The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.
Matthew 1:1*
Abraham was special. He had special promises, a special relationship with God, and a special place in human history. It is not surprising that he was a significant ancestor of the Messiah. Both genealogies of Christ call Him the Son of Abraham.
The patriarch was promised “descendants as the dust of the earth” (Genesis 13:16). That means lots – too many to number. And so it is today the true number could never be reached. Both the Jewish people and Arabs proudly consider Abraham as their father (the Jews through Isaac and Arabs through Ishmael). Both ethnic groups are sons of Abraham, although they don’t necessarily have the patriarch’s features.
God’s promises to Abraham weren’t really about billions of people claiming relationship through some distant DNA, but being conformed to the faith and actions of Abraham. Zacchaeus was Jewish by birth but ostracized from Jewish society, because of his political affiliation. When the little man came to Christ, the Savior declared “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham” (Luke 19:9).
In a very real sense this is what happens to believers when their faith is life changing and they believe God’s promises to be true just like Abraham did. “Just as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Galatians 3:6), therefore know that only those who are of faith are true sons of Abraham.
Because I have faith in Christ, I’m adopted into the family of God and I become a son of Abraham. Sisters in Christ are Abraham’s daughters. This is one of the few titles that Christians can actually share with their master. Praise God!
*see also Luke 3:34
May 8
