Adam and Christ are the two most important human beings in history. Adam, the Bible calles
"the first man". Christ is called
"the second man". He is also called
"the last Adam".
When I first became a Christians I doubt the story of Adam in
Genesis. After I learned that Christ is the Head of a new humanity and that certain eternal benefits derive from His obedience I eventually came to see He was a second Adam.
Many people think of Adam and immediately think of "Original Sin". In short, what Adam did in causes all other human beings to be brought into sin and death, toil and misery, guilt and condemnation.
But eventually from studying
Romans 5 I realized that the story of Adam must be true because Christ set in motion what we might call "Original Righteousness". God used the same principle that worked against us to work for us.
Romans 5:17-19 :
For if by the offense of the one death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. (v.17)
So then as it was through one offense unto condemnation to all men, so also it was through one righteous act unto justification of life to all men. (v.18)
For just as through the disobedience of one man the many were constituted sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many will be constituted righteous.(v.19)
Christ is the Head of a new humanity taken out of the old humanity headed up by the failure Adam. This Man Christ steps in to fulfill the meaning of the creation of humanity where Adam failed. That is to express God and reign over the creation for God. That is have God
"image" and exercise God's
"dominion" according to God's plan in creation.
" And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.
And God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them." (Gen 1:26,27)
God rested on the seventh day not because He was tired. The rest there is the rest of satisfaction. God obtained a man to express Himself and have dominion on behalf of Himself over His creation. And especially over
"every creeping thing" which hints of the enemies of God left over from a previous pre-adamic rebellion.