The Eve-Mary Connection

 

“In pain you shall bring forth children” (Gen. 3:16).

A few years ago, while scrolling through social media during the Christmas season I came across a stunning piece of artwork which featured Eve and Mary standing face-to-face. The painting conveyed the connection between these two important women and their roles in God’s redemption plan.

A forlorn Eve clutches a forbidden fruit in one hand, while her other hand touches the pregnant belly of Mary. The virgin mother smiles as she reaches out to comfort Eve’s grief. A serpent is coiled around Eve’s leg, while Mary’s foot is planted firmly on its head, signaling the creature’s demise. 

I immediately saved the beautiful image to my phone and began to ponder how Eve and Mary are linked together in ways that never occurred to me before.

First, notice that both women had encounters with angelic beings which changed their lives and all of humanity. Lucifer, the fallen angel who became the devil, came to Eve in the form of a serpent. Through doubt, denial and deception he led Eve into temptation (Gen. 3:1-6). She submitted to the Serpent’s lying words by distrusting God.

On the other hand, the angel Gabriel came to a girl in Nazareth straight from heaven’s throne room. Gabriel told Mary the incredible news that she had been chosen to be the mother of the Messiah. She submitted to Gabriel’s life-changing news with faith in God (Luke 1:26-28).

Eve disobeyed God and brought about the curse of sin and death to all. Mary obeyed God and gave birth to the Redeemer who would bear the curse of sin and give life to all (2 Cor. 5:21).

Eve’s firstborn son, Cain, took life and became the first murderer (Gen. 4:8). Mary’s firstborn son, Jesus, gave His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

Eve experienced the shame of sin and lost the joy of walking in God’s presence (Gen. 3:8). Mary experienced abundant joy and even sang about the blessing of Immanuel – God with us (Luke 1:46-56).

Eve clothed her nakedness with fig leaves of works (Gen. 3:7). Meanwhile, Mary clothed her miracle child in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger (Luke 2:7).

Eve was promised multiplied pain in childbirth (Gen. 3:16), while Mary was promised the pain of a sword piercing her heart (Luke 2:35), a prophecy of Simeon looking ahead to the cross of Christ. Eve shed tears at Eden’s tree, while Mary shed tears at the foot of Calvary’s tree where Jesus was crucified.  

These two women are like two sides of the same coin. Eve’s distrust of God led her to reach out and grasp the fruit of the tree, but Mary’s faith resulted in the fruit of her womb being nailed to a tree for the salvation of the world. Thus, there is a scarlet thread of redemption connecting Eden and Bethlehem. Even in the dawning chapters of the Bible, God looked ahead to Christmas and Calvary.

“Mild He lays His glory by / Born that man no more may die / Born to raise the sons of earth / Born to give them second birth”