By Travis Lauterbach

When Adam and Eve committed treason against God, they suddenly knew their nakedness (Genesis 3).

Having fallen into sin, they looked at each other differently. They saw one another for the first time through selfish eyes, seeking fleshly desires.

They were no longer “very good” as God had created them. They were sinners.

After their sin, they tried to cover their own nakedness. This proved a feeble attempt to cover what went wrong and rid themselves of the guilt and shame they felt.

“They sewed fig leaves together and made for themselves loincloths” (Genesis 3:7).

This began the pattern of human beings trying to obtain the original innocence once had in the Garden of Eden through their own efforts, by their own works. But it can’t be done.

Shortly after falling into sin, God confronted Adam, Eve, and the serpent. He cursed each one of them. And yet within the curse on Satan was a promise for Adam and Eve. An offspring of the woman would crush the serpent. A Messiah would save the human race.

Adam and Eve, weren’t going to cover their own shame or guilt. Neither would any of their descendants, save one, who is also the Son of God. Jesus, through suffering and death, sacrificed Himself for the sins of the world and rose again. Thus, He is the covering over guilt and shame of sin. This theme of being covered through the work of Jesus appears throughout Scripture. Paul writes, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on  Christ” (Galatians 3:27).

Isaiah says, “[God] has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10).

Revelation 7:15 speaks about believers who “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

God showed Adam and Eve that they wouldn’t cover their own sin. He clothed them with animal skins pointing toward Jesus’ future sacrifice (Genesis 3:21).

Travis Lauterbach is the pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church located in the Falcon Ridge Business Park in Mesquite.