As
you can tell from the décor around the church, the change in some of the colors
around the sanctuary, and most notably, the lighting of the first candle on our
Advent wreath, the season of Advent has begun.
I mentioned last Sunday that the English word advent comes from the
Latin word adventus (which means “coming”).
Well, the ultimate question that must be asked (and answered) is
“Who/What is coming?” What is it exactly
that we are celebrating the coming of during the season of advent? Well, the simple answer to that question is
Jesus. However, is there ever really
such thing as a simple answer when it comes to Christ? Now, we’ve spoken several times about the
fact that throughout Scripture, Jesus is called and referenced by many
different names. In fact, he even refers
to himself by a couple of different names.
But perhaps no name or title carries with it greater importance than the
title Son. Now, often times when we hear
the name Jesus and the title Son in the same sentence we think of Jesus as the
Son of God, and that’s absolutely right.
However, Jesus was also the Son of other people in Scripture as
well. Now his sonship to these others
isn’t exactly like that of his to the Father, but each sonship carries with it
a certain unique connection. It’s that
concept of Jesus as the son that is going to be our focus during this advent
season. For today, we will be looking at
Jesus as the Son of Adam.
There is
perhaps no greater or more often asked question in all of the Christian faith
than, “What if Adam had never eaten of the fruit? What if he and Eve had never eaten of the
fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden?” Well, the short answer is that the Fall would
have never happened. If the Fall hadn’t
happened, then there would be no sin and subsequently no death since death was
brought about as a result of Adam’s sin.
Now, we could get into all types of discussions over whether or not
God’s plan all along involved Adam eating of the fruit, and consequentially sin
coming into the world. Although these
discussions can be entertaining and very thought provoking, I don’t think that
it’s worth our attention at this time.
Ultimately, like all what-if scenarios, there’s really no point in
sitting around and asking the question.
The bottom line is that it happened.
As far as we’re concerned, Adam sinned, fell, and with him we fell. Since that point in time, the concept of
original sin (sin being passed from one generation to another, beginning with
Adam) has existed. Since that point in
time it has been impossible for man to exist completely separated from sin, the
Calvinistic doctrine of Total Depravity.
We have been non passé, non pecarre
(not able not to sin). We can’t help it; we’re prone to sin.
In our text for
today, Paul begins by stating the very fact that we all fell in the person of
Adam. Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death
through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. After eating of the fruit of the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve were told by God of their
“punishment”, several pains that they were going to have to endure, ultimately culminating
with the words, “till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” There is a separation from God at this point
between the creator and the created. Not
only that, but prior to their sinning against God, death wasn’t the plan. Man was to dwell for all eternity is the
blessings of God, enjoying the wondrous things that God had created.
However, prior
to the punishments and curses given by God to both Adam and Eve, there is given
what is known as the protoeuangelion (first gospel) in Genesis 3:15. God, speaking to the serpent, says, “I will
put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her
offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Now, this may not sound like much, but this
is the promise of the Messiah, the promise of Jesus Christ, all the way back in
the Garden of Eden. It’s impossible for
us to fathom what was lost at the time of the Fall. It’s completely beyond our abilities to
comprehend the closeness of the relationship that we had with God prior to sin
entering into the world. That is, it’s
impossible for us to fathom it in this lifetime.
Later on, when
Paul is writing his first epistle to the church in Corinth, Paul refers to
Jesus as the last Adam (or as some translate it, Second Adam). There’s no doubt that much was lost in Adam’s
sin. However, as we’re told in our text
today, there is even more found in the obedience of the Second Adam. But
the free gift is not like the trespass.
For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of
God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for
many. The gift of grace that is
given to us in the person and work of Jesus Christ is even greater than that
which was lost in Adam. The obedience of Christ is parallel, but vastly superior,
to the disobedience of Adam. The
righteousness credited to those who are in Christ is parallel, but vastly
superior, to the sin attributed to those who are in Adam because of his
disobedience. The life that comes to us
who are in Christ through that imputed righteousness is parallel, but vastly
superior, to the death that comes to those who are in Adam through that imputed
sin.
I know that it
seems so simple and fundamental, but everything that we have is because of
Christ. Now, we all acknowledge that
fact and not one of us would disagree with that notion. However, I think the magnitude of what Christ
accomplished on our behalf goes largely forgotten. As one
trespass (Adam) led to condemnation
for all men, so one act of righteousness (Christ) leads to justification and life for all men. Jesus is the Second Adam, the Son of Adam,
who fulfills the will of the Father that Adam failed to fulfill. The plan for man to dwell for all eternity is
the blessings and wondrous creation of God wasn’t lost forever. In fact, we might say that it was even
upgraded. Instead of this earth being
our eternal home as it would have been through Adam, heaven is our eternal home
through Jesus Christ, the Second Adam.
Heaven, a place so magnificent that we cannot imagine all of its splendor. A place with street paved in gold, with no
pain and no sorrow, enjoying the presence of God Almighty for all eternity. And these are only a few of the glimpses that
we are given as to this glorious home that awaits us all.
As we celebrate
the coming of Christ during this season, let us remember that we celebrate the
coming of the one who makes it possible to enjoy the free gift of grace that
overcomes the condemnation of the Fall.
We celebrate the coming of the one who would fulfill what Adam and all
his descendants failed to do and could not do as a result of sin within us. For as the sins of mankind continue to
increase, the grace of God through Jesus Christ increases even more. We celebrate the one who came into this world
and changed everything that had existed prior to that time. We celebrate the one who came “so that, as sin reigned in death, grace
also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord.” We celebrate the
coming of our Savior Jesus Christ. Glory
be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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