hear this all the time.

Speaker 1: 30:54

People always tell me, you know, when we ask why you don't come to church, like well, I don't deserve to be there.

Speaker 1: 30:58

I'm like you're right, you don't.

Speaker 1: 31:01

And they're like what?

Speaker 1: 31:01

I'm like, hold on.

Speaker 1: 31:03

I was like you're right, you don't. You don't deserve to be there, and neither do I. Jesus took that into account and he said listen, you're right, you don't deserve to be there, but I'm gonna make sure you do. I'm gonna make sure that you get everything that you need. I'm gonna make sure that the sacrifice is done so that you can have a relationship with God. I'm gonna make sure that you understand that all of the guilt, all of the shame, all of the problems that came with falling humanity.

Speaker 1: 31:33

I'm gonna undo that, and I'm gonna undo that by listening to God and fulfilling His purpose for my life, and then I'm gonna invite you to be part of that, because that, at the end of the day, the entirety of the gospel message is wrapped up in the fact that Jesus wants to set you free from all of whatever it is that he died. He gave up that one thing so you and I could have everything, and until you understand that, nothing else makes sense. Easter's about sacrifice, easter's about brokenness, but Easter's also about freedom. It's about salvation, it's about being restored into the presence of the one who created you, a life for a life, and Jesus willingly chose to do it. I don't know about you, but I've never met anyone who gave up that much for me, ever A man. I'm glad that he did. Let's pray, let's pray, let's pray, let's pray, let's pray, let's pray, let's pray, let's pray, let's pray, let's pray.