JesusWalk Bible Study Forum: Q4. God Offers His Only Son, Jesus - JesusWalk Bible Study Forum

Q4. How does Abraham's near sacrifice of his beloved, only son Isaac help you understand better Jesus' crucifixion?

Abraham's near sacrifice of his beloved, only son Isaac helps me understand better Jesus' crucifixion in that it shows ultimate devotion and obedience to God. Abraham loved God more than any earthly stronghold, including his promised heir Isaac. God loved us so much that He sent His son Jesus to die for us to break our earthly strongholds.

God knew, when He asked Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son, the only son, that He would be doing that very thing because of His love for mankind. If mankind is to enter into the heart of God, we too must be willing to make sacrifice - whatever it takes to complete God's calling on our lives. We are to take up our cross and follow Jesus. King David would not make a sacrifice that had cost him nothing, even though the necessaries were offered to him. This would in no way give honour to His Name. Our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving must also be made of our substance. Words are only part of it. Our life is the other part of honouring Jesus and His Father.

Anyway, since God is the creator of all things, and makes everything work together for good to those who love Him, is not everything much better in His hands? As God put Abraham through this tough scenario so that we, later on, might understand God's gift of His Son, so must we not also be willing to let God achieve His purposes in our lives? There is great peace in this.

Q4. How does Abraham's near sacrifice of his beloved, only son Isaac help you understand better Jesus' crucifixion?


The underlying principle in this episode is the love for God. Unless you love someone, you are not willing to sacrifice something for them. God loved us so much that He gave us His only son as a sacrifice for us. Abraham's love and obedience unto the Lord helps us understand this scene better. Through Abraham's love for God, we also come to the faith that Abraham had in God. He positively knew that God would surely provide the sacrificial lamb. That's why he tells his servants WE will go there to worship and WE will come back. What positive frame of mind!!! God's plan for salvation is embedded in Jehova Jireh. What a great plan !!!

Q4. How does Abraham's near sacrifice of his beloved, only son Isaac help you understand better Jesus' crucifixion?

I can only imagine what Abraham felt. I cannot as a man say that my faith is as strong as Abraham’s was then. He believed that God would provide the sacrificial lamb as noted in Genesis 22:1-14.

A few things stand out for me that testify of Abraham’s faith. One, He knew what was to happen at the onset of the journey. Two, Abraham obeyed and went early the next day. Three, Abraham journeyed for three days with a small group and his son. Four, when Abraham saw his destination he told his companions to wait and that both he and his son would return to them. Five, Abraham took what he would need for the sacrifice and even told his son Isaac that the Lord would provide the needed lamb. Six, when they arrived at their destination Abraham tied up his son and prepared to slay him with a knife. We know what happened next.

If you look at the six facts I have listed above you can see God’s hand in all of it. Beyond the agony suffered during the trip, do any of you know a child that would allow someone to tie them up and place them on an altar without question? Do any of you know of a father who could do this? If you have children, think about that for a minute. It is more than I can bear to think of.

That was the test Abraham faced, to place all below his love for God. He could because his faith gave him the reality that God would provide the needed lamb and his son would be spared.

In Hebrews 11:17-19 we have this report:

By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

All of this points to God and His willingness to give His own son as a sacrifice for our sins. I can only look to what God did and marvel at His love for me and all like me and you. Can you imagine God’s pain as He watched all that was done to His son here? Can you imagine a love that would allow that to happen to their son? It is unfathomable.

Pastor Ralph, on Oct 21 2004, 07:30 PM, said:

Through understanding that the Old Testiment is a "Type" of the New Testiment.

Pastor Ralph, on Oct 21 2004, 07:30 PM, said:

How does Abraham's near sacrifice of his beloved, only son Isaac help you understand better Jesus' crucifixion?
It helps us understand by teaching us the many lessons of faith, obedience, and the sacrifices of giving all of one's self in and because of love.

God calls us to give everything we have to Him -- and we must obey.
it all belongs to Him anyway; what we have is just on loan including our children.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Where God requires of us, he also blesses us.
Psalms 1:1-3 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.[/I

When we trust him, God will provide for every need we have. He is "The Lord by God.
[I]Matthew 6:25-34" Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? ...

God's love for us is so great, that he would sacrifice his only Son for our sins.
John 3:16:1"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

God wants us to trust Him with our most precious things
this to me is family and friends. And even the unsaved. It is about trusting Him to do what He said He would do and has always done… died for the worlds sins.
1 John 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Q4. How does Abraham's near sacrifice of his beloved, only son Isaac help you understand better Jesus' crucifixion?

How can a parent kill his/her only son? I cannot imagine the horror of feeling you must do such a thing. And yet, Abraham, believing that if necessary God could resurrect his son, would to this in obedience to God's command!
This incident was a pre-figuring of the sacrifice of our Lord, God's only beloved Son, for our sins! If this would be abhorrent to a parent to do, how much worse for our Lord God to send His Son to earth to die for us--sinful creatures that we are! Yet He did this because this is the only way we could possibly be saved! That shows how much He loves us. Incredible! But a deed for which I am eternally grateful! Thank you Lord Jesus for being willing to do this for me--and all of your wayward children!

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4a.) "CCS" had a great response. I am in a study of the book of Romans, and I have to share that this study has been a nice compliment to this study, since Abraham's faith is used as an example for the believers. Abraham shows complete and total faith in the promise of God by being willing to sacrifice his most precious son in total obedience. Lord Jesus, also showed complete obedience to His Father even during His time of deep emotional sorrow in Gethsemane before His arrest. Yet, the Father was willing to sacrifice His most precious Son for us. "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) Our God expresses his love for us, through the only way He can love: by "agape"- defined as "the deep constant 'love' and interest of a perfect Being towards entirely unworthy objects. Vine's Expository Dictionary

What great love is this that He was willing to take my place on the cross, suffer and die and rise again from the grave. There is no love in this world that can compare to that love. What a great GOD we have!

Those of us who have children can imagine the pain and heartache Abraham felt when called upon to sacrifice his son Isaac—yet Abraham saw beyond his temporal existence, and put God first.

However God offered an even greater sacrifice in Jesus. While Abraham offered Isaac as sacrifice to his God—God offered his son in sacrifice to sinners. A son who was without sin, without guilt, who suffered and died that we might be set free from the bonds of sin and be given eternal life. “For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2Co 5:21)

While I struggle to comprehend Abraham’s obedience to put his faith before his fleshly desires—I’m amazed at a God who would sacrifice his son for me. For what am I—but an undeserving wretch.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me. Praise God.

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4.) How does Abraham's near sacrifice of his beloved, only son Isaac help you understand better Jesus' crucifixion?

Personally I find great difficulty in comprehending how anyone can sacrifice their own flesh and blood in any cause.

I find it even more difficult to get my head around Jesus' sacrifice for me, but I rejoice that He did so, even though in my own unworthiness I don't 'deserve' it.

In all Christian Love JohnK-Cov

The near sacrifice of Abraham's son is a SHADOW of that which was to come.
As Abraham gave his best, God could do no less than offering His BEST, the
Lord Jesus Christ. Abraham knew that in Isaac nations would be blest, so
also in Jesus the whole world would be blessed . As the offering up of Isaac
pleased God as He seen Abraham's obedience, so also the offering of Jesus
Christ FULLY satisfied God the Father, in that it was full compensation for the
souls of men and women.

God used this incident on Mount Moriah to instruct the nation Israel. This event in the life of Abraham gave a much deeper understanding of the significance of sacrifice. They should perceive that sacrifice was substitutionary. But they should also perceive that ultimately a Son, an only Son, must come to pay the price for sin, which no animal can possibly do.

It is significant to me that God did not require Abraham to do anything that He Himself would not do. Abraham’s willingness to give up his only son humanly illustrated the love of God for man, which caused Him to give His only begotten Son. The agony of heart experienced by Abraham reflected the heart of the Father at the suffering of His Son. When I apply this to my life, I can see the importance of His command to us (Romans 12:1-3) to present our living bodies a living and holy sacrifice. In light of this illustration and of God’s sacrifice for us, it is our logical and rational act of worship.

The faith and obedience shown by Abraham and Issac has profound benefit to me in my growth toward more Godly thinking. In attitude Isaac had already been sacrificed, so the act was unnecessary. We have no doubt in our mind that had God not intervened, Isaac would have been sacrificed. This faith and obedience of Abraham and Isaac is a beautiful foreshadow of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. Abraham represents God the Father, Who, out of love for mankind, gave His only Son as a sacrifice for sinners. Isaac is a type of Christ, who submits to the will of His Father. This illustration helps me understand the submission of Christ and so, too, should I submit.

Even beyond all this, Isaac was “sacrificed” at the place where our Lord would give His life centuries later, on Mount Moriah outside Jerusalem. We know from II Chronicles 3:1 that this was the place where the Lord appeared to David and where Solomon built the temple. And so it was that Abraham took his son to a mount near Jerusalem to offer his son, even the same place (or nearly so) where our Lord was to die in years to come. What a beautiful illustration of the infinite wisdom of God and of the inspiration of God’s holy Scriptures.

Good answers everyone.
I want to apologize for bringing up that sad topic in my previous post on this question.

This post has been edited by princesskitty: 06 December 2004 - 06:40 PM

It took 40 years for God to bring Abraham to this place. Abraham now knew God's voice and his friendship with God was more important than his love for his long awaited and beloved son. It was an act of immediate obedience in that Abraham rose early in the morning so he must have had some time to anguish during the night at what he was being asked to do. In the same way Jesus was obedient to the cross knowing that this time the hand that slays would not be stayed but He would go through this to the end. His anguish was to the point of sweating blood. In the case of Abraham and Isaac God provided a ram and in the case of Jesus He provided for us eternal salvation by paying our sin price for us. None of deserve it but we have it because God sent His one and only begotten Son to redeem us.
God Bless you all!!
Jen
Numbers6:24-26

That He loved me enough to give His Son to such a cruel death is almost unimaginable( too hard to believe). And to think that He did it just for me!!! What a sacrifice!!!! I love Him more than words can say.

Abraham loved his son Isaac,yet he was willing to sacrifice Isaac because he loved God more and his faith in God was strong. He trusted in God's promise that Isaac would be his only heir and eventho he was asked to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice, Abraham felt confident that both he and Isaac would return from Mt. Moriah. Even so, it must have grieved Abraham to have to offer up Isaac as a burnt offering to God, even if he did have faith in God's promises.
God also loved His Son Jesus,but He also loved mankind enough that He was willing to sacrifice His Son Jesus upon the cross that we might be saved from our sins and eternal punishment in hell. Eventho God knew that Jesus would be resurrected from the dead, it still must have grieved Him to have to sacrifice His only Son because of the sins of mankind.

Pastor Ralph, on Oct 21 2004, 09:30 PM, said:

Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son for God to show him his obedience and faith. God sacrificed his only son in order that we could have everlasting life and to bring Satan to ruin.

We can identify more with Abraham's love for his son being human as he is and having children as he did. and that's a lot of love. However, where God is concerned, as His ways are higher than ours, His love is deeper than ours at an incomprehensible level. Jesus was the lamb caught in the thickets provided for by God on our behalf. We did nothing. The act was a free gift of love to anyone willing to accept it.