Timothy Maas Supporter

When God created Adam, it was with the intention of humans living in eternal fellowship with Him through obedience to His commands. When humanity fell into sin through disobedience starting in Genesis 3, that eternal fellowship became no longer possible, since God cannot tolerate the existence of sin in His presence.

However, out of love and mercy, God incarnated Himself in Jesus, who was both true man and true God. Through His life of sinless obedience (of which only He was capable), followed by the undeserved shedding of His blood through His crucifixion (which paid the penalty demanded by God for sin) and His subsequent resurrection to live eternally, Jesus was able to restore the possibility of humanity living in eternal fellowship with God (which Adam and all of subsequent humanity had forfeited by sin) through faith in Him. That is why He is referred to as "the new Adam".

It is the restoration of this possibility of eternal life in God's presence that is the very heart of the "good news" (the meaning of the word "gospel") that was (and still is) preached in Jesus' name.

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Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

Why is Jesus the new Adam?

Jesus is called the "Second Adam" because, like Adam, he represents humanity, but where Adam brought sin, death, and condemnation through disobedience, Jesus, the "Last Adam," brought life, righteousness, and salvation through perfect obedience, undoing Adam's failure and initiating a new creation. This concept, primarily from the Apostle Paul, highlights Jesus as the perfect representative who offers spiritual life, in contrast to the earthly, dust-born Adam who brought spiritual death. 

Parallels and Contrasts:

1: Origin: Adam was made from earthly dust (natural man); Jesus came from heaven (a life-giving spirit). 

2: Nature: Adam was created perfect but fell; Jesus, though tempted, remained perfectly obedient. 

3: Impact: Adam's disobedience brought sin and death to all humanity (condemnation). 

4: Redemption: Jesus's obedience brought grace, justification, and eternal life. 

5: Legacy: Adam's legacy is mortality; Jesus's legacy is resurrection and spiritual life. 

Romans 5:12 ESV Bible: "Therefore, as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin; and so death passed unto all men, for that all sinned:"

Romans 5:21 ESV: "That, as sin reigned in death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

1 Cor 15:45 ESV: "So also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit."

Conclusion:

1: As a perfect man, Jesus was the equal of the first man, Adam, before he sinned. (1 Cor. 15:45) So by Jesus' death, he was able to atone for Adam's sin, that is, to replace what Adam had lost. (Rom. 5:19) Jesus thus became "the last Adam." There is no need for another perfect person to come and pay for what Adam lost. Jesus died "once for all time."​—Heb. 7:27; 10:12.

2: At the time of Adam's sin and his being sentenced to death, his offspring or race were all unborn in his loins, and so all died with him. (Compare Heb 7:4-10.) Jesus, as a perfect man, "the last Adam" (1Co 15:45), was the only human capable of providing the redemption price for Adam's unborn offspring. 

3: Jesus became "a corresponding ransom," not for the redemption of the one sinner, Adam, but for the redemption of all humanity descended from Adam. He repurchased them so that they could become his family, doing this by presenting the full value of his ransom sacrifice to the God of absolute justice in heaven. (Heb 9:24)

4: In many respects, Jesus was similar to the first man, Adam. For example, both were perfect men who had no human father. (Genesis 2:7, 15) So the Bible calls Jesus "the last Adam"​—a perfect man who could serve as "a corresponding ransom." Jesus' life corresponded to that of "the first man Adam," whom God created as a perfect human.​—1 Corinthians 15:45; 1 Timothy 2:5, 6.

The first Adam is called in the Bible "son of God." (Luke 3:38) However, that Adam lost his precious relationship as God's son by willfully disobeying God. On the other hand, Jesus was always faithful to his heavenly Father, and he remained God's approved Son. (MaSonew 3:17; 17:5) The Bible says that all who exercise faith in Jesus, accepting him as their Saviour, can receive everlasting life.​—John 3:16, 36; Acts 5:31; Romans 5:12, 17-19

5: Adam brought forth a family, an imperfect one, with bad traits. Jesus Christ brings forth a family that has righteousness. Individuals can transfer from the family of Adam, be regenerated through the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and, according to God's law of procreation, come to be in his image. They can be cleaned up as sons of the "last Adam."​—1 Cor. 15:45.

Summing up the matter, we can say that the ransom is stronger than the sin of Adam. The sin of Adam brought everybody down.

Christ's ransom, administered by his Kingdom rule, completely wipes out what Adam did. The last enemy, death (the death brought to humanity by the sin of Adam), will be brought to nothing.

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