Abraham's Expectation of Jesus' Coming in Genesis
The question of whether Abraham expected or foresaw the coming of Jesus Christ rests on the interpretation of several Genesis narratives and their New Testament commentary. The New Testament explicitly claims that Abraham's faith had a forward-looking, messianic dimension. In John 8:56, Jesus declares, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad." Paul similarly writes that "the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" [2], identifying Jesus as the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant.
The Prophetic Seed Promise
The patriarchal narratives contain several promises that later tradition interpreted as messianic. God's covenant with Abraham included the assurance that through his seed all nations would be blessed (Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 22:18). Paul explicitly identifies this "seed" as singular, referring to Christ: "As the seed of Abraham—Genesis 17:7; 22:18. Fulfilled.—Galatians 3:16" [5]. The Tyndale commentary notes that "by faith, Abraham foresaw the coming Messiah" and "through Abraham's offspring, the Messiah, God would accept all nations on the same basis as Abraham himself—by faith" [6].
This interpretation hinges on whether Abraham understood the promise in messianic terms or merely as a general blessing through his descendants. The text of Genesis itself offers no explicit indication that Abraham conceived of a singular future redeemer. The promises concern land, numerous offspring, and blessing to the nations, but the patriarchal narratives do not record Abraham articulating an expectation of a coming anointed king or prophet.
Patristic and Scholastic Interpretation
Early Christian interpreters read Genesis through a christological lens. Irenaeus argued that "Abraham, knowing the Father through the Word, who made heaven and earth, confessed Him to be God; and having learned, by an announcement made to him, that the Son of God would be a man among men, by whose advent his seed should be as the stars of heaven, he desired to see that day" [7]. This reading assumes that Abraham received direct revelation about the incarnation, though Genesis records no such explicit announcement.
Aquinas, discussing the state of the righteous dead before Christ's resurrection, notes that "the first example of faith was given to men in the person of Abraham, who was the first to sever himself from the body of unbelievers, and to receive a special sign of faith" [11]. This positions Abraham as the prototype of faith in God's promises, though it does not specify whether Abraham understood those promises in messianic terms.
The Nature of Abraham's Faith
Charles Hodge emphasizes that Abraham's faith was "faith in a promise and not merely general piety or confidence toward God," noting that Abraham "staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that what He had promised He was able also to perform" [10]. The question remains whether this faith in God's promise to bless the nations through his seed constituted an expectation of a specific messianic figure.
Adam Clarke suggests that the promise "of justification, etc., made to believers in Christ Jesus, who are the spiritual seed of Christ, as they are children of Abraham, from the similitude of their faith" [8] establishes continuity between Abraham's faith and Christian faith, though this does not necessarily mean Abraham foresaw the specific person of Jesus.
The Tyndale commentary on Genesis 50:24 observes that Joseph's words about God's future visitation "summarize the hope expressed throughout both the Old Testament and the New Testament. God's visitation in the person of the Messiah, the offspring of Abraham, would bring the curse to an end" [9]. This suggests a developing expectation within the patriarchal tradition, though whether Abraham himself shared this specific hope remains interpretively contested. The Genesis text records Abraham's obedience and faith in God's promises [1, 3, 4], but leaves the precise content of his messianic expectation to theological inference rather than explicit statement.
Sources
- Genesis “After these things, God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.” -- Genesis 22:1”
- Galatians “Galatians 3:14 (Geneva1599) — That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Iesus, that wee might receiue the promise of the Spirite through faith.”
- Genesis “Abraham was one hundred years old when his son, Isaac, was born to him. -- Genesis 21:5”
- Genesis “Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood before Yahweh. -- Genesis 19:27”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Prophecies Respecting Christ — As the Son of God -- Ps 2:7. Fulfilled. -- Lu 1:32,35. As the seed of the woman -- Ge 3:15. Fulfilled. -- Ga 4:4. As the seed of Abraham -- Ge 17:7; 22:18. Fulfilled. -- Ga 3:16. As the seed of Isaac -- Ge 21:12. Fulfilled. -- Heb 11:17-19. As the seed of David -- Ps 132:11; Jer 23:5. Fulfilled. -- Ac 13:23; Ro 1:3. His coming at a set time -- Ge 49:10; Da 9:24,25. Fulfilled. -- Lu 2:1. His being born a virgin -- Isa 7:14. Fulfilled. -- Mt 1:22,23; Lu 2:7. His being called Immanuel -- Isa 7:14. Fulfilled. -- Mt 1:22,23. His being born i”
- Galatians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Galatians 3:8: 3:8 the Scriptures looked forward: By faith, Abraham foresaw the coming Messiah (cp. John 8:56) and received the message that “All nations will be blessed through you” (Gen 12:3; 18:18; 22:18).Through Abraham’s offspring, the Messiah, God would accept all nations on the same basis as Abraham himself—by faith.”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 1: Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius, Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus — CHAP. VII.--RECAPITULATION OF THE FOREGOING ARGUMENT, SHOWING THAT ABRAHAM, THROUGH THE REVELATION OF THE WORD, KNEW THE FATHER, AND THE COMING OF THE SON OF GOD. FOR THIS CAUSE, HE REJOICED TO SEE TH (part 1): 1. Therefore Abraham also, knowing the. Father through the Word, who made heaven and earth, confessed Him to be God; and having learned, by an announcement [made to him], that the Son of God would be a man among men, by whose advent his seed should be as the stars of heaven, he desired to see that day, s”
- Galatians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Galatians 3:17: Confirmed before of God in Christ - i.e. The promise of justification, etc., made to believers in Christ Jesus, who are the spiritual seed of Christ, as they are children of Abraham, from the similitude of their faith. Abraham believed in God, and it was reckoned to him for justification; the Gentiles believed in Christ, and received justification. Probably the word Christ is to be taken, both here and in the preceding verse, for Christians, as has already been hinted. However it be taken, the sense is plainly the same; the promise of salvation must necessarily b”
- Genesis (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Genesis 50:24: 50:24-25 God will surely come to help you (literally visit you): These words of Joseph, given twice, summarize the hope expressed throughout both the Old Testament and the New Testament. God’s visitation in the person of the Messiah, the offspring of Abraham, would bring the curse to an end and establish the long-awaited blessing of God in a new creation. The company of the faithful would wait in expectation for that to happen. • Like his father before him, Joseph made his brothers promise that his bones would be taken out of Egypt when God would come to take th”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 74: argues from the case of Abraham, who, according to the express declaration of the Scriptures, was justified by faith; and he quotes from the old prophets the great principle, true then as now, that the “just shall live by faith.” (2.) In the second place, he proves that the faith intended was faith in a promise and not merely general piety or confidence toward God. Abraham, he says, “staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that what He had promised He wa”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Supplement (Supplementum), Of Matters Concerning the Resurrection, and First of the Place Where Souls Are after Death, Art. 4: Article: Whether the limbo of hell is the same as Abraham's bosom? I answer that, After death men's souls cannot find rest save by the merit of faith, because "he that cometh to God must believe" (Heb. 11:6). Now the first example of faith was given to men in the person of Abraham, who was the first to sever himself from the body of unbelievers, and to receive a special sign of faith: for which reason "the place of rest given to men after dea”