SERMON SUMMARY FOR 4TH SUNDAY IN LENT, 30 March 2025 Anno Domini, the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? 22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Galatians 4:21-23
We constantly hear that the Old Testament was the Book of the Covenant of the Law. In a certain sense, that is true; however, the Old Testament Law simply points to the covenant of Grace begun in the promise of a Savior made to Abraham and consummated in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the pure Gospel of Grace. Having proven that we were unable to abide by the Law of God in perfection, we needed a Savior upon whom our burdens of sin could be borne on the cross and His righteousness imputed to those who are drawn to His Throne of Grace and Mercy.
God ha promised Abraham to be the father of many nations by Sarah his wife. But in old age, being barren, Sarah decided the Lord needed a little help. She therefore offered her servant, Hagar, to Abrahm for the purpose of conceiving a son for Abraham. This was a failure of faith on the part of both Abraham and Sarah that would lead to a great misfortune for the whole human race. Hagar did, indeed, conceive a son – Ishmael, but Ishmael was not the son of the [promise made to Abraham AND Sarah. Later, Sarah did conceive a son, Isaac, in the advance age of ninety years of age. This was the son of promise that came by the way of God’s promise – not that of Sarah’s presumption in Hagar.
Ishmael was the first son of Abraham, but not by means of the legitimacy of the promise made through Sarah. Ishmael persecuted Sarah’s son, Isaac which resulted in the exile of Hagar and her son conceived in law, but not in accordance with the promise made to Abraham. But in the only promised son of Abraham we can see the shadow of that Covenant of Grace fulfilled in Christ. Hagar represents the Covenant of Law, and Isaac that of Grace. So we find both covenants in the Old Testament. “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.”
I hope that the reader can see how , by faith in Him, the Son of Promise in Christ is the means by which we, too, are the true children of Abraham – not by way of the flesh, but by faith in that Promise fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ.
We find evidence of that faith in today’s Gospel text: “JESUS went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him” Herein we find the seeds of faith, but misguided as it was. The people followed Christ “because of His miracles’ and not out of faith in His true nature. It may be true that some realized a growing faith in the real Christ of the Feast, but most were seeking a king who would free Israel from the Roman yoke. Many are seeking signs and wonders, but signs and wonders do not save the sinners soul. They saw His former miracles and , now, this miracle of feeding the five thousand with just “five barley loaves, and two small fishes.” Signs and wonders may attract curiosity, but is by no means the end of faith in Christ. “15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.” It is His sinless life, His death and resurrection that are sufficient for saving faith – and that is a gift of God’s grace.
It is the sinner whom comes to himself as did the prodigal son of the pigsty, when the Holy Spirit awakens him to his misery and separation from His Father, and makes Him alive in Christ. Our misguided faith is just as bad as no faith art all; but true faith is Christ as Lord and Savior of those who are worthy of death but made alive in Him is the peak of faith.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
