Did Jesus Believe in the Genesis Account of Creation?

Jesus himself taught that the events of the Old Testament were literal history. He affirmed its historicity and truthfulness. For instance, He taught that Satan was the serpent in the garden of Eden who was a liar from the beginning.

John 8:42-47 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil , and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Jesus quoted directly from Genesis and taught that marriage was an institution begun in Eden and that Adam and Eve were true historical persons.

Matthew 19:4-5 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh.

Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

He taught that the tree of life that was in the garden of Eden was literal and that it would be restored in the end to the church.

Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life , which is in the midst of the paradise of God .

Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Jesus taught that the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was a literal punishment of God.

Genesis 19:28-29 And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.

Matthew 11:23-24 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom , it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment , than for thee.

Jesus taught that Noah was a literal historical figure and that the Noahic flood was literal.

Matthew 24:36-39 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Jesus taught that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were actual historical figures to whom God actually spoke.

Matt 22:30 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God , saying, I am the God of Abraham , and the God of Isaac , and the God of Jacob ? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

Jesus taught that the Scriptures cannot be "broken" referring to the Old Testament.

John 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;

Jesus taught that Abel was a true historical figure who was murdered by his brother Cain.

Matthew 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

Jesus taught that the Sadducees were in error because they did not know the Old Testament. Thus declaring the scriptures authoritative.

Matthew 22:29 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

Christ did not regard these persons and events merely as symbolic metaphor, but rather he spoke of them as true historical narrative. If one claims to believe that our Lord was the incarnate Son of God and the Savior and Lord of all, then one must regard the writings of Moses and the prophets as recording true actual historical events just as he in fact did.