Reverse the Curse

We gathered to exalt Jesus and let joy rise in the room, and from worship we moved into the heart of Christmas: why God came near in the flesh. I traced the story from Eden to the manger to the cross, showing how Jesus is the Last Adam who came to reverse the curse. In Genesis, God gave Adam the command directly; with that privilege came responsibility. Eve was deceived, but Adam was not. He stood silent when he should have spoken, and he joined his wife in sin when he should have laid down his life for her. Adam should have died for his bride; instead, he chose to die with her. That failure unleashed death and separation from God into the human story.

But God’s heart has always been to dwell with us. From walking with humanity in the garden, to the tabernacle in the wilderness, to the Word made flesh, His intention is presence. John says the Word “tabernacled” among us—Jesus pitched His tent in our midst, the true meeting place where God and humanity are united. Where Adam’s choice fractured communion, Jesus’ obedience repaired it. On the cross He stretched out His arms and bridged the chasm sin created. That’s why He is the Last Adam: He did what Adam should have done—He gave His life for His bride, the Church.

Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15 tell the story in two humanities: in Adam all die; in Christ all who receive Him are given new life. This life isn’t only future; it begins now—righteousness received, slavery to sin broken, communion restored. Joy to the world is not sentiment; it is the announcement that the curse has been decisively answered by grace. So we worship, we call on His name, and we receive the gift—His presence, His righteousness, His life. And for anyone ready to believe, today is the day to step into that life: not another box checked, but the beginning of a new creation story.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Adam’s calling required sacrificial leadership Adam received the command directly and carried greater responsibility. Silence in the face of deception was not neutrality; it was abdication. He should have intervened with truth or, at minimum, interceded at cost to himself. Love protects by speaking, standing, and, if needed, substituting. [58:38]
• 2. Jesus, the Last Adam, closes the gap Where Adam’s choice opened a chasm, Jesus’ obedience spanned it. His cross is the bridge between a holy God and sinful humanity, restoring communion that sin severed. The manger points forward to the mission: God with us, so God for us, so God in us. [68:32]
• 3. God longs to dwell among us John’s language of “tabernacling” is not poetry; it’s theology. The wilderness tent was a preview of the Person—Jesus as the living meeting place of heaven and earth. Christmas is the announcement that God didn’t invite us up a ladder; He pitched His tent in our camp. [71:40]
• 4. Eternal life starts in the present Grace doesn’t just cancel condemnation; it enthrones us to triumph over sin and death now. Righteousness is a gift that reorders desire and enables obedience, not merely a future ticket to heaven. Life in Christ is participation in resurrection power today. [75:02]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [06:59] - Joy of the Lord chorus
• [10:55] - Worship and invitation to altar
• [31:20] - Here I Am To Worship
• [36:58] - Calling on the Lord’s Name
• [42:11] - Reverse the Curse: Introduction
• [50:27] - Romans 5: Adam and Death
• [56:12] - Adam’s Responsibility, Not Deception
• [58:38] - “Who Was With Her”: Genesis 3
• [64:02] - Adam’s Missed Substitution
• [66:00] - Sin, Separation, and God’s Heart
• [71:40] - The Word Tabernacled Among Us
• [75:02] - Grace Reigns Through Jesus
• [77:06] - Invitation and New Life
• [82:17] - Blessing and Sending

1. In Romans 5:12–21, what two histories are contrasted, and what results flow from each (death through Adam vs. grace and life through Christ)?
2. In Genesis 3, a small phrase makes a big point: “who was with her” (regarding Adam). What does that detail show about Adam’s presence at the moment of temptation? “Who was with her” [58:38]
3. What language is used to describe what Jesus’ cross accomplished between God and humanity? “He…was bridging that gap” [01:08:32]
4. John 1:14 says the Word “dwelt” among us. What meaning was highlighted for that word—what picture does “tabernacled” or “pitched a tent” give? [01:11:40]

1. If Adam received the command directly and “was not deceived,” what does that teach about entrusted responsibility and the cost of silence? [56:12]
2. Calling Jesus “the Last Adam” ties Christmas to the cross. How does seeing the manger pointing to the mission (God with us, for us, in us) change how one understands Christmas? [01:08:32]
3. If sin brought separation and God’s heart is to be with His people, how does this reframe sin not just as rule-breaking but as a rupture of communion—and grace as restored fellowship? [01:06:00]
4. Romans 5:17 speaks of “living in triumph over sin and death” now. What might “reigning in life” look like in ordinary, daily choices? [01:15:02]

1. Where are you tempted to be quiet when God is asking you to lovingly speak truth or step in? What would faithful, sacrificial leadership look like this week—with your words, presence, or prayers? Consider Adam being “with her” yet passive (“who was with her”). [58:38]
2. Think of a person in your life who has been “deceived” or is drifting. How could you intercede and, in a sense, “stand in the gap” for them in prayer and practical care? What would it mean to pray, “Lord, let it cost me to love them well”? “Make my life instead” [01:04:02]
3. If Jesus’ cross “bridged the gap,” what gap do you sense right now—between you and God, or you and someone else? What is one step you can take this week toward reconciliation or confession? [01:08:32]
4. God “tabernacled” among us—He pitched His tent in our camp. Where will you make room for His presence in your daily rhythm? What simple habit could be your “tent peg” (Scripture, worship, silence, a walk with prayer)? [01:11:40]
5. Romans 5:17 promises that those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will “live in triumph over sin and death.” What specific area of struggle do you want to bring under Jesus’ rule this month? What support or accountability do you need to walk in that new life?
6. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” If someone in the group is ready to call on His name, what would that step look like today? For those who already have, what is one fresh way to respond—baptism, sharing your story, serving, or reconciling with someone? “I called upon the name of the Lord and I am saved.” [36:58]