Sunday 29th January
Read Genesis 2:15-17
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.’” (NIVUK)
The prohibition comes with consequences and the consequence for disobeying the word of God is death. Many have thought that humanity, as originally created, was immortal and that because of sin, the breaking of God’s word, the punishment was death. Yet at no point thus far is humanity described as immortal. They were made of earth and water like the animals and plants around them. Creatures not Creator.
What is described though is two trees containing knowledge and life. The trees are together. To be cut off from the trees and lose access to the tree of life necessarily results in death. Hence the warning and prohibition. Paul is clear on the boundaries around immortality. He wrote to Timothy and praised ‘God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honour and might for ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:15b-16) (NIVUK). Only God is immortal. Only God has life in Himself and is holy beyond measure, knowing good and evil and dwelling in unapproachable light. Only God grants life and contains life in Himself. To be cut off from God is death.
These verses provide sobering context to Jesus’ words in John 10. If life is found only in God and granted by Him as a free gift, then Jesus’ arrival and promise, to call His people home, comes at great price. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 11 ‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:10-11) (NIVUK). Jesus comes to lay down His life, so that we might receive life to the full. A pure and holy Saviour that gave up life and became unholy so that we may have life to the full is immensely worthy of praise.
