Article 2015-09 - The Big Sacrifice
Chapter 12: The Big Sacrifice
Introduction
Missionaries are God’s ambassadors, but growing into His image is often painful. To reach that goal we are asked for big sacrifices. In the midst of these, God can be trusted blindly. He has many solutions for any problem and is never late with His help. Only if we die to our old self, will we bear eternal fruit.
Scripture reference
… God tested Abraham … God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love … Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering …’ (Gen. 22:1,2)
Abraham answered, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son’ (Gen. 22:8)
The story
Abraham must have struggled with his emotions, wondering how God could ask that of Him: sacrificing the son he had waited for for so long?! The thought horrified him. How would he tell Isaac? And Sarah?
Abraham trusted that God would give a solution, somehow. He had done so several times before. The next morning he left with Isaac for Mount Moriah, as he had been told.
This moving story shows us for the first time a picture of what it cost God the Father to send His only Son to earth to die for our sins. How would we have understood the depth of such a sacrifice, had it not been made visible in Abraham and Isaac, humans like us?
Once on their way, Isaac asked his father why they had not brought a lamb to sacrifice, on which Abraham answered – in faith? – that God would provide a sacrifice Himself. Abraham could not possibly have understood the prophetic depth of that answer!
Scripture reference
Then I said, ‘Here I am, I have come – it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to do your will, O my God…’ (Ps. 40:7,8)
The story, continued
Finally Abraham told his son what God had said. He did so with a heavy heart, but was surprised at the boy’s willingness and faith to comply. We know how the story ends. Now what does this have to say to us?
Comment
Abraham was a missionary, for sure. His mission was to bless the nations and his son was his most important ministry tool. In fact, Isaac was his ministry. Often missionaries have to put things on the altar at God’s bidding: their vision, ministry, reputation, comfort or relationships. God asks what we love most, because if we are willing to give Him that, it shows that we love Him more than that. He Himself gave the best by not withholding His Son from us. Jesus was the Best God had and He gave Him for our salvation, as Jesus gave Himself. Missionary ministry is the ministry of ultimate sacrifice, whatever that means for you and me. Without our willingness to die, whether physically or to self, we are absolutely unable to bear fruit. We have to die, for to die means to multiply. Abraham brought his ultimate missionary’s sacrifice and so did Isaac. Many would follow in their steps until Jesus came, and many did after Him. Are we prepared too?
Discussion & dialogue
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Discuss what your most important ministry tool is. What would happen if you had to give that up? What would you do if God asked you to give it up?
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Which four of the ten themes can be seen in this story? (Answer is in the Teacher’s Guide
