WHO AM I?
My time on earth did not begin in a natural way. I had no earthly father. I was made in the image of God. I was innocent and without sin. In my innocence, I was tried and tempted by the serpent. I made an important decision which involved a tree that impacted all of history. My decision had both conditional and unconditional consequences. While I was asleep, my side was pierced. After I awoke, I was given a bride; one in whom I could be “one” with. I was also given authority and dominion over God’s creation. Who am I?
There are two people in the Bible which fit this riddle: Adam and the Second Adam – Jesus Christ. Go through the riddle again and see if you can see both.
ADAM
Adam is referred to as a type/shadow of Jesus Christ in two places within the New Testament, so we should not be surprised to see these kind of parallels. In Romans 5, Paul says, “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come” (5:14; also see 1 Cor 15:45-47).
A MIRACULOUS BEGINNING. Both of these men had a miraculous beginning. Adam was created by God on day six from the dust of the ground. He formed him and then breathed life into Him. In Genesis 1:26-27, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” He created Adam from the dust of the ground.
MADE WITHOUT SIN: Adam, when he was created by God, did not have sin. He was innocent. He was holy. He had a special relationship with God. Obviously this would not continue through His whole life, which we will talk some more about shortly, but for some time He enjoyed a perfect relationship with God in His presence in the garden. As God’s greatest creation, Adam was created and looked at by God as “very good” (Gen 1:31).
GIVEN AUTHORITY OVER GOD’S CREATION: In the beginning, Adam, as the representative of man, was given dominion over all of God’s creation. He was the preeminent one of God’s creation; in a sense the firstborn of God’s creation. Adam was given dominion over the animals. He was given the privilege of naming them. He was given authority over all plants to eat for food.
GIVEN A WIFE BY GOD: In Genesis 2:21ff, God causes Adam to go into a deep sleep. His side is pierced, a rib is removed. From this rib God created a wife for Adam. When she was brought to Adam after he awoke, he said of her, “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." 24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.”
MADE AN IMPORTANT CHOICE REGARDING A TREE THAT AFFECTED ALL HISTORY: In Genesis 3, Adam is tempted by the serpent in the garden. This would be the most important test of his life. If he failed, all of history would be affected by his wrong choice and fall into sin. He did make the wrong decision. Sin entered the world along with all of it’s consequences. The following things occurred because of Adam’s choice:
1. Adam, along with all people afterwards, lost access to the tree of life. Because of this all men will die physically. Paul, speaking in the context of Christ’s (and our) bodily resurrection says in 1 Corinthians 15:21, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” If Christ does not return in our lifetime, we all will die. There will be no exceptions. We do not have a choice in this.
2. Men begun to be separated from God because of their sin. Fellowship was lost. Paul says in Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned…” This choice brought [spiritual] death to all of those who followed [and still follow] in Adam’s steps by sinning. As a side note, this passage is NOT teaching that all men are born sinners because of Adam’s sin. It does not say that the guilt of Adam’s sin was imputed to anyone. It says that because all men sin, the death and condemnation that Adam received also spread to us.
3. All of creation was cursed by God. Not only did death come to humans, the whole universe was affected. God said to Adam, “Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. 18 "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field…” (Genesis 3:17-18).
Adam’s decision, which involved a tree, made a tremendous impact on all of creation.
JESUS: THE SECOND ADAM
The things we have examined thus far also apply to Jesus.
A MIRACULOUS BEGINNING: The Last Adam/Second Adam, Jesus Christ, also had a miraculous beginning to His time on earth. He, who was pre-existent as God, became human flesh when God through the Holy Spirit miraculously conceived Jesus through Mary in fulfillment of prophecy.
MADE WITHOUT SIN: Jesus not only enjoyed perfect union with God in His pre-existent state in Heaven, but He also was without sin in His life here on earth. And unlike Adam, His life was sinless the whole way through. He died being without sin. He was the ideal Adam; the ideal man.
GIVEN AUTHORITY OVER GOD’S CREATION: Jesus was also given authority and dominion over God’s creation. Obviously, Jesus’ authority as the second Adam was much greater than Adam’s because He was God in human flesh. During His life on earth, He had authority over nature. He walked on water. He calmed the storm. He had authority over all sorts of sicknesses and diseases (which were brought by Adam’s sin). After His death and resurrection, He said to His disciples that “all authority has been given to me” on heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). He is called by Paul the “Firstborn of all creation (Colossians 1:15).
GIVEN A WIFE BY GOD: Often Jesus referred to those who were dead and going to be resurrected as “being asleep.” He was no exception. Jesus also, while He was asleep, had His side pierced (John 19:33-34). His “sleep” also had the purpose of making it possible for a bride to be given to Him. We, the church, are the bride of Christ. Ephesians 5 tells us that we are the wife who is nourished and cherished by her Husband. We are one with Him. This point is also made in 1 Corinthians 6:15-17: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! 16 Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, "THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH." 17 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”
MADE AN IMPORTANT CHOICE REGARDING A TREE THAT AFFECTED ALL HISTORY: Jesus chose to leave Heaven above to give His life on the cross for us. “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (Romans 5:6-10). While we were in the condition that resulted because of Adam’s choice; while we were enemies of God, sinners, and without hope because of our sin, Christ came, performed His action regarding a tree, and changed all of history! Instead of separation from God, he brought the gift of God’s grace (Rom 5:15, 17). Instead of condemnation, Jesus brought justification. Instead of death reigning, righteousness and life could reign through God’s gift of His Son.
In His one action, he completely counteracted the results of Adam’s choice in the garden.
1. Adam, along with all people afterwards, lost access to the tree of life, but all regain access to the tree of life in Christ. All will be raised from their tombs at the resurrection and will live eternally, either in Heaven with God or in the lake of fire and torment. Once again, ““For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:21).
2. Men begun to be separated from God because of their sin, Jesus made fellowship with God possible again.
3. All of creation was cursed by God, but because of the decision of Christ, all of creation will be cleansed of the curse. At the resurrection, the curse given at the time of Adam, will be completely removed. Even the curse of the earth will be removed. Another text in Romans shows us this; Romans 8:19-23.
“For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:19-23).
At the time in which our bodies receive their redemption, at the resurrection. The whole creation, which was subjected to futility by God in Genesis 3, will be set free. The creation is described as feeling the pains of childbirth, which is an illustration that Jesus uses to refer to His resurrection in John 16:21. At the resurrection, everything that Adam brought by his disobedience will be destroyed. All of this is because of Christ’s obedience in giving Himself for us and His subsequent resurrection.
CONCLUSION
We must ask an important question, who is it that we are following? The first Adam or the Second Adam? If we are not in Christ, we, because of our sin are “in Adam” and under a curse. But if we are “in Christ,” we receive a great gift by God. We are justified and made righteous by the blood of Christ whenever we by faith are united with Christ in His death at baptism and raised to walk in newness of life. We are born again. Sin and death no longer have dominion over us. We are servants now of righteousness instead of servants of sin.
