Judica

Rev. Thomas Van Hemert

Genesis 22:1-14; St. John 8:42-59

Judica

March 21, 2021

In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” These words that Jesus spoke caused the Jews with whom He was talking to pick up stones to throw at Him. The Jews wanted to kill Him. And stoning someone to death as punishment was, in certain situations, allowed in the Law of Moses. The Jews thought they were in the right, they thought what they were doing was true and in accord with the Law of Moses. God told Moses to write, “Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.” (Lev 24:16)

The Jews thought Jesus was blaspheming the name of the LORD because He said, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” That little word, that little first person, singular verb, “I AM,” holds a lot of weight. When Moses came across the burning bush—the bush that was on fire, yet, it wasn’t consumed—when Moses came across this sight, He knew He was in the presence of God. It was here, that Moses spoke with God and God revealed to Moses His name. God’s name is Yahweh. It means, “I AM that I AM.” God’s name is I AM, I EXIST. By contrast then, all other gods that are worshipped, ARE NOT. They do not exist. So, when Jesus made the claim, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM,” He was making the claim that this I AM, this name, is His name. Jesus IS. He IS God. The Jews, however, did not believe. They refused to believe that Jesus is who He says He is. We know they refused to believe because they picked up rocks to stone Him and kill him. But Jesus hid Himself. And they couldn’t harm Him.

Now the Old Testament reading appointed for Judica Sunday, is the famous account of Abraham and his son Isaac on Mount Moriah. This account was most likely also well known by all the Jews. They constantly reminded themselves and Jesus that they were children of Abraham. And that’s true, after all. But Jesus is greater than Abraham and before Abraham existed, Jesus was there. What’s the benefit of being children of Abraham if you don’t believe in Jesus as the Son of God? 

Abraham believed in God and God counted this faith to him as righteousness. Abraham didn’t stand righteous before God’s eyes because of any great work he had done. It was because of his faith in God and in the coming Messiah who would redeem the world and become a sacrifice for sin. Abraham also believed in the Resurrection. This is quite clear in the Old Testament reading.

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 

Now it’s easy to glance over, but notice, if you will, the title that God gives to Isaac. He says, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah.” Abraham and his wife Sarah had longed for a child for many years. But it was only when they were elderly that God granted them a child, whom they named Isaac. Finally, the Lord had provided. But then, Abraham is asked to do the unthinkable, “Take your son, Abraham, your only son, Isaac whom you love, and offer him there as a burnt offering on the mountain.” The son who was given to them, will now be taken away through sacrifice. But Abraham does not flinch. He does not doubt God, he does not complain. He doesn’t try to haggle or bargain with God. He does as He says.

After traveling a couple days, they came to the place where God had told them and Abraham told his servants, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and will come again to you.” The question is often asked, “Was Abraham lying to his servants when he said, ‘I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.’?” After all, Abraham is going to sacrifice his son as God told him, but he tells the servants that both he and Isaac together will come back after worshipping. So is Abraham lying? Is Abraham trying to cover up what he’s about to do so that his servants won’t get in the way and stop him? No. Abraham believes in the Resurrection. He trusts God’s promises. God promised him that through his offspring will come forth a great nation and all the nations of the earth will be blessed. God must keep his promises. Abraham knows that if he is to sacrifice his son, his only son whom he loves, God will raise his son again because God has promised that the Savior of the world will come through Abraham’s lineage, and therefore Isaac’s lineage. So they went, both of them together up the mountain.

We know the rest of the story. Abraham binds up his son Isaac, places him on the altar, takes the knife in his hand to slaughter his son. In faith, Abraham does what God commands him. Abraham’s faith is an example for all of us. Abraham trusts God so much that he believes that even though he’s planning on going through with this sacrifice, God will provide for him and will carry through with the promises that He made to him. But of course, Abraham doesn’t sacrifice Isaac. The Angel of the Lord called out to Abraham saying, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son from me.”

This Angel of the Lord is Jesus, who would later tell Abraham’s own offspring “before Abraham was I AM.” This Angel of the Lord is the pre-incarnate Christ. This Angel of the Lord, is Jesus, who is begotten of His Father before all worlds. Because in the Old Testament, when we have reference to this Angel of the Lord, that means it’s Jesus, before He took on human flesh on Christmas morning.

How else might we draw this conclusion? God told Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice to Him. Now we have the Angel of the Lord, saying to Abraham, “Now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” The Angel of the Lord, identifies Himself with God. This can only be possible if He is either God the Father, or the Son, or the Holy Spirit. In this case, it’s Jesus. Even throughout the entire Old Testament, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity is actively at work, working all things for our good.

Instead of sacrificing Isaac, Abraham lifts up his eyes and sees a ram caught in the thicket by its horns and offers it as a sacrifice. Then he names the place “The LORD will provide,” because, on the mount of the Lord, it shall be provided. What shall be provided? The sacrifice. He provides the most pure and perfect sacrifice on that same land. Hundreds of years later, on this same mountain now called Calvary—Golgotha, on Good Friday, this sacrifice won’t be stopped. The only Son of God, the one who, at His Baptism, a voice came out of the cloud and said, “This is my beloved son, with whom I am well-pleased,” this only Son of God is sacrificed. No angel comes to rescue Him. God will not withhold His Son. The Son is sacrifices so that the Father might gain you for Himself as His beloved sons and daughters. Abraham sees this day, and rejoices in it.

Since we have been given the gift of faith by the Holy Spirit, who calls gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies us, the faith of Abraham is our faith. That’s why, even we, can call him, “Father Abraham.” Abraham believed—he believed in the coming sacrifice of the Messiah and in the Resurrection of the body—Abraham believed, and it was counted to Him as righteousness. We believe. We are righteous before God.

We are not like those Jews in John, chapter 8, who refused to believe in Jesus, who instead attempted to kill Jesus with stones. Jesus didn’t allow them to harm Him. He hid Himself from that danger because He knew His journey goes through the cross. Nothing, no one, would stop Him from loving His creation. Nothing and no one would stop Him from going to the cross. He is the new and greater sacrifice. He is Isaac perfected—the only Son of the Father who isn’t saved from the sting of death. The ram—the Lamb of God who bears all your sin, carries it to the cross and is put to death with it. He offers His own body and, it is greater than all the sacrifices of bulls and goats.

Now, we must go with Him on Good Friday to the cross. The way of the cross, the way of the Christian is not easy, nor is it fun or enjoyable. It’s painful and sad. But Jesus knew His Father would vindicate Him and raise Him up from the grave three days later. Jesus will be resurrected. For there can be no Easter, no Resurrection, no joy without suffering, without cross, and without death. So also we, like Abraham believe in the Resurrection. We must go to the cross with Jesus. Such is our journey. But our journey will not end there. Death will not have the last word. It cannot be the last thing. Like Abraham and like our Lord, we too, come the consummation of the age, will be raised and perfected.

In +Jesus’ name.