How One Man Risked Everything For Love
Google defines a tragic hero as,
“A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction.”
Today, I want to talk to your about the original tragic hero and how the actions of one man affected the future of the entire human race.
The creation of Eve
Adam, the first man, was perfect. God made Adam in His image and likeness. God walked with His son in the cool of the day in the Garden of Eden. No one could tell where Adam began and God left off.
There is only one thing Adam lacked. This need became crystal clear when the first human named all the animals. As Adam named the different species he noted that each type had both male and female and he didn’t. Therefore, God took a rib from His son and formed Eve to be his helpmate. Upon looking at Eve, Adam exclaimed,
“And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
Genesis 2:23.24
Is it possible to describe perfect love between a man and a woman? Such love existed between Adam and Eve. The first man and woman became one in every possible way. Adam and Eve became prefect mates in a perfect world united perfectly with their RF.
Enter the villain
God says,
“Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”
Genesis 3:1
(Que dramatic villain music)
Oddly enough, Lucifer (the erstwhile covering cherub) was in the Garden of Eden. By this time there was war in heaven because Lucifer, the bright and shining one, the sum of all wisdom, and the chief musician, led a rebellion against God. That arch villain, having left His first estate, began to work his evil designs upon Eve.
Hath God said?
Our nemesis uttered those three little words which doomed Mankind. Eve replied,
“But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.”
Genesis 3:3
Our adversary then says,
“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 3:3,4
Eve looked,
“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”
Genesis 3:6
A damsel in distress
Fallen Lucifer deceived Eve. The mother of all living ate of the forbidden fruit because she, like that rebellious fallen angel, wanted to be like God. Eve then gave the sinful fruit also to her husband, Adam, and He ate also. Why did Adam do that for it is written,
“And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”
1 Timothy 2:14
So, if Adam knew full well what He was doing why did he follow Eve into her sin?
He did it for her
Have you ever heard the saying, “loved something more than life itself?” Adam loved Eve, as it turns out, more than life itself. The son of God knew instantly what Eve had done. Adam realized that his wife had just signed her own death warrant. The first man knew his Father well and realized that her judgement would be swift.
In that instant, in that moment of time, Adam decided to sacrifice himself for his wife hoping that God would have mercy on them both. Eve ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil out of a desire to be like God. Adam, on the other hand, ate of the forbidden fruit in order to save His wife. Thus, Adam became the original tragic hero because he could not bear to lose Eve.
The sacrifice of love
When God found out that Adam and Eve sinned He did something Lucifer did not expect. Instead of wiping out the fledgling human race, YHWH killed and clothed them with animal skins (most likely a lamb.) Why didn’t our heavenly Father follow through on His promise of death to whomever ate of the forbidden tree?
I believe that if Adam did not join Eve in her sin that God would have carried out judgement upon her. The first woman would have died and God would have created an second wife for his son. However, God knew that Adam joined Eve in her transgression hoping to save her from death. Whereas Eve sinned through pride Adam sinned because of love. This is what caused God to spare them both. After all, God created Eve for Adam and knew how much he loved her.
The plan of salvation
In that day, when God spared Eve for Adams sake, the plan of salvation was born. God spared mankind, but sin still has to be dealt with. If Adam and Eve did not pay for their sin someone had to. Therefore, God decided to create a second Adam, who like the first Adam, would give himself to save the one he loved: all of mankind.
Paul says,
“And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.”
1 Corinthians 15:45
The greater Adam, Jesus Christ, who was also the son of God, took on the sin of all mankind out of love. Just as the first Adam partook of sin in hopes of saving his wife, Jesus became sin for all of us. Jesus paid the price for what Adam and Eve (and all their decedents) did.
The original tragic hero
Adam was the original tragic hero who made a judgment error that inevitably led to his own destruction. However, he did so out of pure and holy love for his wife. I believe this is why God decided to have grace on both of them. Adam sacrificed his life in order to save his wife and thus set in motion the whole plan of salvation.
God respects love because He is love. Had Adam ate of the forbidden fruit for any other reason God may have just rolled up the heavens and earth right then and there. Instead, in order to save the first tragic hero God postponed His wrath, sealed the little book with seven seals, and decided to wait until Jesus was born.
Enter the real hero
In conclusion, the real hero of this drama is Jesus. Our savior not only became sin for us but overcame sin to give us eternal life. Christ paid our penalty, saving us from the wrath of God. This is why Jesus is worthy to have all honor and praise and glory. If we neglect so great a salvation God will not have mercy upon us again. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No man can come to God except through Him.
Finally, everything fits together in God. Through revelation and not through reason we come back to the Garden. Eve judged spiritual truths through her natural reasoning, don’t make the same mistake. Allow God to lead and guide you into all truth and lean not upon your own understanding. Only in this way, will we regain our former glory as the sons and daughters of the Most High. Amen.