“Original blessing precedes original sin, and that sequence isn’t insignificant. The very first thing God did after creating humankind in His image was bless them. . . . Blessing is God’s most ancient instinct. Maybe that’s why blessing is our deepest longing.”- Mark Batterson
“Jesus is the true and better Adam, who passed the test in the garden, a much tougher garden, and whose obedience is imputed to us.”- Edmund Clowney (1917-2005), American theologian and pastor
Mark Batterson continues Chapter 7 of A Million Little Miracles as he notes the tendency of the Western world to think of history as linear. However, the Bible is an Eastern book — where reality is duality. Consequently, time is circular as well as linear.
Therefore, Pastor Batterson underscores, it’s no coincidence that Jesus faced the same three temptations in the wilderness that the First Adam faced in the Garden of Eden. But the First Adam failed the test. While the Second Adam, Jesus, passed the three tests with flying colors. Hence, the Garden of Gethsemane = the second Eden. And the cross, symbol of death, is our tree of life.
Above all, Jesus Himself embodies blessing. We receive blessing upon blessing from the superabundance of His grace. Thus, Mark views blessing as our birthright. Yet, since the beginning of time, Satan’s undermined the goodness of God. So, Mark concludes, original doubt came before original sin.
Hence, Mark explains:
“The serpent is trying to make God seem less good. It’s a subtle insinuation, but he wants us to second-guess the goodness of God. Why is this so significant? If we doubt the goodness of God, the rest of our theology is a house of cards. . . .
The Enemy rarely engages in frontal assaults, because they are too obvious. He tries to sneak in the side door called doubt. . . . If you buy this lie, those false narratives become false identities, false securities, and false ideologies.”
But what Satan means for evil, God means for good.
Today’s question: How do you see blessing as our deepest longing? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Part and parcel of original doubt”