How much can depend on one man? The gospel answer to this is ‘Everything’. In fact, we need to see that our personal and social problems are not just our own. We are part of a world problem, started and even caused by our forefather Adam. Seeing it this way tells us our problem is a problem with God and this is a step in the right direction.
But Jesus is another ‘Adam’, another start to the human race. What hope there is in this! Our starting point is not a miserable act of lawlessness but God’s wonderful grace and the righteous deed of this one man. Our development in life is not determined by law exposing our sins but by the abounding reign of God’s grace and his gift of righteousness. The future of those who receive all this is not a death we deserve but an eternal life of sharing in God’s reign—and all of this through one man, Jesus Christ our Lord.