In the Beginning
The six days of creation and the one day of rest are no secret. The first pages of the Bible contain the creation story and the origin of all that exists. On the sixth day of creation, God created Adam and Eve – our first parents – the first people ever to exist. Genesis 1: 26-27 recounts:
Then God said: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness….” God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.”
Two Commands
Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden, free from sin but still possessing free will. God gave them two commands. The first is mentioned in Genesis 1: 28: “Be fertile and multiple; fill the earth and subdue it.” The second can be found in Genesis 2: 17: “From [the tree of knowledge of good and evil] you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die.” Those two requests sound simple and easy to follow. There were many other trees in the garden and Adam and Eve were so close to God!
One Temptation
One day, Satan disguised himself as a snake and hid in the Tree of Knowledge. He tempted Eve and told her that if she and Adam ate the fruit in the tree they would become equal to God. He lied and told her that God had forbidden them from eating the fruit only because He knew they would become like Him. Eve decided that the fruit looked good and would give her wisdom. She ate the fruit and Adam did also. After their disobedience, sin entered the world and Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden.
Everlasting Consequences
Ever since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, mankind has suffered the consequences of sin, suffering, and death. Sin has been passed down generation to generation and the gates of Heaven were closed until God sent His Son, Jesus, to redeem the whole human race.
Adam and Eve are the father and mother of all the living. We may be tempted to be angry with our first parents for sinning. However, it is helpful to call to mind that it was their sin that gave us Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer!
In the words of the Exsultet, proclaimed at Easter:
O happy fault, that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer!
