DWoG 8 Promise of Hope

The fear of snakes can be traced back to Genesis 3, where God put intense hostility between mankind and the serpent. God made all creation good, including the serpent, and humans were to align creation with God. However, humanity’s rebellion led to chaos and death, as the story is told in Genesis 3.

Remember, in our earlier discussions, we talked about how God made all of creation good. God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, where two special trees stood: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God commanded them not to eat from the latter, warning of death if they did. For a while, Adam and Eve obeyed, until the serpent deceived Eve.

The serpent, cunning and deceitful as he is, questioned God's command. Eve initially resisted but eventually succumbed to the serpent’s lies, eating the forbidden fruit and sharing it with Adam. This act of defiance led to the Great Fall, bringing shame, fear, and separation from God.

God punished all of creation. Adam and Eve were banished from Eden, and the Tree of Life was made inaccessible. Genesis 3:21 to 24 describes this punishment, where God made garments for Adam and Eve and drove them out of Eden. An angel with a flaming sword guarded the Tree of Life.

God also cursed the serpent, saying: “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Gen. 3:14-15).

Early Christians found a deeper meaning in Genesis 3. They believed that the conflict between the snake and Eve's children was a prediction that came true with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus, who was born to the Virgin Mary, is thought to be Eve's descendant. Early Church leaders like Justin Martyr compared Eve and Mary, noting that while Eve introduced sin, Mary brought salvation by giving birth to Jesus.

Many Christians believe the serpent is Satan, as shown in New Testament passages like John 8:44 and Revelation 12 and 20. Jesus' struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane is similar to Adam and Eve's temptation in Eden. Unlike them, Jesus stayed true to God's will, leading to His crucifixion and death, which is seen as the serpent biting His heel. However, Jesus' resurrection showed His victory over Satan, crushing the serpent's head and breaking the curse of death.

Jesus’ victory means creation can realign with God. For Christians, death is no longer feared but seen as a transition to eternal life. The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:55 mocks death: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” This hope is available to all who accept Jesus as their Savior and commit to God’s will.

Christians celebrate this hope with Christmas and Easter. Christmas marks Jesus’ birth, God incarnate, and Easter commemorates His death and resurrection. These celebrations reflect the fulfilment of Genesis 3:14-15, bringing hope and new life to a broken world.

In summary, Genesis 3 finds its fulfilment in Jesus Christ. Born of Mary, Jesus is the Offspring of Eve who defeated Satan. So, when you see a snake, remember that Jesus’ victory over Satan means we need not fear death or snakes.

So, the next time you see a snake or hear the story of Genesis 3, remember that Jesus Christ defeated Satan and conquered death. Because of this, we don't need to be afraid of death or snakes, and we don't need to see snakes as our enemies.