The gospel is important because we are a sinful people. Sin entered the world at the fall of man in Genesis Chapter 3. Before sin there was perfect unity between God and his creation Humanity and Earth. The fall represents more than a man and a woman eating forbidden fruit. Read below and ponder the motivation behind the actions that both Adam and Eve took.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 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 also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.8 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. 9 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.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Genesis 3
14 The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15 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.”
16 To the woman he said,
“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall over you.”
17 And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”
20 The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.
22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
Our Sinful Motivation
The fall points to a deeper root sin, beyond the sinful event, eating the fruit of the forbidden tree, and a sinful nature of doubt, shame, pride, and blame.
Eve’s doubt
In verse 6 Eve justifies her action first with a desire for food “She saw that the tree was good for food,” then visually “it was a delight to the eyes” and lastly wisdom. The desired wisdom comes from verse 5 describing a wisdom that is like or equal to God and the ability to know both Good and Evil. While eating and appreciating the beauty of God’s creation seem to be just and acceptable at face value, they lead her down a road that was rooted in blatant disobedience, doubt, and a desire to be like God. Eve disobeyed God’s simple instruction, she doubted that what God provided for her in the garden was sufficient, and because of this doubt she pursued a path to make her equal with God.
Adam’s complacency
Adam was standing there the whole time as we see at the end of verse 6 “her husband, who was with her.” He should have spoken up! 1st when Eve articulated God’s commandment incorrectly (God never said not to touch the tree, only not to eat of it) and 2nd when she was going to eat the fruit. Adam failed to hold fast to his wife, Eve in his complacency and in his blame. He says: “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” This statement by Adam points to sinful pride and a failure as a leader. Adam has the audacity to blame God for Eve taking the fruit and giving it to him, almost to assume that Adam wouldn’t have eaten the fruit if God hadn’t “messed up” in his creation of Eve. This reaction points to a deeper root sin than just the simple act of disobedience.
A Gospel Foretold
Verse 21 provides an important foreshadowing to the coming grace of Jesus Christ. God’s love killed innocent perfect animals so that he could make garments to cover the shame of his children. This points to the future sacrifice of Jesus, God’s innocent, perfect Son who would cover the shame of the world for those who would believe. From the beginning, it is the depravity of our hearts that we need to fill with the surpassing grace of God.
All Have Sinned
As it is written: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one….For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 3: 10-12, 23
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1 John 1:8
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned
Romans 5: 12
No one is exempt from the fall of man. Our sinful depravity is universal and our curse is sure.
We are sinfully motivated from the day we’re born and these motivations cause us to commit sinful acts. These acts cause an immediate separation from God and we will face judgement for that sin if we refuse to embrace the Gospel.