And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, "By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."
-- Genesis 22:15-18, ESV
You may think it peculiar to tell the story of Abraham and Isaac at Easter. But though it is from the Old Testament, it has all the contents necessary to highlight this holy day in the New Testament church. There is a faithful father and an only son. There is the specter of death and the belief in resurrection. There is a substitutionary sacrifice. There is a Gospel promise for all the people of the earth. Surely this is the oldest Easter story ever told.
Abraham may not be the oldest man in the world, but he may be the most foundational. The three great religions of the world -- Judaism, Islam, and Christianity -- all trace their roots back to him. All that happened in Genesis before Abraham is prelude, and all that unfolds after Abraham is the keeping of a promise God made to this old, foundational man.
Abraham was saved by grace through faith in God, just like every other saved person in the history of the world. But everyone else in the world who is saved, is saved because of the covenant promise God made to Abraham, "In your offspring shall all of the nations of the earth be blessed."
Obviously, God never intended for Abraham to kill Isaac. "God tested Abraham." This was a test, this was only a test, had this been an actual order to kill, Isaac would have died on the spot. But God would not have done such a thing, not then, and in a great theological irony, "the angel of the Lord" was present to make sure Isaac was not touched.
Abraham represents God the Father, but moreover a true believer in God and a faithful follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. He believes what God wants him to believe, he repents when God tells him to repent, he obeys even the hard commandments of God, and he worships the Lord, regularly and wholeheartedly. These things separate true Christians from the Christmas and Easter kind.
Isaac represents God the Son, but also all children born to covenant, believing parents. He obeys his parents, as his parents obey the Lord. The son is watching his father, intently, to see if his father's faith is hypocrisy or sincerity. The son learns a lesson from his father, and his Heavenly Father, that he will never, never forget.
God is the two other characters in this story. He is "the angel of the Lord" and "a ram, caught in the thicket by his horns" Surely you know who these characters represent, one person, for this is a Jesus story.
The beautiful story of Jesus now unfolds. A father sacrifices his only son, knowing the son will somehow be alive when the sacrifice is over. The son has to bear on his back the wood for the sacrifice. The sacrifice takes three days to accomplish. It is accomplished in a place that will one day be called Jerusalem. The sacrifice turns out to be a substitute. After the son is laid down onto the wood for sacrifice, he rises alive and well. His life gives Gospel hope to the world, for it is written, "in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Jesus, of course, is the descendant of Abraham and Issac, the promised Messiah, the Savior of the world.
For Abraham so loved the Lord, that he gave his only son, Issac, believing that he would not truly die, but somehow have life. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (ref. John 3:16). There you have it, the oldest Easter story ever told!
Chuck DeVane is the pastor of Lake Hamilton Baptist Church. Call him at 501-525-8339 or email [email protected].