From God's Covenant with Abraham to its Fulfillment in Jesus Christ
March 21, 2024 - Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Genesis 17:3-9; Psalm 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9; John 8:51-59
In the first reading, God establishes a covenant with Abraham that includes a promise to make him the father of many nations and to give the land of Canaan to his descendants. Psalm 105, which follows the first reading, meditates on the history of Israel from Abraham to the entry into the Promised Land (Psalm 105:26-45). In the eyes of the psalmist, the Lord fulfills His promises. Abraham's descendants become God's people, and the Lord, in remembrance of the sacred promise to the great patriarch of Israel, leads them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land (see Psalm 105:42).
However, the covenant with Abraham is part of God's salvation plan that embraces all nations. The promise given to Abraham takes on a deeper meaning in the New Testament. In today's Gospel, Jesus says, "Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad" (John 8:56). The interpretation of this passage centers on the faith of Abraham. It was through faith that he "saw" the fulfillment of all God's promises in his heir, Jesus Christ.
The Judeans respond to Jesus' statement with ridicule: “You are not yet fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham?” In response, Jesus declares a statement that reveals His divine status: “Before Abraham existed, I AM.” The “I AM” is the name of God revealed to Moses and the people of Israel in the book of Exodus. The proclamation of the Gospel is mind-boggling. The Word of God that existed from eternity was born of a virgin. Jesus Christ is the living temple that replaces all temples made of stones and the image of the invisible God.
In the Orthodox Bible Study, the commentary on Genesis 17:1 - "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram" - states: "This appearance is another of the personal appearances of the Son of God to Abraham." In this interpretation, the eternal Son of God saw Abraham, and the patriarch had a vision of the Son of God. Moreover, the Fathers of the Church interpreted this everlasting covenant as being established in Christ, referring to the famous statement of Saint Paul in the letter to the Galatians that "the offspring was Christ." This covenant with Abraham preceded the one established “430 years afterwards” on Mount Sinai in the time of Moses (see Galatians 3:16-17), and the numerous descendants of Abraham are now those who believe in Jesus Christ, and the promised land is a new heaven and earth and the heavenly Jerusalem (see Revelation 21-22).
The journey from God's covenant with Abraham in the Old Testament to the revelation of Jesus Christ in the New Testament reveals a continuity in God's plan of salvation, and the promise made to Abraham finds its ultimate fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. Through Christ, the covenant reaches its pinnacle, inviting all nations to become heirs of the promises and inhabitants of the heavenly Promised Land.