Don Stewart :: Why Is Jesus Called the Last Adam and the Second Man?

The Bible calls Jesus both the "last Adam" and the "second Man." Paul wrote to the Corinthians.

So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being" the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 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 (1 Corinthians 15:45-48).

Adam Was The First Man

These two names of Jesus compare Him with Adam. Adam was the first man who was created. The Bible says that God made Adam out of the dust of the earth.

Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being (Genesis 2:7).

Adam had one nature - that of a human. He had the possibility of disobedience and did disobey God. After the sin of Adam and Eve animal sacrifices were brought to God. Yet the blood of animals could not take away the sin of Adam and his race. God had to have perfect human nature sacrificed in place of sinful human nature.

Jesus The Last Adam

The Lord Jesus is the last Adam and the Second Man. He is the last man to be without a sin nature. His nature was both human and divine. He was the second man - the man from heaven. As the God-man He could be the suitable sacrifice for the sins of the world. The Bible says that Jesus offered Himself as the sacrifice for sin.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

Summary

Adam, the first human, was created perfect from the dust of the ground. But Adam disobeyed and brought sin into the world. Jesus is the "last Adam" in the sense that He was the last man who did not have a sin nature. Although He was like Adam in that He did not have a sin nature He was different from Adam in that Jesus was from heaven. Consequently Jesus was able to be the sinless sacrifice for the sins of the world.