First Sunday in Lent - Video of Divine Service and Sermon Text
Genesis 3:1-21
Romans 5:12-19
Matthew 4:1-11
O Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen.
Today we continue the penitential focus of Ash Wednesday. On Ash Wednesday, as a sign of contrite hearts and a desire to repent of our sins, we receive ashes upon our foreheads. At each imposition, the same words are said by the Pastor: “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Even though we are all unique individuals with our own distinctive personalities, opinions, likes, dislikes, and abilities, the same words apply to each of us. We have the same origin story. The sin of which we repent comes from the same source. It comes from the man who was first made of the dust. Adam was endowed with the privilege of life and the responsibility of stewarding the Garden of Eden. Like all the other creatures in the garden, Adam had a lifelong companion. Eve is Adam’s wife.
They lived in paradise. They did not know it then because that is all they knew. They had no basis of comparison. The situation was ideal, perfect in every way.
On Ash Wednesday, we repent of our sins. Today, we reflect upon the root cause of our sins. When the serpent began to talk with Eve, he did not begin with images of money, prestige, or power. He began with doubt. “He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, ‘you shall not eat of any tree in the garden?’ and then "you shall surely not die." That doubt, once uttered and then received by Eve, led to disobedience. But, our sinful condition started with doubt. Eve, then Adam, who was standing right there watching his future unfold before him, chose not to completely trust God’s clear Word of command.
Doubt led to wondering that maybe the talking Serpent might know something more than God wants them to know. Doubt led them to wonder if there is a better way to live. Doubt led to the possibility of divinity. Perhaps Adam and Eve can be as wise as God. If they know the difference between good and evil, then maybe they can help God in further decisions that God needs to make. Doubt opened up the possibility of divinity which means that they could be equal to their creator and sustainer.
The doubt that Adam and Eve entertained laid the groundwork for a breach of the simple trust in the God that created them. Doubt, then lack of trust, then led to disobedience.
With new confidence initiated by doubt and fueled by lack of trust and a desire for divinity, Eve looked upon the fruit of the forbidden tree with renewed interest and expertise. She made her own assessment. Silent Adam must have made his own assessment too because he didn’t stop her. Nor did he refuse the fruit when she gave it to him. “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.”
Three little steps changed the nature of humanity: Doubt, desire, disobedience. We are forever affected. As a result of Adam’s decision, we are born into a state of unbelief. We do not believe that what God says is what God says. Our natural state of existence is that we doubt what God says; we desire what pleases us; and when our desire conflicts with God’s clear Word, we disobey God’s Word by reaching for and taking hold of what is forbidden. The result is that we are separated from God.
Genesis goes on to report that Adam and Eve’s breach of trust led them to see themselves in a new way. They realized that they were naked. Then, they experienced yet another new sensation. They are ashamed. They hid from God when he came into the garden.
How long did this life altering episode last? Was it seconds, minutes, hours, days? We do not know. What we do know is that God’s judgment, while severe, displayed mercy. Genesis 3:15 is the first promise of our Savior. The LORD God says to the serpent, “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 heal.”
Satan did manage to get Jesus strung up on the cross. But, in the end it is only a minor bruising of his heel. First, Jesus was going to do this anyway. When He became incarnate as Jesus, born of Mary, Jesus had every intention of being the sacrificial lamb slain upon the cross for us. Second, Jesus does not stay dead. He rises on the third day. Jesus defeats the everlasting power of sin through his sacrifice. Jesus defeats the everlasting fear and power of death through the resurrection. The cross, the ruthless instrument of torture, becomes the bridge between God and sinful humanity.
The mercy of God comes with the promise of a future savior that will crush the head of the devil. The mercy of God also comes to Adam and Eve in the here and now. An animal is sacrifice for Adam and Eve. An animal’s blood is spilled for their benefit. “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” Their nakedness, their shame, is covered by the skins of animals that were sacrifice for them. This sacrifice of an animal and using the skins to cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness points them to the sacrifice of Christ who covers their shame and sin with his righteousness.
Christ Jesus is given to us to save us from the wrath that our sin deserves. He is the second Adam. He makes the righteous choices that Adam failed to make. In the gospel we heard how Jesus met the devil’s temptation with full faith. He did not doubt. Even in his weakened state, He did not allow Satan’s enticements to make him waver. Jesus remained steadfast. For he knows that there are no short cuts to our salvation. Only his sacrificial death will save us from our sins. Only the crucified and risen Christ can be the righteousness that covers our sin. As the Apostle Paul says, “as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.”
Temptations of all sorts do come our way. As we become aware of them, we take these seriously, especially because these are threats to our faith. Our response is always to call upon the Lord for help. To remember that Christ has died and risen for you. The Holy Spirit has created faith in you through the Word. You remain firm in your faith because you belong to Christ Jesus.
The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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