God as the First Parent

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Bible Reading

Genesis 3

Matthew 3

Devotional Thoughts

In Genesis 3 we see how God “parents” the first Adam. Here’s a couple observations from Genesis 2-3.

  1. He set boundaries / guidelines (do not eat the fruit of the tree) (Gen 2:15-17)
  2. He gave specific consequences (You shall die) (Gen 2:17)
  3. He punished their disobedience… the consequence was something painful, difficult… both for the man (Gen 3:18-19) and the woman (Gen 3:16)

In Matthew 3 we see God describing the 2nd Adam

  1. Jesus insisted on doing all that God required. He perfectly followed the boundaries and guidelines that His Father gave Him. (Matt 3:15-16)
  2. At His baptism, God the Father declares, (Matt 3:16-17) “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased!”

The contrast between the first Adam and the second is quite significant. Jesus came to do all that God required. He was the perfect son, perfect obedient child… and God said, “I am pleased with Him.” The first Adam, disobeyed, and God had to enforce the consequences… death and separation.

I am so glad that God’s plan was NOT for me to try, in the old Adam, to obey what the Father requires. The old Adam has it’s mind set on the flesh and is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. (Rom 8:7) “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.” (Rom 8:9) He has given me the second Adam, living in me. And it’s the resurrected life of Jesus, the second Adam, that is able to do all that God requires!

I love how Paul ends this section. Romans 8:10-11 “But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”

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