Incarnation: Perfect Second Adam-Advent 23 (2015)

Unlike technology where the second is called a beta version (often viewed as a product or service deemed unready for mainstream consumption) when Jesus came as the Second Adam, He was perfect. Beta products may not ready for prime time and people will wait for debugged items to hit the store shelves, but Jesus was simply second, not faulty in any way. And His return (the Second Coming) will be just as powerful as His first Advent, the Incarnation.

He had to come as the Second Adam because the first one didn’t obey God’s command.

Even after the first Adam’s descendants had it all spelled out for them in the law.

Romans 8:3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man.

 

Unlike the alpha Adam, the Second Adam was absolutely perfect.

Read Romans 5: 12-21 especially verses 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

Indeed, this life is not just for earth but beyond it. 1 Corinthians 15:20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. …42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.

Thought for the day: Perfection had to come in the Second Adam, Jesus Christ, in order for us to experience life through His death. The life He gives is eternal and the resurrection is a trail He blazed ahead of us.

Questions for pondering:

1. If Jesus hadn’t been the perfect Second Adam, would His death have mattered any more than yours or mine?
2. If we were all to behave perfectly can we be a god too? Let me answer that one. No! That is the stuff of heresies and false religions.
3. Why is Jesus’ death sufficient, and what is it about us that makes it impossible for our deaths to be sufficient no matter how well-behaved we are?

====

Incarnation (2015 Advent Devotional Series) began November 29th.  By way of reminder, if you haven’t signed up yet, you can receive these devotional studies in your email throughout Advent 2015 by entering your email address on the SeminaryGal.com home page in the space provided in the sidebar.  Or “Like” the SeminaryGal Facebook page to access them there.  If you like these devotionals, I’d really appreciate your letting others know so I can continue to spread the Good News far and wide.  Blessings to you, in Christ always, Barbara <><