I Adam II

This painting refers to Jesus’ designation as the “Second Adam.” At the left of the painting we see Adam, tempted by Eve who was in turn tempted by the Serpent, accepting the forbidden fruit from Eve, which caused the Fall. On the right we see Christ being tempted by Satan after spending 40 days in the wilderness. Yet Christ, unlike Adam, does not give in to the temptations of the Devil. Whereas the first Adam failed, the second Adam, Jesus, succeeded in resisting sin and thereby qualified Himself to the perfect blood sacrifice, holy and sinless, for the forgiveness and covering of mankind’s sin for eternity.

The serpent in the tree has legs because the scripture says that after the Fall God cursed the snake to forevermore crawl on its belly (Gen. 3: 14)--the deduction being that pre-Fall snakes had legs and walked about like other animals. On the right side of the canvas Jesus is in the wilderness surrounded by symbols of death. The Devil, deathly pale and drained of life, taunts him while one of his minions offers him all the kingdoms of the world (Mt. 4: 8)