"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming."
1 Corinthians 15:20-23
Part 4
Yesterday: Adam and Christ’s, Bequests for Humans
“For since by man came death.”
The “first man” brought sin and death upon all his relatives.
“By man came also the resurrection of the dead.”
The “last man” brought forgiveness of sin and resurrection life for all His relatives!
Today: Adam Brought Death, Christ Brings Life
“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”
“For as in Adam all die.”
Every child of Adam will die. The Old Testament shows us that the death rate is 100%.
“And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters: And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died” (Genesis 5:3-5).
Adam and those who came after him lived very long lives! And yet, after each man listed for the next seven generations are the words, “and he died.” There are no exemptions, exceptions, or exclusions! In the entire Old Testament, we can see that every child of Adam died. Every sinner must die—God has declared it.
Good News! Someone has come who has changed the rules!
“Even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”
Jesus Christ came to earth to give life to those who put their trust in Him. Eternal life is His to give to His believers. Jesus said,
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so, must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15).
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28).
There are notable differences between the “first Adam” and “last Adam.”
“And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45).
The “first Adam” was a created being and one who was given life. The “last Adam” is the “One who has given every creature life.” He is the Creator of Genesis (Colossians 1:14-17).
“The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven” (1 Corinthians 15:47).
The “first man” Adam is of the earth, made from the dirt. He has life, but he is sentenced to die. He is a sinner and needs the transforming power of the “good news” to change him and provide him with eternal life. His children are all sinners after him.
The “second Man” Jesus Christ is the God-Man. He is the only begotten Son of God. His home is heaven, but He left the splendor of His home to put on human flesh and become a man so that He could die for my sin and yours. Those who know Him personally will have the privilege of living with Him forever. His children are all saints of God.
To which Adam are you eternally related? All relatives of the “first Adam” die. All relatives of the “second Adam” live again!
Quote: “Many prominent people are in Scripture, but Adam and Christ are the most significant. The entire Bible is structured in terms of these two men. We are either ‘in Adam’ by our natural birth, or we are ‘in Christ’ by a new, spiritual birth (Romans 5:12–21). No other options are available to us. . . . Without a grasp of Adam and his representative role—for good and, sadly, for ill—the Bible’s story makes little sense”[1] (Hunter and Wellum).
1] This is a quote from the book Christ from Beginning to End by Trent Hunter and Stephen Wellum, pp. 78–79. Downloaded: Thursday, April 15, 2021. From: Schrock’s blog page, https://davidschrock.com/2018/09/18/from-the-first-adam-to-the-last-adam-15-quotations-from-christ-from-beginning-to-end/