"The True and Better Adam"

"When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth...Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars....The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing." ( Proverbs 8:27-29, 9:1,13 ) 

The Bible doesn't spell everything out for us. 

In other words, it's a book that makes us work for it. This is how God in his infinite wisdom has arranged to reveal himself to his children. We are invited to dig into the Bible's history, law, poetry, songs, gospels, epistles, and wisdom literature. Even the genealogies and building instructions are revealing something to us about our Creator. 

I've mentioned before how our church fathers diligently poured over the Scriptures to come to a comprehension of how the church is to understand such deep doctrines as the Trinity, the two natures of Christ, and the antinomy of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. 

For instance, instead of explaining to us the difference between wisdom and folly, the Book of Proverbs portrays them as women. Although this comes as a warning, we find the personifications sticking with us. The stark contrast paints a vivid picture in our minds of good and evil, pride and humility, wisdom and foolishness, we can't imagine soon forgetting. What a clever way for the Holy Spirit to teach us about wisdom and thus reveal another attribute of our God and the Holy One all at the same time. 

The Bible isn't boring, to say the least, its instruction is full of colorful imagery, clarifying analogies, and sobering parables. I've noticed that it disciplines us over and over with the same exhortations spoken in a variety of ways. God knows how the human brain he created learns best. 

And we don't get too far into the Bible either before realizing that this isn't a book about man. We play a part, most definitely. However, after Genesis 3 and the fall of Adam and Eve, all the way until the very end of the apocalyptic Book of Revelation, it is the story about God saving his people who fell into sin. 

Friends, we are those sinful people being redeemed. Already early into November, we are seeing signs of the approaching Advent season when we will celebrate the birth of our Lord Christ coming into a humanity full of darkness, wrapping himself in human flesh to bring his light and sacrifice to them, fulfilling the plan and purposes of God that existed before the foundation of the world.  ( Ephesians 1:3-23 ) 

In church last Sunday I heard a quote during the sermon I didn't want to forget because I think it's helpful in seeing how God's story of redemption and his Son have always been woven within every fiber of the smaller narratives throughout the Scriptures, and I wanted to share it. I know it will bless you: 

“Jesus is the true and better Adam, who passed the test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us (1 Corinthians 15). 

Jesus is the true and better Abel, who, though innocently slain, has blood that cries out for our acquittal, not our condemnation (Hebrews 12:24). 

Jesus is the true and better Abraham, who answered the call of God to leave the comfortable and familiar and go out into the void “not knowing whither he went” to create a new people of God. 

Jesus is the true and better Isaac, who was not just offered up by his father on the mount but was truly sacrificed for us all. God said to Abraham, “Now I know you love me, because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you love, from me.” Now we can say to God, “Now we know that you love us, because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you love, from us.”

 Jesus is the true and better Jacob, who wrestled with God and took the blow of justice we deserved so that we, like Jacob, receive only the wounds of grace to wake us up and discipline us. 

Jesus is the true and better Joseph, who at the right hand of the King forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his new power to save them. 

Jesus is the true and better Moses, who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant (Hebrews 3). 

Jesus is the true and better rock of Moses, who, struck with the rod of God’s justice, now gives us water in the desert. 

Jesus is the true and better Job—the truly innocent sufferer—who then intercedes for and saves his stupid friends (Job 42). 

Jesus is the true and better David, whose victory becomes his people’s victory, though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.

Jesus is the true and better Esther, who didn’t just risk losing an earthly palace but lost the ultimate heavenly one, who didn’t just risk his life but gave his life—to save his people. 

Jesus is the true and better Jonah, who was cast out into the storm so we could be brought in.”

Christianity isn't a story about Christians.

It's a story about Christ. 

💜

( Quote from "Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism," Dr. Timothy Keller )