Turn back with me then to Genesis chapter 3, and we can read the verses marked 8 to 10.
! Genesis 3 and verses 8 to 10.
And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.
And the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of
the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, Where are you? And he said,
I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.
I guess every service that we hear, we're told that we are sinners.
And the reason for that is explained to us in this third chapter of Genesis.
And this main reading, it focused initially on Adam and Eve. And as we read in verse 25 of chapter 2,
they knew no shame at that point. And they moved from that to what we've just read there in verses 8 to 10.
They moved from that, from knowing no shame, to now being totally ashamed because of their nakedness before God.
And they're actually acutely aware of it in every aspect of their lives.
And the fall, which is known as when Adam and Eve sinned against God,
this is the first major turning point in the history of this world.
And it's important for us to understand the fullness of the consequences of that rebellion against God.
It was a blatant defiance of the instruction that God had given to Adam.
And so we can perhaps look at it under three headings.
First of all, let's look at what happened in the garden, how the garden was initially before the fall.
And just to have a few thoughts on that.
Secondly, to look at the fall itself.
And then thirdly, because of the consequences of the fall and the words that Jesus spoke to the woman during the curse she put on her,
we'll go to Calvary, to the cross at Calvary and to Jesus' sacrifice there.
So let's look first of all at the garden.
They were without shame.
And, you know, it's very significant that of all the things that God could have told us,
as the work of creation is completed and God has said it's all very good,
of all the things that he could have told us in this very last part of chapter 2,
is that the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
And what this tells us is that
tells us that
everything there was very good in the creation,
but God wanted us to know
that we were designed
to never know what shame felt like.
That was the purpose in the creation of man and woman.
And it's very clear that up to this point in the history of the world,
that the whole creation was exactly as God planned it.
Everything God wanted in his creation was present,
and his relationship with Adam and Eve was perfect at that point.
We're told that
Adam and Eve in the garden were naked,
they knew no shame.
Between them,
there was an openness.
There was an openness.
There was a unity.
And that was not masked by guilt.
That was not
disordered by lust
in any way.
And it was not hampered by shame.
There's a glory,
and there's a beauty
in the garden.
There's a freedom there
that is totally alien
to this world
as we know it.
And this was God's true pattern of creation,
that there would be
perfect ease
between them,
between him
and with
the human beings
that he created.
This was the fruit of perfect love,
with
no inclination
for greed,
or for distrust,
or for dishonor,
or for pride,
or for selfishness,
or for anger,
or for envy,
or for riches.
All the things of this world.
But there was no
inclination
whatsoever
towards
any of these
at this point
in creation.
And this verse
is a pointed reminder
of
our vanished
concord,
our vanished
harmony,
where there was
agreement
on everything.
Adam and Eve
at this point
were shameless
in every aspect
of their lives.
And they were shameless
not just physically,
but spiritually
as well.
And how lovely
this is
with God
at the centre
of their lives.
The final description
in chapter 2,
it just offers
to us
a picture
of
innocent
delight.
Adam and Eve
were truly
in paradise
and
fellowship
with God
was as natural
as breathing.
There was no need
for any kind
of discipline
with regard
to devotion
to God
because
all of life
was devotion
to God.
It was natural
and there was
no effort.
But what now,
as we read
into chapter 3,
what now
becomes
abundantly
clear to us
is that
Genesis 2
can now
only ever
be read
from
this side
where we are,
from this side
of Genesis 3.
And that leads
us
to look at
some aspects
of the fall
here.
And let's
be clear
as we begin
that
the New Testament
clarifies
for us
that
the serpent
that's spoken
about here
is indeed
the devil.
And it's
at the fall
that
this
act of
disobedience
that it
turns the
whole narrative
of human
life
into a
totally
different
direction.
From going
in one direction
it flips
at 180
to go
in a
totally
different
direction.
The picture
of the
garden
given to
us
in
Genesis 2
is given
to us
as being
reflected
in a
clear
and unspoiled
mirror.
And I'd like
you just to
keep this in
your mind
as we go
through the
sermon.
I'm going
to come
back to
it towards
the end.
So
what we have
in the garden
in Genesis 2
before the fall
is a picture
of
a reflection
in a clear
unspoiled
mirror
which portrays
the perfect
image of God
in man
as it was
then.
But in
Genesis 3
because of
the fall
that mirror
is shattered
into a
thousand pieces.
And each
little piece
still reflects
something
of the
earlier beauty
that there
was
but now
that picture
is fragmented.
And that is
how we are
born into
this world
in that
fragmented
picture of
a thousand
pieces of
that mirror
still
elements
there
of
the image
of God
but certainly
not perfect
because that
mirror
is now
broken.
The world
is now
seen through
the broken
glass of
chapter 3
and this
is no longer
a normal
world
nothing
about it
could be
called
very good
anymore.
And the
reason of
course is
because
sin has
now
entered in
and it's
a reality
for the
very first
time.
And it's
impossible I
think to get
any more of
a radical
contrast of
words than
we have
in chapter
2
25
and chapter
3
and verse
1.
Look at what
it says.
So this
craftiness
is there
now
from the
very
beginning.
The
serpent,
the devil
begins a
dialogue with
the woman
which opens
up with
this question
and this
is the
first question
I'd like us
to consider
in our
passage today.
this first
question
did God
actually
say
you shall
not eat
of the
tree of
the garden?
And what
does that
do?
Well that
immediately
puts a
doubt
into
Eve's
mind,
into the
mind of
the woman.
That seed
of doubt
is planted
immediately.
And you
know it
just gives
us a
thought as
well.
Because
we need
to be
in our
guard
for these
words as
well.
Did God
really say?
Did God
really say
this?
Because
this is the
first question
in the
Bible and
it speaks
volumes to
us about
knowing and
understanding
God's
word.
If we
don't know
what God
says in
his word
then doubts
will be put
into our
minds as
well.
We're going
to be led
away by
every
wonder of
doctrine and
possibly even
false
teaching.
We need
to know
God's
word so
that we
can stand
firm in
the face
of questions
and
accusations
and all
the wiles
of the
devil.
So we
need to
keep that
in our
minds.
So this
is a
question
then that
is put
to Eve.
Did
God
really
say
this?
This
dialogue
continues
between
the
serpent
and
Eve
to
the
point
where
she
eventually
caves
in
and
eats
of
the
forbidden
fruit
and
ultimately
rebels
against
God.
She
gave some
to her
husband
who also
ate.
Adam
and Eve's
eyes are
now opened
meaning
they now
begin to
understand
the whole
context of
good and
evil.
They are
now
sinners.
And what
they did
was
unspeakable
rebellion
against
God.
As one
commentator
puts it
they are
now ashamed.
They are
aware of
their nakedness
now but
it's not
just their
physical
nakedness
it's a
moral nudity
a nudity
of the
soul
of which
they are
now
conscious.
And what
they cannot
do is to
cover that
nakedness
of their
guilt and
shame
before God
it was
their sin
that led
to this
shame.
And even
while the
taste of
the fruit
was still
on their
lips
they died
right there
at the
foot of
the tree
of knowledge
of good
and evil.
They died
spiritually
and sin
immediately
penetrated
every sphere
of their
being.
And physical
death
also came
into the
world.
In an
instant
they passed
from life
to death
from trust
to distrust
and from
ease
to
dis-ease.
It didn't
take a day
to happen
it all
happened
in a
millisecond.
And what
we're told
in Ephesians
chapter 2
summarizes
so much
of this.
Ephesians
2 tells
us about
a person's
state
before they
come to
faith in
God
and you
were dead
in the
trespasses
and sins
in which
you once
walked
following the
course of
this world
following the
prince of
the power
of the air
the spirit
that is now
at work
in the
sons of
disobedience
among whom
we all
once lived
in the
passions of
our flesh
carrying out
the desires
of the
body and
the mind
and were
by nature
children of
wrath
like the
rest of
mankind.
And so
on.
And actually
Ephesians 2
actually goes
on to
repeat that
in other
ways as
well.
Their
position
before God
went from
a perfect
harmonious
relationship
to now
being God's
enemy.
Very stark
isn't it?
Complete
contrast.
And this
leads us to
our second
question.
As God
comes into
the garden
God calls
out to
Adam
where are
you?
Where are
you Adam?
Where are
they indeed?
They're hiding
from God
in the
trees
in the
forest.
they realize
they're
naked,
they cover
themselves
with
sown fig
leaves
and they
are totally
overcome
with guilt
and with
shame.
They're
ashamed,
they're now
rebellious,
guilty
human beings
who shift
blame,
who are
afraid
and hiding
in the
trees
from God.
what a
transformation
from what
we had
in the
words of
verse 25.
And we
can just
imagine them,
can't we,
just crawling
out from
these trees
coming before
God,
coming out of
their hiding
place in
abject fear
fear.
And God
then confronts
them with
the third
question
that we
can consider.
Who told
you you
were naked?
Who told
you that
you were
naked?
And we
need to know
the answer
here because
sin comes
into its
own
immediately.
Immediately.
she gave
me the
fruit from
the tree
and I
ate it.
It was
her.
It was
her fault
God.
Don't
blame me.
She
gave me
the
fruit.
That's
nothing but
treachery.
And Adam
was already
immediately
so cold
and so
calculated.
And instead
of fellowship
together,
they had
deceit and
guilt and
judgment.
It's now
the order
of the day.
No
different
for the
woman.
When God
asked the
woman,
it was
the serpent's
fault.
The serpent
deceived me.
The serpent
told me to
take it.
So I
took it.
It was
the serpent's
fault.
Once again
deceit and
shifting the
blame.
So God,
as we read,
God judges
the serpent
and then Eve
and finally
Adam and
each with
specific and
personal judgments
laid upon
them.
And following
God's judgment,
they are
cast out
and this
is the
thing that
they are
cast down
into this
dark and
evil world.
sin and
evil.
It didn't
just
fabricate
itself into
the lives of
Adam and
Eve and
human beings.
But Romans 8
tells us this.
for the
creation
waits with
eager wronging
for the
revealing of
the sons
of God.
For the
creation was
subjected to
futility,
not willingly,
but because of
whom you
subjected it
in hope
that the
creation itself
will be set
free from
its bondage
to decay
and obtain
the freedom
of the
glory of
the children
of God.
So the
whole world
subjected to
sin.
But thankfully
our God is
a God of
mercy because
his judgment
upon the
serpent also
turns into a
word of grace
for human
beings.
Look at
verse 15
here of
chapter 3.
I will
be enmity
between you
and the
woman and
between your
offspring and
her offspring.
You shall
bruise your
head and
you shall
bruise
his heel.
What God
says when
he says
this, he's
looking forward
and what we
have here
is quite an
astounding
gospel prophecy.
The woman's
offspring that
God refers to
points to
Christ, who
will crush
Satan's
head.
In other
words, it
is Christ
who will
deal a
death blow
to the
serpent,
to Satan.
And in
saying you
shall bruise
his heel,
this refers
to humans
being afflicted
by sin
and limping
along in
the path
of life
because of
sin.
And I
mentioned
Adam's
responses
previously
as we
had it,
which when
God asked
him,
why have you
done this?
How do you
know that
you're naked?
And that
was effectively
for want
of a
phrase,
one of a
better phrase,
one we
used to
do,
it was
passing the
buck,
wasn't it?
He was
passing the
buck on to
the woman,
who then
passed it
on to
the serpent.
Well, that
was not
passed to
Eve,
actually.
It was
passed to
Jesus Christ
to deal
with this,
to remedy
this,
because Adam
and Eve
were our
representatives
of the
human race,
as human
beings,
the first
human
beings,
they were
our
representatives,
and so
what they
did is
transferred
to us
as well,
every single
human being.
And this
required a
remedy,
and it
leads us to
the cross,
our third
point,
because
Christ
comes
in the
person of
Jesus
to deal
with sin.
We need a
remedy for
this sin.
And as
we read
there in
verse 12,
it mentions
sin,
that he
endured the
cross,
and he
despised
the shame.
Jesus
despised the
shame.
And the
word shame
in the
Greek
describes
something
that is
base,
is ugly,
is revolting,
is grotesque.
And by
using this
word,
the writer
of the
Hebrews is
telling us
that Jesus'
experience on
the cross as
he hung
naked and
broken in
full view of
the world,
was disgraceful,
deplorable,
despicable,
and
reprehensible.
He
endured
the cross
and despised
the shame.
crucifixion.
But he
endured that
for us.
He
endured it
for us.
Crucifixion
was a form
of capital
punishment.
And
went not
only to
torture
someone,
but also
to publicly
shame that
person.
It was
served for
the scum
of society,
like rebels,
slaves,
outcasts,
murderers,
so on.
Crucifixion
stripped its
victims of
their clothes
and their
dignity.
Criminals
were hung
naked,
arms
outstretched,
all alone
in front of
the crowds
and the
hordes
that were
gathered
along
these Roman
roads.
They were
mocked,
they were
spat on
as they
struggled
for breath.
And it's
interesting
that the
authors of
the four
gospels,
they don't
emphasize or
sensationalize
the gruesome
details,
of Jesus'
death,
but rather
they highlight
the shame
of the
cross.
They show
us that
on the
cross,
Jesus
bore
our shame.
He bore
our shame
in the
scourging
and being
taken outside
of the city
walls to
be crucified
in front
of a huge
crowd.
People were
spitting on
him,
mocking him,
shouting at
him,
abusing
him,
stripped
naked,
which was
a clear
indicator
of bearing
Adam's
shame
from the
Garden of
Eden.
The cross
wasn't just
punishment
that he
took for
our guilty
verdict,
it was
public
humiliation.
It was
public
humiliation.
shame.
And the
emphasis on
shame in
the Bible
is always
in relation
to God.
But it's
also
significant
that these
same four
gospel writers,
these authors
of the
gospels,
do not
dwell on
the manner
in which
Jesus was
crucified.
Because if you
search the
gospels,
you'll discover
that there are
very few
details concerning
Christ's
physical
sufferings
compared to
what it would
have actually
been like.
There's very
few details
of his
physical
sufferings.
Instead,
they point to
what was
happening to
him spiritually
as he hung
there.
Their focus is
more on the
purpose of
the cross
than on the
cross itself.
and their
focus is on
what he
suffered
spiritually
in our
place in
that three
hours of
darkness
on the
cross.
Going to
hell itself
in our
place.
Leading him
to the point
where he
cried out,
my God,
why have
you forsaken
me?
Our fourth
question in
our considerations
here today.
Why have
you forsaken
me?
Jesus
borows him
for the
threefold joy
that was
set before
him,
as we're
told in
Hebrews.
And that
joy was
so that
the Father
would be
glorified,
that he
would be
victorious
over the
devil,
that he
would crush
the head
of the
devil,
and thirdly,
so that we
could receive
his honor.
And that's
why the
cross is
good news.
Jesus just
didn't die,
Jesus died
for us.
He died
for us.
through faith,
we can receive
his grace,
and his
peace,
and his
love,
and his
joy,
and his
honor in the
place of our
shame,
because that is
the opposite of
shame,
we receive
his honor.
he laid
down his
life,
and he
was crucified
to bear
our shame,
and to
adopt us
into God's
family,
where we
share in
the king's
honor.
And it's
perhaps best
understood as
that great
transaction which
is summarized
for us in
2 Corinthians
5,
and in
verse 21,
and where it
says,
for our
sake,
God made
Christ to
be sin,
who knew
no sin,
so that in
Christ,
we might
become the
righteousness of
God in
him.
And as
Galatians 3,
13 tells us,
the curse of
sin and death
was placed on
Jesus,
so that we
might obtain
the blessings
of Abraham.
So as you
reflect on
the cross,
remember that
when Jesus
died,
and if you
are a believer,
your shame
also died.
He took it
with him to
the grave,
and that's
where it
stayed.
And you're
raised through
his resurrection
in honor,
robed,
and clothed
in his
righteousness.
How thankful
we ought to
be that we
are able to
read Genesis
3 through
the eyes of
the New
Testament,
where we
are told of
someone who
stands in the
breach as
mediator with
this word of
good news,
the good news
of the gospel.
It tells us
that the
clothing of
his righteousness,
the acceptance
the forgiveness,
the love and
peace of his
gospel,
and the power
of his
resurrection
bring life
back to those
who were
spiritually dead.
They are no
longer spiritually
dead in their
sins.
They are now
alive in
Christ.
Colossians 1
verses 19
to 22
tells us
this,
for God
was pleased
to have
all his
fullness
dwell in
Jesus in
Christ,
and through
him to
reconcile to
himself all
things,
whether things
on earth or
things in
heaven,
by making
peace through
his blood
shed on the
cross.
Once you
were alienated
from God and
were enemies in
your minds
because of
your evil
behaviour,
but now he
has reconciled
you by Christ's
physical body
through death
to present you
holy in his
sight,
without blemish,
free from
accusation,
and without
shame.
That is what
the cross has
accomplished for
us.
Jesus has
sacrificed
there.
In Genesis
3, when Adam
and Eve
sinned against
God,
their freedom
in God
immediately
gave way
to the
bondage
of sin.
But now,
for everyone
who preserved
faith in the
finished work
of Jesus,
that bondage
now has
to go
away to
the freedom
that is
found in
a life
that trusts
in Jesus.
So let me
ask you
today,
in your
life,
personally,
do you
have this
freedom in
Christ?
Or are you
still hiding
behind the
trees,
as Adam
and Eve
were when
they became
aware of
their sin?
hiding there
in shame
when you
hear the
voice of
God again?
That's a
question that
every one of
us needs to
ask ourselves.
Where are
we today
with regard
to this
freedom?
Are we
free in
Christ,
or still
hiding in
that shame
behind the
trees?
Remember
the mirror
I spoke
about at
the beginning?
The mirror
that was
shattered into
a thousand
pieces when
sin came
into the
world?
The one
which portrayed
the image
of God
in man
as being
perfect before
the fall,
but broken
when Adam
and Eve
sinned,
resulting in
our image
becoming
distorted.
Well,
let me tell
you this,
that everyone
who has
faith in
Jesus as
their Savior
has had
that mirror
replaced,
not repaired,
but replaced.
It's
replaced.
They have
been gifted
a new one
that perfectly
reflects the
righteousness
of God
in Christ
in them.
It's
perfect,
and it's
new,
because when
you put your
trust and
faith in
Jesus,
that is a
new start
for every
individual.
It's a
new life,
and they
are now
also a
new creation,
as we're
told in the
Gospels,
particularly in
2 Corinthians
5, once
again.
So it's a
new start,
a new life,
a new
creation.
And you
know what's
so special
about this
new mirror?
It is
unbreakable,
absolutely
unbreakable,
preserved
hold for
the believers
time on
this earth,
and through
the endless
ages of
eternity.
But that
broken mirror
of a
thousand pieces
remains that
way for
those who
are still
without Christ
as their
Saviour.
And you
know, just
as it was
with Adam
and Eve,
so it is
for every
one of
us.
We are
all
responsible
for the
choices
that we
make.
God
gives
every one
of us
a choice.
Believe
in Jesus,
believe in
what he
has
accomplished
on the
cross,
put your
trust and
faith in
him and
his
finished
work,
and commit
your life
to him
in faith,
or don't
believe in
Jesus,
don't believe
in what he
has accomplished
on the
cross,
don't put
your trust
and faith
in him and
his
finished
work,
and don't
commit your
life to
him.
that's
the
choice
we
have.
And the
choice is
yours
personally.
But thankfully
we have a
God who
is a
God of
mercy,
and we
have a
God who
is reaching
out to
you again
today,
and he's
saying,
come to
me,
all of
you who
are laboring
and are
heavy laden,
and I
will give
you that
rest.
Come to
me,
and I
will give
you that
safety,
and that
security,
and I
will be
with you,
and I
will lead
you each
and every
moment for
the remainder
of your
life.
He's just
saying,
come to
me.
This is
what God
has done
for us.
He has
given us
a remedy,
and Christ
is representative
of all of
his people,
just as
Adam and
Eve were
representative
of a
broken and
sinful
world.
And so
there we
leave it
for today,
with that
choice,
and with
that great
invitation
from the
Lord,
to come
to him,
and to
place your
trust and
your faith
in Jesus
Christ as
your
Savior.
May God
bless these
thoughts.
Let's close
now,
then let's
sing together.
We'll sing
in Psalm
130,
from
Sing
Psalms.
We'll sing
the whole of
the Psalms.
Psalm 130,
and it's
on page
173 of
the Blue
Books.
And may
this be your
prayer and
your call to
God today.
Lord, from
the depths I
call to you,
Lord, hear me
from on high,
and give
attention to
my voice
holy
my voice
when I
for mercy
die.
Lord,
in your
presence
to
the Son,
if you
are sins
before,
but yet
forgiveness
is
with you
that
we may
fear
you, Lord.
I
wait,
my soul,
wait for
the Lord,
my
hope
is
in
his
word,
for
am
the
Lord,
praise
for
dawn,
my
soul,
wait for
the
Lord.
O
it
shall
give
your
hope
in
Lord,
for
mercy
is
with
him,
and
who
redemption
promises
from
the
sins
that
be
the
will
be
free
here.
Now
grace of
Jesus
Christ,
the love
the Father,
the fellowship
of the Holy
rest upon
and abide
with each
now and
always.
Amen.
the