Who Is Jesus? | Exploring the Bible | Episode 443

We live in a world that tells us we can be anything we want. But is that even something we should wish for? What if our greatest freedom came, not from choosing who we are, but from embracing the fullness of who God made us to be? And what if God has wired us to be our freest, best selves when we become who Jesus says we are in Him? Finally, what if it took one another to discover more fully who we are in Christ, and who He is in us?

Listen to Stephanie's teaching: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/410003/link/ 

Consider the full course (use coupon HEART for 25% off your entire cart!): https://www.gospelspice.com/unexpected 

In today’s and next week’s episodes, Stephanie explores how the lives of Adam and Eve, the first humans, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, serve as unexpected companions in the story of Scripture. Their experiences help us answer Jesus’s central question: "Who do you say that I am?" Together, they offer distinct perspectives that deepen our understanding of who Christ is and who we are in Him.

This is Part 1 of this teaching. Part 2 will be available next week! Scroll to the bottom of this blog post for application questions relevant to Part 1 of this teaching.

Here’s more:

Both Adam and Eve and Mary faced a common enemy—the serpent, the epitome of evil and deception. For Adam and Eve, the serpent was literal; for Mary, it manifested in cultural pressures and theological misunderstandings about the Messiah. We, too, face our own serpents today—temptations and misunderstandings that threaten our faith.

They also were witnesses to God’s grace through forms of incarnation. Adam and Eve experienced creation, while Mary witnessed the birth of Jesus, God made flesh. Both sets of experiences pointed to the unfolding of God’s salvation story.

Death and Resurrection: Adam and Eve endured the first human death—Abel’s murder—a result of their choice and the entrance of evil. Mary witnessed her son’s crucifixion, the ultimate act of innocent suffering, completing the cycle begun by Abel. Jesus’s death is portrayed as the "last death," closing the loop and offering resurrection life.

Choice and Consequence: Adam and Eve chose rebellion, not foreseeing its consequences. Mary chose surrender, trusting God’s goodness even amidst uncertainty. We are reminded: we control our actions, not their outcomes.

Creation and Incarnation: Adam and Eve were created but not born, bearing no belly buttons—a symbol of their unique origin. Jesus was born but not created, affirming his eternal existence. Mary bridges the two, being both a descendant of Adam and the mother of her Creator.

Passing on Humanity and Sin: Adam and Eve pass on a nature of dust—sin and rebellion. Mary, as Jesus’s mother, passes on humanity, not sinlessness (contrary to some traditions), proving salvation is by grace, not works.

Second Adam: Paul equates Jesus and Adam, stating Jesus is the "life-giving spirit." Mary becomes a vessel of grace, not its source, just as Adam and Eve are vessels of sin, not its origin.

Garden Parallels: Adam and Eve’s failure in Eden contrasts with Jesus’s victory in Gethsemane. Where Adam was silent, Jesus faced his trials alone, faithfully surrendering.

Tree of Life: Adam and Eve chose the tree of knowledge, bringing death. Jesus—born to die—offers access to the tree of life, opening paradise to believers, reversing the curse.

Blessing and Curse: Mary receives both blessing and curse, echoing Adam and Eve’s experience. Yet her surrender transforms curse into blessing—her obedience stands in contrast to Adam and Eve’s blame-shifting.

Conclusion | Scripture invites us to gaze at Jesus, the bridge between Old and New Testaments. Our identity is found only by answering, "Who do you say that I am?" Like Mary, we are called to surrender, transforming uncertainty into destiny. Our lives are blessed when rooted in Christ—the source of life, hope, and redemption.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS

Here are some questions for your time in Scripture this week, following in the footsteps of this conversation:

1. How does the question Jesus asks in the Gospels, "Who do you say that I am?" resonate with you personally after hearing this lesson?
2. In what ways does comparing Old Testament and New Testament figures, like Adam & Eve with Mary, help you gain a deeper understanding of Jesus?
3. What common enemy did Adam and Eve and Mary face, and how does that relate to the adversities or "serpents" we encounter today?
4. How do the experiences of loss—like Adam and Eve grieving Abel and Mary witnessing Jesus's death—shape our perspective on suffering and hope?
5. Discuss the differences between Adam and Eve's initial response to God's command and Mary's surrender to God's will. What lessons can we draw for our own lives?

Feel free to use these questions for group discussion, personal reflection, or in your quiet time through the week!

GO DEEPER

Walk alongside unexpected companions from Scripture who have discovered freedom in their God-given identity. They have dared to answer Jesus' question to them, "Who do you say that I AM?" and, in the process, have heard Him answer their own question to Him - "Jesus, who do YOU say that I am?"

Consider our full Gospel Spice Course, UNEXPECTED COMPANIONS, available at https://www.gospelspice.com/unexpected

Use coupon code HEART for 25% off this course and every course on Gospel Spice at https://www.gospelspice.com/store

Imagine a conversation between, for example, Jacob and Peter about Jesus Christ. And then, imagine joining in the conversation to share your own perspective! 

We will approach the pages of Scripture each week by comparing and contrasting one person from the Old Testament with one person from the New Testament in order to draw parallels from their lives and experiences that we can then apply to our own lives. Of course, the Old Testament person has never technically met Jesus, but the pages of the Old Testament are replete with prophecies and types of Christ to point us to Him. So, with each session, we are inviting an unexpected pair of biblical heroes around a coffee date, and we let them chat about their own personal life experience and how it reveals God. 

We will find that our own experience of Jesus Christ will echo theirs in more ways than one! By the end of our time together, we will be able to give a fuller answer to Jesus’ question to each one of us—“who do you say that I AM?” We will also be able to hear His answer to our own question to Him—”Jesus, who do You say that I am?”

We are intentionally choosing unexpected pairs from Scripture – someone from the Old Testament and someone from the New Testament that you may never before have thought to pair up. It will keep things spicy and interesting! 

Stephanie explores how the lives of Adam and Eve, the first humans, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, serve as unexpected companions in the story of Scripture. Their experiences help us answer Jesus’s central question: "Who do you say that I am?" Together, they offer distinct perspectives that deepen our understanding of who Christ is and who we are in Him.

Both Adam and Eve and Mary faced a common enemy—the serpent, the epitome of evil and deception. For Adam and Eve, the serpent was literal; for Mary, it manifested in cultural pressures and theological misunderstandings about the Messiah. We, too, face our own serpents today—temptations and misunderstandings that threaten our faith.

They also were witnesses to God’s grace through forms of incarnation. Adam and Eve experienced creation, while Mary witnessed the birth of Jesus, God made flesh. Both sets of experiences pointed to the unfolding of God’s salvation story.

Death and Resurrection: Adam and Eve endured the first human death—Abel’s murder—a result of their choice and the entrance of evil. Mary witnessed her son’s crucifixion, the ultimate act of innocent suffering, completing the cycle begun by Abel. Jesus’s death is portrayed as the "last death," closing the loop and offering resurrection life.

Choice and Consequence: Adam and Eve chose rebellion, not foreseeing its consequences. Mary chose surrender, trusting God’s goodness even amidst uncertainty. We are reminded: we control our actions, not their outcomes.

Creation and Incarnation: Adam and Eve were created but not born, bearing no belly buttons—a symbol of their unique origin. Jesus was born but not created, affirming his eternal existence. Mary bridges the two, being both a descendant of Adam and the mother of her Creator.

Passing on Humanity and Sin: Adam and Eve pass on a nature of dust—sin and rebellion. Mary, as Jesus’s mother, passes on humanity, not sinlessness (contrary to some traditions), proving salvation is by grace, not works.

Second Adam: Paul equates Jesus and Adam, stating Jesus is the "life-giving spirit." Mary becomes a vessel of grace, not its source, just as Adam and Eve are vessels of sin, not its origin.

Garden Parallels: Adam and Eve’s failure in Eden contrasts with Jesus’s victory in Gethsemane. Where Adam was silent, Jesus faced his trials alone, faithfully surrendering.

Tree of Life: Adam and Eve chose the tree of knowledge, bringing death. Jesus—born to die—offers access to the tree of life, opening paradise to believers, reversing the curse.

Blessing and Curse: Mary receives both blessing and curse, echoing Adam and Eve’s experience. Yet her surrender transforms curse into blessing—her obedience stands in contrast to Adam and Eve’s blame-shifting.

Conclusion | Scripture invites us to gaze at Jesus, the bridge between Old and New Testaments. Our identity is found only by answering, "Who do you say that I am?" Like Mary, we are called to surrender, transforming uncertainty into destiny. Our lives are blessed when rooted in Christ—the source of life, hope, and redemption.

GO DEEPER

Walk alongside unexpected companions from Scripture who have discovered freedom in their God-given identity. They have dared to answer Jesus' question to them, "Who do you say that I AM?" and, in the process, have heard Him answer their own question to Him - "Jesus, who do YOU say that I am?"

Consider our full Gospel Spice Course, UNEXPECTED COMPANIONS, available at https://www.gospelspice.com/unexpected

Use coupon code HEART for 25% off this course and every course on Gospel Spice at https://www.gospelspice.com/store

Imagine a conversation between, for example, Jacob and Peter about Jesus Christ. And then, imagine joining in the conversation to share your own perspective! 

We will approach the pages of Scripture each week by comparing and contrasting one person from the Old Testament with one person from the New Testament in order to draw parallels from their lives and experiences that we can then apply to our own lives. Of course, the Old Testament person has never technically met Jesus, but the pages of the Old Testament are replete with prophecies and types of Christ to point us to Him. So, with each session, we are inviting an unexpected pair of biblical heroes around a coffee date, and we let them chat about their own personal life experience and how it reveals God. 

We will find that our own experience of Jesus Christ will echo theirs in more ways than one! By the end of our time together, we will be able to give a fuller answer to Jesus’ question to each one of us—“who do you say that I AM?” We will also be able to hear His answer to our own question to Him—”Jesus, who do You say that I am?”

We are intentionally choosing unexpected pairs from Scripture – someone from the Old Testament and someone from the New Testament that you may never before have thought to pair up. It will keep things spicy and interesting!