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17 Bible Verses That Celebrate God’s Creation

Bible Gateway
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17 Bible Verses That Celebrate God’s Creation

Many peoples and communities around the world will be celebrating Earth Day this weekend, including churches and other religious gatherings. Those who follow Jesus Christ have a unique opportunity during such an observance to point people to Scripture — to show how the Bible is imbued not only with celebrations of God’s creation, but also with creation’s celebration of its Creator.

In theological terms, you may have heard the phrase “general revelation” or “natural revelation,” which is, in short, knowledge gleaned about God by our observations of the natural world — his expressions of love, creation, power, beauty. Though a secular holiday, on Earth Day Christ-followers are called to remember that we’re caretakers of that which God has given us. We’re called to remember that we should treat the Earth — soil, water, and life — like the gift it is. And then, yes, to realize that it’s possible to misuse this gift and to take it for granted as we’re so apt to do even with the unparalleled treasure of God’s freely given salvation.

That’s also why it’s fitting that Earth Day falls so close to Easter (some years closer than others). On Easter, as Jesus emerges from the tomb and shows his resurrection body to the disciples, he affirms the goodness of the whole creation which was made through him, and renews his promise to someday renew the earth — forever.

So, far from being political, Earth Day is a reminder that the least we could do is open our eyes, learn something about God, and see how his creations point to his Word and vice-versa. Every aspect of life can draw us into the Word. Jesus speaks to us through Scripture and creation.

Here are 17 verses you might read and contemplate throughout the weekend that sing the Creator’s praises in relation to his creation. (We have provided them in a variety of different Bible translations; click on each verse reference to open it in your own favorite version.)

God Made Everything (and It Is Good)

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. — John 1:3 (KJV)

And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
— Genesis 1:31 (NASB) (Read the whole chapter)

The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord;
    the earth and all who live on it are his.
— Psalm 24:1 (GNT)

In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land. 
— Psalm 95:4-5 (NKJV)

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O Lord, how manifold are your works!
    In wisdom have you made them all;
    the earth is full of your creatures.
Here is the sea, great and wide,
    which teems with creatures innumerable,
    living things both small and great. 
— Psalm 104:24-25 (ESV)

This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,
    who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,
    who gives breath to its people,
    and life to those who walk on it: 
— Isaiah 42:5 (NIV)

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
    Tell me, if you know so much.
Who determined its dimensions
    and stretched out the surveying line?
What supports its foundations,
    and who laid its cornerstone
as the morning stars sang together
    and all the angels shouted for joy?
— Job 38:4-7 (NLT) (Read God’s whole speech to Job)

By faith we understand that the universe has been created by a word from God so that the visible came into existence from the invisible. 
— Hebrews 11:3 (CEB)

God Cares for His Creation…

“The poor and needy search for water,
    but there is none;
    their tongues are parched with thirst.
But I the Lord will answer them;
    I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will make rivers flow on barren heights,
    and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert into pools of water,
    and the parched ground into springs.”
— Isaiah 41:17-18 (NIV)

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
— Matthew 6:26-30 (NRSVUE)

…and Asks Us to Care for It, Too

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
— Genesis 1:28 (KJV)

The earth mourns and fades,
    the world languishes and fades;
    both heaven and earth languish.
The earth is polluted because of its inhabitants,
    for they have transgressed laws, violated statutes,
    broken the ancient covenant.
Therefore a curse devours the earth,
    and its inhabitants pay for their guilt;
Therefore they who dwell on earth have dwindled,
    and only a few are left. 
— Isaiah 24:4-6 (NABRE)

Creation Celebrates Its Creator — and Points to Him

Let heaven celebrate! Let the earth rejoice!
    Let the sea and everything in it roar!
    Let the countryside and everything in it celebrate!
    Then all the trees of the forest too
        will shout out joyfully 
— Psalm 96:11-12 (CEB)

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. — Romans 1:20 (NLT)

“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
    the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;
or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you;
    and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
Who among all these does not know
    that the hand of the Lord has done this?
In his hand is the life of every living thing
    and the breath of all mankind.”
— Job 12:7-10 (ESV)

God Will Bring a New Creation

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
— Revelation 21:1 (CSB)

I am about to do a new thing;
    now it springs forth; do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
    and rivers in the desert.
— Isaiah 43:19 (NRSVUE)

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Jesus’ Last Words on the Cross: It Is Finished

Charles Martin
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Jesus’ Last Words on the Cross: It Is Finished

If the death of Jesus means something, then I think the doorway to a better understanding is one word.

Spoken by Jesus with His last breath, just before He gave His Spirit to His Father. The mushroom cloud rising out of the kingdom of darkness was ignited by one word.

Tetelestai — “It is finished” (John 19:30) — may be the most significant word ever uttered across the stratosphere. The single most important statement in all of human history. Spoken by the innocent and dying only begotten Son of God. Tetelestai is a stake driven into eternity, which stands there still, and the kingdom of darkness is powerless against it.

The Other Side of the Cross 

Let’s jump to the other side of the Cross. 

Twenty-three years later. To a day and time when people were still alive who had seen it. Eyewitnesses. In A.D. 56, Paul wrote a letter to the church in Corinth. Corinth was a leading commercial city in its day, centered on the city’s chief deity, Aphrodite (Venus), the goddess of love, where over one thousand prostitutes served in the temple dedicated to her. So extensive was their service that “to Corinthianize” meant to practice prostitution. Given its access to trade and markets, the city was a leading influencer in philosophy and reason, with no shortage of stoic prognosticators. 

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Twenty-three years after Jesus’ death, Paul told the church in Corinth, “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. … For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:17-18, 22-24, ESV) 

How is the Cross of Jesus Christ, the merciless death of a Galilean carpenter, both the power and the wisdom of God? 

In the very next chapter, Paul doubled down, saying, “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2) Why did the greatest theologian and evangelist and writer the world has ever known summarize his own ministry in two words: “Christ crucified”? Why not Christ feeding the five thousand? Or Christ healing the paralytic? Or Christ turning the tables over in the temple? Or Christ raising Lazarus? 

Why Focus on His Crucifixion? His Death? 

Twenty years after Jesus’ death, Paul also wrote a letter to the church in Galatia, a church that we might describe as Spirit-filled, even charismatic, containing eyewitnesses to Jesus’ crucifixion. To those people, Paul said, “Foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?” (Galatians 3:1, NASB1995)  

Translation? “What happened to your focus? You stood there and watched this man bleed and die. You heard the word come out of His mouth. What has happened to you since? Why have you taken your eyes off this man and His cross?” 

The Cross is the sole basis for God’s total provision for us. Period. Everything He did, does, and will do for us and in us, He does through the Cross and the shed blood of His only Son. There is no path back to Him that does not go through the Cross. Paul told the Romans, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32, ESV)  

With and through Jesus, the Father grants us all things — and first on the list is a path back to Himself. Without Jesus, we receive nothing. And no way back. 

How Do We Respond to Jesus’ Words? 

While “it is finished,” He is not. His work on the Cross was perfect. Complete. Absolute. And because of it and through it, He continues working in and through us.  

The Cross is the singular basis of Christ’s total defeat of Satan and his kingdom. Satan had no response then and has none now. There’s nothing he can do about it. His defeat was complete, everlasting, and irrevocable. And while Satan can’t change what happened on that Friday, he has been working ever since to hide what happened there. To obscure the work of the Cross. To avert our eyes.  

This is why Paul told the Galatians they’d been “bewitched.” Even though they were Spirit-filled eyewitnesses to the death and resurrection of Jesus and even though God was actively doing miracles in their church, they’d taken their eyes off the Cross. Some power of darkness had obscured the work of the Cross, and they were focused on something else. 

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If Paul were alive today, I think he’d take one look around and say, “See my letter to the Galatians.” We are no different. We are too easily bewitched and routinely take our eyes off the Cross. Off Jesus Christ crucified. God, in His mercy, has provided one path back to Himself, and that path is through the Cross. The Father delivered the Son to the Cross, and in return, the Cross became the symbol of our deliverance and the enemy’s defeat. Our job is to “believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” (Romans 4:24-25) 

Throughout history, there have been two primary responses to the death of Jesus: mock, spit, curse, beat, scourge, and crucify; or fall at His feet and cry out, “My Lord and my God.” 

A third response is indifference, which is simply a variation on the first. 

Let me pose a question. And in asking, I’m not poking you in the chest. I’m hoping to wrap an arm around your shoulder, come alongside, and walk with you.  

Pilgrims, headed in the same direction: What will you do with this man, Jesus? Shove a sponge in His mouth, or bow? 

Personal Application Questions 

  • In Galatians 3:1, Paul said, “Foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?” Paul asks what has happened to their focus, why they have taken their eyes off of the cross. What might take our focus off of the cross today? 
  • The words “perfect love” and “perfected in love” and “perfected for all time” all share the same root (telios) as “It is finished” (tetelestai). How might recognizing the completeness of Christ’s love in these words influence the way you view His finished work on the Cross and experience the depth of His perfect love in your life? 
  • C. S. Lewis said that man can call Jesus a fool or a lunatic or a liar, but he cannot say that He was a great moral teacher — it would not line up with who Jesus claimed to be. Who do you say He is? 
It Is Finished by Charles Martin

It Is Finished: A 40-Day Pilgrimage Back to the Cross

Adapted from It Is Finished: A 40-Day Pilgrimage Back to the Cross by Charles Martin.

Across forty days of vivid storytelling, It Is Finished offers you a unique and vital roadmap to trace the power and necessity of the cross throughout the Bible, from the book of Genesis all the way to your present-day reality.

Look at the Book: Galatians [Infographic]

Chris Fann
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Look at the Book: Galatians [Infographic]

“Look at the Book” is Bible Gateway’s series of short blog posts and infographics introducing you to the books of the Bible. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians rejects distinctions between categories of groups like Jew and Gentile, slave and free, and even male and female, for all are one in Christ.

Scroll to the bottom if you’d prefer to see (and save) this article as an infographic. You’ll also find a handy 30-day reading guide. Or, for a challenge, you can do it in one week using the 7-day reading guide below.

Summary

False teachers were telling believers that in order to follow Christ they also had to become Jews. Paul points out the familiar trap into which some religious Jews had fallen — the temptation to teach that works, and not grace alone, was necessary to receive God’s salvation.

  • Category: Epistle
  • Theme: Freedom
  • Timeline: Written around AD 48

Key Verse

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me…” — Galatians 2:20 (NIV)

The Ruler of This Age

When Paul writes of “this evil age,” he is not referring to a literal period of time but rather the systems of the world that are ruled by the Accuser of the Saints. The churches of Galatia were giving into this system by embracing false teachings, when God had something much better for them in Christ.

7 Day Reading Guide

(See 30-day guide below.)

No Commendation

Galatians is the only epistle Paul wrote that does not contain a commendation for its readers — that obvious omission reflects how urgently he felt about confronting the defection and defending the essential doctrine of justification.

Access the rest of the series. Browse Bible studies for each book of the Bible. Or right-click on the infographic below to download and save the image for your reference. 

Infographic depicting major themes and content from Galatians

How to Live a Joy-Filled Life

Shemaiah Gonzalez
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How to Live a Joy-Filled Life

We all want a bit of joy. 

Commercials advertise for it. Politicians claim voting for their party will bring you joy. Apparently even eating certain foods will conjure a bit of joy like a magic potion.

But the thing is, joy is different than happiness. Happiness is based on circumstances, like buying the latest car or whether your politician won or eating a piece of chocolate. Happiness is external. But joy is transcendent. Joy comes from God.

When we surrender to God, when we know Him, we see life differently. Joy is the fruit of knowing Him.

This is why believers can even have joy in suffering as James writes, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds” (James 1:2, NIV).

But perhaps, we don’t even know how to experience joy. Joy can be a scary emotion. It feels a bit like anxiety. It feels like the bottom is falling out, like we are out of control… because, we are. It is when we reframe that freefall as surrender, we turn anxiety into joy.

Maybe you’re like me. You’ve lived in survival mode for such a long time, waiting for the next crisis to happen, that you can’t allow yourself a bit of happiness. Joy feels like an indulgence. Sometimes it even feels dangerous.

We’ve heard “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). It comes from a verse in the book of Nehemiah. After seventy long years in Babylonian exile, the Israelites returned to their land, shell-­shocked. They felt guilty for the lack of faith that had put them in exile to begin with. They were weeping and mourning when the prophet Nehemiah gave them a word from the Lord: “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

He told them to cook a feast to celebrate the rebuilding of the wall around the temple. The message was clear: It was time to live joyously.

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Maybe like the Israelites — or to a much lesser degree, like me — you have suffered. Maybe you don’t feel like you can be joyful, don’t know how to, don’t deserve to. But joy can follow suffering. We should not be frightened of it. Rather, walking through joy and suffering allows us to see the disparity between the two.

So how do we live a joy-filled life?

Gratitude

Joy begets joy. Joy is the presence of God in our life. He tries to grab our attention in quiet whispers, in a way that is very specific to each of us. Notice where He is calling to you in love. Life is filled with small moments of grace. The big ones don’t come that often. Look for those small moments of where Jesus is breaking through with His grace. For one person it may be nature. For another, chanced encounters with a stranger. For another it might be working through a tough problem at work. God reaches out to each of us specifically according to our personalities and interests. Notice these things. Acknowledge them. Thank God for these small mercies.

In his book Surprised by Joy, C. S. Lewis writes of moments throughout his life when he found joy. When he became a Christian, he realized that all those moments of joy happened when God was present. Joy was when God was pursuing Him through imagination, education, and relationships. Lewis equated joy with God Himself.

Joy doesn’t have to be something big. It is the small stuff that builds a joy-­filled life. God is there in those moments. When I share joy with others. And when I let Him, His joy, be my strength.

Be in the Present Moment

Jesus tells us, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:25-26, NIV).

We need to be very present to the very moment we are in. Where is Jesus in this moment? Is He here with our family as we make dinner? As we laugh or maybe even argue? Of course, He is. When we practice being in the moment, we will notice His presence in our everyday lives.

When we practice being in the very moment with Jesus, we see small moments as holy. Peeling an orange, folding laundry or sitting in silence all pulsate with His presence and holiness. And, when we live in the present, the future is less scary.

Surrender to Jesus and His Plan for You

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). It is the fruit of knowing Jesus. We know Jesus when we surrender control over our lives to Him. He has a better plan for our lives than we could ever imagine. Even when things get difficult, when we surrender control to Him, situations that once seemed difficult are viewed in a new light; in light of Jesus being with you to walk through difficult situations.

Do not wait for the big things to happen but find there is abundance today. Each day holds joy in the mundane and the magnificent —­ we just need to learn to see.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

Cover of "Undaunted Joy" by Shemaiah Gonzalez
  • What small thing can you be grateful for? Now find five more. How does gratitude reshape the way you view life? Is this life one of scarcity or abundance?
  • Is joy a scary emotion for you to feel? Why?
  • What are some small activities in your daily schedule that bring you joy or make you feel closer to God?
  • Practice being present. Where is Jesus right now? Is He in the room with you? What is He saying to you? What is He hoping you will hear?

In Undaunted Joy: The Revolutionary Act of Cultivating Delight, Shemaiah Gonzalez presents a collection of short essays recommending a fresh view on life, through her own experiences and discovery of finding joy in both the mundane and magnificent. Gonzalez teaches us to see joy as a way of life, giving us permission to claim God’s goodness even in a broken world — and to share it with abandon.

What Do Donkeys, Palms, and Psalms of Praise Have in Common?

Jost Zetzsche
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What Do Donkeys, Palms, and Psalms of Praise Have in Common?

Palm Sunday is here — the day in many churches when Sunday School children parade into church waving palm branches (or here in the cool Pacific Northwest, fern branches), much to the older church members’ delight. 

It’s a lovely tradition, though its cute factor may not fully represent the intensity of the day it commemorates — Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem — just a few days before his brutal crucifixion. Jesus himself, of course, was only too painfully aware of the contrast, and that the jubilant crowds would turn on him in a matter of days. 

To understand the nuances as Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem unfolds, let’s have a look at how different languages portray this day in the Bible. These examples come from the freely available Translation Insights & Perspectives (TIPs) tool, an interactive library of data that gives us a deeper understanding of how people from around the world talk to and about God. 

The Donkey

Many sermons have explained that the donkey Jesus chose to ride symbolizes both victory and humility as laid out in Zechariah 9:9. And most of us know the stereotypical characteristics of a donkey, like their long ears and proverbial stubbornness. But reading the story in languages from cultures where donkeys are an integral part of daily life can help us understand deeper layers to the story. 

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For example, when Jesus sends two of his disciples to find a “colt that had never been ridden” in Luke 19:30 and Mark 11:2, this lengthy descriptive phrase in English comes from an equally lengthy phrase in Greek (“pōlon eph’ hon oudeis oupō anthrōpōn ekathisen”).

Why?

Because neither language has a single term to describe such an animal. Speakers of Kalmyk in Southern Russia, however, do have a specialized word — “arkhlata“ — for exactly that concept: “a colt that has never been ridden.”  Through their precise language and cultural experience, the 80,000 speakers of Kalmyk therefore have a much easier way to immediately visualize the unpredictability and unruliness of Jesus’ never-ridden young donkey.

Arhuaco speakers — a language spoken by about 15,000 people in Colombia — also intimately understand the wildness of Jesus’ transportation, so the Arhuaco translators clarify in their translation that when the disciples sat Jesus on the colt, they “held the colt steady.” Is this an unwarranted addition to their translation? The translators made a judgment call that if they didn’t insert that explanation, the Arhuaco Bible readers would assume that Jesus had performed a miracle by getting up on that ornery unbroken donkey by himself. 

The Branches

The previous examples illustrate how the choice of vocabulary is determined by the surrounding culture. Sometimes, however, the grammatical rules of a language determine what needs to be communicated and how.

Chilcotin, spoken by 4,000 people in British Columbia, Canada, forced its translators to communicate how the people cut branches as specified in Matthew and Mark. This language requires its speakers to specify the tools used in any action (like English needs to specify whom or what I love when I say “I love…”). After researching the tools that were most likely used in Biblical times, the Chilcotin Bible translation team had the Israelites cut the palms with a knife-like tool — “xadajelht’az.” 

Only the Gospel of John mentions that the branches came from palm trees, even though palms don’t generally thrive in the high altitude of Jerusalem. If the crowds indeed used palms, the date palm trees in question grow between 33 and 66 feet, with the fronds all the way at the top of the tree. A number of languages try to side-step the specification of palm branches, including Alekano of Papua New Guinea, which idiomatically calls them “leafy decorative things.”  

Hosanna!

As Jesus enters Jerusalem, the crowd cries out “Hosanna!” The only use of this term in the New Testament is in connection with Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, but it is actually a transliteration from the Old Testament. It comes from Psalm 118:25 and declares “Please, save us” or hō·wō·šî·‘āh nā in Hebrew, which in turn became Hōsanna in Greek and eventually in English.  

Many languages transliterate the term as well, but some translate it into their own words of high praise, such as: 

  • “Happily let him come” 
  • “Here is this one who will save us, this one who comes” 
  • “Let him be saved” 
  • “God will help us now” 
  • “Let him be praised!” 

Matthew 21:10 also tells us that as Jesus entered Jerusalem, the city was stirred or in turmoil. Other languages use terms like “disturbed,” “excited,” “startled,” “in-an-uproar,” “(the people were) so surprised,” or “overwhelmed.” Biblical artist Sadao Watanabe translates this artistically into a serene, possibly sad, and almost other-worldly Jesus riding through what truly looks like turmoil: 

Stylized artistic portrait of Jesus riding donkey into Jerusalem by Japanese artist Sadao Watanabe
Hand colored stencil print on momigami by Sadao Watanabe (1982).  
Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue. 

The Order of Events

If you read the whole story of the triumphal entry in the Gospel of John, the order of events can seem a bit jumbled. In the other gospels, Jesus requests the colt, receives it, and rides it into Jerusalem as the crowd throws cloaks and branches on the road before him. But in John, the crowd converges with branches before Jesus sits on the donkey. In our language and culture, we (consciously or subconsciously) recognize this as a way to heighten the tension of the unfolding events, but translators into other languages saw it as a potential stumbling block and reordered the story. 

For the 1,800 speakers of Wichí Lhamtés Nocten in Bolivia, the translators rendered the narrative with Jesus first mounting the donkey, then the disciples telling the crowd about Lazarus and the crowd excitedly responding by celebrating Jesus’ entry. This is followed by the disciples’ confusion and the Pharisees’ frustration. You can find this “logical” order of events in this entry which more closely follows the way the other gospel writers tell it.

Peace for Palm Sunday

In conclusion, let me wish you a blessed Holy Week with the 15,000 speakers of Western Bukidnon Manobo in the Philippines: “Our relationship to God is now peaceful!” (Luke 19:38).

The crowds who shouted about peace in Heaven amidst the chaos and drama of Jesus riding into Jerusalem didn’t fully understand what they were saying. They couldn’t know of the horrific things that were about to unfold — but neither did they know about the glorious events that would take place in exactly one week’s time. From our vantage point, we know that the ultimate outcome of all the events of Holy Week is that our relationship to God truly is now peaceful. Hosanna!

Explore every facet of Holy Week with Bible Gateway’s guides to the most pivotal events in the Christian calendar:

And to go even deeper with all those Bible verses, read them in dozens of English translations at Bible Gateway, hundreds of languages (translated back into English) at TIPs, and through tons of study resources with Bible Gateway Plus — start your free trial today!

When Jesus Makes a Cameo in Genesis 3

Alex Duke
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When Jesus Makes a Cameo in Genesis 3

Genesis 3 explains how sin crashes into creation and then proceeds to ruin everything and everyone. And yet we’ll also see a spark of God’s promise about how he will — one day — clean this whole mess up by finally crushing the head of the serpent, Satan’s mouthpiece.

Our masterful storyteller, Moses lays out the chapter which plays out like a tragic, five-act origin story for original sin:

  • Act 1: motive and opportunity (3:1–5)
  • Act 2: the crime (3:6)
  • Act 3: the trial (3:7–13)
  • Act 4: the sentencing (3:14–20)
  • Act 5: the gracious exile (3:21–23)

And something curious happens in the last two acts for those who have skipped ahead to read the gospels: we see the foreshadowing of Jesus even in the midst of humanity’s low point.

The Makings of a Tragedy

Once the fruit touches their tongues, Adam and Eve are welcomed into a world of shame and separation — from each other, from their God, from the creation they’re meant to care for. That’s what sin really does: the scintillation lasts a few seconds, but the shame and separation stick. They used to hear God’s voice and heed it, now they hear it and hide (Gn. 3:8, 10). 

You might be wondering to yourself, “Hang on. Why are Adam and Eve still alive? Was the serpent right?” After all, it said that when they ate the forbidden fruit, they wouldn’t die (as God had warned) but their “eyes will be opened, and [they] will be like God” (Gn. 3:5).  Did you notice how Moses describes what happens immediately after they sinned? “Then the eyes of both of them were opened.” Now, if the serpent was right, we’d expect the next phrase to explain how they became like God. After all, their eyes are now opened.

But Moses shows us the opposite.

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Adam and Eve’s open eyes force them to stare at their shame and vulnerability; to see that they are, in fact, not like God. What they thought would bring them to some kind of heightened divine consciousness has in fact shattered their unique connection to the divine. 

After Adam and Eve plead guilty (Gn. 3:12–13), all that is left is for the judge of the universe to hand down his sentence. Three perpetrators, three guilty verdicts, three sentences — Adam and Eve’s first, and then the serpent’s — and that is where we should linger: Genesis 3:15. 

It’s a surprising and significant verse because it contains breaking news: Adam and Eve will bear offspring. The death God decreed didn’t mean the end of the human experiment. It’s significant because it describes the conflict at the heart of our continued existence: the seed of the woman versus the seed of the serpent. 

The Crushed Head of the Serpent

Does this verse mean we’re about to get a bunch of stories about human heroes crushing some cobras? No. Is Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark based on a true story? Also — and unfortunately — no.

The heart of this conflict has nothing to do with skin versus scales and everything to do with trusting God versus rejecting God. Through God’s curse of the serpent, Moses reiterates the stakes of existence.

Those who disdain God’s Word and decide to live their own way prove to be offspring of the serpent. But those who align with God’s purposes prove to be offspring of Eve. Though Eve is the mother of all the living (Gn. 3:20), not all are her offspring in this sense.

The Gospel’s First Echo in Genesis

At the end of Genesis 3:15, the Lord makes a prediction that will reverberate throughout the rest of Scripture. It would be simplistic to say that all of Scripture is about this. And yet it would be shortsighted to ignore how vital this promise is to its main storyline.

You might be thinking, “Um, isn’t the Bible ultimately about Jesus?”

Yes, of course. And it’s right here that he first shows up. Look again at the final line of God’s verdict: “He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Who’s the “he”?

Who could have imagined that God was talking about himself here? Who could have imagined God would deal death its deathblow through the death and resurrection of his Son? As we read through Scripture, we find our fair share of head crushers. But all of these temporary heroes eventually get swallowed up by death. Though they strike the serpent’s head, the curse of sin still crushes them.

Until Jesus shows up. He’s temporarily swallowed up by death before he swallows death up in victory — and then spits it out when he walks out of the grave. 

The first spark of the gospel shows up in Genesis 3:15. The bad news for the serpent is good news for us. His curse is our blessing. 

The Gracious Exile

Imagine the scene as Adam and Eve are sentenced for their sin. The Judge’s final words — “And to dust you will return” —­ linger in the air. It’s tense, somber, serious.

What do you expect to happen next? If this were a true-crime documentary on Netflix, the perpetrators would stand there, slack jawed as they wordlessly contemplate their terrible fate. The judge would tap his gavel and then disappear through the back. But here? A different scene unfolds. These perpetrators do stand silent. But this judge drops his gavel, steps down from his bench, and covers up the superficial cause of the assailants’ shame.

We could say Genesis 3:15 is the first step on the Bible’s long road to get to Jesus. Perhaps we’ve already found the second step in Genesis 3:21: “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them” (NIV). Did he use needle and thread? A sewing machine? No, he used a sacrifice. Moses’ audience would have read this and immediately thought of bulls and goats and priests. And they’d have been right. The Levitical sacrificial system was their life, for it was a “reminder of sins” (Heb. 10:3). And what a gracious system it was! 

How else would God’s people persist in God’s presence? But we should read Genesis 3:21 and immediately think of Jesus. Because we know “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Heb. 10:4). How gracious and powerful is Jesus! Only his death can provide unfettered access to God forever. 

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Because though there are sparks of hope, Moses knows that this part of the story is a tragedy —­ at least for now.

Adam and Eve are banished from paradise. They’re kicked out of their home, and the path toward the tree of life is now guarded by cherubim with a flaming sword. Is there another way in? 

It takes the rest of the Bible to answer that question.  

And for that, we look toward Easter.

Cover of "From Eden to Egypt" by Alex Duke

Adapted from From Eden to Egypt: A Guided Tour of Genesis by Alex Duke.

From Nephilim and Melchizedek to Lot’s family and the binding of Isaac, careful readers of the Bible have many questions about Genesis and how it all connects to the Bible’s larger thread. In From Eden to Egypt, Alex Duke gives everyday Christians a guided tour of these wonderful stories so that they’ll see — perhaps for the first time — that it’s all there for a reason.

You can also deepen your study into the glimpses of Easter throughout the Bible with Bible Gateway Plus. Bible Gateway Plus gives you quick, convenient access to dozens of digital study Bibles, commentaries, and reference books, all of them seamlessly integrated into your online Bible reading! Try it free and see what a difference it makes in your reading and study of God’s Word.

Look at the Book: 2 Corinthians [Infographic]

Chris Fann
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Look at the Book: 2 Corinthians [Infographic]

“Look at the Book” is Bible Gateway’s series of short blog posts and infographics introducing you to the books of the Bible. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians warns them — and us — to guard against false apostles by using him as a model.

Scroll to the bottom if you’d prefer to see (and save) this article as an infographic. You’ll also find a handy 30-day reading guide. Or, for a challenge, you can do it in one week using the 7-day reading guide below.

Summary

Paul expresses his joy for the church, explains the troubles he had experienced for the gospel, and educates them on living the Christian life. Paul emphasizes the integrity he modeled in their midst, warns them to deal with the troublemakers, and tells them to prepare for his next visit.

  • Category: Epistle
  • Theme: Weakness
  • Timeline: Written around AD 56

Key Verse

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” — 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

Apostle vs. Apostle

In 2 Corinthians, Paul writes of his relief and joy at their repentance, but his main concern was:

  • To defend his apostleship
  • Exhort the Corinthians to resume preparations for the collection for the poor at Jerusalem
  • And confront the false apostles head on.

7 Day Reading Guide

(See 30-day guide below.)

The Lost Letter

After writing 1 Corinthians, Paul apparently made a “painful visit” to the church in Corinth and wrote a “severe letter” (now lost) to correct the abuses he found.

Access the rest of the series. Browse Bible studies for each book of the Bible. Or right-click on the infographic below to download and save the image for your reference. 

Infographic depicting major themes and content from 2 Corinthians

Transforming Your Thought Patterns: A Passion Week Journey [With Free 8-Day Devotional]

Kyle Idleman
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Transforming Your Thought Patterns: A Passion Week Journey [With Free 8-Day Devotional]

I found myself on a platform two hundred feet above the ground, staring at a bungee cord that would soon be strapped to my ankles. This wasn’t something I had planned — I hate heights. But moments earlier, I had carelessly blurted out to my high school classmates, “I’d do that, but I’m not going to spend forty bucks on it,” wanting to appear tough while secretly hoping no one would call my bluff. 

Then I heard a commotion behind me, and one of the girls in my class pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and asked, “Would this help?” 

My careless words had led me to this precarious moment, facing my worst fear with a full-time 7-Eleven employee/part-time bungee jump operator (not exactly the aerospace engineer I’d hoped for) preparing to strap a glorified rubber band to my ankles. I stood frozen, unable to jump, silently begging for someone to push me. When I asked the attendant if he could give me a shove, he replied they weren’t legally allowed to push people off. His suggestion? “Close your eyes and fall. Anybody can do that.” 

And so I did — not a graceful bungee jump, but a terrified bungee fall. 

I learned an important lesson that day: Be careful with the words you speak, especially to yourself. One careless comment led me to falling 200 feet through the air. But the words we speak to ourselves can lead us to much more significant falls. 

In the constant noise of our digital age, our minds are battlefields. Every day, we process thousands of thoughts, many of which shape our lives in ways we don’t fully recognize. As the writer of Proverbs wisely observed thousands of years ago, “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts” (Proverbs 4:23, GNT). 

But how often do we stop to examine the patterns of thinking that dominate our inner landscape and consider how they ultimately determine the direction of our lives? 

The Battle for Your Mind

Each day, the average person has between 30,000 and 60,000 thoughts. Research suggests that approximately 90% of these are repetitive — the same thoughts cycling through our minds day after day. Just as water flowing down a hillside eventually carves a path that becomes deeper and more defined with each rainfall, our repeated thoughts create mental channels that our thinking naturally follows. These thought patterns — some healthy, many destructive — become the default settings of our minds. 

In 2 Corinthians 10:5, Paul writes about “taking every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ.” This powerful metaphor suggests an intentional, even militant approach to our thinking. 

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The biblical command to take our thoughts captive aligns with what neuroscience tells us about neuroplasticity, our brain’s remarkable capacity to form new neural connections throughout life. This God-given ability means we aren’t prisoners of our existing thought patterns. With intentional effort and divine help, we can create new mental pathways. 

The Patterns That Hold Us Captive

Our culture has particular thought patterns that it constantly reinforces. Like water rushing into existing channels, these cultural patterns flow into our minds through what we watch, listen to, scroll through, and consume. 

Consider five dominant patterns that shape much of our thinking today: 

  • The Pattern of Insecurity: Thoughts that whisper “I’m not enough” or “I don’t have what it takes” plague many of us. Often disguised as perfectionism or masked by achievements, this pattern leads us to seek validation in all the wrong places rather than finding our identity in Christ. 
  • The Pattern of Distraction: In our hyper-connected world, our attention is increasingly fragmented. The average person checks their phone 2,617 times daily and spends nearly seven hours looking at screens. This constant stimulation makes focused attention — especially spiritual attention — increasingly difficult.  
  • The Pattern of Offense: We live in what might be called an “age of rage,” where taking offense has become almost recreational. Being offended triggers dopamine release and creates a sense of righteous positioning, making it neurologically addictive. 
  • The Pattern of Pleasure: Our culture tells us that pursuing immediate happiness is life’s highest goal. Yet this pattern often leads to choices that provide momentary pleasure at the expense of lasting joy. 
  • The Pattern of Despair: When difficulties arise, our thoughts can spiral into hopelessness. This pattern keeps us focused on problems rather than possibilities, on our limitations rather than God’s power. 

These patterns don’t just influence our thinking — they shape our emotions, direct our decisions, regulate our relationships, and guide our goals. They ultimately determine who we become. 

Breaking Free Through Passion Week

The journey of Passion Week (also known as Holy Week) — from Palm Sunday to Easter — provides a powerful framework for examining and transforming these harmful thought patterns. During this pivotal week in history, Jesus confronted and overcame every broken human pattern, replacing them with divine patterns of thinking and living. 

As we walk with Jesus through each day of Holy Week, we encounter specific moments that directly address our modern thought struggles: 

  • On Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem secure in His identity and mission while crowds projected their expectations onto Him — showing us how to break the pattern of insecurity. 
  • On Holy Monday, Jesus cleansed the temple of distractions that had overtaken sacred space — demonstrating how to overcome the pattern of distraction. 
  • On Holy Tuesday, Jesus faced relentless opposition and attacks without becoming defensive or offensive — revealing how to break the pattern of offense. 
  • On Holy Wednesday, Judas’s betrayal for thirty pieces of silver contrasted with the woman who poured out expensive perfume on Jesus — illustrating the difference between pursuing fleeting pleasure and lasting joy. 
  • During Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, Jesus faced overwhelming despair in Gethsemane and on the cross yet surrendered to the Father’s purposes — showing us how to transform despair into determined faith. 
  • Holy Saturday teaches us how to wait in the silence when God seems absent, while Easter Sunday reveals the ultimate pattern of victory that overcomes all broken human patterns. 

Each day of Passion Week offers not just historical remembrance but practical patterns for renewing our minds. By intentionally engaging with Jesus’ journey to the cross and empty tomb, we discover concrete ways to take our thoughts captive and make them obedient to Him. 

A Journey of Transformation

I have learned that transformation doesn’t happen overnight. I’ve spent most of my adult life thinking about these issues, both as a pastor and as someone who struggles with my own harmful thought patterns. 

A few years back, I saw this play out when I was writing a sermon on this very topic. As I prepared to teach on fixing our thoughts on what is true, noble, pure, and lovely, my home was robbed — for the second time in five months. The first robbery occurred while we were at church on a Sunday morning, which was discouraging enough, but we managed to keep a good attitude. 

This second time, however, my attitude wasn’t so great. They took my computer and iPad with work I hadn’t backed up. I was frustrated and angry, complaining to anyone who would listen. 

One day that week, while still stuck in my sour attitude, my assistant came in and said, “I want to let you know about a situation that needs prayer.” She told me about a young missionary couple with a newborn baby in Somalia whom we support. They had been arrested and imprisoned for sharing their faith. I stopped what I was doing and prayed for them — and my lens shifted a little, giving me better perspective on my own frustrations. 

Later that same day, I walked into my office and found a book someone had sent me: Forty Days on the Front Lines with Persecuted Christians. As I flipped through it, I thought, “OK, I get it, Lord!” 

I stepped out of my office and told my assistant, “My attitude hasn’t been very good today. I’m sorry. Hearing about that missionary couple and seeing this book on my desk helped shift my perspective.” I turned to walk back to my office, and she said, “I thought it might.” 

That’s what I needed. I was focused on my problems, and the reality was that in the bigger picture — what’s happening around the world, what other people are living with — my perspective was off. I needed to change what I was looking for so my perspective would change. 

Transformation doesn’t happen overnight. Just as our harmful thought patterns developed over time, renewing our minds is a process of consistent, intentional practice. The neural pathways of destructive thinking weren’t formed in a day, and neither will the new pathways of Christ-centered thinking be. 

Renewal Is Possible

Yet Scripture promises that this transformation is not only possible but expected: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2, NIV). This renewal happens as we: 

  1. Recognize our existing thought patterns.
  2. Refuse to let them continue unchallenged.
  3. Replace them with God’s truth.
  4. Repeat this process until new patterns form.

This Holy Week provides a perfect opportunity to begin this journey of transformation. As we walk with Jesus through His final days, we can allow His example and sacrifice to reshape how we think about ourselves, others, circumstances, pleasure, pain, and purpose. 

I’ve created an 8-day devotional journey through Passion Week which offers daily readings that connect each moment of Christ’s journey with our modern thought struggles. Each day includes Scripture, reflections on how Jesus confronted these patterns, practical application steps, and guided prayer. 

Download FREE Passion Week Devotional

Whether you’re struggling with insecurity, battling constant distraction, quick to take offense, caught in pleasure-seeking, or drowning in despair, Jesus has already walked the path to victory. His journey from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday reveals not just what He did for us but how we can live in the power of His resurrection, with renewed minds and transformed lives. 

As we prepare for Holy Week, let’s commit to more than remembering historical events. Let’s embark on a journey of transformation, taking every thought captive and allowing Jesus’ pattern to replace our broken ones. For when our thinking changes, everything changes. 

Discover the biblical, neurological, and emotional keys to transforming destructive patterns of thinking into a renewed mind — one thought at a time — in Every Thought Captive: Calm the Mental Chaos That Keeps You Stuck, Drains Your Hope, and Holds You Back by Kyle Idleman.

Deepen your study into the full meaning of Easter with Bible Gateway Plus. Bible Gateway Plus gives you quick, convenient access to dozens of digital study Bibles, commentaries, and reference books, all of them seamlessly integrated into your online Bible reading! Try it free and see what a difference it makes in your reading and study of God’s Word.

Bible Verses for Holy Week and Easter (2025)

Bible Gateway
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Bible Verses for Holy Week and Easter (2025)

Looking for Bible verses for Holy Week and Easter? Here are portions of Scripture to help focus your reading and help you walk with Jesus through each day of Holy Week. For each day, we’ll provide a key verse or two in a variety of translations (you can click into the verse to read it in your preferred version), and links to read the entire passage in each Gospel.

Are you a pastor? (Or someone interested in traditional Christianity?) We’ll also provide links to the associated Lectionary passages for Year C (2025). (For those who aren’t familiar, the Lectionary are daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year. They’re used by most traditional Protestant denominations and Catholics.) Don’t forget: Bible Gateway offers Lectionary reading plans delivered daily straight to your inbox in your favorite translation.

Palm Sunday

Key Verse:

The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
“Hosanna!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Blessed is the king of Israel!”
— John 12:12-13 (NIV)

Gospel Passages: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19

Lectionary: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Luke 19:28-40

Holy Monday and Holy Tuesday

Key Verses:

And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
— Mark 12:29-31 (KJV)

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When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he told his disciples, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
— Matthew 26:1-2 (NET)

Gospel Passages: Matthew 21:12-26:13; Mark 11:12-14:9; Luke 19:41-21:38; John 12:20-50

Lectionary:

Spy Wednesday

Key Verse:

Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver.
— Matthew 26:14-15 (NASB)

Gospel Passages: Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:1-6

Lectionary: Isaiah 50:4-9; Psalm 70; Hebrews 12:1-3; John 13:21-32

Maundy Thursday

Key Verses:

After taking the bread and giving thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he took the cup after the meal and said, “This cup is the new covenant by my blood, which is poured out for you.”
— Luke 22:19-20 (CEB)

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
— John 13:34-35 (ESV)

Gospel Passages: Matthew 26:17-46; Mark 14:12-42; Luke 22:7-46; John 13:1-17:26

Lectionary: Exodus 12:1-14; Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-17, 31-35

Good Friday

Learn more about Easter with the resources of Bible Gateway Plus

Key Verses:

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from saving me,
    so far from my cries of anguish?
…
They divide my clothes among them
    and cast lots for my garment.
— Psalm 22:1, 18 (NIV)

And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
— Luke 23:33-34 (ESV)

And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” … Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.
— Matthew 27:46, 50 (NRSVUE)

Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth. Then he took Jesus’ body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance.
— Mark 15:46 (NLT)

Gospel Passages: Matthew 26:47-27:61; Mark 14:43-15:47; Luke 22:47-23:56; John 18:1-19:42

Lectionary: Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Psalm 22; Hebrews 10:16-25 or Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42

Holy Saturday

Key Verse:

And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.
— Luke 23:55-56 (NKJV)

Gospel Passages: Matthew 27:62-66

Lectionary: Job 14:1-14 or Lamentations 3:1-9, 19-24; Psalm 31:1-4, 15-16; 1 Peter 4:1-8; Matthew 27:57-66 or John 19:38-42

Easter Sunday

Key Verses:

Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

— John 20:11-18 (NIV)

Gospel Passages: Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18

Lectionary:

He Is Risen!

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
— 1 Corinthians 1:18 (NKJV)

For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth; [Is. 53:9] when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed [Is. 53:5].
— 1 Peter 2:21-24 (CSB)

I am about to do a new thing;
    now it springs forth; do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
    and rivers in the desert.
— Isaiah 43:19 (NRSVUE)

The best way to study and explore all these Easter verses and more is with Bible Gateway Plus. Bible Gateway Plus gives you quick, convenient access to dozens of digital study Bibles, commentaries, and reference books, all of them seamlessly integrated into your online Bible reading! Try it free and see what a difference it makes in your reading and study of God’s Word.

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