The two Adams
So it is written: ‘The first man Adam became a living being’; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit…The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven.
1 Corinthians 15:45, 47 (NIVUK)
The first Adam, created in the Garden of Eden, was made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and is described as ‘a pattern of the one who is to come’ (Romans 5:14). This first Adam was intended to be a physical type of the last Adam, Jesus Christ.
In the genealogy given in Luke, the first Adam is described as the son of God. The last Adam, Jesus, is the Word made flesh, fully God and fully man, and is the eternal uncreated Son of God.
The first Adam was instructed in Genesis to be fruitful and increase in number, to fill the earth and subdue it, and to rule over every living creature that moves on the ground (Genesis 1:28).
Daniel was given a vision where the coming everlasting kingdom of God is filled with God’s people and ‘[Jesus] was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.’ (Daniel 7:14).
In the Garden of Eden, Adam was put into a deep sleep and a wound in his side enabled God to form his wife Eve (Genesis 2:21). On the cross Jesus slept the deep sleep of death and from a wound in his side flowed blood and water (John 19:34). What poured out has been seen symbolically as blood to atone and water to purify and cleanse from sin, thus enabling the formation of Jesus’ ‘wife’: the church.
The first Adam initially had a deep relationship with God but at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil Adam disobeyed God and became subject to death; he was banished from God’s presence and expelled from the garden. At another tree: the cross, Jesus obeyed his Father completely and died for the sins of others. He conquered sin and death and was resurrected and now sits at the right hand of God.
The original divine image was ruined by Adam’s sin. Humanity, through reason alone, cannot know what that image should look like. Jesus is the perfect image of God; he reveals what a restored and redeemed humanity looks like and in him human beings can reach their full potential as adopted sons and daughters of God.
Prayer
Father, we thank you that you have created us and given us the opportunity to have what you always intended for us: eternal life with you through your Son, Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Study by Eddie Marsh
Eddie Marsh attends the Sheffield congregation of Grace Communion International.
Local congregation:
Grace Communion Sheffield
Regus Meeting Rooms (Management Suite)
1 The Oasis
Meadowhall Centre
Sheffield
S9 1EP
Meeting time:
Church services take place twice a month on a Saturday at 10:30am
Please email to confirm dates.
Local congregational contact:
Email: sheffield@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church