February 22, 2026 Text: Romans 5:12-19
Dear Friends in Christ,
Like me many of you compare and contrast when buying something like a new car
or a refrigerator. Recently I have been looking at wired headphones. My current
headphones have been a Godsend but the earholes are getting worn. I am trying to find
something just like I have but it has been difficult. They are out there but wireless. Some of
the wired don’t have the larger earholes needed for comfort and noise cancelling. I was on
the computer the other night for well over an hour. What to do? Eventually, a decision will
have to be made, but it is never as easy as we would like. We can get compare and contrast
overload.
In our text for today, Paul compares and contrasts the effects of what Adam and
Christ have done. In this compare and contrast exercise, Jesus is always the greater part of
the equation. We know about Christ’s grace and life, but to fully appreciate these gifts, we
need to understand how sin and its consequences has corrupted our lives.
“COMPARING AND CONTRASTING ADAM AND CHRIST”
Let’s start with Adam. “Sin came into the world through one man.” (v. 12). It is all
laid out in our Old Testament lesson. Adam and Eve sinned. They brought death into the
world. God never intended it to be this way. These poor souls just couldn’t handle
perfection.
The first comparison does not involve Christ. Adam sinned and died. We “all have
sinned.” You and I are going to die just like Adam.
“Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses.” (v. 14a). Adam broke a specific command
of God’s. Moses didn’t receive the Ten Commandments until thousands of years later.
Those folks for thousands of years are contrasted to Adam. Do they get a pass because no
laws were in place? No. Paul wants to make clear that people are still accountable for their
sin, even without an explicit command. Like us, they knew in their conscience when they
had done wrong. Some of the consequences of their sin – the destroying of Sodom and
Gomorrah and the flood which wiped out every human being except for Noah and his
family.
There may still be people today who don’t know the revealed Word of God or have
never heard the Ten Commandments. They are still guilty of sinning against conscience,
because everyone has one, and they die.
“But the free gift is not like the trespass.” (v. 15a). Adam’s one trespass brought
death to every man, woman, and child who would follow. It is still the great weight that
hangs over every human’s head. We are going to die. Thank you, Adam.
Interestingly enough nobody treats the name Adam like the name Judas. People still
name their boys Adam. It was very popular in the 1970’s and 80’s. Why do you think that
is? Could it be that we understand Adam? Haven’t we been told what to do. A specific
thing we should stay away from. And then we go ahead and do it anyway. We pick the fruit
we shouldn’t be tasting. Lord, get us out of this garden.
Here is the beautiful contrast. Christ does. Every trespass, whether committed by
Adam or Eve or St. Paul or you or me – they were all answered with God’s gracious gift,
leading to a decree of righteousness. If, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned
through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the
free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.” (v. 17)
This First Sunday in Lent focuses on the active obedience of Christ. Jesus keeping
the Law perfectly, where every other human being has failed. In obedience Christ went to
the cross to pay the sins for those of us who could not keep the Law. We receive this
forgiveness and life by faith.
The last verse summarizes the theme. “For as by the one’s man’s disobedience the
many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”
(v. 19). The comparison continues. Adam sins – we all sin. Christ makes us righteous.
Memorize and live by it.
When we compare and contrast, our decisions have consequences. But they are not
life and death altering. I want to be happy with my headphones, you want a car you can
rely on. Good enough. But today’s exercise has eternal consequences. Living an Adam life
of breaking the Law can lead to a path of destruction. Following Christ the Savior, the one
man who dispenses grace and love in His Word and Sacrament leads to eternal life.
Amen.
"But God demonstrated His love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
