Lesson Three:
Christ foretold as a universal Savior
Scripture: Genesis 12:3
I. A Universal Savior Planned
A. Before the world was (Eph. 1:3-6, 10-12)
B. At the fall (Gen. 3:14-15)
II. A universal savior promised
A. To Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3 Gen. 18:16-18 Gen. 22:15-19)
B. To Isaac (Gen. 26:1-5)
C. To Jacob (Gen. 28:10-15)
III. A Universal savior provided
A. Christ the seed (Gal. 3:16,19)
B. Christ the universal shepherd (John 10:14-16)
IV. The promise to Abraham greater than the law (Gal. 3:15-17)
A. Promise came before the law
B. Promise confirmed by God and in Christ
C. The law could not disannul the promise
Conclusion: Christ was promised as a universal savior. He fulfilled that promise through His universal commission, universal law, and universal church offered to a lost world at Pentecost.
——————–
Lesson Three: Christ Foretold as a Universal Savior
Introduction: Jesus Christ is presented to the world as a universal savior. In the same passage where the premise for this study is taken (Luke 24:44-45) it states that the preaching they were to do would be to “all nations” (Luke 24:47) and that it would begin at Jerusalem. Acts bears the account of the fulfillment of this prophecy and the command attached to it. We will be turning to Genesis 12:3, a statement found in the law, as a starting point for our study.
I. A Universal Savior Planned: Paul tells us in the letter to the church at Ephesus that God planned this savior even before the creation of the world. His coming is announced at the beginning when man first falls and is fulfilled 4000 years later.
II. A Universal Savior Promised: In the writings of Moses we find a promise made to Abraham that through his seed all the nations of the world would be blessed (Genesis 22:15-19). This promise is not only made to Abraham, it is reaffirmed to both Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 26:1-5, Genesis 28:10-15).
III. A Universal Savior Provided: The blessing to be provided to the nations of the earth through the seed of Abraham were not physical blessings but rather spiritual blessings and were provided through Christ (Galatians 3:16,19). Within the New Testament we find that this universal blessing was a universal savior (John 10:14-16).
IV. The Promise to Abraham Greater Than The Law: In the third chapter of Galatians Paul gives three reasons why the promise to Abraham concerning the blessing of the world through his seed was greater than the law. These reasons are (1) the promise came before the law, (2) the promise was confirmed by God, and (3) the law could not disannul the promise. The promise of Christ, the universal savior, was truly greater than the law.
Conclusion: In this study we find that Christ was promised as a universal savior. He fulfilled that promise through a universal commission, universal law, and universal church offered to a lost world at Pentecost.
Thought Questions:
1. When was the universal commission actually given?
2. At what point did Christ actually become the universal savior?
Lesson Four:
The Lineage and Lordship of Christ
Scripture: Genesis 49:8-12
I. Christ was to be from:
A. Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3)
B. Isaac (Gen. 26:1-5)
C. Jacob (Gen. 28:10-15)
II. Christ was to be from Judah
(Gen. 49:8-12)
III. Christ was to be from Jesse
(Is. 11:1-4)
IV. Christ was to be from David
(Ps. 132:11-18 II Sam. 7:12-17 Heb. 1:5)
V. Characteristics of Christ (Gen. 49:8-12)
A. A man of universal authority
(Gen. 49:8 Dan. 7:13-14 Matt. 28:18)
B. A man of strength
(Gen. 49:9 Rev. 5:5)
C. A lawgiver
(Gen. 49:10 Heb. 9:15-17 Heb. 10:9)
D. A gatherer of the people
(Gen. 49:10 Is. 11:10-12 Matt. 21:9)
Conclusion: We have seen in this lesson the development of the lineage of Christ. His lineage was used to show his authenticity (Matt. 1 and Luke 3) as the promised one. We will take a closer look at the lineage of Christ in our second series of lessons.
——————–
Lesson Four: The Lineage and Lordship of Christ
Introduction: In our previous studies we have found that Christ was in the beginning assisting in the creation of the world. We saw the promise of a redeemer, we saw His universal nature, and now we have begun to see His heritage. This study will take a little deeper look at His lineage and lordship.
I. Christ was to be From: We have previously seen that a promise was made to Abraham that from him a seed would come that would bless all the nations of the earth. This promise was repeated to Isaac and then to Jacob, who later would be renamed Israel. It was from him that the tribes of Israel came forth.
II. Christ was to be from Judah: In Genesis the 49th chapter we find the blessings that Jacob gave to his sons before his death. We will center our study on the blessing of Judah located in Genesis 49:8-12. It is in this text that we find that there is to be a lawgiver to come from Judah. This refers, of course, to Christ.
III. Christ was to be from Jesse: After we find that Jesus is to be of the tribe of Judah, we find another notable character in His lineage, Jesse. (Isaiah 11:1-4)
IV. Christ was to be from David: As we continue on in this cursory view of lineage, we need to introduce David into the lineage of Christ. We do this through Psalm 132:11-18, Hebrews 1:5, and other texts. We will build on this lineage in later studies.
V. Characteristics of Christ: There are found four characteristics of Christ worthy of note in Genesis 49:8-12. They are (1) He was to be a man of universal authority, (2) He was to be a man of strength, (3) He was to be a lawgiver, and (4) He was to gather the people.
Conclusion: We have seen in this lesson the development of the lineage of Christ. This lineage is used in the New Testament to demonstrate conclusively, along with all the other mountains of evidence, that Jesus truly was the Messiah.
Thought Question:
Discuss the role that the four characteristics of Genesis 49:8-12 played in Christ carrying out His mission.