B’resheet —

The Hebrew word for Genesis is B’resheet, and it means, “in the beginning”. The Greek word used for Genesis means, “source, origin, or beginning”. The first eleven chapters of Genesis tell us the origins or beginning of life and cosmos, death and sin, good and evil. The first three chapters of Genesis, specifically, speak of God’s creation, our Fall, and a prophecy of satan’s final destruction through Messiah. Our original sin with satan affects all of us in the most intimate and ultimate ways imaginable, from passing thoughts to cultural norms. Yet, it seems natural for us to lie about our sins, which is a strange thing to do if it is only imaginary, as some claim. The wages of sin is death and sin is what we bore as a consequence of not following God. And it all began with a lie: “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1). When Eve explained herself, satan knew just what to say, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4).

This one lie, a twist of the truth, was the origin of so much agony, suffering, and pain. Yet, this is what makes the Bible stand out above the rest – it’s the truth in a world inundated with lies. Despite all the sin and suffering in the world, God has made a way. Jesus Christ – the truth, the way, the life – was crucified on a tree to save us all from sin and give us eternal life. This is the gospel! Christ is the Tree of Life who bears the fruit of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the promise of the Father given to Abraham long ago, and He will be with us every step of the way as we walk toward new creation. This is what the Bible is truly about: Life conquering death, truth extinguishing lies, good defeating evil, Christ crushing sin. And it all begins in Genesis.