This episode focuses narrowly on the explanation of John 8:56, in which Christ notes that Abraham "rejoiced to see My day and was glad." The explanation is very pertinent to the question, "Do Jews and Christians believe in the same God?" For if the father of Judaism, Abraham, actually saw the pre-incarnate Christ, in the context of making a covenant with Yahweh, then faith in God the Father is intimately linked with God the Son. Genesis 15:6-18 describes the covenant that God made with Abraham. When two parties made a covenant both would walk in between animals split in half, pronouncing blessings and curses for keeping the covenant. Abraham did not walk in between the animals but instead saw a "smoking oven and a flaming torch." When interpreted through the words of Christ, that Abraham SAW Christ's day and was glad, Abraham evidently saw his perfect representative, Christ, making a covenant with God the Father--good reason to rejoice. Abraham is described as "ungodly" in Romans 4:3, but is commended because he believes in God who justifies the ungodly. The Abrahamic covenant then anticipates the New Covenant that Christ instituted, in which ungodly men are justified by faith in Him. So even at the very beginning of Judaism, justification by faith in Christ, albeit not explicit, affirms the basis by which sinners approach a holy God, through a perfect representative. With respect to the question then, one can certainly say that Christians and the first Jew (Abraham) believed in the same God.
