7 Ways Jesus Reverses the Curse From Eden

Crucifixion by Carl Bloch

Everything about the Kingdom of God is a reversal of worldly powers (servant leadership, first shall be last, etc.). God’s ways are opposed to the World’s ways.

Likewise, everything about the Gospel is a reversal of what went wrong in the beginning of creation and nowhere is this highlighted more than during the Passion, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. So here are seven ways in which Jesus reverses all the mistakes and curses from creation.

1. The disobedience in the Garden of Eden is now rectified by the obedience of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Genesis 3:11
Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?

Luke 22:42
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me, yet not my will but yours be done.”

2. Jesus goes willingly to a shameful death to conquer it, while Adam hides in his shame.

Genesis 3:9,10
But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”

Hebrews 12:2
…looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame…

3. Jesus dies outside of the gates of the city to make a way for people to enter paradise and have forgiveness of sin; Adam and Eve were forced outside of paradise because of their sin.

Genesis 3:23,24
…therefore the Lord God sent them forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which they were taken. He drove out the humans, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a sword flaming and turning to guard the way to the tree of life.

Hebrews 13:12
Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the city gate in order to sanctify the people by his own blood.

4. Jesus wears a crown made of thorns as he makes way to remove sin, Adam and Eve brought in thorns by their sin.

Genesis 3:17,18
…cursed is the ground because of you; toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.

John 19:2
And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe.

5. Jesus became the curse for us, Adam and Eve brought in a curse against us.

Genesis 3:17
…cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life

Galatians 3:13
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us

6. Jesus defeated death and sin and brought in eternal life, Adam and Eve ushered in death and sin and lost their immortality.

Genesis 3:22,23
Then the Lord God said, “See, the humans have become like one of us, knowing good and evil, and now they might reach out their hands and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever” — therefore the Lord God sent them forth from the garden of Eden…

2 Timothy 1:10
…but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

7. Jesus gives us access to the Tree of Life again if we follow him, Adam and Eve were denied access by not following God’s commands.

Genesis 3:24
He drove out the humans, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a sword flaming and turning to guard the way to the tree of life.

Revelation 2:7, 22:14
To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God. … Blessed are those who wash their robes [do his commandments], so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.

I hope this brings you some hope and excitement about what Jesus has accomplished and given us through his death and resurrection and how he has made all things new (including us who are born again)!

Revelation 21:5
And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.”

I want to close this off with one of my favourite quotes from the early church, from a second century bishop called Melito of Sardis, who writes of this reversal concept in a really great and poetic way that I think really hits it home:

He that hung up the earth in space was Himself hanged up; He that fixed the heavens was fixed with nails; He that bore up the earth was borne up on a tree; the Lord of all was subjected to ignominy in a naked body-God put to death! the King of Israel slain with Israel’s right hand! Alas for the new wickedness of the new murder! The Lord was exposed with naked body: He was not deemed worthy even of covering; and, in order that He might not be seen, the luminaries turned away, and the day became darkened because they slew God, who hung naked on the tree. It was not the body of our Lord that the luminaries covered with darkness when they set, but the eyes of men. For, because the people quaked not, the earth quaked; because they were not affrighted, the earth was affrighted. Thou smotest thy Lord: thou also hast been smitten upon the earth. And thou indeed liest dead; but He is risen from the place of the dead, and ascended to the height of heaven, having suffered for the sake of those who suffer, and having been bound for the sake of Adam’s race which was imprisoned, and having been judged for the sake of him who was condemned, and having been buried for the sake of him who was buried.