Abraham according to Jesus

October 6, 2020 (Tuesday)

Before we start Isaac’s life, I want to take a survey of what the New Testament says about Abraham.

 

Matthew lists, “So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.” [Matthew 1:17 ESV] Abraham is in the direct physical genealogy of Jesus.

When arguing with the Pharisees and Sadducees, John “the Baptist,” stated, “And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.” [Matthew 3:9 ESV] This is a line of reasoning Jesus and Paul will also take. Being in the physical line does not make one safe or guarantee spiritual heritage.

 

After pointing out the lack of faith He found, Jesus stated, “I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” [Matthew 8:11 ESV] Jesus was referring to Gentiles being invited to inherit “the kingdom of heaven.”

 

Jesus used Abraham to teach about the resurrection of the dead and life after the physical body dies. “But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead—haven’t you ever read about this in the Scriptures? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ So he is the God of the living, not the dead.” [Matthew 22:31 – 32 ESV] Jesus point, Abraham was not dead.

 

Arguing over the meaning of the Sabbath, Jesus appeals to her ancestry, “And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” [Luke 13:6 ESV] A second point in this verse is notes Satan is able to bind people in sickness. It is fitting that Jesus chose the Sabbath, set aside in the Law as a day of rest, to free her. On that Sabbath, the woman was finally given rest.

 

Luke 16 is the parable of “the rich man and Lazarus.” Lazarus is carried by angels to be with Abraham. In Luke 19 Jesus encounters Zacchaeus, a man who was anathema to the religious elite. After his repentance and restitution, Jesus declared, “And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.” [Luke 19:9 ESV] Jesus recognizes there is a spiritual lineage of Abraham.

 

“Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” [John 8:31 – 32 NLT] The crowed appealed to their ancestry, forgetting their history. “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?” [John 8:33 NLT]

The thing is, Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever.” [John 8:34 – 35 NLT] Recognizing they were descendants of Abraham, Jesus asserted that it does not matter what your ancestry is.

 

If you are slave to sin, you are not a permanent member of the family.