The roughly dressed country preacher knew these sophisticated city folk were very proud of their outstanding ancestry. He also knew they were filled with bad attitudes. So he boldly told them: “Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham as our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham” (Matthew 3:9).
God made man out of dust and woman from a rib. God gave Abraham a son (Isaac) by using the womb of an elderly lady way past menopause. So God can just as easily make more children for Abraham out of stones. And, in effect, God has done just that.
It is not the citizens of the nation of Israel in the Middle East who are today the people of God (except for those few who believe in Christ). In his first epistle, Peter addresses those who have been “redeemed… with the precious blood of Christ… being born again.” Then he says to them: “You also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house… You are… a holy nation… which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God” (1 Peter 1:18-23;2:5-10). Only those born again are the people of God today.
Physical Jews are no longer the true descendents of Abraham (unless they are in Christ). The Holy Spirit says: “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ… If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:27-29). God takes stony-hearted Gentiles (and stony-hearted physical Jews) and makes them sons of Abraham when they are baptized into Christ. Christians today are the heirs of the promises God made to Abraham.