07. The Gospel Announced Beforehand

Today we’re digging into the truth that the gospel was preached to Abraham beforehand.



That’s right.



The gospel was announced thousands of years before Jesus came to earth.



This isn’t man’s interpretation, but the Spirit-given revelation of the Apostle Paul.

 
Abraham was originally named Abram.



Abram means “exalted father.”



Right before God changed his name to Abraham, the LORD spoke these words:



“Behold, I make my covenant with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.” (Gen. 17:4)



Abraham means “father of many nations.”

Abraham is chosen by God — and the promises were spoken to Abraham and his Seed, who is Christ. (Gal. 3:16)



“In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen. 22:18)

In the unfolding of the story, we find Abraham’s wife, Sarah, was barren. By his wife’s suggestion, Abraham has a son according to the flesh with Hagar, the handmaid of his wife Sarah.



But God promised the child he spoke of would not come only through Abraham, but through Sarah. (Gen. 17:19, 18:10)



At the appointed time, when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah 90, their son Isaac was born miraculously according to the promise, not by mere human effort.



Many years later, Abraham is asked to sacrifice Isaac.



This story, found in Genesis 22, is the first time the Bible mentions the word “love.”

God said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love... and offer him…”



In the story of sacrificing the loved son, God provides yet another foreshadow of Christ.



In Isaac’s case, he was spared from death.



The author of Hebrews even says that, in a figurative sense, Isaac was brought back from the dead. (Heb. 11:19)



The moment when Abraham drew the knife to slay his son, the angel of the LORD called him to stop and confirmed he had passed God’s test.



God provided a sacrifice on the mountain — a ram, caught by its horns in the thicket.



Here we learn the phrase, “On the mount of the LORD it will be provided.”



“The LORD will provide” becomes an essential understanding of the rescue story.



The story was never intended to be “man will make it work,” but always “God will provide.”

Thankfully, Isaac was spared, but if we look forward thousands of years from that day, we see another beloved Son who was not.



Scripture says,



“He did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all…” (Rom. 8:32)



Isaac grows, marries Rebekah, and finds she is barren.



After 20 years of childlessness, Isaac’s many pleadings with God are answered, and the LORD opens her womb to birth twins: Jacob and Esau.



Jacob, the younger twin, is chosen by God before leaving the womb, not based on effort or merit.



The promised Seed, who is Christ our Lord and Savior, comes through the physical lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.



Jesus, whose name means “The LORD saves,” comes through Abraham (the father of many nations). Through Jesus' sacrificial death and resurrection, he makes the way to bring all people back from exile to the Heavenly Father — the true Father of all.



The blessing and promise of Abraham is Christ.



Jesus says, “Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” (Jn. 8:56)



Paul tells us, “For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding ‘Yes!’…” (2 Cor. 1:20)



And again,



“God made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his kind intention which he purposed in Christ… the summing up of all things in Christ…” (Eph. 1:9–10)



And the good news for those who believe is,



“If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:29)



As we continue to unpack the unified story of Scripture, we pray it becomes even more clear that Christ is:

• The plan and will of God revealed
• The Beginning and the End
• The one who holds all things together
• The fulfillment and full meaning of the Law and Prophets
• Not an addition to the story, he’s the point



“God has hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ.” (Col. 2:3)



Today, we will close with the introductory words of the Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Romans.

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God — the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son…” (Rom. 1:1–3)