To Whom Do You Pray?

A friend recently tried to convince me that "we all pray to the same god."  His argument included the fact that "there are other religions that also pray to the god of Abraham."

Okay, he's correct, sort of. 

Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you."  Genesis 12:1 

And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.  Genesis 17:7

There are other religions that use these verses to trace their origins back to Abraham.  But that's not the whole story.
 
Yesterday I made a quick trip to the store, and I happened to see a sign on a display stand - "Celebrate Easter, April 12, 2020."

I was glad of that reminder.  It gets to the heart of the difference between Christianity and other religions that claim to "worship the god of Abraham."

Abraham was also told:

...and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Genesis 22:18a

Christians believe that this offspring that blesses all nations is the promised Messiah; that He's Jesus.  

And this Jesus is God incarnate - God who took on flesh, the little baby whose birth we celebrate during Christmas,  and the servant leader we read about in the New Testament who taught and healed people.  

This Jesus is the One who bore the sins of the world, who died on the cross for those sins, for my sins.  And He's the One who rose again on that first Easter morning.  He overcame sin, death, and Satan to be that blessing to all nations, to me.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.  John 1:14

...but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:23–24

And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:30–31

I know it's not Easter yet, but, Jesus is risen, and He's on the throne.  Our God.