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Read: Genesis 22:1-8
Context:
Just a short trivia: In this scenario, Abraham (formerly known as Abram) had been in a different test of his faith. As we read the previous stories, Abraham was known to be the "father of faith". Yes, truly, Abraham's life was also not perfect. He made mistakes and his faith also have up and down moments though his faith is not like the usual faith we have right now. His faith was growing and getting matured. As we have read in the succeeding verses, Abraham reached the point or the peak of his faith. Imagine? He offered his son, Isaac, to God. We ca see the obedience he have! So, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us dig deeper in this chapter so that we can see and share how great is our God, how He made Christ as the fulfillment of everything just to resonate in our theme.Jesus Christ is Abraham
For this context, in order for us to understand, let us take it verse by verse. Here, we can see the character of Jesus Christ in Abraham.Genesis 22:2-3 "Then God said, 'Take your son, your only son, whom you love - Isaac - and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.' Early the next morning, Abraham got up and loaded his donkey." (Submission to God)
So let us jump to Mark in the New Testament.
Mark 14:36 '"Abba, Father", he said, "Everything is possible for you. Take this cup upon me. Yet, not what I will but your will."' We can see here the obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ to his Father.
We can see here the quick response of Abraham to God. Like, suddenly, the Lord commanded you to offer your only son, the Lord commanded Abraham, He did not ask Abraham for a favor here. (This may be out of context but if you have your notes with you, can you write down your answer to this question.) How quick do you respond and submit to God?
"We will worship and then we will come back to you". - the faith of Abraham here, I know that he has a lot of questions why. But then he believed that God is a faithful to him ever since. In Hebrews 11:9 "Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. (So how do we trust God in the times like this?)
Christ in Isaac
In Genesis 22:6, Isaac asked his father, "where is the lamb?" He wondered why they were going to the mountin without any lamb or anything to offer. For me, personally, if I were Isaac, I will really be confused that day. But I like the faith of Abraham when he responded to Isaac in Genesis 22:8, "God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son."1. God's plan
It is really for us humans to know and understand His will. In Isaiah 55:8, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways, my ways."We may not really understand the plans of the Lord but someday, it will make sense. We need to be tested by God to bring out the best in us. So in the story, we see that God's preparation and manifestation for our salvation.2. Reconciliation
God provide the perfect and unblemished offering for the redemption and ransom of the world. As you read in Genesis 22:14 "So Abraham called that place the Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On this mountain of the Lord it will be provided." Because in that mountain, Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and for our unrighteousness.1 Peter 3:18 "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit."
There is no way for us to save ourselves from the wrath of God. Because of our sins, our death is inevitable and we deserve hell for our inequities. But them, John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." I know that this verse may be common and cliché but I am asking you, in Jesus' name, to let us put this in our hearts.
In God's Law, as we read in the Book of Leviticus in where Sis. Chiqui have shared last Thursday, it needs a perfect lamb to please God and for the atonement of our inequities to please God, it needs to have a High Priest. Hebrews 9:14 "... how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God." Now we are in these days that blessed that we don't need to do a lot of effort to be reconciled with God. For now we are reconciled by Christ, for Christ paid it all. Ephesians 2:13 "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ."
3. God's Real Character
And now through this Gospel, we see how God is faithful to His promises. Even from the beginning and in the end. By the death and resurrection of Christ, He proved how powerful and sovereign He is. As we reach our final point, I just want to share how God is and He is really serious about sin. Isaiah 59:2 "But your inequities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear." But in the other hand, God is love. Romans 5:8 "But God shows his love for us in that while wee were still sinners, Christ died for us."Conclusion:
God is faithful to His promises and He fulfilled it by Christ, who served as our atonement and salvation. And Christ suffered and take our position and lived the life we should have lived. I hope we fully understand the real essence of the Gospel that God, from the very beginning, have a plan for us. Though we don't deserve to live a life like this but then His grace is sufficient, this is all by His grace. All we need is to obey Him because God already paid the bail and we can never pay Him back because apart from Him, we are nothing. Look, we need Jesus everyday, we should not forget who He is and who we are. We are still i this world where temptation and sins are waving that's why we need the Christ to serve as a fuel to our engine for us to move forward and not to stay in our struggles and sins. In summary, we are here to have a mindset that "we should obey God because He will give us blessings". But the truth is, God already provided the blessing and that is salvation in Christ. All we need to do is to obey Him.
Photo by: Jaime Legaspino
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