Please help me with "New Adam/Eve:Jesus/Mary"

[ccmcmg]

I had never heard of Jesus and Mary being the new Adam and Eve until recently; I am confused on this and am looking for some clear explanation.

Let me explain what I understand, and why I’m confused.

Adam/Eve: The first people on earth, created by God from ‘nothing’; a ‘couple’/married (since they had children); given free will and chose to sin.

Jesus/Mary: God, son of God, son of Mary, man; Mother of God, born of Anne

Adam is not the first Jesus or Savior; how can Jesus be the new Adam? Eve was not the mother of God; how can Mary be the new Eve? I often hear Mary as the 'new Eve, so said ‘Yes’ ’

Mary and Jesus were not espoused; the relationship is of mother and Son on earth, while He is still her Savior.

Mary: ‘Ark of the new Covenant’ (Jesus)? Adam was not the first Covenant…

I struggle with these comparisons and terminology, and would love to get it straight in my mind. I love and respect Mary and embrace her fully. I think the phrase does a disservice to Jesus and Mary.

Thanks for your patience in explaining this to me.

+JMJ+

 

[Kopratic]

I think the ECF’s/Bible can explain it a lot better than me.

“There flowed from his side water and blood”. Beloved, do not pass over this mystery without thought; it has yet another hidden meaning, which I will explain to you. I said that water and blood symbolized baptism and the holy eucharist. From these two sacraments the Church is born: from baptism, “the cleansing water that gives rebirth and renewal through the Holy Spirit”, and from the holy eucharist. Since the symbols of baptism and the Eucharist flowed from his side, it was from his side that Christ fashioned the Church, as he had fashioned Eve from the side of Adam Moses gives a hint of this when he tells the story of the first man and makes him exclaim: “Bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh!” As God then took a rib from Adam’s side to fashion a woman, so Christ has given us blood and water from his side to fashion the Church. God took the rib when Adam was in a deep sleep, and in the same way Christ gave us the blood and the water after his own death.

Knox Bible:

1 Cor. 15: 20-22. “But no, Christ has risen from the dead, the first-fruits of all those who have fallen asleep; 21 a man had brought us death, and a man should bring us resurrection from the dead; 22 just as all have died with Adam, so with Christ all will be brought to life.”

St. Irenaeus:

In accordance with this design, Mary the Virgin is found obedient, saying, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to your word. Luke 1:38 But Eve was disobedient; for she did not obey when as yet she was a virgin. And even as she, having indeed a husband, Adam, but being nevertheless as yet a virgin (for in Paradise they were both naked, and were not ashamed, Genesis 2:25 inasmuch as they, having been created a short time previously, had no understanding of the procreation of children: for it was necessary that they should first come to adult age, and then multiply from that time onward), having become disobedient, was made the cause of death, both to herself and to the entire human race; so also did Mary, having a man betrothed [to her], and being nevertheless a virgin, by yielding obedience, become the cause of salvation, both to herself and the whole human race.

Furthermore, we read in Genesis 3: 20 that “Adam called the name of his wife Eve: because she was the mother of all the living.” Mary is given this title by her son on the cross. John 19: 26-27 reads: “When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: Woman, behold thy son. [27] After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.”
[Both quotes are from the Douay-Rheims Bible.]

Eve said “Yes” to Satan and “No” to God.
Mary said “Yes” to God and “No” to Satan.

 

[ClearWater]

Okay, Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. They were banished from paradise, and God said that they, and their children, would die. Adam would have to work for his food, and through the sweat of his brow and that thorns and would grow up, too.
Eve would have a hard childbirth. All men and women then had original sin, died due to it.

Later, Jesus and Mary came. Where Adam and Eve failed through disobedience, Jesus and Mary succeeded through obedience. Where they sinned through pride, Jesus and Mary succeeded through humility.

Adam was to receive his bread only through the sweat of his brow with thorns. Jesus wore thorns on his head, sweat …(blood) and WAS the bread! Where Adam and Eve brought death, Jesus and Mary brought life.

Jesus died on a “tree”. This tree brought death. Jesus died …to bring us life.

 

[ClearWater]

Eve fell to the temptation of the serpent. Mary crushed the head of the serpent!

 

[ClearWater]

Where Adam fell, Jesus was resurrected, even ascended!

 

[ClearWater]

Eve fell, and Mary was assumed into heaven.

Oh, as to the name, “Ark of the Covenant”. MARY is the Ark of the Covenant. In her body, she literally housed God, the “Word made Flesh”!

As the Ark of the Covenant housed the 10 Commandments, etc., Mary housed God! She IS the Ark of the Covenant!

It’s one of her MANY names! The first place Jesus came on Earth was Mary’s womb!

 

[ClearWater]

Do you have a clear understanding of the Trinity? We have God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

Mary’s relationship as I understand it is as follows.

Mary is daughter of God the Father. She is mother of Jesus, God the Son. She is the spouse of God the Holy Spirit. She is the tabernacle of the Most Holy Trinity, one God.

 

[ccmcmg]

Do you have a clear understanding of the Trinity? We have God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

Mary’s relationship as I understand it is as follows.

Mary is daughter of God the Father. She is mother of Jesus, God the Son. She is the spouse of God the Holy Spirit. She is the tabernacle of the Most Holy Trinity, one God.

Of course I have a clear understanding of the Trinity. I also know and believe and understand her as the mother of Jesus the Son, daughter of God the Father, and spouse of the Holy Spirit.

I think the ECF’s/Bible can explain it a lot better than me.

Furthermore, we read in Genesis 3: 20 that “Adam called the name of his wife Eve: because she was the mother of all the living.” Mary is given this title by her son on the cross. John 19: 26-27 reads: “When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: Woman, behold thy son. [27] After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.”
[Both quotes are from the Douay-Rheims Bible.]

Eve said “Yes” to Satan and “No” to God.
Mary said “Yes” to God and “No” to Satan.

Much of my struggle understanding Adam/Eve Jesus/Mary is that Adam was not and is not our savior. Also, I think because Adam and Eve were sinners and imperfect, it feels inappropriate to compare the holiness and perfection of Jesus and Mary to them. I understand the “Yes”.

Okay, Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. They were banished from paradise, and God said that they, and their children, would die. Adam would have to work for his food, and through the sweat of his brow and that thorns and would grow up, too.
Eve would have a hard childbirth. All men and women then had original sin, died due to it.

Later, Jesus and Mary came. Where Adam and Eve failed through disobedience, Jesus and Mary succeeded through obedience. Where they sinned through pride, Jesus and Mary succeeded through humility.

Adam was to receive his bread only through the sweat of his brow with thorns. Jesus wore thorns on his head, sweat …(blood) and WAS the bread! Where Adam and Eve brought death, Jesus and Mary brought life.

Jesus died on a “tree”. This tree brought death. Jesus died …to bring us life.

The thing is, Adam was not God. Jesus is God. It just seems wrong to compare the two. To me, it lessens Jesus.

Where Adam fell, Jesus was resurrected, even ascended!

Again, Adam was not, and never was or will be, God. Jesus was and is and always will be, God. There was no chance of Jesus failing.

I am quite aware of the scriptures regarding Adam and Eve, their fall, as well as Christ’s Life and Resurrection. It just seems like comparing Adam to Jesus is either elevating Adam to God, or lowering Jesus to a sinner.

Please feel free to reply in one post.

 

[Kopratic]

It’s not so much a matter of them having the same roles. It’s a matter of Jesus and Mary succeeding where Adam and Eve failed. Adam and Eve were originally without sin, but they fell through pride. Jesus and Mary were originally without sin, but they never fell. In fact, they rose through humility. {of course we must keep in mind that Mary rose to Heaven not on her own but through God.}

It’s not that Adam is Jesus or that Eve is Mary. It’s that Jesus is the new Adam. Mary is the new Eve. Eve’s “No” to God and Adam’s pride caused all of mankind to fall. Mary’s “Yes” to God and Jesus’ humility gave all of mankind the opportunity to rise to Heaven.

Again, we aren’t saying that Adam is Jesus and therefore God. Adam was the ideal man; Eve was the ideal woman. They fell from that ideal. Adam isn’t Jesus. Jesus is the new Adam {and Paul references this in his writings}. Eve isn’t Mary. Mary is the new Eve. {Again, we see this through the Scriptures.} It’s difficult to comprehend, yes. However, it’s sort of like {and this might not be a good analogy} if a baker bakes a soufflé. The first one pops and is ruined, and no one can enjoy it. The baker then bakes a new soufflé. This time he does things a little differently. It holds up really well. He’s able to cut into it so that everyone can enjoy. The second soufflé is the new soufflé; it is the perfected one, not the first one. It has something different done to it so that it won’t pop and fall. Therefore, along this same line, the first soufflé is not the second one. It is the imperfect {though once perfect} one.