People of Advent: Adam and Eve

 

From time to time in this advent series I will look at the people involved with the advent.  Today it is Adam and Eve.

Adam and Eve Genesis 3:22-24

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.

 

It seems surprising to include Adam and Eve in the advent.  The Advent happened long after Adam and Eve lived.  They were long dead.  How do they enter in?  Well, they were not physically present at the Advent, but their presence underlies The Advent event.  If Adam and Eve had not chosen to sin, Jesus would not have had to come. From the minute of their sin we were in need of a Savior.  They knew perfection and they knew the loss of perfection.  I think they understood the consequence of choosing sin over God’s plan more than any human being.  For them it was tragedy.  For us it is tragedy, too, but we have not experienced perfection so we cannot conceive of the magnitude of loss.  We were born this way. 

 

Someday we will live in a perfect world, better than even what Adam and Eve knew.  We will do that because Jesus came.  The Advent!  When we live in that perfection we will  be unable to sin.  Everything will be right, and Satan will be beaten, vanquished. 

 

When you think of Advent think about the reason for it, and the hope The Advent brings.  Then sing out those Christmas songs with all your heart!