Do you know what the word “sin” means? Dictionary definitions don’t fully capture what we already know through our own struggles, failures and mess. Scripture doesn’t offer a concise definition either but sin works as a backdrop throughout bible story. If we took sin out of the bible we would be left with 4 chapters; the first two chapters of Genesis and the last two chapters of Revelation. From scripture and from our own experience we know sin can break us and bring us to our knees and at the same time we can enjoy it. [Like an addiction... we know it is wrong and bad but in the moment it feels so right even though guilt, fear, pain and shame will follow.]
For 1st Sunday of Lent (on the road to the cross) our bible readings focus us on the very beginning of this thing “sin” but also its end in Jesus Christ.
Genesis 2: 15-17, 3: 1-7 highlights the serpent’s temptation and the beginning of “death” or the fall of humanity and it takes place as the eyes of Adam and Eve are opened to look upon themselves without God. When they looked upon themselves they felt shame, they began to fear, and they hid and they covered themselves. Before, when they only looked to God for their identity they felt no shame or fear and were covered by God’s embrace of them.
From this moment, humanity becomes soaked in fear and shame. Humanity has lost its identity and its peace within God’s embrace.
The story continues in Psalm 32, a psalm of David that describes and acknowledges the ongoing effects of what happened in Genesis, in David’s life. David sings to God testifying from his own deep experience of sinfulness and also his experience of confession and forgiveness. Much of David’s shame and sin is recorded in history (murder - Uriah, adultery - Bathsheba). Despite this, David doesn’t dwell on his evil acts, shame and guilt but rather sings about the grace of God’s embrace.
V1 Blessed is the one... whose sins are covered. (He then sings about God’s covering him...)
V7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. (also v10)
Romans 5: 12-21 makes clear the nature of God’s grace in contrast to sin. Paul makes the connection (with what happened in Genesis 3) between the trespass of the one man (Adam) and the grace of the one man (Jesus Christ). They are not equal “men” because he emphasises that through Jesus there is always more grace and life in God than sin and death in people. Jesus totally and abundantly reversed what took place in the fall of humanity. What was lost was been restored and then some. Grace now reigns to bring life!
There is now no fear and shame and our identity has been restored but it is far greater than our original identity as creations. Jesus shares with us his own identity, in his own relationship, embraced and delighted in by the Father. The Father looks upon us in love and delight and embraces us as he would Jesus. Jesus shares this with us because he has never known fear or shame in the Father’s presence.
Matthew 4: 1-11 begins to show just how Jesus accomplished true atonement for the sins of the world. It follows the baptism of Jesus; a “baptism of repentance” that led John to cry “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”. From this baptism, the Holy Spirit begins to lead the life and ministry of Jesus first by leading Jesus into the wilderness for forty days and nights to be tempted by Satan.
Not only does this event recall the temptation of the serpent to Adam and Eve and allude to the wilderness experience of God’s people but it connects us in to a theme that we usually miss.
At Easter, we usually make the connection between the sacrifice of Jesus with the sacrifice of the lamb on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). But on that day there were two lambs or goats that God used to illustrate atonement. There was the lamb that was slain and then there was the scapegoat – behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!
[The scapegoat would be kept alive. The high priest would lay his hands and confess over it all the sin and rebellion of the people. Then it was led into the wilderness carrying upon it all the sin of God’s people. Both rituals were needed to help people understand what God was about in making atonement for sin.]
This is what is happening in Jesus who takes on the sin of the world at his baptism and begins to work out a true repentance for the world. From this point on, on the road to the cross Jesus is the scapegoat. Carrying the sin of the world and is cast out, despised and rejected by his own people. He enters into the temptation of humanity from Satan and resists, not only by relying on the word of God but through his identity and embrace announced by his Father at his baptism – this is my Son in whom my soul delights.
As Jesus takes on our sin, all our fear and shame he is restoring what was lost at the fall of Adam and Eve when their eyes were opened to themselves without God. Jesus is restoring what was lost by giving what he has in the eyes of the Father. We no longer look to ourselves and run and hide in fear and shame when we hear God’s voice. We now look to Jesus and believe and live in the grace and love of God’s embrace. Colossians says, “Your life is hidden with Christ in God (3:3).”
If you look in the mirror and don’t like what you see... then you need to repent. Repent means to change your mind. Don’t see yourself through your own eyes or through the eyes of Hollywood and magazines. These are the eyes of Adam and Eve who ran in fear and shame and that’s not who you are. Repent and see yourself through the Father’s eyes of delight and full acceptance. Repent and believe it, throw away your fear, shame and hiding and pick up your true you in Jesus.
As we have begun the forty days of Lent that leads us to the cross we see in Jesus the scapegoat who enters into our suffering and takes away the sin of the world.
The season of Lent emphasises or intensifies an aspect of the Christian life. As Jesus did, many Christians choose to enter into self-denial and suffering leading up to Easter.
As you do, go with Christ who goes with you and has gone before you. As Jesus did, go into suffering and self-denial knowing who you are in the Father’s eyes. No amount of temptation can take that away from you.
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