So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” – John 19:5
God’s Word is so fascinating and so cohesive. Cohesive? Yes, God’s Word “sticks to” all of the other parts of God’s Word. Each bit holds other bits together.
In the 19th chapter of John, Pilate brought Jesus before the Jews as an accused criminal. Pilate declares, no doubt in a loud and authoritative voice, “Behold the man!” What Pilate didn’t understand nor did the Jews, was that the person that stood before them was the perfect Man. The Greek word for “man” used in John 19:5, means man, one of the human race, a human being. Jesus often referred to Himself as the Son of Man (Mark 14:21).
Adam from Adamah
Though all of us come from Adam, the Jews have a record of their lineage back to Adam (Luke 3:23-38). From the Ancient Hebrew Reference Center we learn:
The Hebrew word אדמה (adamah) is the feminine form of אדם meaning “ground” (see Genesis 2:7)…Each of these words has the common meaning of “red.”
– Dam is the “red” blood
– adamah is the “red” ground
– edom is the color “red”
– adam is the “red” man
Genesis 2:7 states that “the adam” (man) was formed out of the adamah (ground)
Sinful Adam condemned the righteous Adam
God created Adam, but Adam sinned. Jesus, the Son of Man, was conceived by God and was sinless. Therefore, the innocent, perfect man was presented by Pilate to the Jews (the adams). Jesus, the second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:47), was rejected by the Jews. We could even say that the sinful Adam condemned the righteous Adam [a], as was foreshadowed when Cain condemned Abel.
Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. (John 15:20)
As Christians, we can expect people (i.e., Adams) to condemn us. We live in challenging times, but then Christians have always lived in challenging times. It is imperative to remember that within the ranks of those that persecute us are people like Saul (i.e., the Apostle Paul) that will repent and be saved. We must live in ways that do not hide Jesus from those that persecute us.
[a] Humanity was “in” Adam. We can say this based on Hebrews 7:9-10 ESV: One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.
Photo by James Coleman on Unsplash
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