Daily Readings - Thu Apr 07 2022
Genesis
3And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,4As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.5Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.6And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.7And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.8And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.9And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
John
51Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.52Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.53Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?54Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:55Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.56Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.57Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?58Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.59Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments of divine revelation. The first reading from Genesis describes the moment when Abram, a man of deep faith, is renamed Abraham by God. This name change signifies a covenant promise: Abraham will be the father of many nations, and God will be his God and the God of his descendants. The covenant is sealed with a promise of land and perpetual relationship, a bond that transcends generations. This moment is not just a personal promise but a universal one, as Abraham’s faith becomes the foundation of a people and a spiritual heritage that endures to this day.
In the Gospel, Jesus engages in a deeply theological conversation with the Jews, asserting that those who keep His word will never see death. This claim shocks His listeners, who question how someone they perceive as a contemporary could make such a statement, especially when their great ancestors like Abraham and the prophets have all died. Jesus responds by revealing His eternal nature, stating that before Abraham was, He is. This statement is a bold declaration of His divinity and His unity with the Father. For Jesus, the covenant with Abraham is not just a historical event but a living reality that finds its ultimate fulfillment in Himself.
These readings invite us to reflect on the nature of covenant and faith. Abraham trusted in God’s promise without fully understanding its scope, and his faith was reckoned as righteousness. Similarly, Jesus calls us to trust in His word, even when it challenges our limited understanding. The covenant with Abraham is not just a historical event but a spiritual reality that continues in us. As followers of Christ, we are called to live as children of the covenant, trusting in God’s promises and living in a way that reflects our identity as His people. Let us, like Abraham, rejoice in the day of the Lord, knowing that we are part of a story much larger than ourselves.