We were created in the image of God. But what was the cost to be eternally known and seen in that image?
In a powerful sermon, Rabbi Jonathan Cahn shared the powerful and profound journey of Scripture from the Garden of Eden to the cross, revealing how the ancient story of humanity’s fall is intricately connected to our modern-day walk with God.
The beginning of creation holds the key to understanding our lives today. In Eden, God created man in His own image—holy, beautiful and in perfect harmony with the Creator. Yet, it was in the act of disobedience, when the serpent first spoke to Eve, that the perfection of creation was shattered.
The tree of knowledge of good and evil, which seemed good in Eve’s eyes, led to death instead of life. In a moment of temptation, the eyes of Adam and Eve were opened, not in enlightenment, but in the burden of sin, guilt and shame. Now that we are in the “year of the snake,” where temptation, doubts and fears are running rampant, this message couldn’t be timed more perfectly.
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As Cahn points out, the story doesn’t end with sin and death. God, in His mercy, promised redemption. Cahn explains that Jesus, the “second Adam,” came to undo what the first Adam had done. On the cross, Jesus took upon Himself the image of sin and fallenness. Though He never sinned, He chose to be “joined to our sin” on the tree of death so that we could be joined to His righteousness and life.
“You look at Messiah, you look at the cross, you’re looking at a tree of death that brings life, brings redemption,” Cahn says. “In the beginning, God created man in His own image, the image of holiness, of beauty. On the cross, man makes God into his image, the image of sin and fallenness and condemnation.”
This reversal of Eden’s curse, Cahn emphasizes, is a choice we face every day: Will we choose the tree of life, or will we choose the tree that promises pleasure and self-centeredness but leads to death?
The serpent in Eden was the embodiment of temptation and sin. Today, as we stand at a crossroads in history, the temptation to turn away from God remains as real as it was in the garden. But just as God reversed the curse through Christ, we have the opportunity to choose life—choosing the tree that offers eternal life over the tree of death.
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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
