2024/02/05

129. 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness' Part 2

The 'enmity' (cf. Genesis 3:15) that God had put between 'the woman' and 'man's accidental information' (the serpent) was passed on from generation to generation to her offspring by women's birth pangs. The 'enmity' worked to continually prompt people to discern the 'man's accidental information.' In time, the people's 'knowledge and memory proportionate to man' grew to such an extent that prophets who spoke for the word of God appeared out of them. The "cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way" which God placed "to guard the way to the tree of life" (Genesis 3:24) have become markers that the 'tree of life' was there. Therefore, people would sense the 'tree of life' in them even though it is hidden. 

In the fullness of time, Mary was born and was Joseph, then John the Baptist, too. So, God sent the 'Word' as the only begotten Son (cf. John 1:1-5). The Gospel of John testifies that "grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17) and that "no one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known" (John 1:18). 

Jesus Christ taught people that God is their Father and led them to naturally realize the relationship between the heavenly Father and the Son by praying and calling out to God, 'Father in Heaven,' as their own, and the words of God, "in our image" (Genesis 1:26), to be fulfilled. He did so also to fulfil what God had foretold to David but had failed to be realized in Solomon (cf. 2 Samuel 7:14). 

Jesus clearly showed 'man's accidental information.' When people distinguish that information, it is a sign that the way to the 'tree of life' has been opened. The connection of the 'breath of life' to the 'tree of life' is essential for the 'likeness of God' to be manifested in the one into whom the 'breath of life' had been breathed. 

The incident in which Jesus Christ confronted the 'man's accidental information' (the tempter, Satan, the devil) in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry (cf. Matthew 4:1-11) was crucial to show the exemplar of discerning accidental information to the many disciples who followed him. It is interesting to note that Jesus here not only exposed who the tempter, the devil and Satan were but also dismissed the 'man's accidental information' who tempted him with the words of the Psalms, quoting from Deuteronomy. 

Furthermore, the themes in the exchange between Jesus and the 'man's accidental information' in this scene closely resemble those in the dialogue between the 'woman' and the 'serpent' in Genesis. They are initially about food (cf. Genesis 3:1; Matthew 4:3), then about life and death (cf. Genesis 3:4; Matthew 4:6), and finally about getting knowledge and prosperity (cf. Genesis 3:5; Matthew 4:8-9). Jesus restored, at every turn, the mistakes of the first two in Genesis (cf. blog №116). 

Maria K. M.