Jesus refers to us as "brothers?" What in the world did he start back there all those years ago with Abraham? And just how amazing is this family of his?
One Big Happy Family
February 23, 2009
Abraham could not imagine the wonder of what God was speaking of, and how hallowed that moment was. It was one of the great moments of all of history. No single person has even been promised more. Listen to Tim Keller unwrap what Abraham was being told.....
"Abraham, I going to save the world through your family. You see all the brokenness of the world, you see all the suffering, you see all the misery, you see all this? I'm going to save the world, I'm going to save the world through a messiah and he's going to be a descendent of yours."
"And what that means is, at every generation of your family, one child will bear the messianic seed. That child will have to be the head of the family, that child will walk before me, that child will pass his faith on down to his child, and so on and so on - each generation will bear the messianic seed, until finally, one seed will be the seed. One prophet will be the Prophet. one priest will be the Priest, one King will be the King of kings and Lord of lords."
Is it any wonder that Paul in Romans can't wait to connect the dots?
Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. Romans 4:16-17
What is the takeaway? The promise to Abraham becomes our promise. We inherit it all. We are part of the family, and all the blessings are ours! And the God who intervened in Abraham's life is the same God who waits to step into ours, with power to give life to the dead, and call things that are not as though they are.