With all the freedom Adam enjoyed in the Garden of Eden, there was one
thing God had told him not to do.
And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any
tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely
die [Gen. 2:16,17; NIV].
Subsequently, we learn that Adam ate from the forbidden tree. We further
believe that when he did, he surely died. But we believe that the death
under consideration to be spiritual in nature. We’ll get to that
momentarily.
That death was passed on to Adam’s descendants. The apostle Paul wrote:
Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of
Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did
Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come [Rom. 5:14; NIV].
The passage teaches that death not only reigned from the time of Adam to
the time of Moses, but also that Adam served as a pattern of one "to
come." We understand the "time of Moses" to mean the period from Moses
until the arrival of the one "to come." A study of the passage above in
its context will show that Adam was a pattern for Jesus. More about that
later. For now, we want to look at some ways in which Adam and Jesus were
different.
The serpent (Satan – Rev. 12:9) who tempted Eve (Adam’s wife), was
crafty. One of the devices he used was to hint that by eating of the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil, she and Adam might become like God. He
said,
…God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you
will be like God, knowing good and evil [Gen. 3:5; NIV}.
To be like God is a powerful temptation for flesh and blood. Might Adam
and Eve have succumbed to that temptation? Certainly something besides
eating a forbidden fruit caused them to sin.
On the other hand, Jesus was sinless. More specifically, He did not
consider equality with God something to be tightly clutched, or held on
to.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being
in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to
be grasped, but made himself nothing [Phil. 2:7; NIV].
There is a contrast in attitudes here. On the part of Adam, the
self-vaunting desire to be like God. On the part of Jesus, the
willingness to empty himself of equality, and to humble himself by
becoming, not just a man, but a servant – or as the passage says –
nothing.
Consider too, that Adam, as a consequence of his sin, died, and that
death passed on to his descendents.
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death
through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all
sinned [Rom. 5:12; NIV].
While Adam thus brought death into the world, which passed on to all men;
by contrast, Jesus brought life for all men.
Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for
all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was
justification that brings life for all men [Rom. 5:18; NIV].
We have discussed death as a consequence of Adam’s sin, and that is what
the Bible says. Now here is why we believe that death was spiritual. In
the passage above, Paul’s contrast is between condemnation for all men,
and justification leading to life for all men. Man’s condemnation and
justification are spiritual issues. Thus the death incurred in Adam is
spiritual in nature. We believe that death was separation from fellowship
with God. Just as the life Jesus brought is a restoration of that
fellowship. Consider how Paul said it in another passage:
For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead
comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all
will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits;
then, when He comes, those who belong to him [1 Cor. 15:21-23;
NIV].
Contrasted above are death that came through a man – Adam – and a
resurrection to life, which was to occur when Christ returned. When Paul
wrote, the return of Jesus was yet in the future. But is it still in our
future today? Jesus told His followers to expect His return in
their generation.
I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death
before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom [Mt. 16:28;
NIV].
Some of those who heard Jesus speak, would still be alive to witness His
return. Furthermore, Jesus linked His return to the destruction, which
occurred in that generation [Lk. 21:20-33; particularly verses 20, 27, &
32]. If Jerusalem was destroyed in that generation, then Jesus returned
in that generation, just as He said He would. History records that
Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD, toward the end of the generation who
had heard Jesus speak, while only some of them were alive to
witness it.
Earlier, we used a passage that stated that Adam served as a pattern of
one "to come." Jesus was that person. When Paul wrote to the Roman
believers, Jesus was in heaven. But he was expected "to come." Here, we
believe, is the type and antitype. Just as Adam’s sin yielded spiritual
death for his descendants, so Jesus’ righteousness yielded spiritual life
for all who believe. Both men bore fruit that passed on to those who
followed them.
What was lost in Adam, has been regained in Christ – eternal life and
fellowship with God. For all who want it, it has been available since 70
AD.
[1060 Tappan Circle, Orange City, FL 32763-4856 if you want to write him]
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