This time of year gives cause for me to reflect on the faithfulness of Jesus. While I have met “Christians” who practice unfaithfulness, Jesus has never let me down. I wrote a comparison between the FIRST Adam and the LAST Adam in 2010 and I thought it might be a blessing and an encouragement to someone today. I am reposting this from my WIM blog.

The Path of the LAST Adam

The path of the last Adam was a path that took Him from Heaven to earth, from the earth to the grave and from the grave to resurrection power on display as our Lord, Savior, and King.  But a study in contrast with the first Adam shows us the stark contrast to the faithfulness that the last Adam offers us in the place of the failure that we have experienced with our first earthly father.

1.  Sinless vs sinner

The LAST Adam was born sinless, and there was found no sin in Him.

1 John 3:5 (NASB) You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.

The first Adam was created without sin, but he didn’t stay this way. The first Adam brought sin into the world through his disobedience.

Romans 5:12 (NASB) Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin…

Jesus as the LAST Adam freely chose to come to earth from Heaven and to live a sinless life by shunning evil and obeying the Father. The first Adam sinned through his free will, choosing to disobey his Father and choosing evil.

2. A witness to the truth vs silence

Jesus as the LAST Adam came to earth to testify to the truth.

John 18:37 (NASB) Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

It was the failure of the first Adam to testify to the truth that started the process towards death and decay.  Although Adam knew the truth, and he was not deceived at all, he would not testify to that truth when his wife was being deceived by the serpent.

1 Timothy 2:14 (NASB)  And it was not Adam who was deceived…

3. Exposing the lie vs silence

Jesus as the LAST Adam was faithful in exposing the lies because He wanted the truth to stand. He said that if what his disciples believed was a lie, He would tell them.

John 14:2 (NASB) “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you;…

But the first Adam had no care to expose the lie. The serpent told lies to Adam’s wife and it certainly “was not so”, but the first Adam did not take responsibility to correct the error. He remained silent and in silence he allowed the lie to stand without opposition!

4. Losing nothing vs losing one’s wife

The LAST Adam was a faithful shepherd of the flock, keeping watch and losing none of those that were given Him. He never failed and He never walked away from those who believed in Him.

John 6:39 (NASB) “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.

The first Adam was careless and allowed his wife to be taken by deception. God had put Adam into the garden to protect it. The Hebrew word translated as “keep” means to keep watch over, to guard.

Genesis 2:15 (NASB) Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.

5. Bringing the curse vs bearing the curse

The first Adam brought the curse into the world…

Genesis 3:17-18 (NASB) 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…Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; …”

…but the LAST Adam willingly wore the curse represented by the crown of thorns, bearing on His body the curse that was placed on the earth because of the first Adam’s sin.

6. Patiently bearing vs patience with evil

Jesus as the LAST Adam patiently bore our sin on the cross while the first Adam was patient with evil.

7. Courage vs weakness during the trial

When the LAST Adam knew that it was time for Him to die, he approached the enemy with full knowledge of the future and He made a request for the safety of his flock.

John 18:4–9 (NASB)
4 So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”
5 They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them.
6 So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
7 Therefore He again asked them, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.”
8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way,”
9 to fulfill the word which He spoke, “Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.”

In contrast, the first Adam was not bold in the face of the enemy and he did not protect the innocent. He was not a strong tower or a source of protection. He was weak when he should have been strong.

While the first Adam failed us, the LAST Adam is our refuge and our strength in time of trouble.

Psalm 37:39 (NASB9) But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in time of trouble.

Jesus as the LAST Adam gave His back to those who whipped Him…

Isaiah 50:6 (NASB) I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting.

…but the first Adam protected his own skin. He passed on the blame to the woman and to God Himself.

Genesis 3:12 (NASB) The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.”

8. Death vs life

Jesus as the LAST Adam died so that in Him we could live.

John 6:40 (NASB) “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

The first Adam lived in such a way that all of us died.

1 Corinthians 15:22 (NASB) For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

9. Selflessness vs selfish existence

The LAST Adam died with no thought for His own welfare. He willingly gave up His life, and His death brought mercy from God to all who would believe.

Luke 22:42 (NASB) saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

John 4:34 (NASB) Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.

The first Adam was kicked out of the garden because his sin nature couldn’t be trusted to stay away from the now prohibited tree of life. The Gesenius’ Hebrew and Chaldee lexicon says this about the term “stretch out” found in Genesis 3:22 –

“he might stretch out”

(2) it stands at the beginning of a sentence, where—(a), it implies prohibition and dissuasion …(b) it implies fear, dread. Gen. 3:22,

Gesenius’ Hebrew and Chaldee lexicon to the Old Testament Scriptures (pg 678)

While it was feared that Adam might reach out for what no longer belonged to him, Jesus as the LAST Adam never reached out to hold onto His life. He did not hold onto His power and position in Heaven nor did He reach out to hold onto His earthly life. He offered His life on our behalf. Because of the LAST Adam’s sacrifice, we can be set free from everything that the first Adam brought into this world through his sin.

2 Timothy 1:10 (NASB) but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,