Where's Jesus? The Fall of Man (Genesis 3)

A fruit tree, bad choices, and talking serpents are what most of us remember from Genesis 3, but there is so much more to this passage than just the surface details.  These 24 verses contain wonderful references to Christ which we must never forget.  I once told a student of mine, "If you understand the first 3 chapters of Genesis and the last 3 chapters of Revelation then you will have understood the gospel, everything else is the details." I still believe that is true, let me explain:

First, in light of our desire to be like God, we regularly take the means into our own hands.  In Adam and Eve's case, they thought eating a piece of fruit was the most expedient manner in which to achieve their goal.  In our case it may be any number of things we engage in to be god-like but they all have this in common: We want to decide how to get there; we want to determine what god looks like.  We want to determine the road we will take and that is precisely the problem with sin, it fails to acknowledge the One God who alone created the world and understands the best way to navigate it.

Second, once we have engaged in sinful actions, we always think that we can cover ourselves and make our own "righteous" clothing.  Our first parents made clothing of leaves, not a very durable fabric choice and fairly pitiful in the realm of appearing "god-like." We come up with similar clothing designs when we decide that "righteousness" is giving so much money here, volunteering so much time there, reading the Bible for so many hours and praying for so many minutes, etc.  Each of these are pitiful attempts at appearing god-like which is truly our desire, is it not?  And God scoffs at each of these attempts to defame his character for they all continue to deny his existence and his ways.

Third, and this is where see Jesus in the passage, God throws all of our clothing designs out and gives us garments that he has woven. Garments made from the sacrifice of a life, garments that are tailored to fit our needs and our greatest longing - to be clothed like gods.  In the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Christian finds his greatest desire fulfilled.  The Christian finds clothes made from sacrifice, clothes made of divine origin and tailored to the life of a divine king; the Christian is called to wear these stately robes.  The longing of every human to be god-like is met in Christ, when we are clothed in his righteousness.  Our righteousness is thrown out, and counts for nothing when we are clothed in Christ's righteousness.  

Gal 3:27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

2Cor. 5:2-4 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 

Eph. 4:24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. 

Col. 3:10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 

Rom 13:14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Isa 61:10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 

Jesus is our garment of skin, he is our access to the tree of life, he allows us to live forever.  He is the fulfillment and the gate to our greatest desire.   In fact, he is the fulfillment of all that God was teaching Adam and Eve on that fateful day in the Garden of Eden.  Don't do life by your rules and your ways, live in God's ways and clothe yourself with his clothes and find that all you desire has been met by Jesus.