Jesus Came to Help Abraham’s Descendants (Advent 7, 2024)

Visitation Principle 7: Jesus Came to Help Abraham’s Descendants
Hebrews 2:16 “For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants.”

Wait. Are you saying Jesus only helps Jews? Nope. And that’s not what the author to Hebrews is saying, either.

First, in its context, the author is saying that Jesus isn’t focused on helping angels (who are also created beings but have no hope for redemption when they fell. They are created, but importantly, not in God’s Image.) Rather He helps “Abraham’s descendants,” those who believe in the Messiah Jesus Christ promised in the Jewish Scriptures.

Second, God is less interested in your ethnicity…than your faith, your heart, and your undivided devotion. Think about it. Scripture says (Numbers 14:26-35) that not all Jews entered the Promised Land, but only those who did not rebel against the God (of Abraham).

Ethnicity doesn’t give you a pass on obedience.

Some died in the desert for their lack of obedience. For that reason, would any ethnic Jewish firstborn males standing on the streetcorner during the Passover’s Plague of the Firstborn have been spared because they were Jews or were real Jews by faith protected by the blood on the doorposts out of obedience to God?

God helps Abraham’s descendants by His grace and their faith.

Questions for further thought:

In the mind of Jesus, holding to His teaching is what identifies someone as a descendant of Abraham. Read all of John 8:30-47, particularly v 31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to My teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill Me, because you have no room for My word.”

Uh-oh. What does that say about their faith?

Ethnicity vs. faith. It couldn’t be clearer. John 8:39 “Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are looking for a way to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. 41 You are doing the works of your own father.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God Himself.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on My own; God sent Me.”

How does Jesus’ having been born and arriving in the usual way create a fulcrum of faith in which you either believe as a descendant of Abraham, or you don’t?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for setting us free from sin and death and for giving us a permanent place in the family of God. May we live up to this calling by living as sons rather than sinners. Grant us confidence in sharing this freedom in obedience to Your Word. Thank You for showing us the way, the truth, and the life You came to give. Amen.

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Acknowledging inquiries about an entire season’s devotionals for your study group’s planning purposes, Seminary Gal’s prior seasons’ Advent devotionals can be accessed via the archives to the right and are as follows:

“From the Jews for the World” was the theme of last Advent’s devotional series. It is archived beginning December 3, 2023, and explored how Jesus’ Jewish heritage was necessary for the salvation of Gentiles, too.
“Awaken Remnant” was the devotional topic for 2022. It began November 27, 2022, and highlighted the remnant found throughout Scripture as evident in Jesus’ lineage.
The multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King was the theme of 2021’s devotional series. It is archived beginning November 28, 2021.
2020’s Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times. Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence. His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology. They began November 29, 2015.
Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols. You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives. They began November 30, 2014.
The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John. It began December 1, 2013.
The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story. It began December 1, 2012.