Downloads
Have you ever played a game of "telephone", where a message gets passed along and changes a little bit each time? By the end, it can mean something completely different. Genesis 3 begins with something like that, except it isn't a game, and the results are disastrous.
In our walk through Genesis, we've reached the Fall. In this lesson we slow right down on Genesis 3 to see three things: how temptation works, how God mixes judgement with grace, and how Jesus wins where Adam lost.
What you'll learn
- How God's words got twisted, and the chain of steps that leads to sin
- What God said to the serpent, the woman and the man, and where the grace is in Genesis 3
- How Jesus, the "second Adam", succeeded where Adam failed
Spot the difference
Start with what God actually said to the man in the garden:
"And the LORD God commanded him, ‘You may eat freely from every tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.’" (Genesis 2:16–17)
Now compare that with what the serpent and the woman say in Genesis 3:1–4:
- God was generous: every tree except one. The serpent asks if God really said they couldn't eat from any tree (3:1). He makes God sound stingy.
- The woman adds something God never said: that they must not even touch the fruit (3:3). She makes God sound stricter than he is.
- The serpent flatly contradicts God, saying they won't die (3:4).
Sin started before anyone touched the fruit. It started when God's words got twisted and God's goodness got doubted.
Saw, wanted, took
"When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it." (Genesis 3:6)
Look at the steps in that verse. They make a chain:
Saw → Wanted → Took → Gave
Did the fruit look bad? No! Temptation usually looks good. And what did they really want? To be wise and in charge without God (3:5).
This same chain turns up again later in the Bible. A man named Achan saw, wanted and took treasure that wasn't his (Joshua 7:21). King David saw a woman and then sent for her, though she wasn't his (2 Samuel 11:2–4). You can probably spot the chain today too: scrolling online, wanting other people's things, or passing on gossip. The good news is that the chain can be broken, and the earlier you stop it, the easier it is.
Judgement wrapped in grace
God takes sin seriously. In Genesis 3:14–19 he speaks to each one in turn:
| To… | What God says | Verse |
|---|---|---|
| The serpent | Cursed; one day crushed by the woman's offspring | 3:14–15 |
| The woman | Pain in childbirth; struggle in marriage | 3:16 |
| The man | The ground is cursed; hard work, thorns, sweat; death | 3:17–19 |
Notice something: only the serpent and the ground are cursed. God doesn't curse the man and woman. They face real consequences, but God hasn't given up on them.
Where's the grace?
Genesis 3 is full of grace, if you look for it:
| Sign of grace | Verse | Why it's grace |
|---|---|---|
| God comes looking | 3:9 | He seeks them before they seek him. |
| A promise of a rescuer | 3:15 | The very first bad news contains good news. |
| Adam names his wife Eve | 3:20 | Her name sounds like "living". After hearing about death, Adam trusts that life will go on. |
| God makes clothes from skins | 3:21 | God covers their shame. Animals died to make the clothes, and many Christians see a first hint of sacrifice here. |
| God blocks the tree of life | 3:22–24 | Living for ever in a broken state would be a nightmare. God has a better plan. |
You might ask, "Why should everyone suffer because of one person's sin?" It's a hard question, and it's fine to ask it. But the Bible's answer is also the good news: if one person's choice can affect many people, then one person's rescue can too.
Key words
- Temptation: being pulled towards doing something wrong, often because it looks good.
- Judgement: God dealing with sin fairly and seriously.
- Grace: God's kindness to people who don't deserve it.
- Consequence: what happens as a result of a choice.
- Second Adam: a name for Jesus, who faced the test Adam failed and won.
How this points to Jesus
"For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:19)
Paul says Adam's one act of disobedience affected everyone, and Jesus' obedience brings rescue for many. Jesus is like a second Adam: he faced the same kind of test, and won.
| Adam | Jesus |
|---|---|
| Tempted in a beautiful garden with plenty of food, and gave in (Genesis 3:6) | Tempted in a desert while starving, and said no using God's word (Matthew 4:1–11) |
| Chose his own way in the garden of Eden | Chose his Father's will in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:42) |
| Ate from a forbidden tree | Hung on a tree, the cross, for us (1 Peter 2:24) |
| Brought thorns into the world (Genesis 3:18) | Wore a crown of thorns (Matthew 27:29) |
| Brought death to everyone | Rose again and brings life to all who trust him (Romans 5:18) |
| Sent away from the tree of life | Opens the way back to the tree of life in the new creation (Revelation 22:2–3) |
Adam lost in a garden. Jesus won in a garden, on a cross and at an empty tomb. Genesis 3 isn't the end of the story. It's the reason the rest of the story is needed.
Think about it
Why does it matter if God's words get twisted, even a little bit?Show answer
Small changes can make God seem stingy or harsh, and that makes it easier to doubt his goodness and disobey him. That is exactly how the first sin started.
Why do you think God mixes judgement and grace together, instead of only one?Show answer
God is fair, so he takes sin seriously, but he is also loving and doesn't give up on people. Judgement shows sin matters; grace shows he still wants to rescue them.
Which line of the Adam and Jesus table stands out to you most?Show answer
Answers will vary. For example, Adam gave in with plenty of food around him, but Jesus said no while starving, which shows how completely Jesus succeeded where Adam failed.
Take it further
This week, watch out for the saw, wanted, took chain in your own life. When you notice it starting, try to stop it at the first link, and remember that Jesus faced temptation too and won. Your worksheet helps you spot the difference in God's words and find the grace in Genesis 3.
If you'd like to, you could pray: God, thank you that your words are true and good. Help me to trust you when temptation looks good. Thank you that Jesus won where Adam lost, and that he opens the way back to you. Amen.