Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”
Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
So the Lord God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this,
You are cursed more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you shall go,
And you shall eat dust
All the days of your life.
And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”
—From Genesis 2:15–3:24 (NKJV)
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
—From Matthew 4:1–11 (ESV)

“We often focus on Eve’s fateful bite, but instead let’s shift our vision to another young woman, generations after Eve, and to an infant cradled in Mary’s arms.”

— The Joy of Advent

Reflection

Why do we celebrate Christ’s birth—why did he need to be born a human? Many consider God, when they consider him at all, a distant force, untouched by emotion, compassion, temptation. And yet because Christ was born into full humanity, he knows hunger and deprivation, he knows the temptation of sweetly whispered words. When we suffer, God not only knows, but he knows. Our grief, our shame, our hungers—he has felt them all. Reflect today on how God might see you, understanding that he sees you fully.

Celebrate Together

Gather the family for today’s Celebration in our book, The Joy of Advent. Explore the first of many parallel figures in Scripture, learn about the Jesse Tree symbol for Eve’s temptation, discover the history behind today’s carol, and enjoy a family conversation (or private journaling) about the cosmic battle between good and evil.

Today’s Jesse Tree Symbol:
A **Serpent around the Forbidden Fruit** reminds us of Adam and Eve’s fall into sin.

Inspiration

God Judging Adam

By William Blake, 1795. Adam, broken, condemned to toil and death.

Music

Reflect on the lyrics to In the Bleak Midwinter, “But his Mother only, In her maiden bliss, Worshipped the Beloved with a kiss.” What can we give him? [Play Video]

As you enjoy Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, reflect on the desiring of our own hearts. [Play Video]

Visit our YouTube full playlist of all our favorite carols, or find sing-along carols to enjoy karaoke style here.

Prayer

Most merciful God, 
we confess that we have sinned against you  
in thought, word, and deed, 
by what we have done, 
and by what we have left undone. 
We have not loved you with our whole heart; 
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. 
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. 
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, 
have mercy on us and forgive us; 
that we may delight in your will, 
and walk in your ways, 
to the glory of your Name.
Amen.

(The Confession, from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer)

Resources

What does it mean to be grafted into Christ’s family tree? Read about the science of tree grafting.
Enjoy a printable coloring page of Eve in the Garden.

Would you like to make Jesse Tree ornaments to accompany your readings? Find tutorials and ideas from simple to advanced at our Jesse Tree Ornaments Pinterest board.

Recent Advent Resources