It is easy to get caught up with specific tasks and miss the bigger picture of what is happening around us. We can get caught up with the details of our lives and miss what God is doing around us. During our Finding Jesus in Genesis Lenten series, we will be looking at six people’s lives that reflect the bigger picture of God’s plan for us in Jesus. These six pillars of our Christian history were ordinary people living ordinary lives, unaware that they were part of a much bigger plan of God.
As we reflect on their lives during these six Wednesdays of Lent, you will find that as their lives point forward to the cross, the cross points forward to you.
Let me introduce you to the six types of Christ that we will be looking at through these weeks of Lent. Each of them has a parallel that comes from Hebrews 11:
Abel was murdered by his brother Cain for being righteous. Abel’s blood spoke of the need for justice and forgiveness that we cannot find in ourselves. Jesus’ blood is that which gives us the grace that we do not deserve and removes the punishment that we so rightly deserve. Hebrews 11:4, “By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.”
Noah carried men in his saving boat when God’s judgment came in the flood on all mankind. Genesis says, “The earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence.” Perhaps it feels like we are living in a time like that now. Hebrews 11:7, “By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family.” In faith, we can find our hope in what Jesus has done even when we are also corrupt in God’s sight.
Abraham was a type of Christ because Jesus is the descendant of Abraham who will bless the world. Genesis 12:3 says, “In [Abraham] all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Hebrews 11 says, “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.”
Isaac was the child of promise, the only beloved of His Father, who was going to be offered as a sacrifice, but God himself provided the offering for the sacrifice on the mountain called, Moriah, which means “The Lord will provide.” Hebrews 11 says, “By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, ‘It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned’ Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.”
Jacob labored faithfully as a humble servant for his bride, as Jesus did on our behalf. Jacob bore a nation of brothers, not by natural descent, but by faith. Hebrews 11 says, “By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.”
Joseph was sent as a slave to Egypt, he suffered unjustly, was thrown into prison, and then was lifted up to save his brothers. Jesus did not receive justice. He was arrested, beaten, and crucified, but he was raised up and saves everyone under his care. Hebrews 11 says, “By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.”
Reflecting with you,
Pastor Kevin Olson