A STUDY IN CONTRAST: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HOLY?

Seems like a simple thing. God had given Adam all kinds of other good things to eat. All Adam had to do is leave that one tree alone. Nevertheless, when the serpent tempted Eve, Adam did not drive the serpent away. Instead, he took the forbidden fruit from Eve’s hand, and he ate of it too. Then, as Eve had blamed the serpent for her temptation, Adam blamed Eve. So God cursed them both, and threw them out of Paradise.

Adam may have been the first man, but he was still just an ordinary man. Adam may have lived almost a thousand years, but to what end? What good was his life? His life would still end in futility. Did God just give Adam all of those years to mourn? To regret what he and Eve had lost?

Fortunately, God is merciful. So there is much more to the story. Even as He cursed her God made a promise to Eve.

Genesis 3:15 New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁵ And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”

When Jesus was on the cross, Satan bruised His heel. When Jesus was on the cross, Jesus bruised Satan’s head, giving him a fatal wound.

Why was Jesus was on that cross? Why did He receive a terrible bruise? Jesus loves the Father, and He is obedient to Him. Jesus is what Adam could not be, perfectly obedient to the Father. Nevertheless, as Christians, Jesus and his apostles call upon us to follow our Savior’s example.

Philippians 2:5-11 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Humbled and Exalted Christ

⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.