Genesis 33 — Thoughts

Is Jacob or Esau More like Jesus?

It's interesting that we spend the most time with Jacob because, in many ways, Esau is the "Christ-figure" in this story.

I've described how Esau's inheritance going to Jacob reflects Jesus' righteousness going to us (see my second post on Genesis 25). Now, we get another clear illustration of our relationship with Jesus in the story of these brothers.

Esau was tricked and cheated by Jacob. First, he lost his inheritance. Then he lost their father's blessing. Esau has a great case for demanding justice from his brother.

In the same way, every wrong thing we've done — every evil thought, word, and action — was an offense against God (Psalm 51:4). It is, therefore, right for God to judge our sin (2 Corinthians 5:10). And because He is just, we can all expect justice from Him (Romans 6:23).

But Esau doesn't demand justice from Jacob. Instead, he embraces Jacob, kisses him, and forgives him. This was costly for Esau to do — to forgive Jacob was to give up his claim to the inheritance and blessing.

In the same way, Jesus forgives us — and it was also costly for Him to do (John 3:16). It cost Him the Cross.

Then, Esau attempts to refuse the gifts that Jacob brings him. In the end, he accepts, but his initial rejection shows us that Esau didn't want anything from Jacob — he only wanted their relationship restored.

In the same way, Jesus asks nothing from us but our faith in Him. Our attempts to earn His favor amount to nothing (Isaiah 64:6), and we cannot hope to restore our relationship with Him if we insist on earning it first (Ephesians 2:8-9).

So don't miss this beautiful Gospel moment in the middle of Genesis. When we read about Esau embracing Jacob, we should think about Jesus embracing us — and remember that Jesus' embrace is only possible because of the price He paid on the Cross.

(Originally written August 8, 2020)