Day 21: Second Adam

Charles Wesley’s famous Christmas hymn “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” ends with a verse that describes Christ as “Second Adam”. Here is the verse in entirety:

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
Oh, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.

When sin entered the world, the image of the Creator was marred, and the broken and twisted image of sinful Adam was scrawled over it like the crudest graffiti. We have lost fellowship with our God and can no longer freely obey him. Though made in his image, we shake our fist at the one who gives us life, following in the footsteps of all people who have gone before us in rebellious self-idolatry. Sin is our inevitable inheritance, as well as strife, suffering, condemnation, and death. As children of Adam, ours is a helpless, hopeless state. Who will free us from bondage, cleanse us of sin’s stain, and restore us to life? No sinful and broken descendant of Adam is worthy of such a task. The only way to be right with God is for God himself to make us right; he himself must be our salvation. No one else could possibly supply our need for a different kind of representative: a second, heaven-sent Adam. The first Adam, though guilty, sought to shift his guilt onto another. The second Adam, though righteous, sacrificially shouldered the guilt of others. The first Adam brought death. The second Adam brought life, renewal, and reconciliation with God, stamping his holy image on hearts brought to life by the salvation he wrought on the cross. Praise God that he came in human flesh! We are restored to life, and right relationship with him, and all of that is through no effort of our own. He has done it all. The Son of God, who we call Jesus, is the Second Adam of Wesley’s song, and he has done what we could never do for ourselves. I am reminded of John’s words, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us that we should be called the children of God, and so we are.” (1 John 3:1) What love!

Scriptures to consider:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgement following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Romans 5:15-17

Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by the angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. 1 Timothy 3:16

Hymn to enjoy:
Hark! the herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King
Peace on earth, and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic host proclaim
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Hark! the herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord
Late in time, behold Him come
Offspring of a virgin’s womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail th’incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel

Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris’n with healing in His wings
Mild, He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving pow’r,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
Oh, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.

Lyrics by Charles Wesley (1739) and adapted by George Whitefield (1758); Tune by Felix Mendelssohn (1840)

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