Sermon for Second Wednesday and Thursday of Lent

Lent Second Wednesday        Genesis 3:14-15

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen. 

The Book of Genesis is a book of beginnings. The Bible begins with the Good News of God creating the universe, including us. Unlike some other religions, the appearance of the material world is a good and positive development. The Bible reveals that God creates out of love. He is pleased with what He creates. No mistakes are made. No do-overs are reported. When we read through Genesis 1, we cannot help but observe that God says the word “good” a lot. Each day, except for the second day of creation, includes a positive assessment of what God brough forth. God approves of his handiwork. For example, on the first day, the text says “And God said, ‘Let there be Light,’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good.” 

On the 6th day of creation, God brought forth living creatures according to their kinds. God saw that it was good. Then God made man, male and female He made them. The last words on the sixth day were all about God’s creation. Genesis 1:31 says, “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” God is clearly pleased with what has happened here. 

The Good News grows because Adam is in the Garden of Eden. He is responsible for its upkeep. He is entrusted with the responsibility of naming the animals in the Garden. In the Garden is when He received the gift of His wife, Eve. 

This is a perfect world and a perfect moment in history. No animosity exists between Adam and Eve; nor between God, Adam, and Eve; nor between Man and the animals. He is not hunting them and they are not hunting him. There is an easy conversation and co-existence that occurs among all parties. Peace and tranquility reign in this land. 

Genesis is not only the beginning of the Good News, but it is also the beginning of Bad News.  The bearer of bad news introduces suspicion, excites the urge toward independent thinking, outright disobedience, lies and finger pointing. The Bad News cascades towards non-human species in the Garden and leads to the first shedding of blood and death in the Garden. 

The devil in the appearance of a serpent invites Eve and Adam to question God’s authority and Word. Their new-found suspicion encourages them to directly disobey the Lord as they see that the fruit is good to eat and then partake. Their shame, their guilt, leads them to hide, and then upon examination of the Most High, to point fingers and lay blame elsewhere. Their shame upon discovering that they are naked propels the Lord to sacrifice a living creature for the sake of covering their naked bodies. 

So begins a new thing. Punishment. God banishes Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. Their home is no more. They must go out into a world that will be far different from the easy living that they had enjoyed thus far. Life is going to change for the worse. It is going to be hard. 

So begins another new thing. God’s promises. God makes many promises in the Bible. For example, God promises to never destroy the earth by water again. God promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob a land of their own. God promises that Israel will return from the Babylonian Captivity. 

Today, we recognize God’s first promise to men. The deceiver, that wicked, slithering, lying devil that casts suspicion upon all that is of God and good will one day be crushed by a son of Eve and Adam. Genesis 3:15 is the first promise of God that salvation is coming. God promises, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” 

Genesis 3:15 is the beginning of the prophecies of the coming Christ. Genesis 3:15 is the first proclamation of God’s promise of Jesus. We couple this promise with God’s sacrificing an animal, in other words, spilling its blood, and then covering Adam and Eve with the animal’s skin, and we have a clear idea that the coming Christ will save us by sacrificing himself. The blood of Christ will be spilled for our sake. A life will be offered to cover the guilt, the shame, and the sins of men.

In the fullness of God’s time, Jesus is born of Mary, and the perfect God-Man is sacrificed upon the cross for our sakes so that we may be saved through the spilling of His precious blood and His death. 

The promise of Genesis 3:15 is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. His death crushed the head of Satan. His power is gone. He may harass and annoy and try to trick us, but his power is no more. Satan’s lies and temptations are no longer the last word upon us. Christ’s Word of Forgiveness is the last Word upon us. Christ’s blood covers us, so that when our heavenly Father sees you, he sees Christ’s righteousness, and he says to you, Good. You are very good.

The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen. 

 

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