Summary of passages: Genesis 2:9-17: God made all kinds of plants for the Garden of Eden that were pleasing to the eye and good to eat. In the middle were the tree of life and the tree of knowledge. A river watered the garden, two of which we know still exist today: the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
God took the man and put him in the garden to work it and take care of it. He commanded the man to not eat of the tree of knowledge or man would die.
John 4:14: Jesus says whoever drinks the water he gives will never thirst and the water will well up into eternal life.
John 6:29-63: Jesus explains that the work of God is to believe in him (Jesus). The people ask for a miraculous sign like Moses received in the form of manna. Jesus explains that God gave them the true bread from heaven, which is him (Jesus) who brings life to the world.
Jesus says he is the bread of life. Whoever believes in him will never hunger nor thirst. Jesus has come to do God’s will and God’s will is to raise up those he has given (or who believe in Jesus) on the last day. God’s will is whoever believes in the Son will have eternal life.
The people do not believe Jesus is the Son. Jesus says only the Father will send believers to him to raise up. Everyone who listens to the Father will come to him. And those who believe in Jesus will have everlasting life.
If you partake of Jesus and eat of him, you will not die. You will live forever. Jesus repeats himself again to these skeptics that whoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood will have eternal life and be raised on the last day. For then Jesus will be in them and vice versa.
God sent Jesus. Jesus lives because of the Father. Those who feed on Jesus will live because of him.
Jesus says the Spirit gives life and his words are the spirit and therefore life.
John 10:28: Again, Jesus says he give them eternal life and no one can snatch them from him once they are his.
Questions:
10a) God and everlasting life through Him.
b) No. God said “you are free to eat from any tree….” Genesis 2:16
c) Yes. Jesus is the tree of life. Revelation 2:7: “I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” Revelation 22:2: On each side of the river stood the tree of life…” Revelation 22:19 also mentions the tree of life.
11) In Genesis, all that is recorded is that God only said don’t eat from the tree of knowledge or you will die. Jesus says you will die in your sins if you don’t believe in him. John 14:6: Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
I’m wondering if Adam even had a concept of death like we do today. Probably not. I picture him like a child who disobeys because they don’t think the consequences are that bad. So in Adam’s case, he thought eating the apple would merely be like a slap on the wrist or a time out. This doesn’t excuse his behavior but Adam probably thought, “Die? What does that mean?” He wasn’t afraid of death like we are today because fear did not exist in the Garden. Fascinating, isn’t it?
Jesus, speaking to Fallen man who completely understands an eternal death, explains he is the way to eternal life in heaven–not on earth like Adam had been promised. Jesus makes it crystal clear: either you believe in Him and are saved or you don’t and you are condemned. Period. Both still lead to a physical death.
Conclusions: It all comes down to trust, faith, and obedience. Trust in God when He tells you what to do. Have faith He knows what’s best. And obey. Same with Jesus. Trust in Jesus. Have faith in who he is. And obey Jesus’s commands. Because the Father and the Son are one in the same.
For one split second, Adam and Eve lost all of those. And they paid the price. So it is today. We must decide: do we have trust, faith, and obedience in our life?