SALVATION HISTORY I REVIEW

GENESIS 3:15: THE PROTOEVANGELIUM

Adam and Eve prefigure both the relationship between Jesus and Mary, and the relationship between Jesus and the Church:

Now, with that in mind, we sometimes see Mary and the Church fulfill this Genesis imagery in unique ways. For example, there are only two people ever described in Scripture as having a single parent; Eve, whose body is taken completely from Adam, while he slumbered (Gen. 2:22-23); and Jesus, who takes on Flesh through the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:34-35). So there, we see a very neat parallel between Adam & Eve and Jesus & Mary.

But this passage is fulfilled in a different way for Jesus & the Church. After His Death on the Cross, a soldier lances Jesus’ side, and Blood and water flow out (John 19:34), which the Church Fathers saw as representing Baptism and the Eucharist. It’s through these Sacraments that Christ forms His Church. That is, while Jesus is “sleeping” in Death, His Bride comes forth from His Side, through the saving waters and life-giving Blood. There’s no need to choose one or the other: both of these events are prophetic fulfillments of Genesis 2:22-23.

This is all part of a much larger picture painted in Scripture of Jesus bringing about a New Genesis through His Death and Resurrection. But to get the full picture, you need to understand the role played by the New Eve, which means understanding the role of Mary, icon of the Church.

[Marian apparitions: Mary leads us to Jesus]

Note the name change from Woman to Eve at the moment of the Curse (Gen. 3:20) Christ’s transition from calling Mary Woman to Mother at the moment of the Crucifixion (John 19:25-27).