There are two schools of thought on this.
1. If it becomes apparent that you can’t discover exactly who it was, you can’t punish anyone because you may punish the innocent along with the guilty.
2. Punish the whole group because in this way the guilty party will be punished and maybe someone else will rat out the guilty one.

I grew up in a time and place in which the teachers figured they should just punish the whole class. On one occasion, our art teacher even quoted from our text by saying, “Because of one, all must suffer.” It sounded good to him at the time. Obviously, I still have an unresolved issue
with that because I know I was innocent of that infraction but I still had to undergo the punishment anyway.

Now it is true that “Because of one, all must suffer.” But not in the way my art teacher applied it. When the Bible tells us that we must all suffer as the result of Adam’s sin, it isn’t because God just lumps us all into one collective group. It is because when Adam sinned, he became a sinner
and subsequently all of his descendants were also born into sin. And so when we suffer, it isn’t just because he sinned and we are innocent, it is because he sinned, became a sinner, and we did too. Let us consider this closer so that we can realize why it is that we suffer but also why we can
be confident of a future with no suffering.

What Happens as the Result of One Person’s Actions.
1. Because of one all must suffer.
2. Because of one all are justified.

Our text is from the book of Romans. This is the most theological of books in the Bible as Paul goes into great lengths to explain the doctrine of justification by faith (how God considers us right in his eyes when we trust in Jesus and not in ourselves.)

This whole section is one big contrast between two men, (Adam and Jesus), two actions, (sin and obedience), and two results (death and life.) St. Paul begins with Adam.

12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—13for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14Nevertheless, death reigned from
the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command,as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.

For if the many died by the trespass of the one man
The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation,
For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man,
Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men
19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners,

The Bible tells us in Genesis 3 what happened. God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to take care of it. He gave them only one command, “Do not eat of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” and told them what the consequence would be, “You will surely die.” In spite of
this command and warning, Eve was deceived by the devil, willingly ate from the tree, gave some of the fruit to Adam and he also willingly ate from it. The result was that sin came into the world,Adam and Eve became sinners and subsequently all of their descendants (which are all the people
of the world) were born with original sin and commit actual sins. For that reason death comes to all. Now there are some who disagree with this interpretation of the Bible but they cannot disagree with the fact that death does come to all men. We are all going to die. We may not want to think about it, discuss it, deal with it, or even think it can happen to us, but almost every town has at least one cemetery which reminds us that death comes to all.

Doctors will tell us that this is because our bodies are only designed to last for 70 or 80 years or perhaps a little longer. Optimists believe that if only we could find cures for cancer, heart disease,diabetes, AIDS, etc. that no one will die. But what Paul wrote 2000 years ago is just as true
today as it was in the Garden of Eden at the beginning of time. “By the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man.”

And so, we will die. Not because God lumps us all into one group the way my art teacher did in grade school, but because we are all guilty of sin. Ezekiel explains it this way: 20The soul who sins is the one who will die.
Transition: That is a very bleak picture – to realize that everyone who has come to life will die.Even bleaker is the judgment of condemnation. Paul isn’t just writing about the end of life. He is writing about being sent to hell and facing an eternity of pain, suffering, and loss as a result of sin.
And just as we cannot keep ourselves from dying, there was nothing we could do to keep
ourselves from hell.
But in regard to this we see the love of God. He does not want anyone to perish. He does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked. He wants all men to be saved and to come a knowledge of the truth. But just having faith isn’t enough. That faith must be fixed on someone who has taken away the punishment of sin and who has endured death and condemnation in our place. And that person is Jesus Christ.
2. Because of one all are justified.

St. Paul continues his comparison. Now he points to what Jesus did and the results for us.

15But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ,overflow to the many! 16Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man,how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
18Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

How did Jesus do this?
• He came into the world conceived by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary so that he was not born with the original sin passed down to us.
• He lived under the law and even though he was tempted in every way (as we heard in
Matthew 4:1-11) he did not sin.
• He died on the cross as a sacrifice of atonement. Note the way he took our place. The only person who ever lived who didn’t deserve to die was Jesus and yet he did. Either God lied when he said only the sinner must die or God laid our sins on Jesus so that his death would count for us. The latter is true. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
• We are declared right with God (justified) because of what Jesus did.

What is our response to be?
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.
Do not continue in sin.
One of the most wonderful things about being a Lutheran is that we emphasize constantly that we are saved by grace through faith and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works so that no man can boast. I still remember when that became so clear to me in eighth grade confirmation class and how I have lived in constant assurance ever since that because of Jesus’ act of righteousness I am going to heaven when I die. That is also why I strive to obey God and to turn from my sins.

Unfortunately, there have always been those who have received this grace in vain. They delude themselves into thinking that all they have to do is say “I believe in Jesus” and then they can live how ever they want with no regard for God’s law and no sense of changing their sinful ways. To such as these God gives this grim warning:
4It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift,who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
7Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned. 9Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation. 10God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. 12We
do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.