One Tree Makes All the Difference

Family Origins

Every book is a quotation; and every house is a quotation out of all forests, and mines, and stone quarries; and every man is a quotation from all his ancestors. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Simply put, who you are today relies heavily on who your ancestors were.

Since the coming of the internet, it is easier now to discover who is attached to your family tree.

Almost every time I watch television I view another Ancestry ad telling me learn about my history and know my past relatives. Did you know that you can even order a DNA test from them? Yep, send them some of your saliva and ship it in the mail and Ancestry will tell you where your ethnicity.

Besides the point, if you really want to know your family tree there isn’t any better time in history than now to discover your family’s roots.

But if you’re not interested in spending money or giving away your DNA sample. You don’t have to look hard to find out what you inherited from your family - culture, mannerism, character features - all these are a gift from those who gone before you.

With that thought in mind, we jump into Galatians three where Paul is speaking to the Christians in Galatia. Here in the text there is an internal church division that is occuring. Rival teachers from Jerusalem are proclaiming that the Gentiles (non-Jewish) Christians have to embrace Torah (Laws of Moses) in order to be part of God’s family.

Paul is admittedly against the idea of enforcing the old covenant markers on baptized believers who already have faith in Jesus. So he begins addressing these Gentile Christians as people who have already inherited the blessed gift from God’s family because already received the promised Spirit.

Galatians 3:1–6 ESV

1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

Paul brings up Abraham, why? Well looking at Abraham’s situation in Genesis 15, he and his wife very old and now there are wandering in the wilderness trusting God to take them somewhere. The world suddenly looking bleak and hopeless. Abraham is doubting God earlier promises when God first called him.

Genesis 12:2–3 ESV

2 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. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Yet, God’s word spoke encouragement to him even in times his disbelief.

Genesis 15:4–6 ESV

4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Abraham believed in God’s promise through faith and the Lord confirmed this promise through a covenant. So the Lord made an unbreakable promise to him - inheritance of land & family. Abraham knew on that day his family tree will grow and it will take root in the land that the Lord will give him.

Yet, Abraham’s family will not embrace the gift instantly. The Lord spoke of the day when his descendents will be in captivity for four hundred years in Egypt, but one day God will save them can bring them out with a great possession. That’s the good news of Abraham story.

And yet, Paul goes back who are Abraham's children that will inherit his blessings?

Galatians 3:7–9 ESV

7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

The marker of who belongs to Abraham’s family is not keeping of the Jewish laws as with his children, but those who believe in the gospel of Christ. Anyone who wishes to add Jesus plus something would be subjected themselves to law which could never provide life. Which is why Paul say these words.

Galatians 3:10–13 ESV

10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—

To fulfill Abraham’s covenant, something had to happen. Jesus deal with Israel’s curse, renewing the covenant and preserving his word he made to Abraham. Abraham’s family which was the people of Israel was unable to keep Torah - so the family was cursed and continued to live in exile. This curse impacted all of Abraham’s family and limited who could be part of it.

So Jesus does only what he can, and embraces the curse on our behalf. He embraces the tree so you can be part of Abraham's family tree and receive the inheritance of the Spirit as down payment of the future inheritance of the new heaven and new earth. Through Christ’ sacrificial love and atoning for our sins. Now, you and I through faith are rooted together in God’s genealogy.

We can join our family tree to Abraham’s and inherit the Spirit - God indwelling inside of us.

Galatians 3:14 ESV

14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

Through faith we’re graphed into the new family, our mission is cultivating a healthier larger tree. I want our church to look like the redwood trees found in California. There so massive that you can drive cars through them.

But here’s the question? Do trees grow fast? Nope, it takes time and dedication to grow so too it will be growing this church.

So do how accomplish our goal so we can release God’s blessing of the Holy Spirit onto our community?

To grow expand the branches of the church, we have to help others get connected to the roots of our faith. We have to be intentional again inviting people to our faith gathers whether its small groups, Sunday Morning Service or a service project.

Statistically you’re more likely to bring a friend than anyone else to church with you. If they already know and trust you, its a highly outcome that they will come.

So what should you do this week? Expand the tree, invite someone to church and wait for faith to come into their lives. Only then we will expand the branches to the kingdom of God to the ends of the world.