Why Is Jesus Called the "Second Adam"?

The Bible is full of meaningful names for Jesus, from the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) to the Bread of Life (John 6:35). Each is packed with metaphor, theology, and history.

Some names may seem straightforward and comforting, like the Good Shepherd or King of Kings. Others may be a bit more unfamiliar — Jesus as the “second” or “last” Adam, for example. Why would the Bible draw a parallel between the man who doomed the world to sin and the one who saved it?

Jesus as the second Adam gives us a look into the breathtaking redemptive storyline of God’s plan, rich with more symbolism, mirroring, and plot twists than the most masterful of human literature.

What Passages Call Jesus the Second Adam?

The passage in question comes from 1 Corinthians 15:45-49:

“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.”

Other passages also allude to this idea.

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 states, “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”

Romans 5:12-19 also speaks of Jesus as the second Adam:

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned … But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”

Comparing Adam and Jesus

The Introduction of Adam

Adam is introduced in Genesis 1, at the very beginning of the Bible, and is further introduced in Genesis 2-3.

On the sixth day of creation, “God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). Genesis 2:7 further explains this process: “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

This man, Adam, was created directly by God, the first and only man to come to life without a human father—at least, until Jesus. He was put in charge of the earth and given dominion over it, to care for it (Genesis 1:26, 28). At that point, he was without sin.

Adam’s Fall

Unfortunately, Adam’s sinless state did not last. God gave Adam one command: “you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:17), which Adam promptly disobeyed.

God’s command had come with a warning. “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:17). In Adam’s disobedience, he doomed not only himself, but the entire human race. The cycle of sin and decay was etched into the DNA of mankind.

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The Introduction of Jesus

God didn’t give up on humanity after Adam’s fall. Over thousands of years, He made promises to Abraham, raised up Joseph, led the Israelites out of Egypt, established a nation of His own people, and sent prophets to speak on His behalf.

But none of it was enough. Over and over again, the people returned to sin. And no amount of blood from animal sacrifice could even begin to cover it.

Adam’s curse was unavoidable, an intrinsic part of humanity. It would take a perfect man, a perfect sacrifice, something far greater than all of us, to overcome this curse.

Enter Jesus.

Jesus’ Triumph

For the first time since Adam, a man appeared on Earth who had no human father. As the Son of God, Jesus was perfect and sinless, and unlike Adam, He remained that way.

Jesus overcame temptation. Not only that, He overcame death. By the sacrifice of the perfect Lamb, Jesus overcame sin once and for all. 

Parallels Between Adam and Jesus

Adam was the first man, created directly by God, the symbolic head of humanity. Jesus is the first God-man, the direct Son of God, the Head of the Church.

Both Adam and Jesus entered the world sinless. However, where Adam failed, Jesus triumphed.

Let us return to 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”

Adam sinned once, and thus doomed humanity. Jesus died once, and thus covered over a multitude of sins (Romans 5:18-19). 

Adam represents our earthly nature. “The first man was of the dust of the earth… As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth” (1 Corinthians 15:47-48). Just as our earthly body dies, so we perish through the sin nature that comes through Adam.

Meanwhile, Jesus imparts to us His spiritual nature. “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 15:47-49). Adam was the figurehead of broken humanity; Jesus is now the Head of the redeemed Church.

There are other fascinating parallels scattered as tidbits in the Gospels as well. In John, when Pilate says of Jesus, “behold the man” (John 19:5 KJV), some have pointed to this as an ironic echo of God’s words in Genesis 3:22. In John 20:15, Mary mistakes the risen Jesus for the gardener—that which was supposed to be Adam’s occupation. And just as death came to all through disobedience concerning a tree (Genesis 2:17), life came to all through obedience on a tree (the cross). 

The Last Adam

1 Corinthians 15:45 calls Jesus “the last Adam.” As Adam was once the head of humanity, our representative, Jesus is now our representative before God. Another will not be needed, for in Christ, the work of redemption and reconciliation is complete.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Pamela D McAdams

Alyssa Roat studied writing, theology, and the Bible at Taylor University. She has worked as a literary agent at C.Y.L.E., the publicity manager at Mountain Brook Ink, and as a freelance editor with Sherpa Editing Services. She is the co-author of Dear Hero and has 200+ bylines in publications ranging from The Christian Communicator to Keys for Kids.