Articles
Abrahams Seed - Matthew 3
Abrahams Seed - Matthew 3
In Genesis 12 we read of the great promise that God made to Abraham: "Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:1–3)
Thus begins the long saga of Abraham’s family. The rest of the Old Testament limits itself mostly to the telling of how we get from Abraham to Jesus. Along the way, there are thousands of descendants that come and go: some good, some bad. Along the way, there was always a remnant that walked with God.
With the time being fulfilled (Mark 1:15), John the baptist is sent from God to prepare the way for this promised son of Abraham. As he preaches, the whole of Judea and Jerusalem come out to be baptized by him. Even the Jewish leaders come to be baptized.
NOW a startling development: SOME of the Jewish leaders are informed that they are NOT Abraham’s seed. John proclaimed to them: "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” (Matt. 3:9). Being physically descended from Abraham does not make one a spiritual child of Abraham.
Jesus further emphasized this as He told them: "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me” (John 8:44–45).
Being OF Abraham is acting LIKE Abraham, and Abraham lived a LIFE of TRUST. When God said ‘go’, he went. When God made a promise, he trusted. When God asked him to do difficult things, immediately he obeyed.
Thus, Paul would add: "Those who are OF FAITH are the true children of Abraham (Gal. 3:7). Such is NOT from among physical descendants only - but WHOSOEVER. He is the father of ALL who believe (as he himself did). This was not only of those among the circumcised, those “who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised (Rom. 4:12).
This was the problem even with Nicodemus. He WAS a physical child of Abraham, but unless he was ‘born of water and spirit’ he would not enter the KINGDOM. NOT all who were physically descended from Abraham would enter the kingdom of God.
If we are CHRIST’s - then we are ABRAHAM’S seed and heirs according to THE promise (Gal. 3:29). In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith, For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Thereby we are Christ’s, and God has raised us up to be the children of Abraham. Thanks be to God who brought us the promised blessings through Jesus.
Hugh DeLong
