“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!”—Romans 5:17 (NIV) 

Remember when you were a kid and you really wanted to grab something from a shelf, but you just couldn’t reach it? Perhaps you were reaching for a cookie, or a toy, or a book. It was always so satisfying and exciting when someone who was taller than you, which would probably have been anybody else, got what you wanted and gave it to you. Your childlike faith and joy didn’t necessarily feel less than because of their help. In fact, you appreciated it! You knew you couldn’t do it on your own, yet you still tried to reach for it until someone else was able to reach it for you. This is what I think about when I read this part of Romans. 

In the Book of Romans, Paul takes note of the beautiful parallel between Adam and Jesus! This parallel is important because it illustrates how the work of Jesus Christ surpassed and redeemed the work of Adam! Where Adam fell short, Jesus stood strong and fulfilled a purpose that no one else could. Let’s see how this plays out.

Adam and Jesus, both men . . .

• Yet Jesus brought life. As a result of Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God, the human race was stained by sin and death. While Adam brought this upon himself and humanity, Jesus paid the price of a death He didn’t deserve so we could be rescued from it ourselves. Where Adam brought death, Jesus brought life by defeating death!

• Yet Jesus was holy. Adam was sinful. He willingly turned against God, which filled him with pride and selfishness. Jesus, on the other hand, is perfect! He was born to Mary as a human, yet His nature was still supremely holy and righteous. Because of this, He could be the ultimate sacrifice as a sinless man, which is the opposite of what Adam, or anyone else including you and me, could be. 

• Yet Jesus redeemed and reconciled. Through Adam, sin and judgment came to all the world. Through Jesus, redemption and reconciliation was made available for all the world! Redemption was His act of cleaning us and attributing righteousness to us through His sacrifice, and reconciliation was His act of bringing us back into a personal relationship with a holy God. 

Just like with every other prophet or king in the Old Testament, Jesus is the fulfillment of every imperfect effort or attempt at salvation and redemption. From the beginning, God’s plan to rescue us included using his Son, Jesus Christ, to fill the gap and reach the unreachable on our behalf. Praise God for His intentional pursuit of our salvation!

Pause: Consider the beauty of God’s intentionality with our story of redemption. Contemplate how Jesus, being the “greater Adam,” reflects God’s character. What does it tell us about our Father and Savior?

Practice: Spend a moment today writing down a few areas where you fall short in life and how Jesus does not. Humbly evaluate where you’re weak, and focus on where He’s strong. After this, thank and worship God for how great He is and remind yourself that because of His work on the cross, He will help transform you so you will begin to look more like Jesus, too!

Pray: Jesus, You are absolutely awesome! As Paul wrote in Colossians 1:15 (NIV), you are “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation,” and in verse 17, you are “before all things, and in him all things hold together.” I offer You all my praise and worship today! May my life be a reflection of Your sacrifice, Your grace, Your love, and Your strength. Amen.