Christ Exalted

Galatians 3:16

Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ who is Christ.

There is a mounting contention within Christianity as reformed pastors are increasingly rejecting Christian Zionism. The United States’ and Israel’s joint conflict with Iran has certainly been a major catalyst to stoke the fire that has long been smoldering beneath the surface. My aim today is not to fan the growing flame of that controversy, but to establish wise boundaries within it—so that, even amid the heat, the discussion can do a sanctifying work in us.

Let’s begin today with a brief understanding of this disagreement. Christian Zionism is a theological belief that interprets the promises to Abraham as belonging to ethnic Israel. This view claims that God gave distinct promises to Abraham when he said, 

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. 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.

Advocates of Zionism are now filling political spaces and social media feeds, defending Israel’s claim to these promises and, by extension, arguing that we bear a responsibility to safeguard Israel in the Middle East.

The opposition to Zionism is often labeled with the pejorative term, “Replacement Theology.” That label is something of a misnomer and does not precisely reflect the position itself. A more accurate term would be supersessionism, though I personally prefer fulfilment theology — defined as the view that the New Covenant fully supersedes the Old, and therefore, the whole of the church is brought into the promises of Abraham through faith— Jew and Gentile together, as one people. Reformed pastors and theologians are also entering the social‑media debate, challenging Zionist claims and, in many cases, arguing that these promises find their fulfillment in the Church rather than in a modern nation‑state.

And thus, born is the inflammatory videos and articles that are too often done without the prescribed seasoning of love. Zionists are honorably on one side defending against the undervaluing of the promises of God, liberalism, and antisemitism — sometimes, unfortunately, rightly so. Supersessionists stand on the other side defending against an undervaluing of the Gospel. The comment section of the aforementioned media more resembles a merciless battle between two foreign people than a unified Kingdom of God.

To whom do the promises belong?

This is of course the underlying question that is too often unheeded by both sides. Paul wrote the Galatians to address this very question and settle the debate once and for all. He tells them plainly, 

Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ who is Christ.

There is our answer! Paul deliberately uses the plural, “promises” (epaggeliai), to describe what is at stake. He offers no list because no sorting needs to be done. All the promises are laid at the feet of Jesus Christ alone! They belong no more to the church today than they ever belonged to the ethnic offspring of Abraham.

In the fifth chapter of Revelation, the Father sits on the throne holding a scroll with a mighty angel proclaiming a defining question, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” At that moment no faithful descendant of Abraham nor any faithful Gentile is found worthy to step forward and grip the document. Only Christ the Conqueror — the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David – is found worthy.

He is the One who inherits the earth, once entrusted to Adam, and now held under the curse because of Adam’s sin. Christ is the One through whom the whole world has been blessed. If we honor Him, we share in that blessing; but if we reject Him, we place ourselves under the curse. This is the point of today’s devotion. Regardless of our conviction in the debate, we can all resolve to surrender the promises to their rightful heir — the Preeminent Christ.

So where is our part?

Paul later concludes his argument to the Galatians by stating, “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.”

Paul makes it clear that our only rightful claim to the promises is found in our union with Christ. All God pledged to Abraham is ours only because we belong to Him. He dispenses lavishly upon us from the store of his riches according to His good will. Our part is the blessing that is found chiefly in Christ’s atoning work and righteous reign.

But what about the promises God made to restore Israel?

Ezekiel’s vision of a temple has long been a battleground for this debate. He describes a temple with such large, detailed dimensions that undoubtedly it does not describe a temple that has been built in history. He lists detailed allotment of land to the tribes of Israel. It certainly causes many to ask, “Why would he employ such extensive detail if it were never meant to be fulfilled in a literal sense?”

So, this is where I need to restrain myself from answering. Today’s devotion is not about eschatology—it’s about exalting Christ. Whether you hold to a literal fulfillment of this temple on earth or an allegorical fulfillment in the present age, we need not divide here. It is Christ’s Kingdom. It is His people. These were always His promises. And Ezekiel gives us a unifying picture of that reality. In chapter 47, he describes the allotment of the promised land:

So you shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel. You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the sojourners who reside among you and have had children among you. They shall be to you as native-born children of Israel. With you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe the sojourner resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, declares the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel’s vision makes it unmistakably clear that Jesus rules with perfect righteousness. He distributes the land with equity among the tribes of Israel and welcomes the Gentile as though he were native‑born. This is precisely what we heard moments ago in Galatians 3: in Christ, there is neither Jew nor Gentile. If we belong to Him, then we share in His inheritance, for the promises are His—and only because we are His, they become ours.

Unity in the Exaltation of Christ

As His unified people, we ourselves are a vital part of His inheritance. And whenever we open Scripture or engage in theological conversation, the preeminent Christ must remain exalted above every people and position.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. By him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him (Colossians 1:15-16). God underscores this truth by giving the very first promise of a Redeemer in the presence of the father of all humanity in the garden. From the beginning, both Jew and Gentile were created for the glory of Christ.

Christ is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent! For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things — whether on earth or in heaven — making peace by the blood of his cross (Colossians 1:17-20)! Even the promises given to Abraham conclude with what amounts to a grammatical exclamation point on the covenant. God ends with the sweeping declaration that all nations would be blessed through this promise. And in Christ, that blessing has come—He is the One through whom God has reconciled all things to Himself.

So, as we step away from this devotion, let the point be resolved: the promises of God are not trophies for us to defend, nor weapons for us to wield against one another. They are treasures secured in, and for, Christ. Let us therefore be a unified kingdom which speaks with conviction, but also with charity; which holds our theological positions firmly, but always holds Christ preeminently; who refuses to let secondary debates fracture the body He died to make one.

Today, lift your eyes to the true Offspring, the rightful Heir, the reigning King—and order your words, your worship, and your witness around Him. May our conversations reflect His character, and may our lives display the blessing that comes from being found in Christ alone.

With love in Christ,

Pastor Chris