CREATION Genesis 1:1 NAS Genesis 1:1 a In the beginning b God c created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:31 31 And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very a good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. 1. Everything God made was VERY good. ----------prayer--------- FALL Genesis 3:1-15 Now a the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from 1 any tree of the garden '?" 2 And the woman said to the serpent, a "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die.'" 4 a And the serpent said to the woman, "You surely shall not die! 5 "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and a you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 a 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 desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they a knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves 1 loin coverings. 8 And they heard the sound of a the LORD God walking in the garden in the 1 cool of the day, b and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, a "Where are you?" 10 And he said, a "I heard the sound of Thee in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." 11 And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" 12 a And the man said, "The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate." 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, a "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." 14 And the LORD God said to the serpent, a "Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly shall you go, And b dust shall you eat All the days of your life; 15 And I will put a enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; b He shall 1 bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." 1 Or, crush 2. Satan would have a seeming victory over Man and even over Christ, yet Man would crush Satan s head ultimately. The Man is Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:7-8 but we speak God's wisdom in a a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God b predestined before the c ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom a which none of the rulers of b this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified c the Lord of glory;) Genesis 3:16-24 16 To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain 1 in childbirth, In pain you shall a bring forth children; Yet your desire shall be for your husband, And b he shall rule over you." 17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have 1
listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; a Cursed is the ground because of you; b In 1 toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. 18 "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you shall eat the 1 plants of the field; 19 By the sweat of your face You shall eat bread, Till you a return to the ground, Because b from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return." 20 Now the man called his wife's name 1a Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. 21 And the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. 22 Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of a Us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he stretch out his hand, and take also from b the tree of life, and eat, and live forever "-- 23 therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. 24 So a He drove the man out; and at the b east of the garden of Eden He stationed the c cherubim, and the flaming sword which turned every direction, to guard the way to d the tree of life. 3. Please notice that God never directly Curses Man for his disobedience in this passage, but He does curse Satan! God curses the ground but He does not curse Man. God instead allows Man to reap what he has sown and because of God s love for Man He actually drives Man out of the garden to protect him! Man has cursed himself! REDEMPTION Deuteronomy 21:22-23 22 "And if a man has committed a sin a worthy of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 a his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for b he who is hanged is 1 accursed of God), so that you c do not defile your land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance. <07045> hl'l'q. (qelalah) 1 Lit., the curse of God Crucifixion- The most feared and shameful form of capital punishment Only the worst of the worst criminals received this form of execution The most tortuous and barbaric form of execution The longest lasting form of execution suffering for hours rather than a quick death Scourging almost always preceded the actual crucifixion and often the criminal would actually die from the scourging before they could be crucified Involved the utmost cruelty and absolute humiliation and shame (hung nude) Anyone crucified was considered the worst scum of the earth (which is why Paul wrote of the scandal of the cross) Isaiah 50:5-6 5 The Lord God has a opened My ear; And I was b not disobedient, Nor did I turn back. 6 I a gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting. Isaiah 52:14 14 Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His a appearance was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men. 2
He who hung the earth [in its place] hangs there, he who fixed the heavens is fixed there, he who made all things fast is made fast upon the tree, the Master has been insulted, God has been murdered, the king of Israel has been slain by an Israelitish hand. O strange murder, strange crime!the Master has been treated in unseemly fashion, his body naked, and not even deemed worthy of a covering, that [his nakedness] might not be seen. Therefore the lights [of heaven] turned away and the day darkened that it might hide him who was stripped upon the cross. (Melito s Homily on the Passion) 1 Peter 2:24 24 and He Himself 1a bore our sins in His body on the 2b cross, that we c might die to 3 sin and live to righteousness; for d by His 4 wounds you were e healed. 4. Jesus Himself 1a bore our sins in His body on the 2b cross, that we c might die to 3 sin and live to righteousness; for d by His 4 wounds we are e healed. Galatians 3:1-29 1 You foolish a Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ b was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of 1 the Law, or by 2a hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun 1 by the Spirit, are you now 2 being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain-- a if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does He then, who a provides you with the Spirit and b works 1 miracles among you, do it by the works of 2 the Law, or by 3c hearing with faith? 6 1 Even so a Abraham b believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. 7 Therefore, 1 be sure that a it is those who are of faith who are b sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God 1 would justify the 2 Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, a "All the nations shall be blessed in you." 9 So then a those who are of faith are blessed with 1 Abraham, the believer. 10 For as many as are of the works of 1 the Law are under a curse; for it is written, a "Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them." 11 Now that a no one is justified 1 by 2 the Law before God is evident; for, 3b "The righteous man shall live by faith." 12 1 However, the Law is not 2 of faith; on the contrary, a "He who practices them shall live 3 by them." 13 Christ a redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us-- for it is written, b "Cursed is everyone who hangs on c a 1 tree "-- 14 in order that a in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might 1 come to the Gentiles, so that we b might receive c the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15 a Brethren, b I speak 1 in terms of human relations: c even though it is only a man's 2 covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds 3 conditions to it. 16 Now the promises were spoken a to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, b "And to your seed," that is, Christ. 17 What I am saying is this: the Law, which came a four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. 18 For a if the inheritance is 1 based on law, it is no longer 1 based on a promise; but b God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise. 19 a Why the Law then? It was added 1 because of transgressions, having been b ordained through angels c by the 2 agency of a mediator, until d the seed should come to whom the promise had been made. 20 Now a a mediator is not 1 for one party only; whereas God is only one. 21 Is the Law then 3
contrary to the promises of God? a May it never be! For b if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness 1 would indeed have been 2 based on law. 22 But the Scripture has a shut up all 1 men under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, a being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our 1a tutor to lead us to Christ, that b we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a 1a tutor. 26 For you are all a sons of God through faith in b Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were a baptized into Christ have b clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 a There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is 1 neither male nor female; for b you are all one in c Christ Jesus. 29 And if a you 1 belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's 2 offspring, heirs according to b promise. 5. Jesus suffered the worst punishment that the world had to offer- and it was NOTHING compared to the spiritual suffering He went through. He fulfilled every requirement of the law and also took upon Himself the punishment that we rightly deserved and He did it ALL because He loved us so much that He would rather die than live forever without us. CONSUMMATION 1 Corinthians 15:22-26 22 For a as in Adam all die, so also in 1 Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ a the first fruits, after that b those who are Christ's at c His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He delivers up a the kingdom to the b God and Father, when He has abolished c all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign a until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be a abolished is death. Psalm 110:1 a The LORD says to my Lord: b "Sit at My right hand, Until I make c Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet." 1 Corinthians 15:49-57 49 And just as we have a borne the image of the earthy, 1 we b shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 50 Now I say this, brethren, that a flesh and blood cannot b inherit the kingdom of God; nor does 1 the perishable inherit 2c the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be b changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for a the trumpet will sound, and b the dead will be raised 1 imperishable, and c we shall be changed. 53 For this 1 perishable must put on 2a the imperishable, and this b mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this 1 perishable will have put on 2 the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, a "Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 a "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" 56 The sting of a death is sin, and b the power of sin is the law; 57 but a thanks be to God, who gives us the b victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 6. Death is conquered by resurrection! When we are resurrected (v. 52) then a "Death is swallowed up in victory. The last enemy that will be a abolished is death. 4
John 5:21-29 21 "For just as the Father raises the dead and a gives them life, even so b the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. 22 "For not even the Father judges anyone, but a He has given all judgment to the Son, 23 in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. a He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. 24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and a believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and b does not come into judgment, but has c passed out of death into life. 25 "Truly, truly, I say to you, a an hour is coming and now is, when b the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who c hear shall live. 26 "For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He a gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 27 and He gave Him authority to a execute judgment, because He is 1 the Son of Man. 28 "Do not marvel at this; for a an hour is coming, in which b all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, 29 and shall come forth; a those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. 7. Jesus is speaking here of two different types of resurrections. In verse 24 the first type is that of people presently dead in their sins receiving the Gospel and hearing with saving faith being quickened in their spirits and becoming born again! This is a spiritual resurrection which MUST come before anyone can receive the second type of resurrection which is physical. Titus 3:4-5 4 But when the a kindness of b God our Savior and His love for mankind c appeared, 5 a He saved us, b not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but c according to His mercy, by the d washing of regeneration and e renewing by the Holy Spirit, 8. The second type of resurrection is the physical resurrection- the reunion of the spirit with the resurrected physical body. In verse 28 Jesus Himself says that there is an hour coming- a specific point in time when ALL who have died shall hear His voice and that everyone shall come forth; a those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. (According to 1 Cor.15:52 this resurrection occurs in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for a the trumpet will sound, and b the dead will be raised 1 imperishable, and c we shall be changed.) John 17:17-24 7 a "Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth. 18 "As a Thou didst send Me into the world, b I also have sent them into the world. 19 "And for their sakes I a sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be b sanctified c in truth. 20 "I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; a even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; b that the world may 1 believe that c Thou didst send Me. 22 "And the a glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 a I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected 1 in unity, that the world may 2 know that b Thou didst send Me, and didst c love them, even as Thou didst love Me. 24 "Father, 1 I desire that a they also, whom Thou hast given Me, b be with Me where I am, 5
in order that they may behold My c glory, which Thou hast given Me; for Thou didst love Me before d the foundation of the world. 9. Ultimately God will raise ALL Believers to eternal life. We will be with the Lord forever. SUMMARY 1. Everything God made was VERY good. 2. Satan would have a seeming victory over Man and even over Christ, yet Man would crush Satan s head ultimately. The Man is Jesus Christ. 3. God s love for Man He actually drives Man out of the garden to protect him! Man has cursed himself! 4. Jesus Himself 1a bore our sins in His body on the 2b cross, that we c might die to 3 sin and live to righteousness; for d by His 4 wounds we are e healed. 5. Death is conquered by resurrection! When we are resurrected (v. 52) then a "Death is swallowed up in victory. The last enemy that will be a abolished is death. 6. The first type of resurrection is that of people presently dead in their sins receiving the Gospel and hearing with saving faith being quickened in their spirits and becoming born again! The second type of resurrection is the physical resurrection- the reunion of the spirit with the resurrected physical body. 7. Ultimately God will raise up ALL Believers to eternal life. We will be with the Lord forever. COMMUNION 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 23 For a I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that b the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, "This is My body, which 1 is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 25 In the same way He took a the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the b new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death a until He comes. BENEDICTION Revelation 22:1-5 Revelation 22:1 And a he showed me a b river of the c water of life, 1 clear d as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of 2 the Lamb, 2 in the middle of a its street. And b on either side of the river was c the tree of life, bearing twelve 1 kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And a there shall no longer be any curse; and b the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His bond-servants shall c serve Him; 4 and they shall a see His face, and His b name shall be on their c foreheads. 5 And a there shall no longer be any night; and they 1 shall not have need b of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall illumine them; and they shall c reign forever and ever. 6