In my book, The Gospel Explained. I open chapter three with the following statement:
“Do you know why Jesus came? It was to provide you with life. Whatever “life” is; God believes that it is so important that He allowed His son to leave the glory of eternity, live on this planet for over thirty years and die a horrible death on the cross to give it to you. Something that is this important is something that we should not be ignorant of.”
Over the course of the next two weeks I want to take a look and explore the passion that God has for life, and see how his own passion might ignite us as we interact with those in our own lives.
It’s important to note that when God created the Garden of Eden he put in the midst of the garden a tree called the “Tree of Life.” Adam was already alive when the tree was created, but God wanted to extend the unique life available from this tree to Adam.
Unfortunately, when Adam sinned he could no longer access this tree. But we see it again in Rev 2:7! Over the next two weeks we will look to the word to see the lengths that God has attempted to extend life to us. We will explore how much important life is to God and finally get a peek at the wonderful gift that God has for us!
Here are some questions to think about.
1. What was so special about the life granted from the tree of life that God had especially prepared for man in Gen 3:22? Why do you think God wanted to give man this gift?
2. In the garden we note that Adam was to ‘dress it and to keep it.’Gen 2:15. Now look at Gen 3:24 and note that now something else is “keeping” the Garden. What lessons if any can we learn from this?
3. Has God’s passion to extend this “tree of life” to man ceased? (See Rev 2:7;22:2;22:14;22:19, Malachi 3:6)
4. What can we learn from Ezk 33:11-19 about Gods willingness to extend life? Does this scripture mean that a person should never expect to die? How would you explain it?
5. Compare Proverbs 11:30 with Revelation 22:2, & Jhn 15:5. Could the world be waiting on you in some way?
6. What plans have you enacted? Or how have you looked for opportunity to extend the way of eternal life to others?