If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.
1 Corinthians 15:44-49
Acorns are beloved by squirrels everywhere. While growing up I always enjoyed picking up these little nuts and picking them apart. They had hard shells topped with a little hat. You could toss them, crunch them, and even plant them. Acorns are tiny little nuts and, as much fun as they were, they weren’t much to look at. But there is something special about acorns. If you plant one, it could grow into a mighty oak tree. I remember one of my seminary professors talking about how every acorn has an “oakness” about it. It bears the image of the mighty oak in its DNA. You and I are much like acorns. We bear an important image in our DNA, too – the image of God.
Adam is our physical fore-father but our passage refers to Jesus as the “Second Adam.” If Adam was our natural father, the Second Adam is our spiritual father. Unfortunately, most of us resemble the first Adam considerably more than the second Adam. We bear his image in our bodies. But what is truly amazing is that we can bear the image of the second Adam in our spirits. Verse 49 is an incredible statement of what the second Adam is accomplishing inside us – spiritual life!
It is at Christmas that the second Adam makes His appearance. He came in physical form to defeat the death brought to us by the first Adam. Where Adam failed, Jesus succeeded and, because of that success, you and I can shake off the image of Adam in favor of the image of Christ. The coming of Jesus can accomplish amazing changes in our lives from the inside out.
It’s often been said that the Bible is like a mirror that shows us exactly who we are and what God wants us to become. What do you see when you look in that mirror? Do you see the image of Christ? Jesus, the Second Adam, wants to lift you up this Christmas. He wants to restore His image in your spirit. If you want to see what that image looks like, pick up your Bible and look intently. Let God make you into the Christian He wants you to be.
Christmas Quote
“What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.” ~Agnes M. Pahro
Red Cloud Wesleyan Church 