We had a chance. The first man, Adam, was in full communion with the Holy God, King and Creator of the universe. He walked with Him. Talked with Him. (Genesis 2) But Adam, via Eve, succumbed to the poison of the serpent. ‘Did God really say…?’ And in one fell swoop, man severed his friendship with God. He was now an enemy, in open rebellion. And sin came into the world. (Genesis 3)

Broken covenants by man

Ever since, God has provided a pathway to communion. With the Abrahamic covenant, it was God who sealed it, promising the elderly man not only a son, but a nation, more numerous than the stars in the heavens, more than all the sand on the shores of His universe. (Genesis 15) Like any covenant, it was made under the penalty of death, and yet it was God who walked the fire. Then God redeemed His people, as Abraham’s descendants, Israel, 400 years later, were in slavery and captivity in Egypt. The final blow to the obstinate Pharaoh was the sudden death of all the firstborn in the land. But God’s people, after spreading the blood of an unblemished lamb on their doorposts, were delivered from such wrath. (Exodus 12) Thus, the exodus from Egypt began, Israel’s redemption. Then, the Mosaic covenant — the law. (Exodus 20) God wanted this people to Himself, to be loved as He loves. The law created the system of sacrifice, showing that our sins could only be blotted out temporarily by innocent blood — a propitiation by unblemished animals. (Leviticus 1) But, despite having seen His love, His wonders, His redemptive power, like Adam and Eve, they rebelled. (Exodus 32) The Promised Land wouldn’t be theirs, but belong to the next generation, one that would prove their love for Him by following His commands.

That obedience lasted but for one generation. (Joshua) Then again, rebellion. Israel had no king but did what was right in its own eyes. (Judges)

The prophecies

So God enacted the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7), anointing David not only to the throne, but also promising that his heir would be Israel’s savior — the Messiah. Still, God’s people rebelled, and the prophets begged and pleaded for Israel to turn away from their sins and to turn to God. They would for stints, but it was never lasting. The prophets pointed to Israel’s future redemption, when there would be peace, given by one man, the promised Messiah, in the Promised Land. Though Isaiah made clear He would be a suffering servant and not a militant warrior, Judea anxiously awaited a short-term savior rather than the Wonderful Counselor and Everlasting Father — Immanuel, ‘God with us.’ (Isaiah 7:14) Exile would beget return, but God’s people continued to hope on a short-term savior rather than the Prince of Peace and Mighty God. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

After Assyria, Babylon, the Medes, Greece, and Rome all took turns dominating and pillaging Israel, God stepped into His creation, ready to redeem His people once and for all. But a mighty warrior, this Son of Man was not — he was despised and rejected by men. From the line of David in the tribe of Judah, and born miraculously of a virgin in the promised Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), Jesus was the only man without sin. The leaders of the synagogues, however, cared more for their own station in the temple than for the upside-down kingdom of Heaven promised by the incarnate God. They cried blasphemy, attempted to trap Him, and conspired to murder Him. And on the anniversary of the blood of the innocent lamb saving God’s people in Egypt, He was put to death, the blood of The Innocent also smeared across the wood.

God upholds His covenant and begins one anew

Jesus died, but death could not hold Him. He fulfilled the covenants — God’s promises to Abraham, Moses, and David. God sought out a nation that would love and obey Him — with all their hearts, minds, soul, and strength. But generation after generation, His people would turn their backs on Him, breaking their covenant, doing right in their own eyes, betraying and dismissing God. Now the nation wouldn’t be singularly for those bound into the old covenant, for a new covenant was forged. Instead of a people who rejected God, He reconciled and grafted in all who would believe in Him and receive Jesus Christ’s sacrifice — sealed by the unblemished, perfect blood of the Lamb. (Romans) The new covenant would feature a people who would serve Him, generation after generation, without falling away. A people who would eagerly await His return, striving to obedience with their heart, souls, strength, and mind. The nation would be imperfect, but through His grace by faith, made perfect through His righteousness, clothed in His blood. Just as God led the Israelites to the Promised Land on earth, He wants to lead us to a greater Promised Land — a new heaven and earth where there are no tears, sadness, and nothing passes away.

Jesus told us many things, but as we honor His sacrifice, the propitiation for our sins, we can’t escape when he said, ‘There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for his friends.’ (John 15:13) And that’s what Jesus did — so we love Him (obeying His commands — loving God and loving people) because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

The antidote to a snake bite is lamb’s blood. The battle against Satan, initiated when the first Adam became a slave to sin in his rebellion, was won the moment the last Adam stepped out of the grave on the third day. The depth of God’s love for us goes beyond any human understanding, as He left His throne to willingly live a human life as we live, be tempted, betrayed, tortured, scourged, crucified, and killed. There is nothing God won’t do to reconcile those who love Him back to Himself.

Come to Jesus

All of creation knows of God, but many reject Him, choosing instead to do right in their own eyes. (Romans 1:20) If you don’t know Jesus, there’s no better day than today. He came to earth knowing what awaited Him, and yet He took up His cross, knowing he would be rejected and slaughtered. He did that for you. He did that for me. He did that for anyone who comes to Him and follows Him.

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. (John 3:16-21)

He is risen! He’s alive! All glory and honor belong to Him, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords!