168: James McCann - Abraham Seeing Christ's Day

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

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   Welcome to Good Christadelphian Talks. I'm Levi. And I'm Chris. And I'm Brian. Thank you for joining us this week. On this podcast, we select one talk a week to help us get the Bible in our daily news feed. We post a new episode at the start of each week with a short intro beforehand to kind of set the stage for the talk you're about to listen to.

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   And now, let's talk more about this week's talk. Welcome to the Good Christadelphian Talks podcast. This is Brother Brian. This week's talk is the opening class in a series called Faithful Family Legacies, which was given by Brother James McCann of Sydney, Australia. Now, I think it's been given multiple times, but it was at least posted on YouTube in slideshow format as of March 2018.

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   Now, this is actually a pretty cool one for me because when I was first asked to join the podcast at the beginning of this year, I made it my mission to help clear out and clean up our backlog of recommendations. And this, to my knowledge, is the oldest request that we are now finally able to fulfill for some earnest listener out there.

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   You know, bless your heart, whoever you are, who asked for this speaker over two years ago. Your voice has been heard. As you know, this podcast is built on recommendations. And oftentimes, it is a recent exhort or perhaps a favorite series from a Bible school of years past. But I think Chris and Levi would agree.

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   What's most intriguing is when it's just a request for a speaker without a specified class. So, in that case, it does take a bit of digging and research to find something suitable for posting. But please, take courage and take comfort. All recommendations are noted, saved, and vetted. And though it may take time, we will eventually get to your special speaker requests.

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   So, a heartfelt thank you to all of our listeners and those of us, those of you who give us feedback and encouragement. I mean, this is all meant to glorify our Heavenly Father and prepare our faith for the days to come. So, once again, the series title is What Caught My Attention. Faithful Family Legacies.

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   Super cool concept. The entire five classes are posted in slideshow format on YouTube. And the link will be included in the description. And what we're listening to today is the first class, which is called Abraham, Seeing Christ Day. So, Brother James did a fantastic job at this series. But especially in this first class, he really made me feel like I was in Abraham's shoes, walking with Isaac, up the mountain, and all the thoughts that would have been running through my mind as I recalled what exactly God had said, what he told Abraham, what would come to pass, leading right into the New Testament as that seed comes to life.

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   So, as always, we hope this strengthens your faith and brightens your day. Brother James McCann, from the series Faithful Family Legacies, Abraham, Seeing Christ Day. Well, our theme, as was just mentioned, is faithful family legacies. And scripture abounds, doesn't it, in amazing brothers and sisters and faithful men and women of old whose faithful lives left a massive impact for all of us.

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   But there's not many bigger than Abraham. But if anyone was to ask, you know, what is Abraham noted for in scripture, what would you say?

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    For his faith. And isn't that exactly the way the angel of God saw Abraham? We saw this on Saturday night. The angel gives this assessment of Abraham as I have chosen him because I know that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of Yahweh in doing righteousness and justice.

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    And there is the beginning of a legacy where a person in their own life is so moved by the things of God that they will inspire generations to come to live the wonderful principles of the truth. Now, we know, as you just mentioned, that faith is something that Abraham is noted for. But I want you to see, brothers and sisters, here in Romans chapter 4 that Paul actually picks up something very interesting.

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    He says that Abraham, the father of the circumcision, to them who are not of the circumcision only, but also who walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham. Now, what Paul is telling us is that there is a particular aspect or type of faith that Abraham is noted for in scripture.

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    So what we want to do is, in a sense, explore a little bit about what is Abrahamic faith and why is this faith so vital in our generation? And why is it so important that in our families, we strive to develop this kind of faith? Well, what I'd like to do is just take a little word that begins in the life of Abraham.

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    We're going to follow it through. And as we follow it through, it's going to open up and sort of show us the development of Abraham's faith, but the importance of what this faith is. So could you come with me to Genesis chapter 12? If you've got a pen or something to colour in, we're going to take this little journey through Genesis.

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    And every time it pops up, we're going to look at how this tells us a little bit about Abraham's faith and what God was doing and developing in him. Now, we know these passages really well, brothers and sisters, but just let's see how Abraham's faith is developed by God. In Genesis 12, it says that Yahweh had said unto Abraham, get out of your country and from your kindred and from your father's house unto a land that I will show thee.

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    Now, that word show there is actually the word reah. And it's a word that's going to keep coming up over and over and over again in the life of Abraham. Just give you a classic example. Come across to verse 7. It pops up again. It says, And Yahweh appeared unto Abraham. And that word appeared is our word reah.

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    And it says it twice there towards the end of the chapter. It says, He built an altar unto Yahweh who appeared unto him. Now, the word reah literally means to see or seeing. And here is the angel of God coming to Abraham and appearing to him, but causing him to see something about his plan and his purpose.

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    And we know in this little period in Genesis chapter 12 that Abraham was going to be put to a test. Did you notice that as we read on in Genesis 12, it tells us that Abraham journeyed going on toward the south and a famine hits. And this famine was a test to see whether Abraham would remain faithful to the call of being called out of Ur to this promised land.

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    But we see that Abraham goes down. And that is not just some sort of, you know, geographical term. It's telling us that Abraham made the wrong decision here. He went down into Egypt. And we know that to be the case, brothers and sisters, because when you actually see this idea of the famine, it's mentioned twice in that verse as if to tell us that this is of God.

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    It's a test that he was being put through. And just to show how it sort of channels into chapter 13, notice it says in chapter 13, verse 1, And Abraham went up. So he goes down into Egypt. And now, having been put through that test, now he's going to come back up. And he comes back to the place where it says at the beginning, in verse 3, he comes to the place of the altar which he had made there at the first.

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    And Genesis is recording in duplicate for us that Abraham is coming back to this place as if to re-center himself, to re-establish his vision because he saw that that was the wrong decision to make. And so here we have this word, re-ar, pop up again in chapter 13. And we have in verse 10 that Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld.

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    And that is to see all the planes. And so, of course, he looks out and he himself, unfortunately, makes the wrong decision. And then the contrast comes in verse 14 to Abraham. It says, And Yahweh said unto Abraham, After that lot had separated from him, he goes, Lift up now thine eyes. You can see, brothers and sisters, that Abraham is being developed on his spiritual sight.

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    Lift up your eyes and look. And there's our word, re-ar again. From the place where you are, northward, southward, eastward and westward. He goes, For all the land that you see, there it is again, to thee will I give it and to thy seed forever. And the contrast, brothers and sisters, for Abraham in developing his faith was to see the difference between looking at the now and looking at the future.

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    And we know that's the case because when we come across, just hold your hand there in Genesis chapter 13, just come across to Hebrews 11 for a moment. And see the way that the Apostle Paul picks out these exact principles in Hebrews 11. Now Hebrews 11 is a chapter all about faith and sight.

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    We see in Hebrews 11 that it begins with, Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God. The things which are seen were not made of the things which do appear. And we can see all the way through this chapter, by faith Noah in verse 7 was being warned of God of things not seen.

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    Here's the aspect of faith that was being developed in Abraham. And that's exactly what's picked up in verse 8. By faith Abraham was called to go out and he obeyed. What drove that decision? We'll look at verse 10. For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

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    And then again it's repeated in verse 13. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off. So when we go back to Genesis and see this word, Raiar, continually appearing in the life of Abraham, we can see that he's been caused to lift up his eyes and to look at what God has in store for him and to see the promises afar off as more real than the life to which he's living in that day, there and then.

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    And so it keeps coming up again and again in the life of Abraham. If we keep flicking through, we can actually see that it comes up again just quickly as we pass through chapter 17, verse 1. When Abraham was 90 years old and 9, Yahweh appeared unto him. There's our word that he caused Abraham to see God revealed to him.

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    But now in chapter 18, we have another occurrence. Yahweh appears to him again in verse 1, in the plains of Mamre, in the heat of the day. And it says in verse 2 that he lift up his eyes and looked. And he's always been caused, brothers and sisters, to lift up his eyes and to look at God's work in his life.

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    And that's why this chapter is the chapter in which it's mentioned here regarding the legacy of Abraham. He would teach his children diligently and his household after him to keep the way of Yahweh. And so we can see the development of Abraham all the way through these chapters is God is causing him to see through spiritual sight and not through his eyes.

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    And this contrast is brought out very strongly in Genesis chapter 21. I'd just like you to come with me to chapter 21. I'm sorry that we're moving relatively fast through here, but it's beautiful to see how the record is highlighting to us the development of Abraham's faith. Now the contrast between spiritual vision and natural vision is brought out magnificently in this chapter.

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    In Genesis 21, we read at verse 9, it says, and Sarah saw the son of Hagar, the Egyptian. And that's our word, Raiar again. And here we actually have an indication of Sarah's spiritual vision coming into the record, which she bore unto Abraham mocking. Then she goes in verse 10 to Abraham and says, cast out this bondwoman and her son.

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    For the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. And it says that the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight. Now that word sight there, brothers and sisters, is not our word Raiar. It is a different word altogether. It's the word Aiyan. And the word Aiyan in this idea just literally means his eyes.

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    So here is a massive test for Abraham because here is the spiritual vision of Sarah seeing that this bondwoman's son was not going to inherit with her son Isaac, the son of promise. And the natural inclination of Abraham was to feel very strongly against that. But then, of course, we see that God steps in and says to Abraham, let not it be grievous in your eyes because of the lad.

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    You see, the test here that Abraham was going through, brothers and sisters, was to develop God's perspective on the issue. That is Abrahamic faith, to see as God sees on the matters. And we know, brothers and sisters, that this is true. This is true scripture that she was saying to him because when you go to Galatians chapter 4, Paul actually says, nevertheless, what saith the scripture?

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    He doesn't say, what does Sarah say? What she was speaking here was absolutely right and true from God's sight, from God's perspective. And Paul beautifully expounds the allegory in Galatians 4 as to what Abraham had to see, not his natural son. He had to look beyond that and he had to see God's plan and purpose being unfolded here.

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    So when we get to Genesis 22, we have this magnificent, in a sense, crescendo in the record as God is bringing Abraham to one of the greatest tests of his faith of all. And we see in verse 1 of Genesis 22, and it came to pass after these things. Now, when we read that, we should immediately stop and go, after what things?

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    Well, it's not very obvious to see that chapter 22 comes after chapter 21, but the point is that the events of chapter 21 in the casting out of Ishmael provides an important foundation for then the birth of Isaac and what was happening with Isaac and the calling of Isaac. And now, as Isaac has finally come, the child of promise, after that, we have God actually say to Abraham, take your son, your only son, whom you love, and take him to the land of Moriah, and there, I would like you to sacrifice him.

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    Now, brothers and sisters, I don't believe we can imagine what that would be like, that all your life you have been developed to look for this son that has finally come on the scene, and now you're told that God wants you to take him up and to sacrifice him. And here in verse 3 of Genesis 22, we have a beautiful little phrase that only occurs twice in the entire record of Abraham.

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    If you go back to chapter 14 of 21, it actually says that Abraham rose up early in the morning and here it is again mentioned in this chapter. And the reason that it's telling us is because that Abraham couldn't sleep. He was trying to mull over what God was actually getting him to see in this trial and this test.

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    And he's, in a sense, confounded that last time when God said, you've got to cast out your bondwoman, it was not an easy thing for Abraham to do that. And so he rose up early in the morning. Although he was going to obey, it was a struggle for him to come to understand what God was doing in his life.

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    And here again, this is exactly the same thing. that it was grievous in his sight, in a sense, to see that this is what God had asked him. And the test, brothers and sisters, for Abraham is to see as God sees. To trust and believe and have faith in what God's plan and purpose was.

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    And that's why you can see what would have been running through his head was, well, hold on a minute. All my life, you've promised me this seed. And he's finally here. And I've even cast out the bondwoman's son. And now you're asking me to sacrifice?

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    How can that be? And I don't know how you sort of read into the record, brothers and sisters, but I like to try and picture what's going on here. And if you look in verse 3, it says that Abraham rose up early in the morning and he saddles his ass, he gets Isaac and he gets the wood and he starts to go off to the place that God has told him.

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    He believes in God, but he's still trying to work out how is God going to bring this about? And it's as if, brothers and sisters, he's sort of walking along, he's heads down and for three days he's head is down trying to work out what is God doing in his life. How is this son going to be the promised seed if I have to sacrifice him?

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    And then in verse 4, it says, he lifted up his eyes. Here's that little phrase that has been a picture of Abraham's life and here's our word, Raya, and he saw the place afar off. It's as if, brothers and sisters, on the third day it actually dawned to him what God was going to do.

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    It's as if he could see for the first time the spiritual vision that God was actually going to accomplish in this example. And that's why, brothers and sisters, as he lifted up his eyes, his natural sight turns to spiritual sight. He saw the place afar off in time. And on the third day is the indication, brothers and sisters, in scripture of a beautiful echo that begins to tell us that the third day is representative of the day in which Christ said to his disciples that he had to go to Jerusalem and suffer, yes, and be killed, yes, and even they struggled in their faith to understand that.

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    But he would be raised again on the third day. And brothers and sisters, here in Genesis chapter 22, Abraham saw the day of Christ for the first time. He lifted up his eyes and Christ picks this little phrase up in John 8 when trying to talk to the Pharisees about how they were naturally looking at everything.

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    And he says, your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it and was glad. Do you know, brothers and sisters, you can see the emotion in Abraham in those words. His head was down, struggling to try to understand the trial that God was putting him through. And then he got it.

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    And what a wonderful message that would have been in his mind, a rejoicing and a gladness that God was actually going to raise him from the dead. And how powerful that would have been in his life. And we know, don't we, that Abraham knew exactly that to be the case? Because in verse 5, he says, I and the lad will go yonder and worship and come back again to you.

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    Abraham at that moment saw what God was going to accomplish in Isaac. And that's why Hebrews 11 tells us that he accounted that God was able to raise him up even from the dead. It was at that moment that his faith in God had always been strong but then he saw what God was going to do through a spiritual vision and therefore his eyes were lifted up on the amazing power of God.

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    And brothers and sisters, this is what I believe to be the faith of Abraham. And that's why it is so important in our families and particularly in this generation. The scriptures tell us, like in 2 Corinthians 4, while we look at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal.

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    We walk by faith and not by sight. And that, brothers and sisters, is so important for our generation today because there's been so much to place in front of our eyes from the natural man that has caused us very much, isn't it, to keep our eyes looking down and sometimes disbelieving what God has said.

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    But Abrahamic faith is to see the unseen, to look beyond the natural, the natural eyes, to see the spiritual and the future, to believe that God can do what he says, past, present and future. The reality of the things that God has done in the past, brothers and sisters, is to show us the certainty of the things that he will do in the future.

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    We can't prove resurrection by natural means, but we believe that it's more certain than the things that we can see around us. And that's why Abraham was called to trust God's word above his natural eyesight, because spiritual sight comes from the word of God. And because of that, he was fully persuaded, Paul says, that nothing is impossible with God.

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    He accounted God able to do exactly what he said. And that, brothers and sisters, is a powerful legacy that Abraham was going to pass on to his family. Now, what's beautiful about this, brothers and sisters, is that Abraham's test was about a greater level of significance than just himself and Isaac. I'd like you to come with me back to Hebrews 11 because there's a little hint that Paul gives us in Hebrews 11 that shows us that God was doing more than just painting to Abraham what was going on.

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    In Hebrews 11, we know, as we mentioned before, that this whole chapter is about faith and sight. But here in this little section in detailing Abraham's faith, in verse 17, we see that it says, by faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac. And he that received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

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    Now, it's interesting that little phrase in verse 18 is a citation from Genesis 21. Remember in Genesis 22 how it actually begins by saying and after these things? It's the context that builds what was going on in Abraham's mind at the time and Paul's picking that up. That even though he was promised that Isaac would be his seed, he was then asked to go and sacrifice him.

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    And it says in verse 19 that he accounted that God was able to raise him from the dead from whence also he received him in a figure. And we can see that this figure and this allegory being presented in Genesis 22 had greater significance. And the little word, brothers and sisters, that makes it so powerful here, is in verse 17.

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    Notice that Paul drops in and he that received the promises offered up his only begotten son. And the reason he drops that in, brothers and sisters, is because the only begotten son is the Lord Jesus Christ. And here in Genesis 22, Abraham and Isaac were becoming symbols of God and Christ and the work that they would do.

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    And God was playing it out for Abraham, for him to understand and to look ahead and to see Christ's day. And therefore, he did see it. And the whole chapter in Genesis 22 beautifully portrays this idea of a father and his son working together. father. And if we go through Genesis 22, you can color in son, son, my son, his son, not withheld thy son, thine only son.

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    It's the first occurrence of the phrase in the Bible, my father. Brothers and sisters, when we start to see scripture like this, isn't it magnificent that it builds our faith in God to see the unseen? Only a divine record could put this in here to inspire us. And so when we go through Genesis 22, and I'm just going to quickly work through some of the aspects of Genesis 22, which I'm sure you know you probably got marked in your Bible anyway.

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    But I find this very inspiring to see how in scripture is recorded all the beautiful details of the work of Christ. Because God's grand plan has been painted thousands of years before. And this is what builds our faith, brothers and sisters. When we see that what God has said in the past come to be so beautifully fulfilled, it shows us that God's word is true and right in everything and pure.

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    So all the little phrases in Genesis 22 have been written in thousands of years ahead of time to highlight what God was going to do. Notice if we go back to Genesis 22, just as we go through, just pick out some of the little phrases. that really they don't necessarily have to be there, but they're placed there for us to see the connection between not only Abraham and Isaac, but between God and Christ and what he was doing.

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    Notice it actually says, take now your son, thine only, whom you love, and go into the land of Moriah. And each of these little phrases, brothers and sisters, point us to the Lord Jesus Christ. Whom you love was exactly the same phrase that God mentioned of his own son. This is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased.

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    And he was told to take him into the land of Moriah, which would have been quite a significant journey, but that's where he had to go. And again, the land of Moriah in Scripture is highly important. It is the very place where we know that David brought Goliath's head. It's the very place where Solomon began to build the house of God.

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    It is Jerusalem, the place where God would place his name. And so even he's being taken to the very location in which the Lord Jesus Christ, thousands of years later, would actually be brought and crucified. And it just happens to drop into one of the mountains thereof. I'm just going to take you to one of the mountains there.

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    And isn't it fascinating that each of the Gospels make a specific point to tell us that when he was come to the place, he was crucified. It's just amazing to see how God works, isn't it, brothers and sisters? And here's Abraham's mind beginning to tick on all the little details that God is going to put in to the work of his son, to encourage his faith, to show how significant his test of seeing from God's perspective was.

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    And it tells us in verse 6 of Genesis 22 that Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and he laid it on Isaac. Who really cares who carried the wood? But in scripture it's vitally important because we're looking at the one who would bear his cross. we see in John chapter 19 that he bearing his cross went forth into a place which is the place of the skull which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha.

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    Psalm 69 says the reproaches of them that reproach thee have fallen on me. He was laying on his son the responsibility of this work. Yahweh hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. And as we grow up we kind of in Sunday school get this idea that Isaac would have been just a young little lad like my son Cameron about 10 that you know would have just not really know what was going on and just followed along with whatever dad says.

71. 30:20

    That's not the case brothers and sisters he probably would have been older than me. And so therefore we actually have a beautiful little phrase in Genesis 22 that's mentioned again twice as if to tell us that God is highlighting this aspect. If you have a look in verse 6 it tells us at the end of the verse that they went both of them up together.

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    And it's repeated again in verse 8 and Abraham said my son God will provide himself the lamb for the burnt offering. So they went both of them together. And it's even mentioned slightly again in a smaller form in verse 19. It says and Abraham returned to his young men and they rose up and went together.

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    And what it's telling us brothers and sisters is that the father and the son were united in this purpose. That Isaac was one with his father. He was following carefully along and therefore as even the Lord Jesus Christ tells us in John 5 the son can do nothing of himself but what he sees the father do.

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    For whatsoever things he doeth these also doeth the son likewise. Isn't that the beautiful example of legacy brothers and sisters? That Abraham was setting the tone for his son. And as he was walking there they went together because the son watched the father and then he was going to do likewise. And it's beautiful just to see these little phrases into the record because Isaac himself was going to submit to this.

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    Because it says when in verse seven and Isaac spake unto Abraham his father said my father behold the fire and the wood but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? We have brothers and sisters the son questioning the father to look to see what the son would have the father tell him.

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    And that's exactly the picture isn't it of the Lord Jesus Christ in the garden. Oh my father if it be possible let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless not as I will but as thou will. here was the son submitting his will to the father. And that little phrase my father here in Genesis 22 verse 7 being the first occurrence is beautifully picked up by the Lord Jesus Christ in the garden as he's going through his greatest struggle.

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    And it demonstrates doesn't it that this was not easy for both Abraham and Isaac but this development of faith in their life was to realise that they had to see from God's perspective. And that's why the reply from Abraham is just so beautiful. My son God will provide. This is the work of God it is the will of God that this be the case.

78. 33:13

    And so in verses 19 through to about verse 14 we have in a sense the enactment of the death the burial and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's really important brothers and sisters that we see the importance of resurrection. The importance of resurrection has doctrinal and very very powerful faith building importance in our own life.

79. 33:37

    To believe that God can do even the things which we have not been able to see ourselves personally. We believe that the Father and the Son have gone off to accomplish that work and will come again to us. And so we have another little beautiful piece of detail mentioned here in verse 13.

80. 34:01

    In this enactment it says, And Abraham lifted up his eyes. He knew he was absolutely convinced that he was going to sacrifice Isaac. But then he lifts up his eyes and he looks and there's our word reah again. And behold he sees a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. And he takes that ram and he offers him.

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    And then in verse 14 it says, And Abraham called that place Yahweh Yireth which is to this day in the mount of Yahweh it shall be seen. There's our word reah again. Here is the culmination of the faith that God was developing in this man. To lift up his eyes and to see that God would provide.

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    That in the future there would come the very one who was God's own son and he would be the burnt offering and the ram that all these things typified. But then in verse 15 just look at this little detail that's thrown in here. It says, And the angel of Yahweh called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time.

83. 35:07

    Now why tell us that it was the second time that the angel called out from heaven? Well we know the first time that the angel came was to reveal to Abraham that there was a ram that would be the burnt offering. But on the second time we actually see that here God goes on to bless Abraham and it's in this blessing that we have that all nations of the earth would be blessed.

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    You see the first time that the angel came was to herald the first advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. To tell us of the lamb who would come to take away the sin of the world. But on the second advent brothers and sisters the angel will return to herald the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to bring blessings to all nations because he will come and set up God's kingdom there in Jerusalem and it will fill the whole earth.

85. 35:59

    And these blessings here that God gives us brothers and sisters are very very powerful. Paul picks them up definitively in the New Testament because here is the first time in the record that the promises to Abraham are actually sealed by God's own oath. He actually says by myself I have sworn and Paul tells us in Hebrews 6 that this is such an amazing thing because it is an anchor to our life.

86. 36:26

    It is absolutely unchangeable when God seals it by his own oath of promise. We can be beyond all doubt certain that this will occur. But the promises that he has been given here are for us also because we are going to be a part of that. We are the legacy, we are the seed to which these things are being promised.

87. 36:48

    And as Abraham was persuaded and so he embraced them, brothers and sisters, they are the things we have to be persuaded of and embrace in our families. These little phrases are just magnificent. We are the first time we are actually told here that your seed will possess the gate of your enemies. And in 1 Corinthians 15 which our brother Roger has already alluded to this morning, we have that chapter tell us the last enemy to be destroyed is death.

88. 37:17

    And that's why here we have again a beautiful symbol of the resurrection. That there would come one who would conquer death, conquer that enemy and bring about forgiveness and resurrection and salvation to all nations of the earth because Abraham saw from God's perspective. Abraham returned to his young men. What's fascinating again is that we actually have a little piece of information way back in verse 3 that we've just glossed over which could be significant.

89. 37:52

    And we're told in verse 3 that there were actually two young men that were there. Now why did he take two? Why not one? Why not three? Why do we even need to know that? Is it possible brothers and sisters that we are being told here the wonderful work of the Lord Jesus Christ is efficacious for both Jew and Gentile?

90. 38:14

    That this work would be through which all nations of the earth would be blessed. And that is the wonderful promise that Abraham had to come to see. And so he names that place very aptly that in the mount of Yahweh it shall be seen. And beautifully these phrases are picked up by Christ in John 8 to tell us how powerful it is that Abraham could see Christ's day and he was glad.

91. 38:44

    And the Jews said well you're not even 50 years old. They totally missed the power of what was contained in their own scriptures. And Christ says well verily I sound to you before Abraham was I am. I'm here. I'm right back here in the record. This record is painted to show all that I was going to do.

92. 39:03

    Well brothers and sisters all of these legacies point to Christ. And I'd like you to come with me now to the New Testament because in John 11 we have a beautiful chapter where the entire legacy of Abraham is picked up. And all these little phrases that we've been following through in the life of Abraham are all here in John chapter 11.

93. 39:28

    We know John chapter 11 really well don't we because it's the chapter of the resurrection. of Lazarus. But here is the legacy of Abrahamic faith.

94. 39:41

    We know don't we that a certain man Lazarus of the town of Bethany the town of Mary and her sister Martha was sick. And so in verse 3 that his sisters send off for the Lord Jesus Christ and say Lord behold he whom thou lovest is sick. and fascinatingly brothers and sisters when Jesus heard that he says this sickness is not unto death but for the glory of God that the Son of man that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

95. 40:13

    And immediately brothers and sisters Christ sees what this event is all about. he's got it scoped out already. And we know that to be the case because if you have a look in verse 11 he actually tells his disciples exactly that. These things said he that after that he said unto them our friend Lazarus sleepeth but I go that I may awake him out of his sleep.

96. 40:37

    Christ knew the mission. Christ knew what he was going to do. He knew that this was about resurrection. And so we have Christ telling his disciples that they have to develop that same kind of faith. And what's fascinating is that when he heard in verse 6 that he was sick he went and sat down for two days and did nothing about it.

97. 41:02

    And a lot of people even Mary and Martha when they got there said why did you delay? Why were you late? If you would have been here this wouldn't have happened. But he stopped purposefully. and waited for that time brothers and sisters because he had to develop Abrahamic faith in these people and his disciples and those around him.

98. 41:20

    He had to get them to understand that he had the power of the grave. And so in verse 15 he actually tells them very plainly that Lazarus is dead because they actually missed the point again. And then in verse 15 he says and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there.

99. 41:41

    To the intent that ye may believe. Nevertheless let us go unto him. That word glad there brothers and sisters is the same word used in John 8 where it says Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it and was glad. Here's the same emotion being brought out in the Lord Jesus Christ.

100. 42:01

     It was not easy to have delayed and to let that happen but it was going to build and develop in them the same type of Abrahamic faith. And so we have in verse 22 and verse 27 sorry all the way through to verse 27 the example of Martha who runs out and in verse 21 she says Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died.

101. 42:26

     But then look at how beautifully she drops back into what she knows. She says in verse 22 but I know that even now whatever you will ask of God God will give it you. And Jesus says well your brother will rise again. And she says yes I know that he will rise again in the resurrection of the last day.

102. 42:46

     But Christ is trying to stop her and to get her to actually think no. If you just believe I can do this right now. I'm going to show you that exactly what the power of God is. And what's fascinating again brothers and sisters is that word I know I know I believe is all the same phrase and it's the word to see that's used back in John 8.

103. 43:11

     Abraham rejoiced to see my day. She could see it but now she actually had to see that Christ himself was the very means. And so we have these continual Abrahamic references being mentioned. Have a look in verse 34. They said unto him Lord come and see see. And Jesus wept because it would have been a very powerful thing to have seen all the agony that was going on around him and being touched with the feelings of our infirmities and how he loved him but he had to get them to develop this understanding to see the future day.

104. 43:50

     And so in verse 38 it says that Jesus therefore again groaning in himself comes to the grave. And then it just drops in this little piece of information. it was a cave and a stone lay upon it. You know brothers and sisters it was Abraham that took Sarah and buried her in a cave in the field of Machpelah.

105. 44:13

     And the stone was across it and here is the Lord Jesus Christ coming to the very gate of his enemies. And he's standing there and he tells them to take away the stone. And in verse 40 Jesus said unto her said I not unto thee that if thou wouldst believe that thou shouldst see the glory of God then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid and Jesus lifted up his eyes.

106. 44:48

     How beautiful is that just to drop into that record that Abrahamic phrase of looking up and he says father I thank thee that thou hast heard me and I know that thou hearest me always but because of the people which stand by I said that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

107. 45:11

     And so he cries out with a loud voice and he calls the one who is dead and he comes out and he looses him of that infirmity. And their brothers and sisters if everyone was standing around watching there were a group of people who saw that and believed. And that was the very intention of the Lord Jesus Christ to develop in them the wonderful things that God could do to not see through their natural eyes that that was the end like Martha who said well you know Lord by now he stinks and it's four days.

108. 45:43

     No Martha. See beyond. See the way that God can see it because that is where true faith and power lies. And so here in John 11 as if the entire life of Abraham is brought out as the power of the resurrection is explained by the Lord Jesus Christ. But if we were to finish back in Genesis 22 it's fascinating that the entire chapter ends in a very strange way.

109. 46:13

     I'd just like you to come back with me to Genesis 22 for a moment. In Genesis 22 verse 20 it says and it came to pass after these things. So here we have another little flag in the record that's telling us stop what happened just before this that we need to know that the next series of events therefore become significant based on what just happened.

110. 46:48

     Well we know that it is of course the death, burial and resurrection of Isaac being a symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that says and it was told Abraham saying and we have this little genealogy then just dropped into the record. You kind of think that's a little bit boring. That's a bit of an anti-climax to the chapter.

111. 47:07

     So what's the point? Well brothers and sisters there's one name in that record that is there for the first time that is connected to the sacrifice of Isaac. That could not have been introduced into the record without it. And of course brothers and sisters is Rebecca. It's the bride of Christ. We have at the very end of Genesis 22 after the death resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

112. 47:38

     We have the bride which is us. The people who are the legacy of Abraham who believe there in the record. That is how our life begins. So Paul says in Romans 4 doesn't he that that is why it depends on faith. In order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring.

113. 47:58

     That's us. Not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham who is the father of us all. As it is written I have made you the father of many nations in the presence of God whom he believed. Who gives life to the dead and calls those things which are not as though they were.

114. 48:19

     That brothers and sisters is the faith of Abraham and the faith that we need to develop in our generation today. So our take home message from this morning is Abraham's legacy is faith in spiritual sight. God's God's word above all that our eyes could ever observe or tell us. It's to build our ecclesial family and our own families on God's word and make that the centre and core to see the wonder of these passages and allow our faith to develop in what God has said in the past is sure and certain and the things that he said in the future.

115. 49:00

     the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrection from the dead, the immortalisation of the saints and an eternity worshipping our God is as real as those events that we have seen. We need to trust that God is able to perform, to see Christ's day and be glad. Brothers and sisters let's picture ourselves there in that day.

116. 49:30

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117. 49:52

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118. 50:21

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