Advent Study: Incarnation (Session 1) The Last Adam

 Incarnation Session One

Nov 19, 2024

The Last Adam

When you think of the word incarnation, what comes to mind?

Incarnation is the spiritual actualized in this world. Incarnation is central to our understanding of Jesus, He is God in the flesh. He came from the Holy Spirit and was bore by Mary. But there are many appearances of spiritual or divine beings in the Old Testament. These appearances include visiting angels eating, drinking, and even wrestling. The Israelites witnessed the presence of God in smoke and fire. God empowered a donkey to converse with Balaam. And the prophets fell into trances and spoke in tongues while filled with the Spirit of the Lord. The Spirit empowered Samson with great strength to fight Israel’s enemies, the Philistines. The earliest incarnation was God’s Spirit hovering over the dark waters of chaos and speaking light and life into the abyss. God made Adam a living being by breathing the breath of life into a lump of earth formed by God’s hands.

Tonight, we read from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. Chapter 15 contains the oldest expression of a creedal type statement of faith.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me… (1Co 15:3-8a)

The rest of the chapter is dedicated to addressing heresy, for some in the congregation were saying there is no resurrection of the dead.  

But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? (1Co 15:12)

Paul asserts quite powerfully his belief in resurrection. He next addresses a question from the Corinthians about the nature of the resurrection body. His answer may surprise you. He basically says, if God chooses the type of body or form that birds and fish, and the sun, moon and stars have, God can be trusted to provide the body we will be given at the resurrection. It is not flesh and blood, but a spiritual body. In the midst of this argument, Paul uses Adam, the first man, as an illustration.

Adam was of the earth and became a living soul.

Jesus Christ, the last Adam, is from heaven and became a life-giving spirit.

The first Adam was a natural man.

The last Adam was a spiritual man

Consider Paul’s comparison of the natural man and the spiritual man. Read 1Co 2:10-16.

The natural person is unspiritual, worldly, given to sensuality (I believe only what I can see)

The spiritual person is lives in harmony with the Spirit of Jesus empowering them from within. (We believe what we have not yet seen)

The natural person finds spiritual talk to be foolish. To speak of a crucified messiah is foolish to their sensibility. The Spirit gives spirit-filled people divine understanding of all spiritual matters.

But we have the mind of Christ. (1Co 2:16)

There are two aspects to the human journey, to bear the image of the man of dust (mortal life) and the image of the man of heaven (eternal life).

Resurrection is bearing the image of Christ, the last Adam, the Man of Heaven

Resurrection is the ultimate incarnation for people of faith. 

Read Romans 8:14-30

When Paul mentions glory, he is referencing resurrection, the ultimate incarnation when we are totally conformed to the image of Christ, completely free (redeemed) from the trappings of mortal life in this sin-corrupted world. 

We enjoy the first fruits of the Spirit, before the great harvest of all souls. We live our lives as a first fruits offering to God. 

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Ro 12:1-2)

Summary

Incarnation is the spiritual made actual in this world. Christ’s Spirit dwells in you through faith in Jesus. The Spirit enables you to understand spiritual matters. Through the Spirit you are given the mind of Christ, to think as He thinks and act as He acts. As recipients of the Spirit, we choose as an act of worship to live in harmony with the Spirit of God, and forsake the temptations of sin. We are no longer held captive to cravings and passions, but instead live freely in the power of Christ to live good and pleasing lives for God. We are incarnate, little Christs, destined to be conformed to the image of Jesus and share in His glory.

Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Co 15:57)