0:00

Let us pray. Abraham

0:02

believed in God, and it was counted

0:05

to him as righteousness.

0:07

Romans four three.

0:10

Dear Lord, we understand

0:12

that no righteous deeds or

0:14

religious ceremonies could ever replace

0:17

pure faith in You. Trust

0:20

in your promises and redemption are

0:22

what save us, not works.

0:25

Keep us humble, and ground

0:27

it in that knowledge, so we would

0:30

not become boastful or arrogant.

0:33

Just as Abraham believed in You and

0:35

it was accounted to him as righteousness,

0:37

we declare belief in the

0:39

work of Christ. May

0:42

that faith transform us, empower

0:45

us to live righteous lives and

0:47

glorify You daily. In

0:49

Jesus's name. Amen, Thank

0:54

you for praying with me today. Stay

0:56

tuned now for another episode of Stories

0:59

of the Messiah with Rabbi Schneider.

1:09

Abram's head leaned against

1:11

the stone, and slowly he

1:13

drifted away to sleep. He

1:16

closed his eyes and then opened

1:18

them to see a terrible vision.

1:21

He sprang up and looked around him.

1:23

He saw hundreds of thousands of people

1:26

with scars on their backs, dragging

1:28

stones through the sand and mud. The

1:31

voice of God spoke to Abram, saying,

1:35

know this, your

1:37

offspring will be strangers in the land

1:39

that is not theirs. There

1:41

will be slaves there and afflicted

1:44

for four hundred years.

1:46

Abram looked at the people.

1:47

They were his descendants, a vast

1:50

sea of faces, all somehow

1:52

from him. Their image faded,

1:54

and Abram was shown a mighty torrent

1:57

of water thrashing against an

1:59

army, and his descendants running

2:01

towards safety.

2:02

I will bring judgment on their

2:05

oppressors, and once I have freed

2:07

them, they will have a great

2:10

reward.

2:11

Abram looked around him as millions flooded

2:13

the valley he called home. They

2:16

outnumbered the stars. Then

2:19

he saw nothing. It was just him,

2:21

and the Lord God spoke

2:23

tenderly.

2:24

To him, saying, ask

2:26

for you, Abrahm, you

2:28

will have peace.

2:33

Welcome to another episode of the Stories of

2:35

the Messiah podcast. I'm your host,

2:38

Rabbi Kirchsteider. Were discovering the Jewish

2:40

Jesus. I'm here to guide you through

2:42

the Bible's most iconic stories and

2:44

showcase how they point us toward the

2:47

ultimate Redeemer and King Jesus.

2:49

If this podcast says bless you thus far,

2:52

please take a moment to leave a commoner review.

2:54

Doing so will make sure others discover these

2:57

life changing stories. This

2:59

season of story, the Messiah is called

3:01

Jesus, the Greater. As heroic

3:03

and admirable as Noah, Abraham

3:05

and Moses are, they are mere shadows

3:08

of the true hero who came after them,

3:10

the greater redeemer of the world, savior

3:13

of mankind, and author of faith, King

3:15

Jesus. Today we visit the

3:17

story of Abraham. He is known

3:19

as the Father of faith. God

3:21

made a promise to bless the entire world

3:23

through him. Is Abraham able

3:25

to carry such a burden? We'll find

3:27

out.

3:28

Now.

3:29

Join me now as we immerse ourselves in

3:31

a cinematic retelling of Genesis

3:33

fifteen, where God beckons Abram

3:35

out of his tent to gaze at the stars.

3:38

Within the stars is a promise, the

3:40

promise of a greater hero that will

3:42

come from his lineage. Let's begin.

3:47

Fear not, the voice called out. Abram

3:50

sat up in a sweat. He looked

3:52

around for the source of the voice, but he

3:54

could only see Sarah sleeping beside

3:56

him.

3:57

Fear not, Abram, the voice said again.

4:00

Abram looked forward. A cool

4:02

breeze blew in from the entrance of his tent.

4:05

He stood to his feet and walked outside.

4:09

God was beckoning him, drawing

4:11

him out of slumber and into a vision.

4:14

He heard the voice of God again. This

4:17

time it seemed he was speaking all

4:19

around and within him.

4:21

Fear not, Abram, I

4:23

am your shield and your great reward.

4:26

Abram paused and considered God's

4:28

declaration. As the cool breeze brought

4:30

the scent of falling leaves through the valley,

4:33

his bottom lip quivered slightly, both

4:35

from the cold and from the sadness

4:38

within his heart. He closed

4:40

his eyes and.

4:41

Replied, O, Lord God,

4:43

whatever reward you have for me does not

4:46

matter. If I continue childless, my

4:48

treasure will pass with me and be

4:50

given to.

4:51

My servant, and my name would

4:53

die along with me. Abram's

4:56

doubt was not a denial of God's promise,

4:58

but rather a desire for god promise.

5:01

He wanted it to be true, but the one

5:03

desire of his heart had eluded him.

5:06

God's presence surrounded Abram.

5:08

He was enveloped in the comforting

5:10

embrace.

5:11

Of the Lord Almighty. Oh Abrahm,

5:14

a son from your flesh

5:16

will be given to you.

5:18

God's presence called Abram to walk

5:20

up a small grassy hill, like

5:22

the gentle nudge of a father looka

5:25

and the heavens.

5:26

God whispered.

5:27

Abram turned his gaze towards the heavens.

5:30

Casting his gaze upward, his eyes

5:32

met a cosmic tapestry that stretched

5:35

infinitely beyond his reach, unobstructed

5:38

by clouds. Are earthly illumination, A

5:42

myriad of twinkling stars painted

5:44

the night canvas, each

5:46

a distant sun, a silent

5:49

testament to the vastness of the universe.

5:52

Abram found himself entranced, humbled

5:55

and insignificant. God

5:58

spoke to Abram's heart in this state of awe,

6:00

saying.

6:01

Your descendants without number the stars,

6:04

through you, all the nations

6:07

of the world will be blessed.

6:09

Abram's heart melted.

6:12

As he surveyed the expanse of heaven.

6:15

He realized just how incredible it

6:17

was that the creator of the stars considered

6:20

him, knew him.

6:21

And loved him. Abram

6:24

believed God.

6:26

He had faith that the Lord would follow through

6:28

with his promises. That belief

6:31

that faith is what made Abraham

6:34

righteous. No deed, ceremony,

6:37

or religious gesture would ever replace

6:39

that pure trust in God's

6:41

word. Abram looked up at

6:43

the heavens, tears fogging

6:45

his vision, and whispered to the Lord,

6:48

Oh, shall these things happen? Bring

6:51

me a heathern goat, ram,

6:54

turtle, dove, and pigeon, the

6:56

Lord replied. Abram

6:58

knew exactly what God was requesting.

7:01

In his culture, covenants were made

7:03

through sacrifice. Two people

7:05

making promises would split animals

7:07

in half and walk through the middle to

7:10

seal the covenant with blood. Meant that if one

7:12

were to break that promise, it would mean

7:15

death. God intended

7:17

to make an unbreakable vow with Abram,

7:19

a promise sealed in blood that would

7:22

endure throughout the generations.

7:24

Abram took his eyes off the heavens and

7:26

retreated to his tent. The following

7:29

day, he gathered the necessary animals,

7:32

split them in half, then waited.

7:35

The sun's heavy rays were briefly shaded

7:38

by the wings of vultures flying overhead.

7:41

They descended on the carcasses of the animals,

7:43

but Abraham fought them off, thrashing

7:46

and screaming. He scared them away, then

7:49

sat on a stone and panted. Abram

7:52

was sure God would show up. He

7:54

had heard his voice so clearly. Abram

7:57

leaned back and looked out on the horizon.

8:00

He waited for God's voice to return. He

8:03

waited all day, staring,

8:06

praying, pondering. Faith

8:10

kept him hopeful.

8:11

The day drew on.

8:12

And Abram watched the sun slowly descend

8:15

over the valley. Hues of orange

8:17

and crimson splashed the skies, matching

8:20

the blood soaking the ground near the slain animals.

8:24

Abram's head leaned against the stone,

8:26

and slowly he drifted away to

8:28

sleep. He closed his eyes,

8:31

then opened them to see a terrible

8:33

vision.

8:34

He sprang up and looked around him.

8:37

He saw hundreds of thousands of people

8:39

with scars on their backs, dragging

8:41

stones through sand and mud.

8:44

The voice of God spoke to Abram, saying, know.

8:47

This, your offspring

8:49

will be strangers in a land that is not theirs.

8:53

They will be slaves there in afflicted

8:56

for four hundred years.

8:58

Abram looked at the people. They

9:00

were his descendants, a vast

9:03

sea of faces, all somehow

9:05

from him. Their image faded,

9:07

and Abram was shown a mighty torrent

9:09

of water thrashing against an army, and

9:11

his descendants running towards safety.

9:14

I will bring judgment on their

9:16

oppressors, and once I have freed

9:18

them, they will have a great

9:21

reward.

9:22

Abram looked around as millions

9:25

flooded the valley he called home.

9:28

They outnumbered the stars. Then

9:31

he saw nothing.

9:33

It was just him and the Lord. God

9:36

spoke tenderly to him, saying.

9:38

As for you, Abraham, you

9:41

will have peace.

9:43

Abram opened his eyes to see something miraculous.

9:47

God had passed through the sacrifices

9:49

himself. A

9:52

smoking firepot and a flaming torch

9:54

stood at the other end of them.

9:56

God had made his promise to Abram and his offspring

9:59

with him.

10:01

But what if the blood that's required

10:03

if I break my part of

10:05

the covenant, Abram wondered.

10:09

God was the one to pass through himself.

10:12

That means God would

10:14

be the one to die if Abram and his descendants

10:17

broke their promise. God

10:19

would later rename Abram, making

10:21

him Abraham a father of

10:23

nations. He said that through his

10:26

seed, all the nations would be blessed.

10:28

A son from his lineage would rise to redeem

10:31

and bless the world. Abraham

10:34

eagerly awaited that time. He

10:36

believed in the future redemption. He

10:39

hoped for that future blessing, and

10:42

one day he would meet

10:44

the promised son in eternity.

10:50

What a moving moment between God and Abram.

10:53

Could you feel the intimacy between them.

10:56

Could you sense Abram's doubt melting away

10:58

under the warm embrace of his heavenly father.

11:01

It makes sense that Aburn would be doubtful of

11:03

God's promises. Think about it. He

11:06

was old and had tried to have children for years.

11:09

He feared all his blessings wouldn't be shared

11:11

with his descendants. But God

11:13

comforted Obraam and made a promise

11:15

that his offspring would outnumber the stars

11:17

in the sky. They would multiply

11:20

suffer from slavery, be rescued

11:23

and prosper, and the land promised

11:25

to them, and through them a

11:27

greater hero would come. Abram

11:30

took all this in and had faith

11:32

in God. The faith was accounted

11:34

to him as righteousness. It

11:37

wasn't any good deeds, holy exploits,

11:39

or obedience that made him righteous. It

11:42

was his belief in the promises of God. To

11:44

seal the promises he made to Abram.

11:47

God made a covenant. He had Abram

11:49

prepare sacrifices for them to

11:51

walk through together. These

11:54

types of contracts were weighty back

11:56

then. Whoever broke their

11:58

side of the agreement would be held accountable

12:00

with blood. That is why

12:02

God walked through the sacrifice on his own.

12:05

He was going to bear sole responsibility

12:08

for the promise. If Abram

12:10

or any of his descendants broke the covenant,

12:12

God would pay the penalty, not them.

12:15

He would eventually do that through the sacrifice

12:18

of Jesus. Abram

12:20

was eventually renamed Abraham, and

12:22

God promised that all the nations would

12:24

be blessed one day through his seed. Abraham

12:27

looked forward to that time. He

12:29

hoped in God and believed his promised

12:32

descendant would save the world. He

12:34

knew this prophesied son would be greater

12:37

than him, mightier. The

12:39

Bible is covered in prophecies like

12:41

this, and you can hear me unpack more

12:43

of them at Discovering the Jewish Jesus

12:45

dot com. Now let's fast

12:47

forward to when Abraham's descendants are

12:49

great in number, they have

12:51

an established culture and way of life.

12:54

They look back at Abraham as the ultimate

12:57

example of righteousness, but they

12:59

seemed to have forgotten that someone greater than

13:01

him was supposed to come.

13:05

Shore straight midget, one of the scribes

13:07

shouted from a group of Jewish leaders, you

13:10

are a Samaritan dog.

13:12

Can I possessed? QUI a demon?

13:15

The crowd stirred Uncomfortable

13:17

with the accusation, Jesus remained

13:19

calm under scrutiny.

13:21

His eyes pierced through his accusers.

13:24

He exhaled and shook his head. I

13:26

do not have a demon, he replied, matter

13:28

of factly, I honor my father in all

13:31

things.

13:32

Yet you stand here in dishonor me.

13:34

I won't frettle with this though, for I

13:36

do not seek my own glory. There's

13:38

only one who seeks my glory, and

13:40

he's the ultimate judge between you and

13:43

me. He looked away from the group of accusers,

13:46

turned to the crowd and said, truly,

13:49

truly, I say to you, if

13:51

anyone keeps my words, you will

13:53

never see death. The group of

13:55

scribes and pharisees stirred. Their

13:58

holy veneer was slowly eroding, giving

14:00

way to a more perturbed and petty

14:03

countenance. Now we are sure that you

14:05

have a deem.

14:05

They shouted.

14:07

They began to spit on the floor and mock him.

14:09

Abraham died, as

14:11

did all the prophets. Yet

14:14

you say, whoever keeps your word

14:16

will never taste death. Who

14:19

do you think you are? You think

14:21

you're greater than Abraham? The

14:23

Jews postured to threaten Jesus, but

14:25

he remained unperturbed by their presence.

14:28

Jesus stepped towards them, and they

14:30

took a few paces back as he approached, I

14:33

would tell you again, I do not aim to

14:35

give myself glory. If I

14:37

did, it would mean nothing.

14:39

It is my father who glorifies me, your

14:41

God.

14:42

But you don't know.

14:43

Him, do you.

14:45

I knew him, and your father

14:47

Abraham knew him. He rejoiced

14:49

that one day you would get to see me. He

14:52

had faith in me and was filled with joy.

14:54

Ridiculous, they shouted, You're not even

14:57

fifty years old, yet you claim to

14:59

see Abraham. Jesus's gentle

15:01

countenance shifted slightly.

15:02

At that moment.

15:04

It was as if the air around him became

15:06

thick with glory. Jesus

15:08

spoke, his voice resounding with

15:11

calm authority. I was

15:13

before Abraham, before

15:15

Abraham, was the great I am.

15:19

Those were the words they had been waiting for.

15:22

Jesus had claimed to be God

15:24

himself. With zealous

15:26

rage, the Jews ran to retrieve

15:28

stones. They wanted to end

15:31

Jesus's life. Jealous

15:33

and indignant, they turned

15:35

with rocks to hurl at Jesus, but

15:37

he had vanished he had escaped

15:40

from the temple just in time. One

15:43

day, the Jewish leaders would successfully

15:45

execute Jesus, but they would do

15:47

so on his timing, not theirs.

15:50

He would use death as a tool to fulfill

15:52

the promise made to Abraham long ago.

15:56

He would be the seed that sprung

15:58

up from the line of Abraham to bless

16:01

every nation.

16:04

Abraham did indeed become the father of

16:06

a great nation. God's

16:09

promised to Abram was kept, and

16:11

the children of Israel were preserved through slavery,

16:13

wilderness, war, oppression, and pride.

16:17

Despite themselves, God was faithful

16:19

through them. The great Hero of Heaven came,

16:22

but not everyone recognized him as the Messiah

16:25

right away. Jesus was continually

16:27

challenged about his identity. But

16:29

we know now that he is the

16:31

promised to redeemer, the seed

16:34

from Abraham that would bless every nation. In

16:37

his discourse with the religious leaders,

16:39

he declared, before Abraham was

16:42

I am. What does that mean? That

16:45

means that Jesus pre existed

16:47

Abraham and life itself.

16:50

He was the one that spoke life and light into

16:52

existence. He was the one

16:54

who fashioned man from dust and

16:57

crafted the heavens and earth. God

17:00

himself in this way,

17:02

Jus is more than just a patriarch of

17:04

faith or a member of a great lineage.

17:07

He is God. He is not just

17:09

a man of faith. He is the one who

17:11

we put faith in. Through

17:14

Jesus, the lineage of Abraham was

17:16

extended beyond just a bloodline.

17:18

He unified different nations, cultures,

17:21

and creeds under the banner of faith into

17:23

a nation of faith, the Church. Because

17:27

of all this and more, Jesus

17:29

is greater than Abraham. Be

17:31

sure to join us next time as

17:33

we explore another patriarch in the

17:35

lineage of Abraham. This man

17:37

is not known for his courage or strength. In

17:40

fact, he willingly submitted himself

17:42

to be killed by his own father. Join

17:45

us for the next episode to discover why Jesus

17:48

is the greater Isaac explore

17:51

more about Jesus and the Old Testament at

17:53

discovering the jewishgeis dot com.

17:56

Also consider checking out my

17:58

recent book, Messing Up Prophecy.

18:00

You revealed seeing Messiah in

18:02

the pages of the Hebrew Bible. You can

18:05

get your hands on it via my website. If

18:08

you enjoy today's podcast, leave

18:10

us a review and share it with a friend. We

18:12

want the story of the Bible and the hope of Jesus

18:15

to spread worldwide, to make

18:17

prayer priority and hear more stories

18:19

to inspire hope. Visit pray

18:21

dot com.