People of the Promise: Jacob & Esau Reunite

Genesis 33:1-20

Jacob’s story was messy from the start. His name means “he cheats,” and true to form, he stole his brother Esau’s blessing and ran away in fear of Esau’s rage. Years later, God called Jacob to return home. But one obstacle remained: Esau. Jacob sent gifts ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as Esau approached with 400 men. If we were Jacob, we might have been praying, “Please don’t kill me!” 

But instead of vengeance, Esau does the unthinkable. He runs to Jacob, throws his arms around him, kisses him, and they both weep. In the moment of their reunion Jacob says something remarkable: “To see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me.” Jacob had wrestled with God, but here he sees God’s heart revealed in his brother’s embrace.

It’s no accident that Jesus echoes this story in the parable of the Prodigal Son. The younger son squandered his inheritance, yet when he returned, his father ran, embraced, kissed, and wept over him. Just as Esau did for Jacob, the father revealed God’s relentless grace. Jesus' message is clear: God’s mission has always been to bless all families of the earth (Gen. 12). Despite Israel’s failures and despite our failures, God pursues his people with a love that surprises, overwhelms, and restores.

Like Jacob, like the prodigal, we have cheated, we have squandered, and we have run from God's grace. Yet in Christ, God runs toward us, embraces us, and welcomes us home. His mission doesn’t stop with us, though. God is pursuing all people, calling all people to join Him around the table at His eternal feast. So today, rejoice! In Christ, the God who should be our Judge instead comes running as our Father. He meets us with tears of joy and calls us His very own!

In Christ,

Pastor Nick