Okay, so I want to turn with
you again this morning in our studies in John's Gospel to John
chapter 8 and I want to focus our attention on verse 56 this
morning. Verse 56 of John chapter 8 where
Jesus says this to the Jews, your father Abraham rejoiced
to see my day and he saw it and was glad. There's an enormous
amount of pride in religious tradition. We see it all around
us. You drive into Nebwith on a Sunday morning and you'll see
the Catholic Church. There are dozens and dozens of
cars parked outside. It must be absolutely packed
on a Sunday morning. And the other churches likewise,
up and down this country. Despite it being a day in which
not many people go to church, yet there is still an awful lot
of religion. And you look around the world
and there's huge pride in religion. Think of the pride that Muslims
take in their religion, in Islam. Think of the pride that others
take in their religion. It's a, you know, you can do
anything you want to me but don't insult my religion. This is the
mood of the day in the religious world. And these Jews that Jesus
was talking to here in the temple, there was the incident with the
woman taken in adultery and then he comes into the temple and
he's teaching there in the temple and surely a beam of light shone
in from the rising sun that morning and he said, I am the light of
the world. he who follows me shall not walk in darkness but
shall have the light of life and so he goes on and many appear
to believe in him but then it becomes apparent by about verse
44 that as Jesus says to them you are of your father the devil
you're of your father the devil you're not true believers you
give an appearance to start with but you're not true believers
you see they were so proud of their tradition these ordinary
Jews and the Pharisees and the scribes and they were indignant
at what he said oh say some good things and we'll believe you
but speak some truth about the true situation with their religion
and they were indignant. You see, they were proud of Abraham. They were proud of being Abraham's
descendants. Remember when Abraham lived,
it's about 4,000 years ago that Abraham lived. So it was 2,000
years before these people lived, before these incidents, about
2,000 years before that Abraham lived, but they were proud of
their descent from Abraham. Oh, they were so pleased with
the fact that they were the descendants of Abraham. Now all these other
people have got their false religions, but we've got the true religion
because we're the descendants of Abraham. And he said to them
that if they believe him, they shall be truly free. And they
say, What are you talking about? We're the descendants of Abraham.
We've got the real thing. We've got the gold standard.
We're the descendants of Abraham. We've got the traditions of the
Jewish people. We've got the right of circumcision
that marks us out from the others. We've got the food laws. All
of these food laws we've got. We're not common, ordinary people
like all these others. We're special. There was national
separation. They had this great pride verging
on xenophobia. And they had this extreme religious
elitism. And it's the same today in so
many places. And you know there's nothing
more blinding. Nothing more blinding. Satan's
main weapon, one of Satan's main weapons anyway, is this pride
in religion. This fervor for religion and
tradition. It's the greatest barrier to
the gospel. is religion. I remember listening to Bill
Clark in one of his French messages years and years ago saying in
one of those 15-minute broadcasts, you asked me as a pastor and
a missionary, what's the greatest enemy of the true gospel? And
he said, I'll tell you without a shadow of a doubt, it's religion.
Religion. Because people are so proud of
it. Why could these people not see the truth? Why could they
not see? They clearly couldn't see it.
They gave an impression. They were like, as I said last
week, the leafy branch cut off the tree and stuck into the ground
and for a few days it looks like a healthy living tree until you
discover there's no root there and it gradually withers and
dies. And here they were, gradually withering and dying at some of
the words that were being said. Why could they not see the truth?
It's because of sovereign grace. Sovereign grace. This is a message
that is universally hated by the natural man. The natural
man hates this message. A God of sovereign grace? What
does that mean? It means that God chooses. It
means that God decides. It means that without the grace
of God, nobody would be saved. Do you hear that? Without the
grace of God, nobody would be saved. God had not chosen to
reveal this truth to these people. Just turn over, just briefly,
to Matthew's Gospel, chapter 13. I want to read some words. You know, you hear everybody,
you listen to the Sunday morning service if you ever do, and oh,
it's such an inclusive message and such a universalist message
and everybody's pleased and happy with it. I wonder what they would
say in response to these verses. Verse 10. Matthew 13 verse 10, And the disciples came and said
to him, Why do you speak to them in parables? And he answered
and said to them, Because it is given to you to know the mysteries
of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall
be given, and he shall have more abundance. But whosoever hath
not, from him shall be taken away, even that he hath. Therefore
speak I to them in parables, because they seeing see not,
and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them
is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, By hearing
you shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing you shall
see, and shall not perceive. For this people's heart is waxed
gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they
have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears, and should understand with their
heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But,
but, but, blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears,
for they hear. For verily I say unto you, that
many prophets and righteous men, and Luke says kings, have desired
to see those things which you see and have not seen them, and
to hear those things which you hear and have not heard them."
It's sovereign grace. This is what it is. It's sovereign
grace. We must bow to the fact of sovereign grace. It is God
who chooses. It is not of him who wills nor
of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. Do you believe the
gospel of God's grace? Do you rejoice in the things
of the Lord Jesus Christ? Is our Lord Jesus Christ, if
you believe in Him, He is precious to you? Is He precious to you?
Is this Lord Jesus Christ precious to you? Well praise God. Praise God who blessed your eyes
that they might see when he passed by so many others and left them
in darkness. Now these people you see revered
Abraham. They revered Abraham. They said
we're Abraham's seed. But the fact is that Abraham
if he'd been there amongst them would have preached nothing else
he would have been determined to know nothing other like Paul
determined to know nothing other than Jesus Christ and him crucified
but they didn't realize that you see these people were only
Abraham's children by physical descent just by physical descent
but if by faith they would have believed these things look at
verse well verse 39 of John 8 says they answered and said unto him
Abraham is our father Jesus said to them if you were Abraham's
children you would do the works of Abraham and then over in Galatians
Galatians chapter 3 and verse 7 know ye therefore that they
which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham Are you
of faith? Well you're a child of Abraham
in that sense. And the children of Abraham in
that sense, in the sense of faith, do the works of Abraham. And
what were the works of Abraham? Well as a natural man he was
a sinner as we all are. And in the natural man he did
all sorts of things of which he would not be proud. He did
the things that a sinner would do, but by faith, by faith he
did the work of God. And what is that? To believe
on Him whom he has sent. For he looked forward and saw
whom he would send. He believed and trusted Christ. And Abraham's true seed, those
who were Abraham's true seed, they're those who are Christ's
by sovereign election, before the beginning of time, chosen
in Christ from before the beginning of time, before the world was
made. Eternally justified in the Lamb who was slain from before
the foundation of the world. redeemed by Christ, redeemed,
brought back by Him who when the fullness of the time was
come was born of a woman, made of a woman, made under the law
to redeem those who were under the law when He went to the cross
of Calvary in time He redeemed His people and brought to life
individually regenerated by the Holy Spirit and given sight and
faith to see the things of God these are the true seed of Abraham
and these are the ones that Galatians says are the heirs according
to the promise in chapter 3 and verse 29 if ye be Christ's then
are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise inheritors
according to the promise so here was Jesus saying those who keep
his saying will not see death that's in verse 51 verily verily
I say unto you if a man keep my saying he shall never see
death meaning the second death not the physical death of the
body but eternal death he shall never see death but these Jews
said hold on a minute Abraham is our spiritual hero. Abraham
is our ancestor. He's the one that we come from.
He's the one that we look up to. And he's dead. He's dead. And you're saying anybody that
hears my word shall never see death. What are you saying? What
are you saying? Are you making yourself greater
than Abraham? How can you possibly do that?
Look what they say in verse 52. Then said the Jews unto him,
unto Jesus, Now we know that you have a devil. Now we know
that you're demon-possessed. Abraham is dead, and the prophets. All of these great people from
our religious past are dead, and the prophets. And you say,
if a man keep my saying, he shall never taste death. Are you greater
than our father Abraham, which is dead, and of the prophets?
Who do you make yourself? Who do you make yourself out
to be? you must be demon possessed and he goes on and in verse 56
which is where I want to focus Jesus says to them your father
Abraham rejoiced to see my day your father Abraham greatly desired
to see my day greatly desired and he saw it and was glad he
looked forward with great longing it wasn't just something that
he thought of fleetingly from time to time, like, oh it'll
be Christmas in seven months time and just think of the presents
I can get then and then you don't think about it again for months
and months. It was his constant thought, he rejoiced, he greatly
desired, he longed for it every day. Do you know like if there's
a dear one who's gone away, and they're coming back in three
months time and it's a long period of separation if you're truly
in love there isn't a day goes by when you're not longing for
that person to come and this is what that word means he rejoiced
he was greatly desirous to see the day of Christ and Jesus says
and he saw it and was glad he saw it he longed for it he pinned
all of his hope for eternity on it he saw it he really did
and was glad And so what I want to do with the rest of the time
that we've got available is to ask the question what did Abraham
see and why did it gladden him? Now I've no doubt that many can
find a lot more things than five but I've picked out five things
for our contemplation this morning. What did Abraham see? Jesus said
he saw things, he saw things relating to the day of Christ.
and it gladdened him. It rejoiced his heart. He was
extremely desirous to see these things. What were they? Well,
first of all, he saw the promise of a people saved. Abraham lived
in a material, idolatrous world. We know his family, the rest
of the scriptures tell us in other places that Abraham's family
was a family of idolaters. His father and his uncles, they
were idolaters. And he lived in that material world of idolatry. A world of fallen sinners without
thought for the true God and the way of salvation that God
had revealed. There was no thought of the way
of salvation that God had revealed to Abel. There was nothing other
than the religion of Cain and the religion of Babel and all
of those things. And he lived in that material,
idolatrous world of fallen sinners. But in it, God, in sovereign
grace, came to Abraham and spoke to him about eternity. He spoke
to him about judgment. He spoke to him about holiness
and his sinnerhood. He spoke to him about salvation. surely he caused Abraham to think
as Job had thought how can a man be just with God if God is holy
and I am sinful how can a man be just with God and God showed
him salvation he showed him salvation outside of family traditions
he showed him salvation in God's choice his sovereign choice and
his ways and he showed him that it wasn't just for Abraham but
a multitude in Abraham You see God previously, Genesis chapter
6, through Noah and the ark, God had shown that he is a judge
who hates sin and must punish sin. And in that world that then
was in the days of Noah, all but eight in the ark, they all
perished. They all perished in that flood
of judgment that God brought upon the earth. but here was
God saying there is salvation there is salvation look at Genesis
chapter 12 where God calls Abraham out in Genesis chapter 12 God
says to Abraham get out of your country from your kindred from
your father's house to a land that I will show you and I will
make you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name
great and you shall be a blessing and verse 3 and I will bless
them that bless thee and curse them that curse thee and in thee
shall all families of the earth be blessed in thee Abraham all
families of the earth shall be blessed God promised not only
salvation to Abraham but that it would extend to a multitude
a multitude from all nations of the earth Galatians 3.8 says
this and the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen
through faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham saying
in thee shall all nations be blessed the gospel was preached
to Abraham The Gospel that we believe today, that Gospel was
preached to Abraham. That Gospel of substitutionary
atonement, that Gospel of righteousness was preached to Abraham. And
he was given faith to believe it. And what he believed in And
what did he believe in? He believed that one would come
as the substitute for his people. He believed that one would come
to establish justice, and satisfy justice, and establish righteousness,
and do all that was necessary on the behalf of a people, and
those people in him. He would do all of those things,
and that was counted to him. for righteousness. Remember what
I often tell you, it wasn't Abraham's believing that was counted to
him for righteousness, it was what Abraham believed in that
was counted to him for righteousness. It was the faithful work of Christ. That's why that little word of
is so important in the scriptures, the faith of Jesus Christ. It's his faithful work that is
the cause of the righteousness being imputed to his people.
You see, God could have left all in sin and condemnation,
but he promised to Abraham that there would be a multitude who
would be saved, and he revealed this to him, and Abraham saw
it, and he was glad. people are not left to themselves
people are not left to themselves there is salvation and it's for
a multitude not just from one race but from all races and you
won't be able to count them as impossible as it is to count
the stars in the sky and the more we know about the universe
and the deeper we look the more impossible we know it is to count
them so in the same way how impossible it is to count those who are
the objects of God's grace and mercy and salvation in the Lord
Jesus Christ the promise of the people to be saved and then secondly
this is what he saw he rejoiced to see my day says Jesus there
was the promise of an incarnation the promise of God coming in
a body God to become man to save this multitude of sinners God
must become man to save this multitude of sinners A body must
be prepared, says the Psalms, for him, so that there might
be a human substitute to satisfy divine justice. A human substitute
to come in the place of people like you and me, of this multitude
of people, to establish righteousness where they could never establish
that righteousness for themselves. To pay the penalty of sin, to
pay the sin debt where they could not pay it themselves other than
in hell. a body must be prepared and a human substitute must come
and Abraham saw Christ bodily he saw him bodily if you read
Genesis 18 when Abraham is pleading with God for mercy on Lot and
those of his family in Sodom and Gomorrah when he knew that
God was coming to judge them and to punish them and to destroy
them for their sin And Abraham talked audibly with the Word
of God, for in the beginning was the Word. and the word was
made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory
as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth
this word was within in the beginning with God and was God this word
was the was the manifestation of the hidden God that we by
nature cannot see for no man can look upon God and live but
he has declared him the only begotten son in the bosom of
the father he has made him known he was made flesh he came when
the time was right born of a woman, made of a woman, made under the
law but before that in Genesis 18 he came and appeared and talked
audibly with Abraham he revealed the invisible God to Abraham
and he talked with him as a man talks with his friend and so
Abraham was called the friend of God but more than that this
promise of the incarnation of one who would come to save this
multitude was the promise of Isaac The promise of the physical
means by which that Christ would come. Christ must come, but how
would he come? He would come through the loins
as it were of Abraham, through the descent of Abraham. But I
have no son. I have no heir. How is this going
to happen? This was the promise and Abraham
says I have no heir. How is this going to happen?
Believe me. and it will happen said God to him believe me be
patient believe me and Abraham wasn't patient and Abraham put
to work the flesh and his own unbelief and he took at Sarah's
instigation he took Hagar the servant the bond woman and with
her had a child who was Ishmael who was the son of the bondwoman
and in all of that he said there now I have an heir and God said
no no in Isaac in Isaac shall the seed be called it's in Isaac
there's the promise of one coming through your body through your
loins by promise not by works by sovereign grace They were
both well past the age of childbearing. Both of them. Sarah in her 90s. It says in Hebrews 11 verse 12,
I like the way it puts this, that Abraham was as good as dead. He did live quite a bit longer
after that and had more children after Sarah died. But it says
in Hebrews 11 verse 12 that Abraham was as good as dead. And yet,
they had this child of promise. Isaac was born. Hebrews 11, 18.
In whom the seed would be called. The seed. The seed that would
come and save this multitude. It would be called in Isaac.
In this son of promise. In this son of grace. According
to grace. and Galatians 3.16 says this
he doesn't say of seeds you say why do you bother about the version
of scripture that you use why don't you have one of these modern
versions that makes it so much easier to read I'll tell you
why because of things like this the scripture says and of not
of seeds plural as of many but the seed And what is the seed? What's the difference? The seeds
are the people, the multitude, the you and me. But the seed
is Christ. And that's clear, the scripture
says that. That seed was Christ. Galatians 3, 16. It's the seed. From Isaac, from Abraham's descent
through Isaac, would Christ come? Would the one come who would
redeem this multitude? Who would save this multitude?
And the child that would be born to them in their old age, the
child of promise, the child of the free woman, was to be called
Isaac. And why Isaac? the name means
laughter the name means joy the name means gladness because there
Abraham saw my day and he saw it and was glad in the birth
of this son he saw it and was glad many others had looked for
this and didn't see it and down the ages people look for the
coming of this one into a human body into flesh to save this
multitude from their sins Remember the rejoicing of Simeon at the
temple where Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to them
to him in the temple for the rite of circumcision and Simeon
held him in his arms and said now I can die in peace for my
eyes have seen the salvation of the Lord. This was promised.
Abraham saw it. Abraham saw my day, said Jesus,
as he walked this earth, as the people around him scorned him
and said, Abraham is who we really follow. Ah, Abraham rejoiced
to see this day when he was there. He saw it and was glad. Then
thirdly, Abraham saw priestly intercession. Priestly intercession. Do you know that the priests,
the Levitical priests, didn't come for another 400 to 500 years
later, I'm not sure exactly how long, but long before the Levitical
priests that were set aside in the law of Moses in Exodus, long
before them Abraham saw the necessity of a priest, a priest to stand
between a sinner who must be condemned and the God who is
holy. This is Christ. He saw the priesthood
of Christ. He saw one to stand in between. In Genesis chapter 14 We read
all about the battle of the kings when the kings of the plains
came and captured Lot out of Sodom and took him prisoner and
Abraham got his army together and Abraham went out and Abraham
rescued Lot, his brother and therein is such a picture of
Christ coming to rescue his brethren from the captivity that we're
in, the captivity to sin and when he came back from that slaughter
of the kings from that victory in rescuing Lot he met this one
called Melchizedek and it says in verse 18 of Genesis 14 and
Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine and he was
the priest of the Most High God and he blessed him and said blessed
be Abraham Abraham as he was then of the Most High God possessor
of heaven and earth this Melchizedek, who was he? He was priest and
king, king of Salem, king of peace, and he was also the priest
of the Most High God, and he came and blessed Abraham, blessed
be Abraham of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth.
Who was it? I believe, I wouldn't fall out
with you over it, but I believe that this was none other than
the pre-incarnate Lord Jesus Christ because I can't see who
else it could be. In Psalm 110 verse 4, that Psalm
is all about Christ, the Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at
my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool." That's
clearly Christ. This is God the Father speaking
to God the Son. And then in verse 4 he says,
you are a priest. He's sworn and will not relent,
he will not repent, he will not change his mind. He has sworn,
you are a priest. Christ is a priest forever after
the order of Melchizedek. This priesthood that wasn't of
the Levitical law based priesthood. This priesthood which was the
intercession of the sinner's substitute between a sinful person
and a holy God. This is Christ. Look at Hebrews
chapter 7, the passage that Peter read to us earlier. Hebrews chapter
7. This Melchizedek whom he met,
he met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings in
verse 1 and blessed him. and Abraham gave tithes a tenth
part of all to this Melchizedek and so in that sense Levi who
was the descendant of Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek which
is the predominant priesthood is the argument of Hebrews it's
the priesthood of Melchizedek but that's the priesthood of
Christ look to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all first
being by interpretation king of righteousness and after that
Also, King of Salem, which is King of Peace, without father,
without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days
nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God, abideth
a priest continually. As I say, I won't fall out with
you, but who can be like unto the Son of God? than the Son
of God. I believe this is the Lord Jesus
Christ in his priestly ministry coming to Abraham. Abraham saw
my day. Abraham saw that there would
be a king of peace who would also be a priest of the Most
High God to stand and make intercession between God and man. the one
who would come, the holy God who dwells in unapproachable
light whom man cannot look upon and live, you know how the parents
of Samson were absolutely horrified that they were going to die because
they knew whom they had seen they knew they had seen the Lord
but they'd seen Christ the second person of the Trinity and so
it is that Christ the second person of the Trinity comes and
is clothed in human flesh and he laid his glory aside as Philippians
2 tells us that glory which he had with the father from before
the beginning of the time of time to which he prayed in John
17 that he might be restored as was his right and yet he laid
it for a while for a little while made lower than the angels laid
it aside that he might come to be the substitute, the redeemer
of sinners. He came to this earth. He lived
amongst men. He tabernacled amongst men. He
even washed the feet of his disciples to show how that glorious person
was humbled for the sake of redeeming his people. The priesthood of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Abraham saw this and was glad. And what else did he see? You
go on reading in Hebrews chapter 7. and you will come to this
point that he is able, verse 25 of 7 able to save to the uttermost
able to save to the uttermost those who come to God by him
for seeing that he ever liveth Christ ever liveth to make intercession
for them for such an high priest became us who is holy harmless
undefiled separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens
Melchizedek He saw him. He saw the day of Christ and
rejoiced. And then fourthly, how? We've
talked about the fact that there would be a multitude saved. We've
talked about the fact that God needed to become a man in a body
in order to save. We've talked about the fact that
there needs to be a priest between the holiness of God and the sinfulness
of man. But how would he actually come
and redeem? How would God redeem this promised
multitude? Look at Genesis 22. Now, you
know this is a very familiar story, but nevertheless, nevertheless,
if you know anything of the things of Christ, if Christ is precious
to you, when you read accounts like this, it is so ringing with
the truths of eternity and salvation, it must surely thrill your heart
every time you read it. God tempted Abraham God tested
Abraham and said to him Abraham and he said behold here I am
he said take now thy son thine only now it doesn't actually
say son next in the original that's what the word that the
translators put in take now thy son thine only Isaac he had another
son he had Ishmael by the bondwoman he didn't have just one son he
had two sons but now take now thy son the only one that is
called gladness the only one that is called laughter the only
one in whom the promise will be fulfilled take him whom you
love whom you love and get to the land of Moriah and offer
him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which
I will tell you of offer your only Isaac your only Isaac take
him, the one you love the one in whom is the promise take him
that one who is so dear to you that one who is the apple of
your eye, that one who is going to fulfill all those purposes
that I have promised to you in saving a multitude in saving
you yourself and this multitude who will come after you from
all nations take now your son the one you love your only Isaac
and make him a burnt sacrifice a burnt offering on one of the
mountains that I'll show you and so Abraham goes and he did
it and he went fully intending He went believing that Isaac
would be raised from the dead. That he would indeed sacrifice
him, but God would raise him from the dead. It tells us that
in Hebrews 11, 19. He went believing that God would
raise him from the dead. Because why? How else would God
fulfill the promise? To bring the promised seed which
is Christ. Remember, Galatians 3 verse 8,
Abraham had been taught the gospel. God taught him the gospel. Miraculously,
somehow, we don't know how, God taught him the gospel. The gospel
was preached to him. And because of that, Abraham
knew what he says in verse 8. Because Isaac says, Isaac's going
willingly. What a picture of Christ. Isaac's
going willingly with his father. to do the will of his father.
Isaac's going along with him and he says I see the fire and
I see the wood but where is the lamb for a burnt offering and
Abraham said my son God will provide himself a lamb for a
burnt offering. And isn't that the heart of the
Gospel? God will provide himself an offering. He knew, Abraham
knew that God would provide himself a sacrifice to pay his people's
sin debt. To pay the sin debt of this multitude
of people. And so it was. He went and did
everything. Can you imagine? I'm sure that
at this time, I'm sure that Isaac was a strapping lad, as they
would say. He'd be a strong guy. And Abraham
was an old man, over a hundred years old. And if it came to
an arm wrestle, I'm sure I know who would have won. Isaac would
have won easily. And yet he allowed him to bind
him. and to put him on the altar and to lay him on that altar
and to raise that knife to sacrifice his only Isaac this one and God
of course stopped him, the voice came and there was the ram caught
in a thicket beside them for God did provide himself a symbol
of the sacrifice that he would provide for himself a symbol
of it because that could never take away sins but only Christ
the true one could take away sins and can you imagine the
rejoicing as they came down that mountain and as they came back
to the servants that were waiting for them can you imagine the
rejoicing of those two Abraham and Isaac he's only Isaac at
what they'd seen and what they'd experienced can you imagine the
rejoicing that they'd seen the day of Christ there so vividly
portrayed before them they'd seen that they'd seen it Can
you imagine how they must have rejoiced at that and been gladdened
by it? Because there they'd seen not
only in symbol the death of Isaac but also the resurrection of
Isaac because he came back, he did, came back from as good as
dead. He came back from the dead and so it is. that the salvation
of his people, the salvation of this multitude that Abraham
was promised, that Abraham saw, was in the death and the resurrection
of the sacrifice that God would provide for himself. For Christ
was delivered up for our transgressions, for the transgressions of his
people, but he was raised for the justification of those people.
raised because it was symbolical of the fact that God had accepted
the sacrifice that the debt was paid and he raised him to newness
of life and there it was death and resurrection Abraham saw
it Abraham rejoiced in it Abraham expected looking forward he built
all his hope upon this knowledge And then fifthly, fifthly, Abraham
saw my day, Abraham rejoiced, Abraham greatly desired to see
my day, and he saw it, and was glad. Fifthly, he saw a hope
of freedom in this one, in the Lord Jesus Christ. This was,
as I said, some 400 to 500 years before the law was given through
Moses. It says in Galatians 3, 17, 430
years later came the law through Moses. The law that would convict
and condemn everybody. The law that would say there
is none righteous no not one the law that would say and so
every mouth is stopped and all the world is become guilty before
God that law that would rightly and justly condemn for God is
holy and cannot look upon sin and is of purer eyes than to
behold iniquity that law would convict and would condemn all
that law and Galatians 4 look over there with me just now Galatians
chapter 4 casts some light upon this that law that would come 400
to 500 years after the time of Abraham how did Abraham see the
freedom that would be in Christ well I believe it's here if you
look at verses 21 to 31 of Galatians 4 tell me you who desire to be
under the law don't we live in a day when so many apparently
who believe the gospel are so desirous to be under the law.
Tell me you who desire to be under the law, don't you hear
it? Can't you hear what it's saying?
Do you think you honestly keep it by your little petty rules
and regulations? Do you not hear what it really
demands? You cannot keep it. And then
he goes on to use the picture. of Hagar and Sarah and Ishmael
and Isaac it is written that Abraham had two sons the one
by a bondmaid the other by a free woman but he who was of the bondwoman
was born after the flesh but he of the free woman was by promise
the works of Abraham versus the grace of God which things are
an allegory a picture a picture story for these are the two covenants
the one from Mount Sinai under the law which gendereth to bondage,
which leads to bondage, which is Hagar. For this Hagar is Mount
Sinai in Arabia. By the way, when you notice different
spellings of words, Hagar and A, it's because the one is a
translation from Hebrew and the other from Greek. For this Agar
is Mount Sinai in Arabia, which answereth to Jerusalem, which
now is, and is in bondage with her children, in bondage. But
Jerusalem, which is above, is free, which is the mother of
us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not.
Break forth and cry, thou that travailest not. For the desolate
hath many more children than she which hath a husband. Now
we brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But
as then, he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that
was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless, what
saith the Scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her
son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son
of the free woman. So then, brethren, we are not
children of the bondwoman, but of the free. Stand fast therefore
in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not
entangled again with the yoke of bondage." Is there not here
a promise of freedom? Did Abraham not see, surely he
did, that through this picture of his two sons he could see
the liberty that would be bought by the Lord Jesus Christ for
his people that liberty wherewith Christ has made us free and that
we shouldn't be entangled again with the yoke of bondage that
law came to to make sin clear for what it was that law came
as a schoolmaster to drive his people to Christ but having come
to Christ stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ
hath made us free we're free from the law Romans 8 says this
Romans 8 and verse 2 for the law of the spirit of life in
Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death
and not to be entangled again with bondage it says in verse
fifteen we have not received the spirit of bondage again to
fear but we have received the spirit of adoption whereby we
cry Abba Father for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness
to everyone that believes these things are what Abraham saw these
things. He saw the promise of salvation
for a multitude of people that no man can number but fixed in
the eternal electing purposes of God and brought about by the
sovereign grace of God and brought about by his sovereign electing
grace. And he saw the promise of a Redeemer
who would come that one who was perfect and infinite would become
man to redeem his people. He saw the need for a priest
and a king who would stand between him, the sinner, and the holy
God. He saw how God would redeem. He saw clearly, just as Abel
had seen right from the beginning. He saw how God would redeem his
people through a substitute. And he saw the promise of freedom
in the Lord Jesus Christ, in this one who would come. No wonder
he was glad. No wonder he rejoiced to see
that day. What about you? Are you glad
in these things? Do you rejoice in these things?
Amen.