The book of Genesis includes some amazing stories that could cause a reasonable person to doubt whether such events actually happened. This lesson examines some of those events in contrast to how Jesus talked about them, using them as teaching examples or signs of His coming again. When Jesus uses these stories the way He does, it should strengthen our faith that these stories are historical events. If we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Christ, and that He will come again, then we must also believe in Genesis.
- How much of Genesis is accurate, or does it include myths?
- Week of creation
- Long lifetimes
- Flood
- Tower of Babel and dispersion of mankind over the earth
- Sodom and Gomorrah
- What did Jesus say about Genesis? What can we draw from this?
- Creation of woman from Adam’s rib
- Mt. 19:4-5 – Jesus quotes Gen. 1:27 and 2:24
- “Have you not read” appeals to authority of the passage as to God’s will regarding divorce
- Cited as faithful record of an actual event, where Jesus was present – Jn. 1:1-3
- Gen. 2:24 is conclusion of creation record, and Jesus uses it for main point of His argument in Mt. 19
- Affirms divine inspiration of author because it wasn’t a quote from Adam, but author’s conclusion. Mt. 19 attributes this quote to God.
- JESUS ENDORSED FACT OF CREATION & RIB STORY, AS WELL AS DIVINE INSPIRATION OF GENESIS
- Flood
- Flood stories in Babylonian, Chinese, African, Norse, Greek, etc. cultures
- Some scholars believe Genesis account was adopted after Assyrian myth…
- Mt. 24:37-39 – Jesus uses Noah and flood as comparison to His coming
- Establishes it as factual, and His audience knew it
- Sodom & Gomorrah
- Cities destroyed by God because of their sin, plus Lot’s wife turned to salt
- Though generally believed to be near Dead Sea, archaeological site yet to be found
- Lk. 17:28-32 – Confirms existence, destruction, judgment
- Jesus would not have referenced it like this were it not true
- Compared it to “day when Son of Man is revealed”
- Jn. 8:56 – Reference to promises made to Abraham
- When would Abraham have seen all nations of earth be blessed thru Jesus?
- Jesus mentions it as having been fulfilled and Abraham’s happiness for it
- If you believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, then you must also believe in Genesis.
- Otherwise, Jesus was not perfect, was not present at creation, etc.
- Jn. 6:68