A Tale of Two Adams

The wounded sides of Adam and Christ

Prologue:

Marriage is a Divine picture of the relationship between Christ and the church:

In Ephesians 5:22-33, the comparison between “husband & wife” and “Christ & the church” is mentioned five times.
2 Corinthians 11:2 also speaks of the relationship of Christ & the church, and equates it with a marriage between a husband & wife.

Jesus is the “second Adam”:

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 presents Adam and Christ as the two distinct heads of the human race. All sinful, unregenerate people are "in Adam", while all regenerate, believing people are "in Christ".
Romans 5:12-21 goes into even greater detail. In fact verse 14 explicitly tells us that Adam was "the figure of him that was to come" [Jesus]. So Jesus is the "second Adam", so to speak.

Now lets see what each "Adam" did for his bride:

The first Adam was wounded:

Genesis 2:
21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he was asleep, he took part of the man’s side and closed up the place with flesh. [1]
22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the part he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, “This one at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and unites with his wife, and they become a new family.

The second Adam was also wounded:

John 19:
32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men who had been crucified with Jesus, first the one and then the other.
33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water flowed out immediately.
35 And the person who saw it has testified (and his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth), so that you also may believe.
36 For these things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled, “Not a bone of his will be broken.” [2]
37 And again another scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.” [3]

So we can see:

The first Adam was wounded in his side so that he could have a bride.
Similarly, the second Adam was wounded in his side so that he could have a bride.
Praise Christ for what He has done!

--- article by Joseph M. Gleason - March, 2005

[1] note on Genesis 2:21 --- Traditionally translated “rib,” the Hebrew word actually means “side.” The Hebrew text reads, “and he took one from his sides,” which could be rendered “part of his sides.” That idea may fit better the explanation by the man that the woman is his flesh and bone.

[2] note on John 19:36 --- A quotation from Exod 12:46, Num 9:12, and Ps 34:20. A number of different OT passages lie behind this quotation: Exod 12:10 LXX, Exod 12:46, Num 9:12, or Ps 34:20. Of these, the first is the closest in form to the quotation here. The first three are all more likely candidates than the last, since the first three all deal with descriptions of the Passover lamb.

[3] note on John 19:37 --- A quotation from Zech 12:10. Here a single phrase is quoted from Zech 12, but the entire context is associated with the events surrounding the crucifixion. The “Spirit of grace and of supplication” is poured out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the first part of v. 10. A few verses later in 13:1 Yahweh (typically rendered as “Lord” in the OT) says “In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity.” The blood which flowed from Jesus’ pierced side may well be what the author saw as the connection here, since as the shedding of the blood of the sacrificial victim it represents cleansing from sin. --- “I will pour out upon the house of David and the population of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication so that they will look to me, the one they have pierced” (Zech 12:10).

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