“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham …”
(Matt 1:1, NKJV)
In the previous teaching we pointed out that when God speaks of the seed of Abraham and David it is clearly specified as the spiritual seed that would spring forth in the person of Jesus Christ, God’s seed for a new race on earth. This race would receive in the Last Adam a new genetic strain enabling them to eternally live on earth in the flesh with Christ. For this reason Jesus speaks to the Jews, proud of their genealogical link with Abraham, and says – “do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.” (Luke 3:8).
An elaboration on Christ’s warning to the Jews in Matt 21:43 – “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.” In other words, there are many “who say they are Jews and are not” (Rev 2:9; 3:9), not all from Israel are true Israelites (Rom 9:6b). To be Jewish or claiming to be from the seed of Abraham is ONLY possible on the ground “of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all” (Rom 4:16). In Rom 2:28-29 it is explicitly spelled out – “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.” To clear away any confusion concerning this very important matter – “Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.” (Rom 9:4-5).
In conclusion, let’s point out the implications for those of us who are Gentiles – Rom 9:8 clearly shows that Christ did not spring forth from the male corporeal bloodline, but that the promises to Abraham and David assumes a spiritual dynamic – “That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.” In John 8:39 Jesus explains this principle to the Jews who assumed they could lay claim to their genealogical roots: “They answered and said to Him, ‘Abraham is our father.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.’” And these decisive words of verse 44 – “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” This assumes that they are born from a different seed, that of the snake (Gen 3:15). Although they were religious Jesus still calls them a “brood of vipers” (Matt 3:7; 12:43; 23:33), those born from bad seed (Matt 13:38). There are only two types of people on earth – the children of God and the children of Satan (1 John 3:10) – the seed from which you were born determines the group you form part of.
- Sela: Read Ecc 5 prayerfully, the mourning song of the Jews who realize what they’ve lost.
- Read: 2 Chr 2; Ecc 5; Rev 4
- Memorise: 2 Chr 2:6
