Commemorating the Day of Abraham's Obedience and God's Provision
by Tom Bear–
What we could never do, God did!
As Abraham walked with his son to the mountain where he was to sacrifice him, Abraham’s son asked, “The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham replied, “God will provide Himself a lamb.” Christians believe this statement was prophetic and pointed to an event in which God would sacrifice a perfect lamb that would bring about reconciliation between sinful man and Himself.
There are many prophecies recorded in the Old Testament (Torah/Tawrat) that describe this event and what this “Lamb” would be like. Isaiah, a prophet that lived about 700 years before Jesus the Christ was born, alluded to this lamb as a special servant of God:
"See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. just as there were many who were appalled at him– his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness– so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. for what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand. who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the lord been revealed? he grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. he had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. he was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by god, smitten by him, and afflicted. but he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. we all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. he was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. (Tawrat, Prophet Isaiah 52.13-53-7)
Prophet Isaiah also said of him,
“The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14).” (“Immanuel” means “God with us!”) He also prophesied concerning him, “To us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Tawrat, Isaiah 9:6).
When Jesus first appeared to the prophet John the Baptist, John said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Christians believe that Jesus was far more than just a prophet. We believe that he was The Messiah, the Anointed One chosen by God and described by the Old Testament prophets as the One who would die as our substitute. Christians believe that there is only One GOD! But as mysterious as it may seem, this One God miraculously came to earth to do something we could never do, make a WAY for us to be made right with Him.
One book of the Injeel states:
"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." (Hebrews 1:1-3)
The Good News that Christians believe:
To provide a way to forgive, God sent His own Son (Jesus) into the world to take your punishment for you! Two-thousand years ago, Jesus was whipped, beaten and then hung on a cross to die even though He had never sinned. While He willingly hung there, He took your sins upon Himself and bore the wrath of God as your substitute. This voluntary sacrifice He made for you satisfied the righteous demands of God. Now, if you place your trust in Jesus as your only way to God, you will receive forgiveness of sins once and for all. “Of Him (Jesus) all the prophets bear witness that through His name, everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins” (Injeel, Acts 10:43). This is more than just belief with your mind. It is a believing from the heart that affects your life completely.
Jesus was not defeated. Through his death, he gained victory for God!
Within three days after He died, Jesus rose from the dead (not just His Spirit, but His body too). During the next forty days, He was seen by over five hundred people before God raised Him up to sit at His right hand as Lord and Judge over all. Before He left, Jesus promised He would come back to raise all the dead (bodily) and judge all people. He will re-create the heavens and the earth where His people will live with Him forever in bliss, and all who do not know Him will be cast into hell forever.
God’s loving invitation to you:
If you believe you are a sinner condemned by God and unable to save yourself, then God invites you to receive His gift of eternal life through Jesus His Son. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Injeel, Matthew 11:28-30).
To receive Jesus, you must stop relying on your own righteousness and begin following Jesus today.