And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:15–17, ESV). Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. (Genesis 3:7, ESV) And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. (Genesis 3:21, ESV)
We know the story so well, we wonder how Adam and Eve could have been so easily deceived. There were many trees in the garden from which to eat but they chose the one from which God had banned them. But we are not well placed to judge them for we have done the same. There were consequences.
“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—” (Romans 5:12, ESV)
Realising that they were naked Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves. God however would not, could not, allow Adam and Eve to cover their own sin and so He clothed Adam and Eve with skins. It is clear, we cannot undo or atone for our own sin. Blood must be shed and the innocent must die to deal with sin and its consequences.
We see the scarlet thread again when Cain and Abel bring their sacrifices. Abel brought offerings from his labours and was rejected. Cain brought blood offerings, as God had directed, and was accepted. Then, under Old Testament Law, the scarlet thread traces its way as the innocent died and blood offerings were brought, pointing the way to the One who would become the perfect sacrifice. Sinful man could never atone for his sin and so the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, came into the world in human form to be that sacrifice.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5–8, ESV)
The ultimate sacrifice! Jesus Himself crucified, the blood of the ‘Innocent One’ shed for our sin. Through one man, Adam, sin and death came into the world. Through One Man, redemption and life came into the world and we who are ‘In Christ’ can glory in our inheritance.
Father, we come in the Name of that precious Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. Crying to You for a broken world that has largely rejected Him. Open the eyes, we pray, of men and women to fully understand that there is only one way back to You and that is through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.