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The Bible Defines Sin

“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” - 1 John 3:4

“The law” here being God’s law. In other words, sin is disobedience to God and sin is what Adam and Eve committed. Sure, they were tempted by the serpent. But they still knew full well what they were doing. Sin is the thing that caused man to be kicked out of paradise, out of the presence of God. It has infected the world ever since. It is an inescapable evil that, no matter how hard we try, we still commit ourselves. Thus, sin perpetuates our alienation to God, as sin is not allowed in the presence of a holy and just God.

Sin’s terrible effects were seen in Adam’s sons:

“And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.” - Genesis 4:6-8

Is There A Solution To All This?

“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” - Genesis 3:15

God promises that He will save man by way of defeating the serpent through the seed of the woman … but that this deliverer will be bruised by the serpent. This might seem strange, but this is actually God’s first foreshadowing of the Messiah. Thus, God is going to somehow save man from his sin through the Messiah.

“Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” - Genesis 3:21

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, God gave them skins to cover up with. To get those skins, some animal (probably a lamb, see Genesis 4:4) had to die. In other words, God sacrificed an animal to cover their sin. From the beginning, God has declared the payment for sin is death. This was evidenced when He instructed His people that blood must be shed to cover sin:

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” - Leviticus 17:11

“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” - Hebrews 9:22

Early in the Old Testament, God introduced this idea of an innocent being shedding its blood in place of the sinner’s. For example:

“Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats. But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you. And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.” - Leviticus 22:19-21

A Permanent Solution Is Needed

However, the solution of sacrificing bulls and goats and lambs for the sins of each person’s sin was a temporary fix. The next year, another animal would have to be sacrificed for the same person. A more permanent solution was needed, as noted in Hebrews:

“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” - Hebrews 10:4

“It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.” - Hebrews 9:23

This meant that a human was needed to die for humans’ sin. But all humans are sinful, so another sin-filled person dying for us just wouldn’t work.

“The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.” - Ezekiel 18:20

“For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” - Ecclesiastes 7:20

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” - Romans 3:10-12

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” - Romans 3:23

A Human Without Sin Was Needed

Ever since Adam, every human born into this world is sin-filled, so how could a sinless man happen? The only way was if God did it Himself. Now let’s look at Genesis 3:15 again:

“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” - Genesis 3:15

The whole point of Judaism is that God promised a saviour through the Jews (the descendants of Jacob). This savior would save mankind from sin and reconcile to Himself to all the nations. Through the centuries there were some updates about this figure called Messiah, or rather, prophecies He must fulfill. Here are some:

The Messiah has to be a descendent of king David (Isaiah 11:1)

He must be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)

He must be born from a virgin as a sign from the Lord (Isaiah 7:14)

He will be God in the flesh (Isaiah 9:6)

He must die as a sacrifice for our sins—He will walk to his death in silence as if a “lamb to the slaughter.” He will be falsely accused, hanged with thieves, and then buried with the rich (Isaiah 53)

We All Know Who This Is Talking About—It’s Jesus

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” - John 1:29

“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” - Hebrews 9:28

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” - 1 Peter 1:18-19

“For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” - Matthew 26:28

“And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” - Hebrews 9:15

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” - Romans 6:23

But That’s Not All!

“He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” - Matthew 28:6

He still lives, and gives eternal life to all who trust in Him.

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” - John 11:25-26

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