Puzzle Piece 3: Nation

Abraham birthed a NATION of Israelites

Key Bible Reference: Genesis 12-36

About 400 years after the flood, God made a covenant with Abram, a descendant Noah’s son, Shem.  God promised to give him an earthly inheritance of land, abundant descendants and blessings.  God renamed Abram to Abraham which means “father of many nations”, although he and his barren wife Sarai (Sarah) were still childless.  When Sarah was 90 and Abraham was 100, Sarah gave birth to their only son, Isaac.  Isaac and Rebekah’s son, Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, had 12 sons who became the 12 Tribes of Israel.

JESUS birthed a NATION of Christians

Key Bible Reference: Matthew 4-20; Mark 1-10; Luke 4-18; John 1-11

Jesus, the Christ, is a physical descendant of Abraham’s great-grandson and Jacob’s son, Judah, but He is also the physical representation of God.  Through Jesus, God’s only Son, God made a promise of a heavenly inheritance and blessings to ALL people, not just physical descendants of Abraham.  Citizenship in the nation of Christians is based on spiritual birth through faith (aka born again).  Everyone who accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior is considered born into the family of Christ and therefore, heirs of the promise made to Abraham, as well as heavenly heirs with Christ.  The first Christians were the 12 Disciples who spread the good news that everyone can be blessed because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ.  Today there are more than 2 billion Christians!

Connecting the Old & New Testament

Old TestamentLIFENew Testament
AbrahamWHOJesus
Israelite NationWHATChristian Nation
~1892 BCWHENAD 30
IsraelWHEREIsrael
Physical BirthHOWSpiritual Birth
Love via Earthly HeirsWHYLove via Heavenly Heirs

Galatians 3 (NLT)
26You are all children of God

through faith in Christ Jesus.
28There is no longer Jew or Gentile,
slave or free, male and female.
You are all one in Christ Jesus.
29And now that you belong to Christ,
you are the true children of Abraham.
You are his heirs, and
God’s promise to Abraham
belongs to you.

Believe in Jesus and become a citizen of the heavenly NATION of Christians to receive both the earthly blessings promised to Abraham as well as the heavenly blessings Jesus died to give you!