Who was/is Abraham's Greatest Son?

This is a question from our Bible Correspondence Course. The answer is important to our faith. We understand that Abraham lived and died around 2,000 years before Jesus was born. So, you might ask:

"How then can Abraham be relevant to any hope the Bible has to offer?"

Abraham had several sons during his lifetime, from more than one wife, which was the custom and not unusual in those far-off days. His most well-known son is Isaac, born to Sarah, but there was also Ishmael who was born to Hagar, Sarah's handmaid. Later, Abraham married Keturah and had six more sons. No doubt there would have been daughters, but these are not recorded in the Bible narrative. The question gave several alternatives to choose from

• Judas,
• Jacob,
• Joseph,
• Jesus.

Which would you choose and why?

Neither Isaac, Ishmael, nor the lesser known six sons of Keturah are in that list. Jacob was his grandson, and Joseph his great grandson, both of whom had challenging lives and both were righteous men. But Judas is certainly incorrect, for he was the betrayer of Jesus. So that just leaves Jesus.

How is Jesus the son of Abraham?

The answer to this question is given to us in the first verse of the New Testament:

"The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham."

• Matthew 1:1

The family tree of Jesus can be traced from Abraham through the generations leading to Joseph, the husband of Mary his mother. Luke's gospel contains a similar family tree through Abraham's descendants and is the likely line of Mary, for it differs significantly from Matthew, taking the line through David's son Nathan rather than Solomon.

But we are left in no doubt that Jesus is the greatest son of Abraham and of King David. The opening verse of Matthew's gospel emphasises the importance of Jesus being descended from Abraham and David. Jesus Christ was promised as the coming 'Son' from the very beginning in the book of Genesis, in the Old Testament writings of Moses and the prophets, to the prophet Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament. This son, the Messiah and saviour of Israel, was announced – the time had arrived when all the promises of long ago would commence their fulfilment in the person of Jesus Christ, the son of Abraham through Mary. At the same time he was the son of God because he was conceived through the power of God, the Holy Spirit, acting directly upon Mary. Joseph, therefore, was Jesus' stepfather, not his biological father.

Jesus is the son of God

The fact that Jesus was born a human being is largely lost and ignored, or simply not believed, by many Christians. They maintain that Jesus was God from the very beginning – the second person of a Trinity. This is not how the Bible speaks of Jesus. The essential mortality of Jesus before his death is shown by verses like this, commenting on Jesus' state of mind just before and during his crucifixion. Jesus needed saving from death by God, his father:

"... who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered."

• Hebrews 5:7-8

Jesus was a son (descendant) of Abraham, and through his mother, was flesh and blood. He inherited human nature, and the record clearly shows he was tempted in every way possible:

"For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin."

• Hebrews 4:15

Tempted? Yes, tempted to sin, to disobey his heavenly Father. But he was always able to resist that temptation, for he was born into the world by the direct action of God through the power of the Holy Spirit acting on Mary. Jesus was born into the world to

"... save His people from their sins."

• Matthew 1:21

His mission was to defeat the power of sin, which he accomplished in his sinless life, and through his death and resurrection. (See Acts 2:23-24; Hebrews 2:14)

Jesus is Abraham's "seed"

This fact is of vital importance to a correct understanding of the gospel. But why use the word "seed", which in Bible usage denotes offspring? Abraham was called by God to leave his home and go to an unknown land which God promised that one day he would inherit:

"Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed"."

• Genesis 12: 1-3

The promises made to Abraham Genesis chapters 12 to 22 contain seven repeated promises made to Abraham by God. They are personal to Abraham, yet far reaching. They form the basis of the New Testament gospel of Jesus Christ. In the Hebrew language the word "seed" is used to describe Abraham's descendants, but especially one descendant. The following are the essential points:

• Through Abraham's "seed" all nations of the earth would be blessed (not just Jews but Gentiles as well: Genesis 12:3 and 22:18).
• He was promised the land of Canaan (now Israel) as a possession, together with his "seed" for ever (Genesis 13:14-17; 17:8).
• His "seed" would be multiplied to become a great nation (Genesis 17:6).
• An everlasting covenant would be made between God, Abraham and his "seed" (Genesis 17:7).
• His "seed" would be victorious over his enemies (Genesis 22:17).

We don't have to guess who the "seed" is. We could perhaps read and interpret the promises to refer simply to Abraham's descendants in general, but in the New Testament, Paul's letter to the Galatians is very clear, connecting Abraham with his greatest son the Lord Jesus Christ:

"And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham."

• Galatians 3:8-9

"Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ."

• Galatians 3:16

Paul's teaching in this chapter provides a vital link between the promises made to Abraham and the work of Jesus Christ, who is the singular "seed" of the promises.

Abraham died in faith

Abraham did not possess the promised land during his long life of 175 years; neither did he see the fulfilment of those "seed" promises. He and his descendants, Isaac and Jacob, were nomadic farmers. Abraham even had to buy a piece of land as a burial plot for Sarah his wife upon her death, which reminds us that he did not own the land. They all died without seeing the fulfilment of these promises despite both Isaac and Jacob having those same promises repeated to them personally. The letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament emphasises the fact that:

"These all died in faith, not having received the promises."

• Hebrews 11:13

The New Testament provides the answer to how Abraham and other believers in Old Testament times will see the fulfilment of these promises. For they relate to the future kingdom of God to be established on this earth by Jesus Christ at his return. Then we shall see the complete fulfilment of the promises to Abraham, when he will live for ever in the promised land, together with men and women of faith.

Summary

The answer to our question lies in the work of Jesus Christ, the seed of the promise. Here is a summary:

• Jesus has accomplished a great victory over sin in human nature because he fought it successfully until he was crucified. He laid down his life as a sacrifice to take away sin, in complete obedience to the will of his Father. The victory was rewarded with a wonderful resurrection from death to immortality, and an ascension to the right hand of His Father in heaven, now to act as a High Priest for believers who put their faith in his saving work (See Hebrews 2:14-18).
• Jesus fulfilled the everlasting covenant when he laid down his life to atone for human sin. This is the new covenant guaranteed by Jesus' sacrifice. As he said to his disciples: 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you.' (see Luke 22:20)
• Jesus will make Jerusalem the capital of God's kingdom which will last for ever (See Psalm 2:6-8; Matthew 5:35).
• Jesus will raise Abraham from the dead to live in the promised land together with men and women related to these promises because of their faith (See Hebrews 11:39-40).
• Jesus will judge and reward those who are accountable to him and will give eternal life to the faithful. This will happen when Jesus returns to the earth. (See Matthew 25:31-36; 2 Timothy 4:1)
• Jesus fulfilled all God's promises, as the Apostle Paul wrote: "For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us." (See 2 Corinthians 1:20)

Jesus confirmed the promises

Jesus warned the unbelieving Jews of his day that they would not inherit the kingdom of God, but at the same time confirmed that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would! He said:

"There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God."

• Luke 13:28-29

"If you are Christ's then you are Abraham's seed"

Our final reference is taken from Paul's letter to the Galatians. Here confirmation is given about how believers today can be associated with those promises made to Abraham. Again, Jesus Christ is at the centre. Baptism by full immersion in water is an outward public sign of a change within; a repentance of past sin, and the start of a completely new relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. Jesus can be our representative before God; our high priest through whom our sins are forgiven. This relationship of being "in Christ" makes us sons and daughters of God and part of "Abraham's seed". We can be heirs, and inheritors of the promises, related to everlasting life and the abundant blessings of the coming kingdom of God on earth.

"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

• Galatians 3:26-29