- This sermon series is examining several of the parallels between the early chapters of Genesis and the late chapters of John. In particular, we are largely talking about the way that Jesus is “re-creating” things.
- On the subject for today, there are actually four parallels within the larger point, so we’ll start by unpacking these four aspects of this one parallel and then we’ll close out by summing up the larger point that’s being made.
FOUR GENESIS/JOHN PARALLELS ON JESUS' WOUND:
1. THERE IS A WOUND IN THE SIDE.
- Genesis 2:21; John 19:34.
- The major parallel here is that we have two wounds in the side.
- In Genesis we have the creation of the woman. Throughout the creation narrative God has pronounced His creation to be “good.” But then we come to v. 20b and a discordant note is sounded: “for Adam no suitable helper was found.” What follows seems an odd choice, but our overall point this morning helps it make a lot more sense.
- Rather than creating out of nothing, God chooses to create the woman from the man. Verse 21 is translated “he took one of the man’s ribs,” which is a fair rendering. The Hebrews actually just says “he took part of the man’s side,” which makes that a little closer to the John statement that we’ll unpack in a moment.
- Going over to John 19, we have Jesus dead on the cross. The soldiers come around to break the legs of those being crucified and find that Jesus is already dead. To confirm that death, one soldier pierces Jesus’ side and out of it flows blood and water.
- A couple side points before getting back to the main point:
a. I have often heard it preached that the blood and water indicates that Jesus’ heart was physically broken by all He went through.
- I can’t confirm that medically but it is a compelling idea spiritually: Jesus’ heart was broken for us.
b. The other point (and this one is beyond question) is that the spear in the side followed by blood and water flowing out is definitive proof that Jesus was truly dead.
- A perpetual critique of Christianity over the centuries has been that perhaps Jesus wasn’t really dead when He was taken down from the cross. Perhaps He simply had a heartbeat that wasn’t detectable because He was in such bad shape. Then He was put in the tomb barely alive but nonetheless alive, only to get the strength to recover three days later.
- This is known as the “swoon theory.” That is, that Jesus wasn’t dead but rather He just swooned on the cross, only to revive later.
- There are multiple avenues for critiquing this idea but we’re just going to focus on the obvious one in front of us this morning. Having someone shove a spear into your heart so that blood and water come pouring out of the gash in your side is a pretty good indication that you’re actually dead.
- Jesus didn’t swoon. He was resurrected by the power of God.
- Now, having discussed those two side issues, let’s get back to the main issue here. That is the parallel between the two passages.
- We have noted multiple times in this sermon series that the series’ title is “Re-Creation.” The idea that we are unpacking is that there are interesting and important parallels between the beginning of Genesis and its Fall and the later chapters in John and the redemption that Jesus brings.
- Here we have another parallel. The wound that is in the side of Adam foreshadows the wound in the side of Christ. This is not accidental. Jesus’ wound is connected to Adam’s wound.
- In order to plunge fully into finding that meaning, there are three other details that I want to share regarding these two wounds before summarizing the overall point.
2. THERE IS A TIME OF SLEEP.
- Genesis 2:21; John 19:33.
- Passages speaking of sleep as death: Matthew 9:24; Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15.
- A second aspect of this parallel starts just before God taking something from Adam’s side in Genesis. In 2:21, it says that God made man fall into a deep sleep before He took something from the man’s side. I guess you might say this was the first surgery and the first anesthesiology!
- So before the wound in Adam’s side, there was a sleep.
- Going to John, in the verse before the wound in Jesus’ side, we find John telling us that they came to Jesus and found He was already dead.
- What’s interesting here is that there are at least four places in the New Testament where death is referred to as, guess what, sleep. One of the best known is 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15. Read.
- So we have there a reference to death as sleep. Why does it call it that? There are other interpretations, but I think it’s simply a metaphor. You get tired and fall asleep at night but you know you’re going to wake up in the morning. For Christians, we know that we die but that our bodies will “wake up” at the resurrection someday.
- This analogy makes it clear, as I mentioned a moment ago concerning the “swoon theory” that Jesus actually died.
- When we add this up, we have another parallel: Adam was asleep before the wound and Jesus was asleep (in death) before the wound.
3. THE OUTCOME IS A BEAUTIFUL BRIDE.
- Genesis 2:22-24; John 3:29; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 19:7; Revelation 21:2, 9, 17.
- That was before the wound – now let’s talk about after the wound.
- After the wound, in Genesis 2:22 God creates Eve from the rib (or whatever) He took from Adam’s side. So the outcome of the whole thing is that Adam has a beautiful bride.
- When we go to the New Testament, we know that Jesus is dying for us. One of the analogies that is used about the church is that we are the Bride of Christ. Look up some of the above passages.
- This idea is one worthy of a sermon all to itself, but the main point is that like a husband loves his wife, we are loved by Christ. In the Old Testament the two most frequent pictures used of God’s love for his people are marriage and parenting. It’s as close in human relationships that we get to the love that God has for us. Woefully inadequate, but as close as we get.
- Going back to the overall analogy here.
- In Genesis the outcome of the wound is a beautiful bride.
- In John the outcome of the wound is a beautiful bride, the people of God, purchased by Jesus’ sacrifice.
4. A NEW PEOPLE COME FROM BLOOD AND WATER.
- Genesis 4:1; John 19:34; 1 John 5:6-8.
- This time I want to start in John. Let’s focus for a minute on the blood and water. We know that John 19:34 specifically tells us that when Jesus’ side was pierced that blood and water flowed out. So that wound is tied to blood and water.
- In Genesis 4:1 we have the natural result of the introduction of Eve: the first birth. When we think of a child being born into the world, we have the same two things showing up: blood and water. First we have the water breaking and then the birth of the child is always bloody because it’s a difficult process.
- Blood and water. Blood and water.
- What was the result of this blood and water?
- In Genesis the result of the blood and water of childbirth is a child. In fact, the full end result is the whole of humanity. A new people was started with the blood and water that Eve brought in that first birth.
- In John we have the blood and water that accompany Jesus’ death. It is that death that creates the opportunity for salvation that brings about the church. So we have the church – the new people of God – flowing from the blood and the water.
- So in both cases – another parallel – we have a new people from blood and water.
WHAT IT ALL ADDS UP TO: Life comes from a wound in His side.
- Genesis 2:21; John 19:34.
- When you bring all of it together, the big point is that life comes from a wound in his side. First, with Adam, we see life coming from a wound in his side – first with Eve and then through her all of humanity. Second, with Jesus, we see life coming from a wound in His side – first with His resurrection and then that resurrection life opened up to all of humanity.
- This is where we stop to express our eternal gratitude for Jesus being wounded for our salvation. He was killed so that we might live. The stark image not only of the crucified Lord but of a soldier plunging a spear into His side and blood and water gushing forth – it’s a reminder of the bloody and ugly price that had to be paid for our salvation.
- As we come up to Good Friday and then Easter, it’s easy for us to get caught up in the pageantry that often surrounds our celebration of the holiday. Kids dressed up and gathering eggs. Everyone looking sharp as we gather in a filled sanctuary. Family dinners with everyone gathered around, smiling and enjoying each other. All those things are lovely but they aren’t the heart of it. The heart of it is the door that Jesus opened to our salvation.
- In Genesis life came from a wound in Adam’s side. In John life came from a wound in Jesus’ side.
