From the First Adam to the Last Adam
“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 5:21 (ESV)
How could Jesus Christ, who never committed a single sin, become sin for us? Did He somehow become sinful on the cross? And why was a sacrifice necessary? Why couldn't God simply forgive humanity? To understand these questions, we must return to Genesis, where sin entered humanity and God began revealing His plan of redemption.
The First Adam and the First Covering
In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and immediately recognized their nakedness. They attempted to cover themselves with fig leaves, but their efforts could not undo their sin. Then Genesis 3:21 tells us that God made garments of skin and clothed them.
Although Scripture does not explicitly describe a sacrifice here, obtaining animal skins strongly suggests that innocent animals died to cover the guilty. Biblical teachers, including Chuck Missler, have recognized this as an early picture of substitution. Adam and Eve attempted to cover themselves, but God provided what they could not. This foreshadowed humanity's need for salvation that cannot be earned through human effort.
God also promised that the woman's offspring would ultimately defeat the serpent (Genesis 3:15). Even as sin brought judgment, God revealed that evil would not have the final victory.
Why Couldn't God Simply Forgive Sin?
People sometimes ask why an all-powerful God would require a sacrifice instead of simply forgiving everyone. But consider why we have laws, courts, and prisons. Why don't we simply forgive everyone who commits a crime and let them walk away without consequences?
Imagine a judge declaring a murderer guilty but immediately releasing him because the judge decided to forgive him. Would we consider that justice? Would the victim's family agree?
Even our imperfect legal systems recognize that forgiveness and justice are not the same thing. A victim can forgive someone while still recognizing that wrongdoing carries consequences.
Now consider a perfectly holy and righteous God.
Romans 6:23 declares that the wages of sin is death. God cannot treat sin as though it never happened without compromising His righteousness. Yet His love provides a way for sinners to escape condemnation.
At the cross, God did not ignore sin to forgive humanity. He provided the sacrifice through which His justice and mercy could be demonstrated together.
Romans 3:25–26 explains that God presented Christ through His blood to demonstrate His righteousness while justifying those who have faith in Jesus. Unlike an innocent stranger being forced to suffer for a criminal, Jesus willingly laid down His life (John 10:17–18).
The Passover Lamb: A Sacrifice Without Blemish
In Exodus 12, God instructed the Israelites to select a male lamb without blemish, sacrifice it, and apply its blood to their doorposts. When judgment came upon Egypt, those covered by the blood were spared (Exodus 12:5–13).
Centuries later, Paul wrote:
“For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” — 1 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV)
Jesus fulfilled the Passover imagery remarkably. The lamb had to be without blemish; Jesus was without sin (Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 1:19). The lamb's blood marked those protected from judgment; Christ's blood provides redemption and forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7).
But one detail is especially extraordinary.
Exodus 12:46 specifically commanded that none of the Passover lamb's bones were to be broken. This command was repeated in Numbers 9:12.
According to John 19:31–36, Roman soldiers broke the legs of the two men crucified beside Jesus to hasten their deaths. But when they reached Jesus, He was already dead, so they did not break His legs.
John explicitly identifies this as a fulfillment of Scripture: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” (John 19:36, ESV)
Jesus was not merely another sacrifice. He fulfilled what the Passover lamb foreshadowed, down to the detail of His unbroken bones.
The Serpent Lifted Up in the Wilderness
Another remarkable connection appears in Numbers 21:4–9. After the Israelites sinned against God, venomous serpents brought judgment upon them. God instructed Moses to raise a bronze serpent on a pole, and those who looked upon it would live.
Why would God use the image of a serpent, a creature associated with sin and judgment, to provide healing?
Jesus Himself made the connection in John 3:14–15, explaining that just as Moses lifted up the serpent, the Son of Man must also be lifted up so that those who believe in Him may have eternal life.
The bronze serpent resembled the deadly creatures but contained no venom. Likewise, Jesus came in human flesh but remained completely without sin. Romans 8:3 explains that God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and condemned sin in the flesh.
The serpent itself had no power to heal. God provided healing to those who trusted His instructions. Similarly, Jesus was lifted up so that those who believe in Him might receive eternal life.
How Did Jesus Become Sin Without Becoming Sinful?
Second Corinthians 5:21 declares that God made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin for us. Yet Hebrews 4:15, Hebrews 7:26, and 1 Peter 2:22 repeatedly establish that Jesus was completely sinless.
The Greek word translated as "sin," hamartia, can also refer to a sin offering in the Greek Old Testament. Some commentators understand Paul's statement as describing Jesus becoming our sacrifice for sin. Others emphasize that our guilt was counted against Him in a judicial sense.
These explanations complement one another.
Jesus did not become morally sinful. He became our sin offering, bearing our guilt and the judgment we deserved so that we could receive His righteousness.
Isaiah 53:5–6 foretold the suffering servant being pierced for our transgressions and bearing our iniquities. Galatians 3:13 declares that Christ became a curse for us, while 1 Peter 2:24 explains that He bore our sins in His body on the tree.
Jesus did not commit our sins, yet He willingly accepted their consequences. Our sins were counted against Him, and through faith in Christ, His righteousness is credited to us.
From Filthy Garments to Righteousness
This brings us back to the covering God provided in Genesis.
In Zechariah 3:1–5, Joshua the high priest stands before God wearing filthy garments while Satan accuses him. God commands that the filthy garments be removed and replaced with clean ones, declaring:
“Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” — Zechariah 3:4 (ESV)
Here Scripture explicitly connects the removal of filthy clothing with the removal of sin. Isaiah 61:10 similarly describes salvation as being clothed in a robe of righteousness.
Adam and Eve needed God to provide their covering. Joshua needed God to remove his filthy garments. Likewise, sinners need the righteousness that only Jesus Christ can provide.
The Last Adam: One Sacrifice for All Time
Paul identifies Jesus as the last Adam in 1 Corinthians 15:45. Romans 5:19 explains that through one man's disobedience many were made sinners, while through one man's obedience many will be made righteous.
The first Adam brought sin, condemnation, and death. The last Adam brought righteousness, justification, and eternal life.
Hebrews 10:4 explains that animal sacrifices could never ultimately remove sins. They pointed toward the perfect sacrifice to come. Hebrews 10:12 declares that Jesus offered one sacrifice for sins for all time and then sat down at God's right hand.
His sacrifice was sufficient. Nothing needed to be added.
The garments in Genesis revealed humanity's need for God's provision. The Passover lamb demonstrated deliverance through innocent blood. The bronze serpent foreshadowed Christ being lifted up. And the first Adam revealed the problem that only the last Adam could solve.
Jesus Christ fulfilled what these earlier events anticipated.
God did not abandon justice to demonstrate mercy. At the cross, His righteousness and love were revealed together.
Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us—not by becoming a sinner, but by bearing the judgment our sins deserved. He took what belonged to us so that through faith in Him, we could receive what belongs to Him: righteousness before God and the promise of eternal life.
“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” — 1 Corinthians 15:22 (ESV)
