Dear church,

Abraham gives us a glimpse of the future. He gives us a glimpse of Jesus Christ. 

We know Abraham had been chosen by God. Abraham’s family was to be a blessing to all the families of the earth (Genesis 12:3). 

We learn later that this was to happen through Jesus Christ – a descendent of Abraham. Jesus died for the unrighteous and the sinners. That is us. One man gave his life for all. 

And here, outside the city of Sodom, Abraham was negotiating with God for the sake of the people there. Abraham already was serving as a blessing to other families on earth. If God could find ten righteous people, he would preserve the city. Abraham argued for that outcome.

This is a picture of Jesus. 

No one is righteous, of course. Not even one (Romans 3:10). On this earth, God wouldn’t find any who could pass the test. 

And so God entered into the picture as the lone righteous human. God would save many for the sake of the one. 

Outside Sodom, Abraham stood and negotiated with God. We call this intercession. Again, this is a picture of Jesus Christ. “Christ Jesus is the one who died – more than that, who was raised – who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us” (Romans 8:34).

We ought to picture ourselves as residents of Sodom. I suppose our world is not much different than what we see in Sodom – a world of sexual immorality and greed and a world that devours its own.

But one righteous person has lived among us. And for the sake of this righteous human, if we put our faith in him, we are spared. 

Chris