Genesis chapter 5. I'm going to read the first 11 verses. Genesis 5, verse 1. This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female, he created them. And he blessed them and named them man when they were created. When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years, and he had other sons and daughters. These are the days that Adam lived. Thus, the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died. When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enish. Seth lived after he fathered Enish 807 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus, all the days of Seth were 912 years and he died. When Enish had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan. Enish lived after he fathered Kenan 815 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus, all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died. And this continues on through the chapter here of Genesis 5. Notice what all of these people have in common. They were born, they had sons and daughters, and they died. Now, these pre-flood individuals lived for hundreds of years. They were, what, 900 years plus here. And yet, death still took them. Now, we don't live that long, but medical science has achieved much in prolonging our years than they used to be, like in the 1800s. But death is still the number one cause of losing your life. Death is a fact of life. Death is universal. Scripture testifies to this in Hebrews 9.27. It is appointed for man to die once, and after that, the judgment. and I'm going to pull a page out of Rick's, Pastor Rick's lessons. He likes stats, so here's some stats for you, Pastor Rick. 56 million deaths occur annually, which translates into 4.6 million a month, 150,000 a day, 6,000 hourly, 106 every minute, and nearly two deaths every second. James 4 verse 14 is true when it asks, what is your life? And then answers, it's just a vapor. It appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Now you may be thinking, this is Easter morning, Pastor Paul. It's Resurrection Sunday. Resurrection Sunday is about life, not death. Let's talk about life. Well, without death, there would be no Resurrection Sunday. 1 Corinthians 15, verse one. Now I would remind you brothers of the gospel that I preached to you which you received and in which you stand. Verse three, this is what the gospel is. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures. Without death, there would be no resurrection of Jesus. And Jesus, being fully human, died, just like all the rest of us. And it's attested to us in every one of the four gospels of the New Testament. Matthew 26, 50. And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. Mark 15, 37. And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. Luke 23, 46. Then Jesus calling out with a loud voice said, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. And having said this, he breathed his last. John 19 verse 30, when Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, it is finished. And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. It was amazing to pilot when the centurion or when Joseph of Arimathea came and asking for the body of the Lord. And he's basically saying, is he dead already? Because people can last for a long time on the cross, some three or four days. But the soldiers made sure of that when they pierced his heart with that spear and out came blood and water. Jesus died. And so we find that death, including Jesus and all of humanity, death is universal. But what is the reason for death? If after God created the heavens and the earth and he looked on everything that he had made and declared that it was very good, how could death come from all of that glorious life? Answer, and you know it, sin. Sin is the reason for death. Genesis chapter two, after God had made all the garden, He says, verse 16, the Lord God commanded the man saying, you may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die. Death was foreign to the newly created world, and yet In chapter 3, despite this warning in Genesis 2, Adam ate the fruit. And that act of disobedience brought death into the world. Look at 1 Corinthians 15, 21. For as by a man came death. And then verse 22, for as in Adam all die. Adam brought death into the world by his act of disobedience, sin. Now there's another verse that Paul writes in the book of Romans that is a little bit more clear here, and I have it on your outline, Romans 5 verse 12. It clarifies this a little further. Paul writes, just as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin So death spread to all men because all sinned. Now let's take that verse apart. Number one, he says, sin came into the world through one man. Now Paul isn't talking here about the origin of evil. originating with Satan and his rebellion against God and was kicked out of heaven. And he's not talking about that. He's talking about how sin came into the world, that the world inhabited by men and sin invaded the world through one man, Adam. Next phrase. just as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin. As Adam was the door through which sin entered the world, so sin is the door by which death entered our world. The warning of Genesis 2.17 was fulfilled. And the curse of Genesis 3, 19 came true, to dust you shall return. Death is the penalty for sin and disobedience. And the next phrase, so death spread to all people. Again, we have the fact of the universality of death expressed. Everyone dies. There's only been two exceptions to that rule, and that's Enoch and Elijah. Exactly what happened, were they changed, translated like it's gonna be at the rapture at the end time? We don't know. Just God took them. Elijah went up in a fiery chariot and he was walking and then all of a sudden he wasn't there. God took him. But for everybody else, Jesus included, death is universal. Death spread to all people. And that word spread. means to permeate, to overwhelm. It's a pervasive thing, like a contagious disease spreads through a community. And the reason the penalty of sin has spread so universally is because of the last phrase, because all sinned. Now we know everyone sins, but that's not what the verse says. It doesn't say death spread to all people because all sin. It says, death spread to all people because all sinned. When? We have to ask the question. When did they sin? Paul is not referring here to the future sins of future generations. For this word sinned, the verb is the aorist tense. It's a past tense verb. And in the context, the only past sin is the one sin of Adam. His sin is emphasized five times in the context, Romans 5, 15 through 19. Five times it's mentioned. And this repetition shows that Paul regards death as having come to all people because all sinned in Adam. But how can that be and why? Why are we judged because of what somebody else did? It's because Adam was acting as our representative head, our federal head, the federal head of the human race. We're used to this kind of terminology in our nation. We have elected officials in DC. They are our representatives. What they decide, what they act upon, affects us all. So what Adam did as our representative, the representative of all humanity, affects all humanity. What he incurred, we all incur. And this is obvious as you read Genesis 1 through 3. Everything said to Adam was said to him in his representative capacity. The dominion over the earth that he was given by God is given to the whole human race. They, like Adam, have to earn their bread by the sweat of their face. They are subject to all the inconveniences and all the sufferings arising from the curse upon the earth because of Adam's sin. These are all ours, as is the full penalty of Adam's sin. All sinned when Adam sinned. His act became the judicial ground for the penalty of death coming to all people. Paul says the same thing here in 1 Corinthians 15, in verse 22. In Adam, all die. Why do we die? Why is there death? Because there is sin. Adam sinned and we sin in Adam and so we all die. In Adam, all die. This can only mean that when Adam incurred the sentence of death, he incurred it also for us, since he was our representative. Adam's sin made us all guilty of sin and its deserved penalty. What he did affected us all. He brought us death. And then of course we are doubly condemned when we sin, the wages of sin is death, Romans 6.23. Ezekiel 18.20, the soul that sins shall die. So we are not only guilty through Adam, we ourselves are guilty of sin and therefore it's penalty of death. Now, thirdly, let's consider the kinds of death there are. There are more than just one kind of death. There is more than one kind of death. The deaths mentioned in Genesis 5 refer to physical death. But physical death is not the only consequence of sin. There's also spiritual death. Spiritual death is the estrangement or separation from God. in whom is life. This was the death that Adam experienced immediately, fulfilling God's promise of Genesis 2.17, that if you are to eat of it, in the day you eat of it, you shall surely die. He died spiritually as soon as he ate that fruit of the forbidden tree. Spiritual death occurred immediately, and then he also began to physically die. That's what we all are. As soon as we come into this life, as soon as we are born, we begin to die. Our body starts to break down until eventually death takes us. And so he died immediately, spiritually, and he began to die physically. And that's how we all are. We are born spiritually dead because of our relationship to Adam. In Ephesians 2, before Paul shares the incredible news of God's saving grace in Christ Jesus in verses four through 10, he first describes our spiritual condition prior to salvation. On your outline, Ephesians 2, verses one through three. And you who were dead in the trespasses and sins And what is the proof of this dead state? Verse two, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, living in the passions of our flesh and we're by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind. Clearly, Paul tells us that our transgressions and sin prove our spiritual deadness. We are not in fellowship with God. We do not have a mutual relationship with him. We are totally separate from him. God is holy. In him is no iniquity. In him is no sin at all. Yet we have sin, so we are totally separate from God. And in verse three, he says, this spiritual deadness is our nature. Who we are in our deepest self, we are by nature the children or the objects of divine wrath. You see, apart from Christ, who according to John five, has life in himself and gives life to everyone, he is life. So apart from Christ, were spiritually dead. Before life with Christ, we were alive only to sin, following the world, being obedient to the devil, and that showed our spiritually dead state to God. We were separated from God, had no fellowship with him, because true fellowship is based on a mutual relationship with each other. Our fellowship before Christ was with the sinful world because we were sinners related to Adam. And so sin and death reigned over us, Romans six. We were spiritually dead, separated from Christ. Jesus says in John three, when he's talking to Nebuchadnezzar in verse six, he says, that which is born of the flesh is flesh, it's physical. That which is born of the spirit is spirit. It's spiritual. So we have, if you're born just of the flesh, you're just a physical being. But if you're born of the spirit, you become a spiritual being in relationship to God. So if we are only flesh, we are dying physically, and we are dead spiritually. It's awful news about us, but it gets even worse. Not only will we die physically, and not only are all unbelievers separated from God, spiritually dead, but scripture says after a spiritually dead sinner physically dies, he will experience eternal death. He will be spiritually and physically separated from God forever in hell. Separated from the life, all life and all grace of God forever. Revelation 20 verse 15 warns us If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. And later in chapter 21, when he's describing the new heaven and new earth, John emphasizes to the saints in verse 27 that nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false. Now, according to Revelation 14, verses 10 and 11, They, the despicable, the false, the unclean, they will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur, and the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. Spiritual death brings ultimate eternal death. Okay. That's settled. Then we need to consider the reason for Jesus' death. Let me ask a series of questions. I have blanks on your outline. You can fill it in, fill in the answers. We'll ask these questions, give you the short answer first. Did Jesus die because of sin? Yes. Was his death physical, spiritual, and eternal? Yes. Was his death the result of Adam's sin? Yes. Was his death because he too sinned in Adam? No. Did Jesus die because of his own sins? No. Well, from the looks on your faces to some of those answers, These questions and answers raise more questions. Let's examine this more. If Jesus was human, then he was susceptible to death, right? Obviously, because he died. If Jesus was human, then he must have been a sinner, right? No. Sin is not integral to human nature. We think it is because everybody born is born a sinner. But sin is not integral to human nature. Everything that God created in Genesis 1, including Adam, was very good, Genesis 131. Adam was created pure. He was created sinless. Sin came after his creation, after he was already a being. Now we must also consider this. If Jesus was human, how could he die eternally and then live? And if Jesus was God, how could he die spiritually? Those questions require a little bit more discussion. Jesus was fully human, so he was susceptible to death and did die physically. And this, remember, is the reason why he became human, so that he could die. Hebrews 2.9, but we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, because of the suffering of death. You see, as God, the son could not die. God is eternal. Genesis 1.1, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. You see that his eternality in that verse? In the beginning, God already existed before anything ever was, and then he created everything that is. He was already there before anything was there. He's eternal. Psalm 90 verse 2, before the mountains were brought forth, that's the past, or ever you form the earth and the world in the past, from everlasting to the everlasting you are, present tense, God. of Jesus, the Messiah. Micah 5.2 predicts that he would not only be from Bethlehem, but more than that, it describes him as one whose coming forth is from of old, how old? From everlasting. So he is eternal. And being eternal, God cannot die. Psalm 90 verse two again, from everlasting, That's no beginning. Two everlasting, no end. So the son of God had to become human in order to die. But why must he die? And how could he die spiritually and eternally if he's God? And why did he die if he did not sin in Adam, which is the cause of all death? And since he did not sin on his own, why then did he die? He died because of sin, just not his, ours. So he died because of sin. Isaiah 53, verses five and six, he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all. Second Corinthians 5.21, God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. You see, Jesus became the representative of his people. First Corinthians 15.45 calls Jesus the last Adam. Just as Adam was a representative of all creation, so Jesus is representative of a new creation. He's the federal head of a new humanity, and as their substitute, He died for us. God laid on all the sins of all of his people on Christ at Calvary and being made sin, 2 Corinthians 5.21, the father had to forsake his son. He had to be separated from the son. And at those three hours on the cross, Jesus died spiritually. He suffered spiritual death because he was separated from God. It was spiritual death. And because sin requires eternal punishment, Jesus, being fully man and fully God, still infinite in his nature, still infinite God, as well as fully human, he died an eternal death for every one single sin of every one of God's elect people. Romans 5, 8, God demonstrates his love toward us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. Okay, Christ died for us what? back 32 AD or something like that, 33. But it says, while we were sinners, how were we sinners when we were even born then? Because we all sinned in Adam. While we were sinners, Christ died for us. And what did he achieve by dying for us? 2 Timothy 1.10 tells us one answer, there's several in scripture. But it says, he abolished death and brought life and immortality to the light through the gospel. What's the gospel? We read of that in 1 Corinthians 15, one through four, that Christ died according to the scriptures that he was buried in, that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. He abolished death and brought life and immortality to the light through the gospel. But how could life come from death? Here's where you who are wondering if I'm ever gonna get to the reason why there's a resurrection Sunday can breathe a sigh of relief. Here's how life came from death. Again, 1 Corinthians 15, three through four. He died, he was buried, but he didn't stay there. He rose again the third day. Low in the grave he lay, we sang, Jesus, my savior. He tore the bars away. Jesus, my Lord. Up from the grave he arose with a mighty triumph o'er his foes. He arose, a mighty victor o'er the dark domain, and he lives forever with his saints to reign. You see, Jesus is the conqueror of death. This is number five on the outline, I made a mistake in the printing, it's five. He's the conqueror of death. Now initially, that may be too obvious for a church full of Christians who base their whole faith on the fact that Jesus conquered sin and death for us. But I want us to understand as fully as possible what Christ's defeat of death actually means for us, for believers. And I pray that if there's any non-believers here, they'll finally see and understand why saving faith in Jesus Christ is the only way that death, the punishment due your own personal sins, how that can ever be conquered. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 20. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. Paul declares here with confidence, the fact of Christ's resurrection. And through that resurrection, death as a judgment was conquered for his people. Hebrews 9.27 again, it is appointed for man to die once. And after that, the judgment. But in 1 Corinthians 15, a whole new age has dawned, a whole new creation was started because Jesus died according to the scriptures and was buried. He was judged for his people. And then he victoriously arose and conquered death for them as well. He bore our sins and with it, it's penalty of physical, spiritual, and eternal death. He was judged in our place so that now there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, Romans 8.1. So in Adam, all die. But in Christ, the new Adam, we are made alive. We may die physically, but in Christ, we escape spiritual and eternal death. But even physical death cannot hold us, for he is, verse 20, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep or have died. He is the first fruits of an immense harvest to follow, consisting of all those who are in Christ, verse 22, and he talks about it again in verse 23, those who belong to Christ. You see, firstfruits does not mean that Christ's resurrection just preceded all those of his followers. But as the first sheaf of harvest is presented in a thank offering to God in the Old Testament, and how that sheaf was a pledge, an assurance of the ingathering of the whole harvest, so the resurrection of Christ is a pledge and proof of the resurrection of his people. As he arose, so all his people must rise. And they must do it as certainly and as gloriously as he did. You see, Christ's resurrection guarantees the resurrection of God's people. And though it's future still, which usually means uncertainty, The saint's resurrection is certain because it's based on the accomplished past fact of Christ's resurrection for his people and then promised us by the God of truth in his word. Christ's resurrection guaranteed victory over death and judgment for his people. How unlike Jesus as the last Adam is from the first Adam. The first Adam brought death. The last Adam brought life. The first Adam brought sin. The last Adam brought righteousness. The first Adam caused separation between humanity and God. The last Adam brought reconciliation between humanity and God. In Adam, all die. In Christ, we are made alive. And note again, there is representation here. Many hate the idea that we are condemned because of Adam's sin. They argue that we should only be accountable for our own actions and not somebody else's actions. Okay. Well, how are you better? Have you sinned? Sin brings physical, spiritual, and eternal death. You're still condemned from your own sinful acts. And if you are condemned for your own acts, then you must be justified by your own acts. It's how it works. If you wanna be judged only by your own acts, you must also be justified by your own acts, but that's impossible according to Romans 3. None are righteous, no not one. No one understand, no one seeks for God, all have turned aside, no one does good, not even one. But as 1 Corinthians 15, 20 says, the fact is, that Christ has been raised from the dead, and in him, we are made alive. You see, with representation in Adam, we are sinners and die, but with representation in Christ, we become righteous and have life. So I'll gladly take representation over reliance on my own ineffective actions. In Christ, the last Adam, a new creation has been inaugurated. In Christ, the last Adam, sin's debt was paid in full and its penalty fully satisfied. So Colossians 2.13, you being dead in your trespasses, God has made alive together with Christ, having forgiven your trespasses. Union with Adam is the cause of death. Union with Christ is the cause of life. Oh, we may die before Christ returns. The worms may eat away at this outer shell of the body in death, but it cannot touch the true life in Christ. For death's sting will only be felt for a moment in the life of a believer as he is whisked away to glory to ever be with the Lord. And even this body of death that becomes death's prey will one day be raised incorruptible by Jesus Christ as he gathers in the harvest of what he himself was the first fruits. There is so much more for us to rejoice about in the last Adam. Death does not have the last say in the life of the believer. The one man Jesus Christ does. He breaks the power of reigning sin. He sets the prisoner free. Hebrews 2 verses 14 through 15 states that Jesus took on flesh so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. Christ came to make war with death and sin, and he won that war. He died. But he rose again. He absorbed the guilt of our sin. He suffered the penalty of our sin, dying on the cross. Yes, he triumphed victoriously over death in his resurrection. And if Christ destroyed death, then sin and Satan cannot destroy the redeemed who are in Christ because he destroyed death for them too. as our representative. Paul says in Colossians 2.15 that Christ, through his death on the cross, disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, triumphing over them in him. Oh, they thought they had triumphed over him at the cross on Friday, but then came Sunday and he arose. And by that, he proved that he accomplished what he set out to do, that is pay for sin and rescue his people from sin's death grip. Yes, Christ purchased redemption for us by his blood shed at Calvary. He brought reconciliation between God and man as the new Adam. He satisfied all the divine justice of God that stood against us. And he achieved victory in his divine conquest over sin and death and Satan. This is what we celebrate on Resurrection Sunday. But listen, If you are only in Adam, then death in all of its forms is yours, physical, spiritual, and eternal. But if you are in Christ, if you have trusted in his death, burial, and resurrection for us as the only means of salvation, then Even physical death may not come to you. Isn't that what we pray for as saints? First Corinthians 15 again. Let's look back down at verse 51. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep or die, but we shall all be changed. in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishable, and this mortal body must put on imperishable. immortality. When the perishable puts on imperishable and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. Oh, death, where is your victory? Oh, death, where is your sting? And then 1 Thessalonians 4, verses 16 and 17. adds to what Paul says here as to what occurs when that last trump sounds. Verse 16, for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. In Christ, we have eternal and spiritual life, and maybe one day we'll never experience death, but even if we do, we will experience one day eternal physical life forever with him. So we die in Adam. We live in Christ. Are you in Adam? We all are. But are you in Christ? Are you under the curse of the first Adam? Or are you under the blessing of the last Adam? The only way to escape the condemnation of Adam is to be justified in Christ Jesus. And that only comes by turning away from every effort on your part, by turning away from trying to gain a righteousness through your own good works. and that simply trusting only in Christ's sacrificial work at Calvary that provides us with his own righteousness. See, our standing before God depends on how you respond to the gospel of Christ, which is 1 Corinthians 15 again. Verses one through four. Now I would remind you brothers of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and in which you stand, and by which you are being saved if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as a first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures. And I wanna draw your attention to what he says in verse two, by this gospel, by this he says, you are being saved. It's the only means. through faith in his death, burial, and resurrection, only by faith in what he accomplished can guilty, condemned sinners be made righteous in Jesus Christ. Won't you trust Christ today? Let's pray. Our dear heavenly Father, we rejoice in the fact that you had to die. We're saddened by it, of course. We hate that it had to be your death to accomplish salvation for us, but it shows how wicked our sin was, how much it separated us from God, that it had to take the death of your only son, Jesus Christ, to take our sin upon himself, to pay its penalty in eternal death, in spiritual death and in physical death because of our sin that he took upon himself when he hung on Calvary's cross. But then we rejoice that he accomplished that. He accomplished salvation. He cried out, it is finished. There was nothing more to do. And so he lifted up his voice and gave up his spirit in death, paying for our sin. and then giving us the proof when he rose again the third day. Lord Jesus, we're thankful for your great sacrifice on our behalf. Help us to ever live in light of the cross and your resurrection, realizing that we have this new life in Christ. So help us to demonstrate that new life daily as we live, as we speak, as we go forth from place to place, as we act, as we think. May our thoughts be that which would glorify Jesus Christ and the new life that we have in him. Lord, help us to be the right kind of people who demonstrate that we are clothed in Christ's righteousness. But if there's someone here, Lord, today who's never put their faith fully in Christ Jesus, they're still trying to rest in something that they've done and their baptism or their taking the Lord's Supper or their good works or whatever, may they realize that that gains them nothing with God. They're still separated from God because of their sin. Their sin must be atoned for and only atonement made by Christ is sufficient to wipe away our sins. Help them to trust Christ this morning. And Lord, we're thankful that we who have trusted in you are saved and have to look forward to this glorious day of a resurrection. And so we pray as to John, even so Lord Jesus come quickly. And we give thanks for all that you've done for us. That is in Jesus name we give thanks, amen.