Genesis 3 - Ezra 3 - Matthew 3 - Acts 3

Genesis 3

- The serpent used semantics to trick Eve into eating the fruit and he twisted her reasoning to make it sound okay.

- Eve wanted to taste the fruit and to be wise. So the desire for knowledge of good and evil caused her to sin.

- Adam was with her when the serpent told her these things and he allowed her to eat of the fruit before he partook also

- The first truth that affected them was that they were naked and they hid from God. Fear was their response to God's presence instead of comfort or love.

- Adam's first response when talking with God was to blame Eve and her first response was to blame the serpent.

- God cursed the serpent, Eve with child birth, and Adam with hard work and weeds and death

- v.16 says for but the footnote says this means against, so as a result of their sin, they would be against one another

- God still provided clothing for them before banishing them from the Garden.

- Was the tree of life different from the tree of knowledge or was that one of the trees they could eat from before this sin?

Ezra 3

- The people burnt an offering because they were afraid

- Everyone gave what they could to rebuild the temple foundation, and while some rejoiced with great joy others were greatly grieved.

- Cyrus, the Persian king, was paying for the city to be rebuilt. Why?

- Zerubebel was the son of Shealtiel, so was in fact a ancestor of Jesus

Matthew 3

- People came to John confessing their sins even though he told them he was NOT the Messiah.

- Pharisees thought they would be saved because they were descendants of Abraham but John told them the people confessing sins were saved.

- When Jesus came out from being baptized did everyone see heaven open up and hear the voice or just Jesus? It seems like if everyone heard and saw it they would have fallen to their knees in worship.
Acts

- They gave the Spirit willingly and with power and healed a man and others were amazed.

- Peter and John gave all glory and credit to God and used it as an opportunity to preach the gospel

- Jesus was called the Author of Life

- Peter points to the OT prophets whose prophecies Christ life and death fulfilled tying the OT to the NT. Only day 3 and 6 prophecies have been fulfilled!!