The Story of Jesus Christ (Part-II)

Man rebels against God’s authority
Narrative	Although Adam and Eve were created in the image of God, they were not God, so they were required to live in total dependence on God. Therefore Satan longed to see Adam and Eve rebel against God, seeking independence of Him, just as he had done, so that they would die spiritually. God had told Adam and Eve:
Gen 2:16,17	"From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."
Narrative	Satan lied to Eve about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and both she and Adam fell for it. They picked from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in an attempt to live independent of God--in control, on their own--and to seek fulfillment apart from Him:
Gen 3:1-6	Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
Narrative	God had warned, "in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." Adam and Eve did not die physically the same day that they ate of the tree—they died spiritually. Their spiritual death was immediately evident:
Gen 3:7-13	Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then 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; so I hid myself." And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" The man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate." Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
Gen 3:23-24	Therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.
Narrative	Adam’s and Eve’s spiritual death affected, not only themselves, but all people who have been born since then. All people have inherited spiritual death from Adam. We are all born spiritually dead:
Rom 5:12	Therefore, just as through one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.
Rom 6:23	For the wages of sin is death.
Narrative	Thus all human dysfunction can be traced back to the point at which Adam and Eve died spiritually and became separated from God. We were designed to be filled with the Spirit of God and to have continual fellowship with God, our Creator. God was supposed to be at the center of our work and relationships. We were designed to get our contentment and fulfillment from Him. Without the Spirit of God, we are dysfunctional, like a two-legged table. Sin separates us from God:
Isa 59:2	But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
Narrative	God wanted to reestablish fellowship with man, but it is impossible for God, who is perfectly holy, righteous, and just, to have fellowship with sinful humans. God cannot coexist with sin. God’s plan, therefore, was to provide a sacrifice as payment for man’s sin, which would not only bring forgiveness to man, but allow man to again be filled with the Spirit of God. God could then reestablish fellowship with man through the Holy Spirit. Many years passed before the sacrifice was provided. The delay was necessary in order to bring events that would make people understood that we needed a Savior, and to know for sure who the Savior was. God chose to carry out His plan primarily through the people of Israel. The Israelites were chosen to foretell the coming of the Messiah, to illustrate our need for a Savior through their wars and other circumstances, and ultimately to give birth to the Messiah Himself. First, God gave laws to the Israelites so that all people would see that they could not live up to God’s perfect standards. God wanted all people to see that we need a Savior:
John 1:17, Exo 20:1,3,4, 7,8,12-17	The Law was given through Moses. God spoke all these words, saying,… "You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself an idol, … "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, … "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. "Honor your father and your mother, … "You shall not murder. "You shall not commit adultery. "You shall not steal. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
Gal 2:16	Nevertheless, … a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus,
Rom 3:20	because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight;
Rom 3:23	for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Eccl 7:20	Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.
Rom 3:10	"There is none righteous, not even one.
Gal 3:10 (NIV)	[Therefore], all who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."
Gal 3:19	Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions,
Rom 3:20	for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
Gal 3:24	Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.
Narrative	God had the people of Israel sacrifice animals to temporarily cleanse them from their sins. This illustrated that sin is cleansed only through the shedding of blood. Jesus is called the Lamb of God because He was the ultimate and final sacrifice for sin.
Heb 9:18-20	Even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, "THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT WHICH GOD COMMANDED YOU."
Heb 9:22	And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Heb 10:4	[However,] it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Rom 5:8	But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Heb 9:26	He [Christ] has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Gal 1:4	[He] gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.
Rom 5:9	Having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
Gal 3:13	Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us.
Rom 6:23	For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Eph 2:8	For by grace you [are] saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
1 John 5:11,12	And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
Narrative	Hundreds of years before Christ came to earth, God announced to the people of Israel through prophets that He would send a Messiah--a Savior. God used several prophets, most of whom lived at different times and never knew one another. God described many details of Christ’s life so that the nation of Israel would not miss the Savior when He came. God did not want an imposter to be mistaken for the Messiah.
Micah 5:2	"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity."
Isa 7:14	"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.
Isa 9:6	For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Zec 9:9	Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Isa 53:11	As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.