by David Chadwick
Hidden heroes. It’s a topic that has become near and dear to my heart. To find the people of the BIble who may be lesser known and dig out the treasures of their story.
We are jumping back into some more of the Bible’s hidden heroes. This time, we will look at heroes specifically tethered to the wonder of the Christmas story. In these cases, these are heroes who may be more well known, but I am referring to them as hidden heroes because they have significant, but more hidden roles in the Christmas story.
Adam. Today’s hidden hero. The genealogy of Jesus found in Luke 3:23-37 traces Jesus back through Joseph, all the way to Adam.
Adam, alongside Eve, was the one of the two who ate the fruit of rebellion in Genesis 3 and corrupted the world. Eve was offered the fruit by Satan and chose to partake, and Adam did not stop her. Some would say he was passive and silent in the face of temptation. He was not a vigilant steward of God’s instructions nor was he a protector of Eve in the face of Satan’s luring and cunning behavior.
Some have suggested that Adam will not be in heaven because he’s not listed in the Hebrews 11 Hall of Fame of Faith. His name is not listed among other Old Testament heroes who looked forward to the day of Jesus. Only God truly knows.
Why is Adam a hidden hero in the Christmas story? Let’s take a look at Romans 5:12-19. Paul bookends the story of salvation in this passage of Scripture.
Sin came into the world through Adam. “Death reigned from Adam to Moses” (Romans 5:14). The free gift of grace through Jesus brought justification for many. Through Adam’s disobedience, many were made sinners, but through Jesus’s obedience, many would be made righteous (Romans 5:18).
Where Adam disobeyed and the world fell into corruption, Jesus, the second Adam, perfectly obeyed the will of God and brought redemption to the world. Where the first Adam failed, the second Adam succeeded.
Everyone in the world is either in Adam or in Christ. The way of Adam leads to eternal death. But the way of Jesus leads to eternal life. Jesus came as the second Adam to save us and give us the gift of eternal life (Luke 19:10).
Understanding the first Adam’s role in the Bible should give a whole new meaning to him being one of my hidden heroes in the Christmas story.
And Adam gives us the reason Jesus had to come into this world in Bethlehem.