Adam: The Earliest Picture of Christ

 There are many different pictures in the Bible that either literally or metaphorically depict the character traits of Christ. Noah for instance was a type of Christ in that he was sent to warn people of the coming judgment of the flood but gave them a way to escape the judgment by getting on the ark (a picture of salvation). Melchisedec also a depiction of Christ (albeit a mysterious one) was both a priest and a king. Hebrews 7 gives a perfect explanation for this and hints at the fact that Melchisedec might have indeed been a pre-incarnate Christ. Isaac was a type of Christ picturing Jesus' future sacrifice by willingly giving himself and being obedient to his father, even unto death.  

 The most catastrophic flashpoint moment in mankind's history depicts the earliest picture of Christ and is found in Genesis 3:6 "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." In this passage, we see two innocent people willingly disobeying and rebelling against God, however, both had different reasons for doing so. The depiction of Christ here isn't obvious unless you take other scripture into account. 

 There are several things you have to remember when discerning depictions of Christ in the Bible. First, you have to account for the role the character is meant to fulfill, secondly, you have to account for intent, and thirdly, you have to account for God's purpose. Let's take it step by step and answer these questions one by one;

  1. God made mankind in his image, this means we share many characteristics that God has. For instance, the ability to empathize, to love, and our drive to create. Mankind is a likeness of God. 

  2. Adam and Eve were husband and wife. Marriage is the picture of Christ's relationship with his church and the relationship between God and His creation.

  3. Man is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. Man's relationship with God before the Church age was represented the same nonetheless through marriage. God made a woman from man's rib because he wanted man to represent God in the relationship. The woman is a part of man because she is made in the image of man, as man is made in the image of God. 

  4. Adam is fulfilling God's and Christ's role to his wife Eve.

  5. Adam's intent on his wife is to love and cleave unto her and to act as one flesh with her. This means that they cannot be separated spiritually.

  6. God's purpose with his creation is to love His creation but also for His creation to love Him. Love cannot exist without a conscious choice which is why God allowed Adam and Eve to fall of their own free will. 

 Knowing these things and putting them all together there is one question that remains to be answered; What was Eve's reason for rebellion and what was Adam's? Eve was deceived by Satan to eat the fruit because Satan made her believe that she would be like a god knowing good and evil, releasing her from her naïve state. But was Adam deceived? the Bible specifically says he was NOT deceived. Reference Timothy 2:14 "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." So then why would Adam eat the fruit if he was not deceived? Adam being innocent in mind and in constant fellowship with God, it makes no sense why he would willingly disobey, unless, we take the things I listed above into account. This also is referenced to in Romans 5:14 "Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come."; who is the figure of him that was to come. That last phrase is very important because it references Adam as a picture of Christ even in his transgression. this only means one thing...

 I want to put a disclaimer here before I continue that of course this is just a theory, but one that I think perfectly pictures God's nature and depicts a very poetic character trait of our Lord and Savior. 

 Adam ate the fruit in concordance with his role as a husband and possibly understanding the redemption plan that God had in store for mankind going forward. When Adam ate the fruit knowing that he would be damned to death was sacrificing his innocents and his good nature to fulfill his role as a loving husband not abandoning his wife and leaving her alone in her sin. Adam gave his life willingly for his wife perfectly depicting the same thing Christ did for us on the cross when Jesus (as the scripture says) literally became sin for us, Adam became sin for Eve understanding God's redemptive blueprint.