To Bear Witness - John 1:6-8

John 1:6-8 ESV 

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.

He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

God sent the light into the darkness, but the darkness would not be able to comprehend the light without help. God would send a man to bear witness and prepare the people for this new thing He was doing. 

Spoken as a command in the beginning, it would be in the fullness of time before the feet of the Son would touch the earth. The light is coming and has always been coming into the world. God's rest and creation's end was revealed in the creation account. It is when His light fills the earth that we fully enter His rest. 

We, like John, give witness to that same light. We have seen what He is doing and have personally experienced the light of salvation. 

Did Not Know Him - John 1:9-13

John 1:9-13 ESV 

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.

He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

The world did not know Him. Israel was to have made Him known, but it did not receive Jesus as the Messiah. They should have prepared the way of the Holy One and made the world ready for the true light. They were not ready. 

There were some who did believe then and some that believe now. They are reborn as children of God, born of God. 

Israel will receive Christ when He returns and they will complete their mission of taking Christ to the world. After the sealing of the twelve tribes in Revelation, a great multitude without number will appear, coming out of the great tribulation. 

The Light Of Men - John 1:1-5

John 1:1-5 ESV 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Christ tells us that He is the beginning and the end. John confirms that He is God. He created the heavens and earth. God announces His purpose with the first words of creation. 

"Let there be light."

That light is the life of men, which comes from the Father of lights. That light would take the form of the flesh of man, yet would contain the life of God. There it would shine in the darkness in the midst of men, never to be extinguished. It will grow until the whole world sees and comprehends the light. 

As children of light we are to walk in the light until we cast off this mortal body and fully enter that light. 

Is Its Stump - Isaiah 6:11-13

Isaiah 6:11-13 ESV 

Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”

And he said:

“Until cities lie waste

without inhabitant,

and houses without people,

and the land is a desolate waste,

and the Lord removes people far away,

and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.

And though a tenth remain in it,

it will be burned again,

like a terebinth or an oak,

whose stump remains

when it is felled.”

The holy seed is its stump.

Isaiah asks the Lord how long will Israel lie in waste. There is hope for the nation which rests in the holy seed brought forth through its people. They were given the burden of bearing the light to all people, but the burden proved too much for them. Like Adam in the Garden, they failed to obey the Lord. 

Though Israel and Adam proved disobedient, it was through their lineage that the Holy One would come who would perfectly obey God. That seed would become the "stump" or the holy foundation upon which the will of God would find fruition. God would use them in His plan to provide a Savior for mankind, Who would in turn become the Rock of Zion. 

The seed becomes the stump of a better covenant. 

The Same Conflict - Philippians 1:29-30

Philippians 1:29-30 ESV 

For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

The conflict is between light and darkness, heaven and earth, and life and death. We have moved from one sphere to the other. The conflict is the opposition between the two and how it plays out in the world. 

We are part of the conflict before we were saved, but we were at peace with the world and enemies of God. We experience the conflict from the other side when we believe God. We are at peace with God and enemies of the world. The world is turned right side up and the upside down fallen world can be seen in true perspective. The sword of the word cuts through our bindings and allows us to rise above the flood which issues from the mouth of the dragon and would cover the earth in death. 

A Great Light - Isaiah 9:2

Isaiah 9:2 ESV 

The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light;

those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,

on them has light shone.

Let there be light and there was

The darkness parted and the light shone through 

The people looked up to see heaven open

And began to see for the first time 

The deep is not too deep for the Lord

There is no place He cannot reach

His light will find and fill every place

Until darkness is no more 

Dust To Stardust - Psalms 90:3-4

Psalms 90:3-4 ESV

You return man to dust

and say, “Return, O children of man!”

For a thousand years in your sight

are but as yesterday when it is past,

or as a watch in the night.

From dust we rise to life only to return to dust when our time is past. Though our nostrils are filled with the air of this world while we on this earth, that breath will cease. If a thousand years are compared to a day in the sight of the Lord, how brief and ephemeral is the life of a man?

It is only a man reborn from above that breathes the eternal breath of God that does not share that fate. That man does not return to the dust of the earth but rises as stardust into the presence of Jesus, Yeshua. There are no yesterdays for this one, for he has entered the eternal now of our everlasting Father. 

My Holy Hill - Psalms 2:4-6

Psalms 2:4-6 ESV 

He who sits in the heavens laughs;

the Lord holds them in derision.

Then he will speak to them in his wrath,

and terrify them in his fury, saying,

“As for me, I have set my King

on Zion, my holy hill.”

The will of God will not be denied. The word has been spoken and is set in stone, the stone of stumbling, the Rock on which we stand. 

Israel is not forgotten by God. They are the living creatures of His throne on earth. They are Zion, His holy hill. There will His King rule. 

According To Your Word - Luke 1:36-38

Luke 1:36-38 ESV 

And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.

For nothing will be impossible with God.”

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Elizabeth represents Israel and the first covenant which was barren in that it was unable to save man due to our weakness. Six is the number of man. The fullness of the time of man is complete before the Savior and the bringer of a new and better covenant. Nothing is impossible for God. Jesus would say this again as the rich young ruler walked away. 

We, like Mary, have become a servant of the Lord. It is being done to us according to His word. We are reborn and live as He said we would. Christ, the angel of the Lord, has departed, but has sent the Holy Spirit to come upon us and the power of the Most High has overshadowed us. A holy child is born within us, a child of the Living God. In this way He will never leave us. The second and final covenant is appearing in the world. 

We live according to His word. His Word is Christ. 

Your Heritage - Psalms 2:7-9

Psalms 2:7-9 ESV 

I will tell of the decree:

The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;

today I have begotten you.

Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,

and the ends of the earth your possession.

You shall break them with a rod of iron

and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”

This season we celebrate the birth of a child Who becomes the Savior of the world. This is God's own Son, the unique and first joining together of the Divine and humanity. He takes our humanity into the heavenly realm and leaves behind His Divinity in the earthly realm: the Holy Spirit in the heart of man. The nations and the earth become His inheritance. He becomes ours. 

"Blessed are all who take refuge in Him."

According To Your Word - Luke 1:38

Luke 1:38 ESV 

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

We join Mary as she responds to Gabriel, "let it be to me according to your word."  

It is according to His word we live and have our being. It is because of His word we are able to joyously serve Him. The word will never depart from us. 

"And the word was God".

Might Be Given - Galatians 3:21-22

Galatians 3:21-22 ESV 

Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.

But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

The law exposed sin as a photo captures a scene. We make use of light to interpret a moment exposed in that light. We can begin to see an image undetectable in the passing of a moment, but becomes plain when captured in black and white. 

It is that knowledge which leads to and prepares a people for the promise of faith. 

For Joy - John 16:21

John 16:21 ESV 

When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.

The earth is in travail as it gives birth to a new earth. The hour is at hand and the days filled with sorrow. 

 

But this is true of each person as well, for we are an earth and world in of ourselves. We are formless and void until the light comes to shine within us and we are reborn. We then become a human being in the truest sense, in the image of God. This happens inside of us and a new creature begins to take shape. In His light we become visible, no longer formless and void, but children of light. That is reason for joy. 

His Servant John - Revelation 1:1-3

Revelation 1:1-3 ESV 

Prologue

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,

who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

John the Baptist went before the Lord to prepare the way for His first coming. 

John the Revelator prepares the way for His second coming. 

They who listened to the first John were blessed and made ready for Christ just as those who hear and keep the words of the book by this John will be prepared and encouraged for His return. 

Your Salvation - Luke 2:27-32

Luke 2:27-32 ESV 

And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law,

he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,

according to your word;

for my eyes have seen your salvation

that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and for glory to your people Israel

Simeon beheld Jesus and recognized the Son of God because the Holy Spirit was with him. The word God had given him came true and brought peace to this man who had waited a long time. God has given His word to us and it will come to pass. He has prepared a table for us in the midst of our enemies. Peace beyond understanding is already with us for the Holy Spirit is with us. He comforts and guides us into all truth. He is the light of heaven that shines within the breast of each child of God. 

Israel has not been forgotten or left behind. The time of Jacob's trouble is still to come, but so is the glory of His people Israel. 

To Be Born - Luke 1:35

Luke 1:35 ESV 

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.

We have something in common with Mary. We have been favored by God. We have received the Holy Spirit Who raises us from the shadow of death into the light of the world. 

All who repent are cleansed from sin and become virgins in the spiritual sense. Our sin is remembered no more. We become like Mary, a suitable vessel for a Christ child. 

There is a child to be born in us as we grow into the man Jesus- a son of God. In the fullness of time we will be revealed. We are reborn as a new creation, in the image of God. 

Was Upon Him - Luke 2:25-26

Luke 2:25-26 ESV 

Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

The Holy Spirit is upon Simeon, but the Spirit has been given to believers. Those in the kingdom of heaven have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and participate in the life of God. The least in the kingdom is greater than the most righteous man outside the kingdom, outside the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit no longer hovers over the waters of the deep, but has descended into each believer. 

We will all see death, but because we have seen Jesus we will live. 

The Spirit reveals the truth for He is the truth. 

The Secret - Philippians 4:11-13

Philippians 4:11-13 ESV 

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

The secret Paul refers to is having God in all situations which allows us to lean on His strength to live in all situations. However the world is presented to us, He is there to provide His strength and peace for every occasion. We may not face the same constellation of challenges in the world, but we are all challenged to overcome the world. We participate in the same the same battle, but our personal experience and struggle is a unique role and witness in God's creation. But our victory and inheritance will be the same. 

Paul's secret is our secret. We are hidden in Christ. We are in the body of Christ. It is the light of the world and a secret that is to be willingly shared with each other and the world. 

For Joy - John 16:21

John 16:21 ESV 

When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.

The earth is in travail as it gives birth to a new earth. The hour is at hand and the days filled with sorrow. 

 

But this is true of each person as well, for we are an earth and world in of ourselves. We are formless and void until the light comes to shine within us and we are reborn. We then become a human being in the truest sense, in the image of God. This happens inside of us and a new creature begins to take shape. In His light we become visible, no longer formless and void, but children of light. That is reason for joy. 

Called Jesus - Luke 2:21

Luke 2:21 ESV 

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Jesus is derived from the Greek word transliterated as Iesous which is derived from the Hebrew word transliterated as Joshua. 

The meaning is the same. Jehovah Is Salvation. 

This is the only name by which a man can be saved, for it is only God Who can save. We take His name and become children of light. 

His name was known before He was conceived in the womb because He was known before the foundation of the world. 

1 Peter 1:20-21

He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you

who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

God's plan included the fall of man and includes the rise of man. He saw it all before it happened/happens and sees us as we become the crown of creation in our final form. He has rested from His work even as it continues to work itself out. 

There are seven days in the creation story. The eighth day could represent the everlasting day of eternity. We will enter that day fully circumcised into the immortal being God intended all along. We will be in His exact image, for Jesus was in His exact image and we will be like Him. 

g2424. Ἰησοῦς Iēsous; of Hebrew origin (h3091); Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua, Joshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites: — Jesus, Joshua.

AV (975) - Jesus 972, Jesus (Joshua) 2, Jesus (Justus) 1; Jesus = "Jehovah is salvation"

h3091. יְהוֹשׁוּעַ yehôšûa‘; or יְהוֹשֻׁעַ Yhowshua; from 3068 and 3467; Yhwh-saved; Jehoshua (i.e. Joshua), the Jewish leader: — Jehoshua, Jehoshuah, Joshua. Compare 1954, 3442.

AV - Joshua 218; 218 Joshua or Jehoshua = "Jehovah is salvation" n pr m

Among Those - Luke 2:13-14

Luke 2:13-14 ESV 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Jesus brought peace on earth, but not on the whole earth. His peace would rest on those who receive Him as Lord and in doing so pleasing God. 

Many overlook or forget this fact. He came for everyone, but not everyone will go with Him. We must make peace with Him, and agree to walk together. 

The wonder of His birth is only truly celebrated and experienced by those reborn, who have experienced their own rebirth into His life.

There Was No Place - Luke 2:7

Luke 2:7 ESV 

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and 

laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Jesus was Mary's firstborn son, but also the firstborn of creation, God's own Son. He is also the last, for those who follow Him become His body. He lives in them. There is no other begotten Son. 

It is said shepherds would wrap a newborn lamb in swaddling cloths to prevent any blemishes that would disqualify the lamb for sacrifice. A baby wrapped in this way would be a sign significant to them even before the angel announced this as a sign of The Lamb that would be sacrificed for the world. They ran to see this child and returned in joy, telling everyone of what they saw and heard. 

He was laid in a manger, a food trough for the beasts of the field. This might remind us that He is the bread of heaven given to feed the world. 

There would be no place for Him to rest His head, though birds have nests and foxes have their holes. Birds of the air and foxes would be used to describe some of those in the world. Christ was from above. There was truly no place in the world to receive Him. But that was about to change. It would change everything. 

Shall Be Called Holy - Luke 2:23-24

Luke 2:23-24 ESV 

(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”)

and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

This is a picture of the Church. We are no longer male or female in the body of Christ. We are a holy people, the first fruits of the seed of God to be followed by a multitude without number that will enter the house of the Lord. 1 Peter 2:5 calls us a holy priesthood to the Lord. 

A turtle dove and pigeon were part of the covenant making ceremony between the Lord and Abram in Genesis 15. Later one bird would become a sin offering and another would become a burnt offering in the Levitical system of sacrifice which would follow. 

The sacrifices would point to the ultimate sacrifice to come, not offered by man, but by God. This ends all sacrifice by man needed  to be righteous in His eyes. 

My Father's House - Luke 2:41-51

Luke 2:41-51 ESV 

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.

And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.

And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,

but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances,

and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him.

After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”

And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?”

And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.

And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.

Jesus was twelve years old and had reached the age of accountability, when He was of spiritual maturity and able to take responsibility for His actions. 

After three days of searching for Him back in Jerusalem, they find Him in the temple sitting among the teachers conversing with them in a way that amazed all those hearing Him speak. The three days of searching may remind us of the three days before He would rise from the dead after His crucifixion. His ministry to humanity would there after be of a different nature, not unlike this change of perspective. 

Mary tells Him she and His father had been worried sick being unable to find Him. Jesus replies that He is in His Father's house. They did not understand what He was saying. Jesus was telling them He knew His true Father and it was His Father's business that He must tend to. Jesus returns home with Mary and Joseph as their son, but now He begins preparing to fulfill His calling as the Son of God. 

Mary would remember all these things and treasure them in her heart, but the full implications of what just took place would not be understood until later. 

Yet Which I Will Choose - Philippians 1:19-23

Philippians 1:19-23 ESV 

for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,

as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.

I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

Those who believe in Christ will not be ashamed. It is an expectation and hope that is based on the promise of God which is more dependable than a promise of man because it is already accomplished. The word of God is spoken and creation came forth from beginning to end. We have been placed on this earth that we might find the tree of life. Eating it's fruit will yield everlasting life. 

We now live in the body of Christ. Living as Christ we give Him honor in our body. Paul says that to die is to gain. Now Christ is with us, but when we die we will be with Christ in a new and glorious way, face to face. To be with Christ is to gain more of the inheritance that awaits, for He is our inheritance. 

Paul then says something interesting. He doesn't know if he will choose life or death. It is a difficult decision. He has a strong desire and to leave and be with the Lord. He decides to remain for the benefit of the Philippians with helping them in their walk of faith. His decision will bear fruit for all of us. 

Does this mean we can decide whether we live or die? We have already made the decision between life and death when we chose to believe the Lord, for He is our life. We will pass from this body, but we have already passed into life. May we have the courage to honor Christ in all things as members of the body of Christ. 

 

To Stand Firm - Ephesians 6:10-13

Ephesians 6:10-13 ESV 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

The whole armor of God is for spiritual warfare. Spiritual warfare only begins for the believer after rising from the grave of the world. We are warned to make the best use of our time because the days are evil. To withstand this evil, God provides protection. 

The prince of this world goes to and fro to devour man and oppose God. Satan is thrown from heaven and is the prince of the air. He rules the spiritual forces of evil fallen with him. It is here we make our stand. 

Still In This Tent - 2 Corinthians 5:1-5

2 Corinthians 5:1-5 ESV

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling,

if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked.

For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

Adam and Eve found themselves naked after eating the forbidden fruit. We are spiritually naked until we are covered by the blood of Christ. To be spiritually naked is to be dead. 

We have been spirituality made alive, though we remain in bodies of death. Our mortal bodies will die, but we will not face the second death. We are alive eternally. 

The time will come when we will leave behind the blood of Jesus that covers our mortal bodies and don the white robes of our heavenly bodies. 

No Longer A Slave - Galatians 4:1-7

Galatians 4:1-7 ESV 

I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything,

but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father.

In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,

to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Before we were set free by Christ, we were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. The darkness of the world, of our world, was complete. As light continued to rise in the world, the law was given to expose sin. It did not free us, but enabled us to perceive the weakness of man. 

In the fullness of time the light of the world came in the form of the man called Jesus. It took the fullness of time for Isaac to be born. Jesus set us free from the law and sin. We are no longer slaves, but sons of God. We are children of light and heirs of the promise. 

We are the descendants of Abraham promised by God, the seed of his loins and the seed of the Word. 

Curse Of The Law - Galatians 3:10-14

Galatians 3:10-14 ESV 

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.”

Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”

But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.”

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”—

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

The law is a curse. Moses delivered the law to Israel and told them it was a gift of blessings or curses, depending on their obedience. A similar choice was given to Adam and Eve. Like the tree of life knowledge of good and evil, the law became a curse as it revealed the knowledge of sin and the inability of man to overcome the reality of that sin. 

It is Christ who redeems us, for He is the tree of life. Yet He becomes a curse for us by hanging from a tree. It is from the branch of the forbidden tree He hung, replacing the forbidden fruit plucked from that branch in the Garden of Eden. 

All this was done to bring light into the world, "so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith."

Sons Of Abraham - Galatians 3:7-9

Galatians 3:7-9 ESV 

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.

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.”

So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

The sons of Abraham, the offspring of Abraham referred to here are not those natural descendants of human bloodline, but those who claim the blood of Christ as their own. Through the divine blood of our Savior we are reborn into that family of God as sons of God. 

Israel was chosen to bring light into the world. Though that proved to be a heavy and costly burden, the light of the world did come through this tiny nation for all people. They are the stump of the tree of life in which we live as wild olive branches grafted in the life of God. The fruit of the Spirit hangs upon those branches. 

We are blessed as Abraham is blessed. We are his seed, the body of Christ. We are from all nations, united by the one Spirit.