Making It Personal

This past week I was preparing some statements for the "State of the Church Address" a part of our annual Society Meeting at the church.

When I began to review some of the numbers from the 2013 year I was encouraged by many, and I was discouraged by a few. You see, 2012 was an exceptional year in our church - we saw numerical growth in almost every area and every ministry, and we experienced significant relational and spiritual growth as well.

But as I looked at  the reports from 2013 I felt differently. One particular area was baptisms. We were blessed to baptize 15 individuals in 2012 - 5 adults,6 teens, and 4 children. However in 2013 we only baptized 3 - 1 adult, 1 teen, and 1 child.

15 baptisms versus 3 baptisms, these numbers spoke for themselves. Or did they? See, it only took me a minute to realize that one of these three baptisms was my 7 year-old daughter. And, it occurred to me that numbers are discouraging, but only when we are not giving it our all. And that numbers no longer matter when it is personal.

This is not to say that I don't desire to see many more hearts and lives committed to Christ and that I don't desire to see many more baptisms in 2014. This is simply to say that I will aim to make every commitment, every life, every baptism personal. And I will rejoice - I will celebrate with each as if it is my own son or daughter that is making this life-changing commitment.

Jesus in the Old Testament: Reconciled through Abraham's Seed

I have written previously about God's covenant with Abraham and about how the blessings of this covenant would be for all people. In Genesis 17 we read the record of God speaking to Abraham and explaining to him the beginning details of how this covenant would be fulfilled. 

Genesis 17:19; Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him."

Paul explains for all in Romans 9 how this covenant with Abraham affects us today, whether we are of the Jewish line coming from Abraham or not.

Romans 9:7-9; It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.

We are reconciled to God through this covenant - not because we come from Abraham's blood line but because Jesus came from Abraham's blood line. And through the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we are reconciled. 

Jesus in the Old Testament: Melchizedek Foreshadowing Jesus

This past week I wrote two blogs related to Melchizedek and his foreshadowing of Jesus. First, Melchizedek foreshadowed Jesus as a priest. Second, Melchizedek foreshadowed Jesus as a King. This is one of the interesting facts about Melchizedek that we also find true of Jesus - both were priests and kings. 

Yet, Genesis 14 points to another point where the priest and king Melchizedek foreshadowed Jesus, the last supper and the celebration with bread and wine.Genesis 14:18; Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High.

We read in Matthew 26 of Jesus celebrating in the same manner with His closest friends and disciples. Matthew 26:26-28; While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus in the Old Testament: Eternal King

A few days ago I wrote about the connection Jesus had with the Priest named Melchizedek. Not only was Melchizedek a Priest, he was also a King. Genesis 14:18; Melchizedek king of Salem [later called Jerusalem] brought out bread and wine [for their nourishment]; he was the priest of God Most High. In the New Testament, Hebrews 7:1-2 reminds us of this encounter; This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”

Hebrews 7:3 completes the picture - revealing Jesus; Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

Jesus remains our Priest forever. Likewise, He reigns as our King eternally. 

Jesus in the Old Testament: Priest After Melchizedek

In Genesis 14 we read the account of Abram defeating four very powerful Kings and their armies. Genesis 14:15 states that "during the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them". Following this victory Abram was served bread and wine in the desert.

Genesis 14:18-20; Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

This King Melchizedek was the king of Salem (which means "peace") - therefore we could state that Melchizedek was the "king of peace" (Jesus is called the "Prince of peace" in Isaiah 9:6). And, as Abram celebrates his victory in the desert with King Melchizedek he also gives him a tenth  of all he owns - Abram pays him a tithe of his wealth. What we see in Genesis 14 is a glimpse of Jesus as king Melchizedek meets with Abram - God's blessed chosen. 

Hebrews 6:16-20; People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

Jesus In The New Testament: Blessed Through Abram's Seed

When Abram was 75 years old God appeared to him and established a covenant with him as recorded in Genesis 12;  “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you,  and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Then, in verse 7, we read of another promise that God established with Abraham; The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your seed I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

The Apostle Paul brings us back to the Abrianic covenant and to the promise made to the seed of Abram in Galatians 3:16; The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.

Jesus Christ is our blessing. Because we bear the name of Jesus we are worthy and we are blessed. Through Jesus Christ all people on earth have been blessed and are being blessed. It is all because of Jesus.

Jesus In The Old Testament: The Seed of Abraham

In Genesis 12:2-3 we read the words of the covenant that God made with Abraham - known as the Abrianic Covenant. These are God's words of encouragement, promise, and blessing given to Abraham; “I will make you into a great nation,and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you,  and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

From this covenant - and these verses - we read that through Abraham's seed - his offspring - all nations on the earth will be blessed.

In Acts 3:25-26 Peter speaks these words to the Israelite people; "And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

This servant of God's is Jesus Christ, God's Son. Jesus was sent first to the Israelite people - to the Jews - because of God's covenant given to Abraham some 2,100 years before the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.  You can read the genealogy from Abraham to Jesus in Matthew 1.