Adam and Eve and the Fall

ADAM AND EVE

Possible Lesson Plan:

  1. Open with prayer.
  2. Scripture reference: Genesis 3. Pose the question before they start to read: Which character – Adam, Eve, or the Serpent -- was least responsible for causing sin to enter God’s creation?  After the students read the passage, assign a corner of the room to each character and have the students each stand in the corner that best represents their answer to the question. Have each corner group come up with 2 reasons why their character is not to blame. Debate the issue. Do we also tend to blame others for our failings?

 

  1. Service references: Mary is called “the restoration of Adam and the recalling of Eve” in the vespers of the feast of her Nativity, as Romanos the Melodist proclaims, “O Undefiled, by thy holy Nativity Joachim and Ann were set free from the reproach of childlessness, and Adam and Eve from the corruption of death.” At the matins of her Annunciation, Mary prays, “May the condemnation of Eve be now brought to naught through me; and through me may her debt be repaid this day.” But, she wonders if the angel might be Eve’s serpent, “I fear lest thou deceive me, as Eve was deceived, and lead me far from God.” How is Mary the restoration of Eve?

But, with the birth of Jesus, Germanos proclaims at vespers, “The middle wall of partition has been destroyed; the flaming sword turns back, the cherubim withdraw from the tree of life, and I partake of the delight of Paradise from which I was cast out through disobedience.” And John the Monk proclaims, “Today the ancient bond of the condemnation of Adam is loosed. Paradise is opened to us: the serpent is laid low. Of old he deceived the woman in Paradise, but now he sees a woman become Mother of the Creator…The sinful vessel that brought death upon all flesh has through the Theotokos become the first fruits of salvation for the whole world.” This salvation continues in the matins of the feast of Theophany, “Jesus, the Prince of Life, has come to set loose from condemnation Adam the first-formed man; and though as God He needs no cleansing, yet for the sake of fallen man He is cleansed in the Jordan.” How is the sin of Adam and Eve countered at Christmas and Theophany?

But, of course, with the crucifixion, “a tree put forth the fruit of death in Paradise; but life is the flower of this Tree on which the sinless Lord was nailed.” The thief becomes Adam in “Verily the enemy did expel Adam from paradise because he ate of the fruit. But Christ, by his Cross, admitted the thief in his place, when the latter cried, Remember me, O Lord, when thou comest into thy kingdom.” And again with the Passion Gospels, “Through a tree Adam lost his home in paradise, but through the tree of the cross the thief came there to dwell. By tasting of the fruit, the first broke the Creator’s commandment, but He who was crucified with Thee confessed Thee, the hidden God.” We are refreshed by the water of the crucifixion, “O thou who didst take from Adam a rib and therewith make Eve, thy side was pierced with a spear, and from it sprang forth the fountain of purification” on Great and Holy Saturday, and in the Passion Gospels, “From Thy life-bearing side, O Christ, a fountain flows forth as from Eden, giving drink to Thy Church as to a living paradise. From there it divided to become the four rivers of the Gospels, watering the world, gladdening creation, and teaching the nations to worship Thy kingdom in faith.” Jesus raises Adam on Holy Saturday, “Adam was afraid when God walked in Paradise, but now he rejoices when God descends to hell. Then he fell, but now he is raised up.” The icon of the Resurrection shows Jesus raising Adam and Eve on His right and left. Jesus is the new Adam, “The second Adam, He who dwells on high, has come down to the first Adam in the depths of hell.” How is Jesus the second Adam? But we are warned on Cheesefare Sunday, “Verily, Adam by disobedience was exiled from paradise and driven from bliss, having been deceived by the words of the woman; and he sat opposite Eden naked and wailing. Let us all, therefore, be careful how we receive the season of fasting, obeying the traditions of the Gospels, that, becoming thereby acceptable to Christ, we may once more attain to paradise.”

 

  1. Discussion:

Why does God allow people to sin? To make their own decisions? Do we

have free will or are we “predestined” to sin? Did Adam and Eve actually have a choice?

      Who is Satan? What happened to Lucifer, the greatest of all the angels? (He was thrown out of heaven because he tried to be as great as God.) Why doesn’t God kill Satan?

In the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, which we recite during the first week of Great Lent, St. Andrew laments: “For failing to observe just one of Your commandments, O Savior, Adam was justly exiled from Eden. What then shall I suffer for continually ignoring Your words of life?” What temptations do you face in your life? Brainstorm, and make a list.  Read I Corinthians 10:13. We all face the same temptations, under various cultural disguises. How can you “stand up” under each of these temptations? List a solution for each problem. How could Adam and Eve have dealt with their situation? Try re-writing the story with a different ending.

What was the outcome of the story? What happened to Adam and Eve? What is the outcome when we sin? If we “get caught”?  If we don’t “get caught”?

When people sin, they often blame others. Break into 3 groups of “lawyers” (Satan’s, Adam’s, Eve’s) and think of 3 reasons why the other 2 characters would be more to blame than your own “client”. Then hold a debate – did anyone win?

 

  1. Close with prayer: Have each student pray for a solution to two temptations that are facing him here and now. Have students agree to pray for each other this week to help them overcome these temptations.