Brothers and sisters, today we gather to reflect on a truth that has shaped the story of humanity from the very beginning.
It is a truth that explains the brokenness we see around us, the sin that clings so closely, and the suffering that permeates our world. But alongside this truth is a greater, deeper hope—a hope that lies in the One who took our curse upon Himself and set us free.
Let us begin with the origins of this curse.
In the book of Genesis, we read of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, living in perfect harmony with God in the Garden of Eden. God gave them a simple command: not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
But through the deception of the serpent and the choice of Adam and Eve, sin entered the world. That one act of disobedience brought death, suffering, and separation from God, not just for Adam and Eve, but for all their descendants—you and I included.
This is what we call original sin—the condition of humanity that we inherit from our first parents. Scripture tells us in Romans 5:12: “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”
We are born into this world already marked by sin, already separated from God, under a curse that we cannot lift by our own strength.
Yet God, in His infinite love and mercy, did not leave us in this state of hopelessness. From the moment of humanity's fall, He set into motion a plan for our redemption.
God promised that one day, the offspring of the woman would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). His promise pointed forward to the One who would undo the curse, not by avoiding it, but by becoming a curse for us.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, entered into our broken world. Though He was without sin, He took upon Himself the weight of all our sin. As Galatians 3:13 tells us: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.’”
Jesus, the sinless One, took our curse upon Himself when He died on the cross. He became the embodiment of all the consequences of sin, bearing the full weight of God's judgment on our behalf.
Think about the depth of this sacrifice.
Jesus did not merely suffer physically—He bore the spiritual weight of our separation from God. On the cross, He cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46).
Jesus, in that moment, experienced the abandonment that we deserved, the curse that had been placed on humanity from the time of Adam.
But the story does not end with the curse.
Jesus' death was not the final word, for on the third day, He rose again, triumphant over sin and death. Through His resurrection, He broke the power of the curse and offered us new life—life no longer marked by sin, but by grace.
Paul writes in Romans 5:19: “For as by one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.”
Jesus, the second Adam, undid what the first Adam had done. Through His obedience, even unto death, He opened the way for us to be reconciled to God. The curse has been lifted for all who place their faith in Him.
Now, what does this mean for us today?
First, it means that we no longer have to live under the weight of guilt and shame.
The curse of sin has been broken. Through Jesus, we are forgiven, redeemed, and set free.
We are no longer defined by our past, by our failures, or by the sin that once held us captive. Paul aptly writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Second, it means that we are called to live in the freedom Christ has won for us.
Galatians 5:1 exhorts us, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
Sin no longer has dominion over us. We have the power, through the Holy Spirit, to live lives that reflect the righteousness of Christ.
Finally, it means that we have a message of hope to share with the world.
We live in a world that is still under the shadow of sin, where the effects of the curse are visible in every corner. But we have the good news that Jesus Christ has overcome the curse, and through Him, there is hope for all who believe.
Brothers and sisters, let us rejoice in the victory of Christ.
The curse of original sin has been taken away by the One who became a curse for us.
Let us live in the freedom and grace that He has given us, and let us proclaim to the world that Jesus Christ is the Savior who sets the captives free.
Amen.
