Christmas & Adam

(2 Minute Read)

Adoration of the Shepherds
He who holds the universe together
humbled Himself to be born as a man.
(By Italian Guido Reni, 1575–1642)

Christmas Blessings to all the readers of the Bible-Science Guy Blog!

This week we celebrate the birth of the greatest man who ever lived!

Two thousand years ago in Bethlehem in the land of Israel, a baby was born and placed in a manger. By the standards of the day, his parents were undistinguished — a carpenter and a homemaker.

Yet this baby grew to be the most influential man of history. Who was He? And why does Scripture refer to Him as Adam?

He is One to whom none other can compare. Throughout the ages, leaders of nations have claimed many august titles. Military officers have earned numerous honors. Politicians have boasted strings of official titles. Scholars have accumulated multiple degrees.

But for this one Man of history, His titles far surpass all others, both in quantity and quality. The titles ascribed to the Baby from the Manger include Prince of Peace, Last Adam, Lion of Judah, Son of God, Everlasting Father, Wonderful Counselor, Savior, Mighty God, King of Kings, Christ, Son of Man, and Lord of Lords.

This man is also rightly titled Creator and Sustainer: He undergirds all of science and nature, “for by Him all things were created, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16,17). The universe and all it contains would disintegrate apart from the moment-by-moment sustaining power of this eternal God-man.

There is no mistaking the holder of so many honorifics. Jesus of Nazareth is the most titled man in history! There are over 300 Names and Titles of Jesus in the Bible. Merely to read aloud all the titles of worth, dignity, and honor ascribed to Him in Scripture takes a full five minutes.

This man is the Second Adam. He came to fix the sin and death problem created by the First Adam and to begin a new, regenerated race of mankind.

So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly. (1 Corinthians 15:45-49)

Christmas celebrates the arrival of this Second Adam 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem. When speaking to the First Adam in the Garden of Eden, the Lord God alluded to the Second Adam by a veiled reference when He cursed the serpent:

“And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
(Genesis 3:15)

God Almighty sent the Second Adam to rescue humanity from sin. This mission was the most critical and most difficult task of history–a job nobody else could do.

The task was to pay the penalty for sin by dying as a sinless man in man’s stead. Had the Second Adam failed, all men would be destined for hell. The Resurrection was proof that the Second Adam successfully completed His mission (Acts 17:31).

The Second Adam, Creator of heaven and earth, the Lord Christ our Redeemer, came to redeem man as the representative of the human race. This is the One whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. He alone is worthy of devotion, obedience, and worship.

Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery is a recent Christmas hymn. Released in 2013, the theme of the song is to contemplate the wondrous mystery of the Last Adam‘s Incarnation (God born in human flesh), Crucifixion, and Resurrection. It culminates with our future glorious hope of eternity. The second verse calls the subject of this wondrous mystery the “Better Adam“:

See the true and Better Adam
Come to save the hell-bound man

Here is a rendition of the hymn (3:43):

Here’s a 2-minute YouTube Christmas video from Living Waters on the meaning and reason for Christmas:

Questions to Ponder

1. What is your favorite “name” or title for the Second Adam? Why?
2. The Second Adam is the reason for the season. How do you plan to honor Him?

Share your thoughts on these questions in the comments below. It could encourage or help another reader.

Click Christmas Articles to read my other blog posts on Christmas topics.

Soli Deo Gloria.

This is the 13th of a series of weekly blog articles on Adam.
Read the prequels:
1. Was Adam in the Garden of Eden?
2. Did Moses Believe in Adam?
3. Did Jesus Believe in Adam?
4. Did Paul Believe in Adam?
5. Does Belief in Adam Matter?
6. Adam and Puppies
7. Why Did Adam Sin?
8. What Should Adam Have Done?
9. What Did Adam Cause?
10. What Was Adam’s Forbidden Fruit?
11. How Long Was Adam in Eden?
12. Was Adam’s Garden of Eden Real?

Read the sequels:
14. Where Was Adam’s Garden of Eden?
15. Did Adam Wear Clothes in Eden?
16. Was Adam Backward or Brilliant? (with video)
17. Who Was Mrs. Adam?
18. Adam’s Dream Girl
19. Adam’s Prolific Princess
20. Adam’s Problematic Princess
21. How Many Children Did Adam Have?
22. Whom Did Adam’s Sons Marry?
23. Did Adam Ride a Unicorn?
24. How Long Did Adam Live?
25. Did Adam Swat Mosquitoes in Eden?
26. Did Adam’s Garden Have a Talking Snake?
27. Why Should Adam’s Sin Affect Me?
28. Did Roses Have Thorns in Adam’s Garden?
29. Adam the Image-Bearer & Harambe the Gorilla
30. Did Adam Ever Return to Eden?
31. What Was Adam’s Tree of Life?
32. Will Adam Be in Heaven?
33. Did Adam See the Big Dipper?
34. Did Adam Know Earth Is Round?
35. Did Jesus Say When Adam Was Created?
36. Did Adam See Dinosaurs?
37. Did Adam Like Steak?
38. Could Adam Read & Write?
39. Did God Use Evolution to Make Adam?
40. Adam & the Olympics
41. Adam and the Gospel
42. Adam and the Genesis Road

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©William T. Pelletier, Ph.D.
“contending earnestly for the faith”
“destroying speculations against the knowledge of God”
“for the defense of the gospel”
(Jude 1:3; 2 Cor 10:5; Phil 1:16)
Wednesday December 23, 2015 A.D.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register, along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. And it came about that while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:4-11)