All Nations Blessed by Jesus
Old Testament Prophecy fulfilled by Jesus:
The nations of the earth will be blessed.
In Genesis 12, God called Abram to leave Haran and go to a country that He would show Abram.
God’s chosen people would come from Abram (God later changed his name to Abraham). And from Abraham’s descendants (seed), would come Jesus, the Messiah.
Abram did not have children when God told him He would give him a land or make a great nation from him. In those original instructions to Abram, God promised to bless those who blessed Abram, and curse those who cursed him. Then the last part of God’s words to Abram was this promise:
“And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Gen. 12:3
That promise was fulfilled by Jesus, a descendant of Abram/Abraham.
This wasn’t the only time God said these words to Abram. After Abram was willing to sacrifice Isaac on the alter, God repeated the blessing:
“And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” Genesis 22:18.
After the death of Abraham, the promise (covenant) God made to him continued through Abram’s son Isaac.
God appeared to Isaac and reminded him of the promise (covenant) He made with Abraham:
“And I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statues and My laws.” Genesis 26:4-5.
After the death of Isaac, the promise (covenant) God made to him continued through Isaac’s son Jacob.
God appeared to Jacob in a dream and reminded him of the promise (covenant) He made with Abraham:
“And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. Your descendants shall also be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 28:13-14
At the time Jacob had no children.
How do we know God referred to Jesus when He said that all the families of the earth would be blessed through Abraham and his descendants?
First, we see that Jesus is a descendant of Abraham from the genealogy list in Matthew 1:1-17.
Next Peter tells us in Acts 3:25-26. Sometime after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, Peter and John went to the temple. Peter healed a lame man and the crowd was amazed. Peter used this event to teach about Jesus. Peter explained that God knew Jesus must suffer, that they should repent, that Jesus was the fulfillment of all the prophets.
Then Peter said:
“It is you who are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.” Acts 3:25-26.
Paul wrote about Jesus, the promised seed of Abraham.
“Now the promises were spoke to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, And to seeds, as referring to many, but rather to one, And to your seed, that is Christ.” Galatians 3:16.
Just as God promised Abraham, Jesus came from the line of Abraham. And through the sacrifice of Jesus, all the world has been blessed. Jesus welcomes believers from all nations. Just as God promised Abraham.
Carla Killough McClafferty