04/24/2026
There are moments in the Bible that feel like simple storytelling until you realize they are not simple at all, they are layered in a way that makes you stop mid-chapter and go, “Hold on…this feels familiar.”
And one of those moments is in Genesis 22, where God tells Abraham to take his son, his only son, the one he loves, and go to a mountain He will show him. And Abraham, instead of arguing or asking for a detailed five-step plan and a backup plan and maybe a quick emotional processing session, just gets up early and goes. Genesis 22:3 says, “So Abraham rose early in the morning…took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.” Which is already a lot. But then it casually mentions they brought a donkey. Just a donkey. No big deal. Except Scripture does not do throwaway details.
Because that donkey is carrying the wood. The wood for the sacrifice. Just plodding along like, “I am contributing,” with absolutely no idea it is hauling a prophetic symbol that is going to point thousands of years into the future. And then they reach the mountain, and Genesis 22:6 says, “And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son.” Which is where things go from “this is intense” to “okay this is very specific.” The son carries the wood. Up the mountain. The very thing meant for the sacrifice is placed on his back, and he walks. And then Isaac asks the question that probably made Abraham’s internal organs rearrange themselves a little, Genesis 22:7, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” And Abraham answers in Genesis 22:8, “God will provide for himself the lamb.” Which sounds like a solid, faithful answer until you realize it is also a prophecy casually dropped into conversation like that is normal.
And then God does provide. Genesis 22:13 says, “And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns.” Isaac is spared. The sacrifice is substituted. The story ends with relief. Everyone takes a deep breath.
Except the story is not done.
Because you turn to Gospel of John and suddenly that line “God will provide” starts echoing louder. John 19:17 says of Jesus, “and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull.” And you just sit there for a second because…there it is again. The Son. Carrying wood. Walking up a hill. Only this time there is no confusion about where the sacrifice is coming from. This time the Son is the sacrifice.
And just in case we somehow missed it, John the Baptist flat out says it in John 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” There is your answer to Isaac’s question. “Where is the lamb?” Oh, He is coming. He has been the plan the whole time.
And then, because God does not do subtle when it comes to tying things together, we get the donkey again. Gospel of Matthew 21:5 says, “Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey.” Not a war horse. Not some dramatic royal entrance with trumpets and a parade float situation. A donkey. The same kind of animal that carried the wood in Genesis is now carrying the King toward the moment where that wood becomes a cross.
Which means the donkey is just out here minding its business in two different time periods, unknowingly participating in one of the greatest theological parallels in history. No big deal. Just casually involved in the setup and the fulfillment of salvation. Meanwhile I forget why I walked into a room half the time.
And here is the part that should hit a little harder if you let it. In Genesis, Abraham is stopped. There is a voice. There is a ram. There is relief. But at the cross, there is no interruption. No last-minute substitute. No voice from heaven saying, “That is enough, stop.” Because this time the Lamb is not provided to replace the son.
The Lamb is the Son and He walks up the hill anyway. Carrying the wood. For you. For me. For every moment we have ever wondered if God actually meant it when He said He would provide.
He did. Just not in the easy way. In the eternal one.
