The Mystery of Eden - What Happened in the Garden?

• The Question

  • What happened in the Garden of Eden?

    • The Narrative

      • Genesls 1 – GOd woos all of creation into existence.

      • .Genesls 2 – the creation account centered on day 6 (creation of humanity).

      • Genesls 3 – tragedy strikes creation.

• The Problem

  • Reciting the narrative of Genesis doesn’t answer the question.

  • Key Question: What if Adam and Eve’s sin was far worse than just an infraction against a divine law? (Genesis 3:8-9)

• A New Question to Answer Our Question

  • What is sin?

    • Typical response: an “indiscretion” (intentional or unintentional) that demands punishment from God.

    • It can’t be less than this, but what if it’s worse than that?

  • What is union?

    • To answer, “what is sin?” we need to answer, “What is union?”

      • Answer: when two become one flesh (Genesis 2:24).

      • We were created for union because we were created in the image of a triune God (Genesis 1: 26-27)

• Conclusion

  • What happened in Eden? We became "one flesh" with Death

  • And the results have been perilous.

Discussion Questions for Video 2:

• How did you view sin as a child? Or how did you view sin before you were a Christian? How has that view been changed?

• How has the church defined sin in your life?

• How does union with ungodly things affect our understanding of God?

• How do we point out the seriousness of humanity’s union with Death to other Christians in an age where we hear so often in the church: “I’m only human, I make mistakes”?

• What are some ways that we choose a union with Death instead of union with the Father?

• What is the “forbidden fruit” you try to grasp?

• What hind of union is in your life right now, whether virtuous or not?

• In a society that is easily offended and hates talking about sin, how do we communicate the brutality of sin without turning the people away from the gospel?

• In what ways do you see us longing for union?

• Do we sell sin short in order to minimize the extent to which God is asking us to transform?

• How do you explain our union with Death to a Sunday school class of 3'd grade boys?

• Let’s dissect God’s phrase in Genesis 3, “where are you” a little bit deeper. He obviously knew where Adam and Eve were, so why did he ask the question?

• If God’s calling is rooted in mourning, how can our own grief be a tool in the path to transformation?

• How does Christ’s work impact our longing for union?

• How might Romans 8:22 connect with Gen. 3:8-9? What implications can we draw from all of creation’s union with Death?

• How does God’s act of creation reveal deeper levels of union? Like: Adam was created from the dust of the Earth. Eve was created from Adam's side. All of humanity was created in God's image, etc.