Pictures of Jesus in Genesis page 9

For the past 8 Sundays we have been looking thru an old photo album of pictures of Jesus outlined in the book of Genesis. Some photos are so faded that we have to look closely to make out the features. Some photos seem rather obscure, but none the less,  we have seen God reveal each week another detail of His plan to redeem mankind from the penalty of their sin…I should say OUR sin. It’s an exciting journey and one I love, love, love, to read  and write about. God is revealing something of Himself in every picture. He is revealing His ernest desire for us to come back to Him.

The next photo in our album consists of  nomads from the land Ur of the Chaldees.  God called Abraham  to leave his idolatrous family and go to a land God would show him. Abraham did. God promised Abraham a seed and that his descendants would be as numerous as the sand in the sea and stars in the sky.  That’s some promise.

Twenty five years have passed and Sarah is still barren. I don’t know about you, but I like for things to happen when they are supposed to happen….on my schedule. I’m sure Abraham and Sarah were no different.

You may wonder how any of this is a picture of Jesus. And I promise I’m going to tell you, but first let me remind you about the first mention of this son in the curse God spoke over Adam and Eve. You remember, before God pronounced the curse…He made them a promise. Picture #5  He gave them hope. The Hope was that the seed of woman would crush satan’s head. In order for the seed to come there needed to be a family line for him to come thru and this line of Abraham’s would provide that family.

So now, we know the family line to watch in the future.  Abraham’s family tree will be of great importance from now on. God  has made this awesome promise to Abraham. But it has been so long coming that Abraham, an old man, is now impotent and Sarah is past childbearing age.  What on earth is going on? This is where the good part begins…

There is a very distinct comparison between the birth of Isaac and the birth of Jesus.

#1  The supernatural was involved in both of their conceptions. Sarah and Abraham were both beyond the years of childbearing and yet God intervened and Isaac was born. Mary of course never ‘knew’ a man and the Holy Spirit came upon her and Jesus was conceived.

#2  The births were foretold long before they came to pass. And the names of both sons were given before their births.

“And you shall call his name Isaac and I will establish my covenant with him for and everlasting covenant.” Genesis 17:19

“And she shall bring forth a son and they shall call his name Jesus and he shall save his people from their sin.” Matthew 1:20

#3  Both men, Abraham and Joseph, were confused at the announcement of the conception. Abraham laughed at the thought and Joseph considered how he could handle the situation.

#4  Sarah and Mary had the same reactions at the news if their conception or imminent conceptions… “How can this be?”

Both of the sons were called sons of the promise. One, Isaac, being the foreshadow of the other, Jesus. And it was all accomplished in God’s own time.

 “For Sarah conceived and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time which God had spoken to him.” Genesis 21:1  

“When the fullness of time had come God sent forth His son…Galatians 4:4