In You Shall All the Nations Be Blessed.
Abraham is revered in several major religions around the world. The divinely inspired word of God tells us that God planned to bring joy to the entire human race through an offspring of Abraham (Galatians 3:16; Genesis 22:18). God prepared a people to deliver a divinely inspired, inerrant, and preserved written account of God’s faithfulness to his promise of redemption but also his love expressed through the gift of his Son (John 3:16). The mention of Christ as a descendant of Abraham helps us understand more about the meaning of Christmas.
God’s Blessing Revealed Through Abraham
Abraham is referred to as the man of faith (Galatians 3:8). God teaches us that those who believe God’s gospel are the true children of the man of faith (Romans 4:11-12; Romans 9:6; Galatians 3:7). But a distinction is made regarding the person who would inherit the promises of effectively providing the joy and blessing that are a result of saving faith (Galatians 3:16). Christ, being born and living a sinless life among us, showed the beauty and power of living in complete submission to the Father. It is through a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ that we can experience the joy and satisfaction everyone is seeking (John 15:11).
The Nature of God’s Blessing Through Abraham
God’s holy word portrays the conquering king, of whom we will learn about in the 4th part of this series, as an eternal priest (Psalm 110:4). The writer of Hebrews made a specific connection between Melchizedek and Jesus Christ that bears much meaning to the nature of the offspring through whom God would bless the world (Hebrews 5:5; Hebrews 6:20). The meaning of the name and title of Melchizedek helps us gain a deeper understanding of the nature of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 7:2-3). A priest’s role is to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer sacrifices for sins (Hebrews 5:1). God is saying that Jesus, seated at his right hand, is our eternal high priest. The birth we celebrate at Christmas is part of the ordination process of Jesus Christ. God decided that our high priest was to share in our frailty so we could share the benefits of his ministry (Hebrews 5:9). His birth was the encapsulation of a divine being in human flesh (Philippians 2:6-7). He robed himself in our frailty and weakness so he could experience temptation. All of this so he could serve as the vital connection between the sinful human race (Romans 3:23) and the glory of God. Christmas celebrates the purest act of selfless love. Christmas commemorates the most unfathomable demonstration of true humility. It is the birth of our tender priest who would offer himself as the perfect ultimate sacrifice for our sins. We need not offer sacrifices, nor seek forgiveness through religious rituals for faith in Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness is salvation. He was born into this world and was revealed before men so that we may learn to live obedient lives (Titus 2:11) having believed that he is our redeemer and our example (Titus 2:13-14).
Please believe in Jesus Christ’s ministry alone for your salvation.
Then share his ministry with others.
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