This is part 18 of a series exploring how the Bible teaches that Jesus was greater than all who came before him.  This series is not intended to be exhaustive.  The topic of Jesus as “greater than” or “better” than those who came before him is inexhaustible.  Libraries could and should be written on this subject.  But we have attempted in these pages to explore what such a rich subject would look like. (Each entry is excerpted from There Is No Greater Love)

Christ Greater than Abraham

Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.  And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing.  I will bless the one blessing you and curse the one cursing you. And in you all the families of the earth will bless themselves” (Gen 12:1-3).

Abraham’s quest was evidence of his faith.  He left his father’s house and all he knew in Ur of the Chaldees to follow after God’s promise of a better country.  The ultimate hope of his pilgrimage, we are told by the author of Hebrews, was to see the heavenly city (Heb 11:8-10), which is the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb 12:22), the city John tells us is the bridal city of the Lamb (Rev 21:2).  Consequently, the large contours of Abraham’s life made of him a new Adam.  He left his father’s house to be joined forever to the community of the bridal city (Gen 2:24).  Abraham’s faith therefore becomes the paradigm for all of his children—all of us who are the heirs of the same promise (Rom 4:16-18).

Most importantly, Abraham’s great faith invites us to consider the even greater faith of Jesus, who is Himself the Seed of Abraham—the One in whom and through whom all the promises to Abraham are to be fulfilled.  Abraham journeyed from his father’s house in Ur of the Chaldees to seek the bridal city.  But Jesus left the glory of heaven and the fellowship of God His Father to journey by means of His incarnation into a far country and seek His bride.  Abraham’s pilgrimage was great.  But the pilgrimage of Jesus was so much greater!  Abraham dwelt in tents as a sojourner. The author of Hebrews identifies this fact as proof that Abraham lived by faith in expectation of a greater inheritance than the earthly city (Heb 11:9). Jesus, though, laid aside the royal robe of His heavenly splendor (John 12:41, cf. Isa 6:1) all in order to be clothed in the tabernacle of flesh with us (John 1:14). He dwelt among us in the expectation of a far greater inheritance—the day when He would tabernacle with His people with a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (2 Cor 4:17).  If Abraham’s demonstration of faith was great, the evidence and the reward of the faith of Jesus is greater still!