(Using the print feature in your browser will print the sermon without the navigation menu on the left.)
Satan is very sly. He is very clever and devious. In the Garden of Eden, he used a serpent to deceive the woman.
It is as if Satan said, “Hey, Eve, look at the fruit on this tree. It is lovely fruit, isn't it? Eat it, and you will see that God is mean, harsh, stingy, selfish, and that he doesn't love you anymore. Go ahead. Be your own god. Do whatever you want to do. Take matters into your own hand. Be autonomous and eat this fruit.”
Unfortunately, Adam, as the spiritual leader, failed to correct Satan's lies. Adam failed to protect his wife. Adam allowed Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, and he listened to Eve's temptation to also eat.
Today, Satan is dressed in sheep's clothing. He uses other people to tempt us — a co–worker or a neighbor. His words sound so sweet and oh so loving. Yet, Satan's words are destructive and damaging. He twists Scripture to say the opposite. He makes us think that God doesn't love us anymore. He spreads lies and deception. Satan comes to us in our weakest moment and says, “Hey, are you having problems? Look at the grass on the other side of the fence. The food is sweeter. Life is more enjoyable. There are no problems over there. Come on over.”
Satan tempts us to be our own god, to do whatever we want or whatever we feel is right. He tempts us to take matters into our own hands. He tempts us to make money and sinful pleasure our idol god. He will do everything in his power to take your faith away, to destroy your life, your marriage, your family, and your church. Satan is your enemy, not God!
We just sang, “With might of ours can naught be done, soon were our loss effected” (Lutheran Service Book 656, vs 2). We cannot fight Satan on our own.
Unfortunately, all of us have given in to Satan's temptations, and we have sinned against God, our creator and redeemer. Saint Paul said that, through Adam's disobedience, we were all made sinners (Romans 5:19). He also said that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God) (Romans 3:23). We were sinful from the time we were conceived in the womb. Sinful parents give birth to children who are sinful.
After Adam and Eve sinned, they tried to cover up their sin with fig leaves. They hid from God among the trees of the garden. When Adam was called to repentance, he became defensive with God. Adam first blamed his wife. Then, he blamed God for giving her to him.
Do you try to cover up your sin with another sin? Do you hide from God, knowing that you are guilty? Do you blame someone else for what you have done wrong? Do you refuse to be honest with God and to confess your sin?
It's always good that we humble ourselves and say the words, “I am sorry” to those whom we've hurt and, especially, to God Himself. 1 John 1:8–9 says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sin and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” There is forgiveness from God on account of Christ. God Himself, through the pastor, forgives you all your sin.
Sin has consequences. As a result of Satan's lies, he will be cursed. His head will be crushed by the coming Savior. God said it this way: “I will put enmity between you [Satan] and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring. He [the woman's Offspring] will crush your head, and you will bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15). This is the first promise of a coming Savior. He will be born of a woman. He will be bruised by Satan, but in the end, Satan will be defeated.
So, what would this great victory cost Adam? Nothing! Absolutely nothing. The promise contains not one syllable demanding works or payment or self–sacrifice from Adam or his wife. God gave them full pardon, without any string attached. Salvation came to them based only on the person and work of their promised Savior. Adam and Eve simply believed in God's promise.
Sin has consequences — even for Adam and Eve, even for you and me.
For all women, there will be pain in childbirth. The Hebrew word for “pain” also includes sorrow. There will also be sorrow in the family and in daily life. How many mothers worry about their children?
The phrase “Your desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you” means that the relationship between a husband and a wife will be marred by sin. Sin has corrupted the husband's ability to be a responsible leader for the sake of his wife, and sin has corrupted the wife's ability to follow her husband. No marriages are perfect — not even Adam and Eve's marriage — and yet, by God's grace, He gives us strength to persevere in better or worse, in richer or poorer.
Ladies, it's dangerous to have a desire to rule over men. Help your husband and encourage him to be a godly leader. It's good that a wife is content in being a helper suitable for her husband.
Men, do not coerce or exert your authority. Do not lord it over your wife. But love your wife with a sacrificial love for her sake, just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her. Men, work will be hard, frustrating, and toilsome all the days of your life. By the sweat of your brow you will put food on the table.
The perfect marriage is that between Christ and the Church. In this relationship, there is no adultery or idolatry. Things are as they were from the beginning (Matthew 19:4, 8). Adam and Eve's marriage, as well as all earthly marriages, reflect the marriage of Christ with His bride, the Church.
It all began when our Savior was born of the Virgin Mary. A woman gave birth to a son apart from the aid of a man, and they called his name “Jesus”. His ministry began with his baptism by John in the Jordan river. Then, right after his baptism, the enmity — the battle — with Satan began.
After Jesus was baptized, he was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Satan tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread; to test His Father's protection by jumping off the pinnacle of the temple; and to turn away from the cross by falling down and worshiping him. Jesus responded to Satan with Scripture. Jesus resisted these temptations and remained faithful.
It is as if Jesus said to Satan, “Away with you Satan. You are a liar and the father of lies. I will not turn those stones into bread. I will not throw myself down off the cliff. I will not bow down and worship you. Instead, I will obey my Father's will. I will be faithful to Him. So, be gone Satan. Away with you.”
Jesus came away as victor. He never gave in to Satan. He remained obedient to His Father. Jesus was “tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
The devil left Jesus in the wilderness, only to confront him again, but this time at the cross. Many people at the foot of the cross tempted Jesus saying, “If you are the Son of God, come down off the cross.” But for the sake of our salvation, Jesus remained on the cross. Jesus was bruised at the cross, but He rose again to crush the head of Satan. Satan is now defeated.
Because of what Christ did upon the cross, God has declared you not guilty. God regards you as righteous on account of Christ. God forgives your sin because of the perfect obedience of Jesus. Nothing inside of you and nothing you do can merit the verdict of justification. You are declared righteous because of Christ alone.
In baptism, you were covered, not with animal skins but, with the robe of Christ's righteousness. Faith, then, embraces what Christ has done for the sinner. Faith rests secure in the truth that our salvation is certain, solid, and complete in Christ. Faith has Christ alone as its object.
The tree of life was in the middle of the garden, but the cross — namely, our tree of life — was in the middle between two other crosses. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a live tree, but the tree on Mount Calvary was a dead tree made into a cross. In the middle of the forbidden tree was Satan who brought sin and death into our world, but Jesus was on the tree of the cross bringing life and salvation into our world. If Adam and Eve were to eat from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would die, and sure enough, they eventually did. But when we eat from the fruit of the cross, namely Christ's body and blood, we will live.
Dearly beloved, Satan was unsuccessful in preventing Jesus from going to the cross, but Satan will try to prevent the preaching and teaching of that very cross. He does not want you to hear about Christ or to believe in the Gospel. He does not want you to worship the one true God. He does not want you to bring your children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord instructing them with God's Word. He does not want you to receive the Lord's Supper. He will try to mislead you into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice.
Temptation is a reality in all of our lives. But the problem is when we give into temptation. And so, by God's grace, don't listen to Satan. Don't follow the idol god Satan puts in your life. Don't let Satan take you out of God's fold. Instead, use the Word of God against Satan.
Who are you? You are a baptized child of God, redeemed with the blood of Christ. Don't let Satan tell you otherwise. At your baptism, you renounced the devil and all his works and all his ways.
As a lamb in God's kingdom, the wolf may bruise you with sin; but Jesus is your Good Shepherd who heals your wounds, forgives your sin, and brings you back to His fold and protects you. Jesus is your Lord and Savior. He is your victor over the devil. He is your Good Shepherd now and forever. Amen.
( TOP )