Isaiah 63:7-9 -
Our Savior;
Psalm 111 -
Great Works of the Lord;
Galatians 4:4-7 -
Freedom in Christ;
Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 -
Escape to Egypt;
Isaiah Paraphrase:
Let us remember, give thanks and
praise to the Lord for his goodness to his people, in
his mercy and abundant steadfast love. He has treated
them like trusted sons, and has become their Savior. He
took their afflictions upon himself, “and the angel of
his presence saved them” (Isaiah 63:9b); he redeemed
them because he loved and had pity upon them; he lifted
and carried them throughout their past.
Psalm Paraphrase:
Let us praise the Lord. I will thank
the Lord with all my heart, among the congregation of
his upright people. Those who study and recognize the
great works of God will take pleasure in them. He is
worthy of honor and majesty and his righteousness is
eternal. His great works will be remembered for his
graciousness and mercy.
The Lord provides food for those who
fear him; he never forgets his promises. He has revealed
his mighty power by his works to his people, and has
given them the wealth of nations. Everything he does is
faithful and just, and all his teachings are
trustworthy. His Word is established for ever, to be
obeyed in faithfulness and righteousness. The Lord has
sent redemption to his people and established his
covenant for ever. Holy and awesome is his name! “The
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good
understanding have all those who practice it. His praise
endures forever” (Psalm 111:10).
Galatians Paraphrase:
In exactly the right time God sent
his son into the world to be born of a human mother, in
Israel, God’s people, under the Covenant of God’s Law,
to redeem them from the Law so that they could receive
adoption as his children. The gift of the indwelling
Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God’s Son, has been given to
his children, through whom they call God “Father”, and
who testifies that they are children of God. So by God’s
gift we are no longer slaves under the Law, but sons and
daughters, heirs of the kingdom and promises of
God.
Matthew Paraphrase:
An angel of the Lord appeared in a
dream to Joseph in Bethlehem, where Mary had given birth
to Jesus, warning him to escape with Mary and the child
to Egypt, because Herod the Great who ruled over Judah
was seeking to kill Jesus. Joseph got up and left for
Egypt during the night with Mary and the baby as the
Lord had told him.
Mary, Joseph and Jesus lived in Egypt
until the Lord told Joseph that it was safe to return to
Israel because Herod had died. This was the fulfillment
of the prophecy of Hosea 11:1, “Out of Egypt I have
called my son.”
Being warned by the Lord that the son
of Herod the Great, Archelaus, was ruling over Judea
(the southern province of Israel, Joseph and his family
returned to Nazareth in Galilee (the northern province
of Israel, separated from Judea by Samaria), where they
had lived when the angel had announced the conception of
Jesus to Mary (Luke 1:26-38). The name “Nazareth” means
“shoot,” or “sprout,” and Jesus was a “Nazarene” and a
descendant of David, thus fulfilling the prophecy of
Isaiah 11:1 of a shoot, the righteous branch, from the
stump of Jesse (the father of David).
Commentary:
God’s purpose for this Creation has
always been to establish an eternal kingdom of his
people who willingly trust and obey God. God has
designed this creation to allow the possibility of sin
(disobedience of God’s Word) so that we can have the
freedom to choose whether to trust and obey him or not,
and to learn by trial and error. But God retained
control by setting a time limit on Creation and on our
lifetimes, and by his terms of forgiveness and
salvation. Realizing and having the proper respect for
the power and authority of God, who has the power of
eternal life or death over us is the beginning of true
wisdom.
From the very beginning of Creation
(John 1:1-5, 14) Jesus Christ has been God’s one and
only provision for the forgiveness of sin and salvation
from eternal condemnation and eternal destruction (Acts
4:12; John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar,
top right).
God was not surprised when Adam and
Eve disobeyed his Word in the Garden of Eden. Jesus is
not an afterthought by God to save Creation after sin
was introduced.
The Bible is the Word of God and the
history of God’s relationship with his people in
bringing about the fulfillment of his purpose for
Creation, beginning with the call of Abraham. The Bible
is the record of God’s goodness, mercy, love, and
faithfulness, and the progressive revelation of himself
and his purpose for Creation.
By God’s Word, we have all sinned and
fall short of his righteousness (doing what is right
according to his Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), and
the penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23).
By his Word through Isaiah, God has
promised to become our Savior; he promised to take our
sins upon himself, and to provide the “angel” of his
presence to save us. In Jesus Christ God became our
Savior; Jesus was fully human by his mother, and also
fully God by the Holy Spirit (Colossians 2:8-9: John
20:28).
Jesus paid the penalty for our sins
by his crucifixion, to redeem us from the penalty of the
Law. Jesus’ sacrificial death made it possible for us to
receive the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John
16:7), which is only through faith (obedient trust) in
Jesus Christ (John 1:31-34; 14:15-17). The gift of the
Holy Spirit is the “angel” of God’s presence within us
which God promised through Isaiah (angel can be
understood as Spirit (Acts 12:13-15; Revelation 1:1).
Jesus is God’s revelation of himself
in human form. In Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and
resurrection, God’s mighty power was revealed to all
Creation. God has established a New Covenant of
forgiveness, salvation and eternal life by grace
(unmerited favor; a free gift), to be received by faith
in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Through faith in Jesus we have been
redeemed from the condemnation of the Law of sin and
eternal death, provided that we trust and obey Jesus
through the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans
8:1-9). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that
one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians
1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
God has given us this lifetime to
seek and come to a personal fellowship with him (Acts
17:26-27), and this is only possible through faith
(obedient trust) in Jesus Christ, by the gift of the
Holy Spirit.
Mary and Joseph are examples of God’s
people who trusted and obeyed God’s Word. They accepted
and obeyed the guidance of his angel (his Spirit), and
by doing so, helped fulfill God’s eternal purpose, and
received the fulfillment of his promise.
God’s Word is eternal. It is
fulfilled over and over as the conditions for its
fulfillment are met. God’s Word has creative force: God
spoke Creation into being (Genesis 1:3; Hebrews 4:12).
Jesus is the “living” Word of God, fulfilled, embodied
and exemplified in this world in human flesh (John
1:1-5, 14). Jesus’ word is the Word of God (John 14:10,
24), with the creative force of God’s Word (Matthew
8:25-27). He could command us, but he allows us to
choose for ourselves, whether to trust and obey.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23;
Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you
trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you
received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first
truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of
Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus
commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty
where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians
1:13-14)?
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Monday - January 2 - A
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First Posted Jan 2, 2010;
Podcast: January 2-A
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Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18 -
Spirit of Knowledge and Revelation;
Paraphrase:
Let us bless and thank God the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have received
every spiritual blessing in heaven. Before the
foundation of the world God chose us through Christ to
be holy and blameless in his judgment. God destined us
to be his children through Christ according to his will
and purpose, to the praise of his glorious grace
(unmerited favor) which we generously receive in God’s
Beloved.
Paul’s prayer for all believers is
that, through faith in Jesus and love for all the saints
(believers), God would give them “a spirit of wisdom and
revelation of the knowledge of him” (God; Ephesians
1:17b),” that their spiritual eyes might be enlightened,
so that they would know the hope they have been called
to share, and the richness of his inheritance in the
saints.
Commentary:
From the very beginning of Creation,
God has intended to establish an eternal kingdom of his
people who willingly trust and obey God. The meaning and
purpose of life in this world is to seek, find and come
to personally know God (Acts 17:26-27). Jesus Christ has
always been God’s one and only plan (Acts 4:12; John
14:6), through whom we are made holy (consecrated to
serve God) and blameless in God’s Judgment (all our sins
forgiven; sin is disobedience of God’s Word). Jesus has
been designed into this Creation from the very
beginning. God is worthy of praise for his
goodness and mercy to us, which we don’t deserve and
can’t earn, but which he generously gives to us, with
every spiritual blessing in heaven, through faith
(obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9; see
God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).
Believers who trust and obey Jesus
will love the saints (their brothers and sisters in
Christ; John 13:34), and as they trust and obey Jesus
they will receive the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit
(John 14:15-17, 21, 23), the Spirit of God, the Spirit
of Christ (Romans 8:9), the Spirit of wisdom, revelation
and personal knowledge of God (Isaiah 11:2). It is the
indwelling Holy Spirit who teaches and reminds us of all
Jesus’ teachings and empowers us to know and do God’s
will. It is the indwelling Holy Spirit through whom we
know and experience the hope and the richness of our
eternal inheritance that we are called to share. It is
the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Spirit of adoption,
(Romans 8:15) by which we are spiritually “reborn” (John
3:3, 5-8), as children of God, to eternal life.
Only Jesus gives the gift (“baptism;”
“anointing”) of the Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his
disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The
Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in
Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22;
Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). It is
possible for one to know with certainty for oneself,
whether or not one has received the indwelling Holy
Spirit (Acts 19:2).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you
Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying
Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy
Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you
making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey
all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know
with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John
5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)? |
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Tuesday - January 3 - A
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John 1:1-18 - The Living
Word;
Paraphrase:
At the beginning of Creation was the
Word, the active, creative, eternal Word of God. The
Word was with God in unity, and was God (shared the
divine nature; was fully God). He existed in the
beginning with God. Everything in Creation was made
through him and nothing in creation was made without
him. In him was (real, eternal) life “and that life was
the light of men” (John 1:4b). “The light (of
righteousness; eternal life) shines in the (spiritual)
darkness, and the darkness (evil) has not overcome it”
(John 1:5).
John the Baptizer was a man sent from
God to bear witness to the light, so that all could
believe through his testimony. John was not the light
but he came to bear witness to the light.
The true light that gives spiritual
enlightenment to all people was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and he was the creator of
everything in the world, but the people of the world did
not know and recognize him. He came to his own people
and his own town, but his own people rejected him (Luke
4:16-30). “But all who received him, who believed in his
name, he gave the power to become children of God; who
were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor
the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13).
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt
among us, full of grace (unmerited favor; forgiving
love) and truth (faithful promises); we have beheld his
glory, glory as of the only (begotten) Son from the
Father” (John 1:14). This is he of whom John said that
he came after John in chronological appearing, but was
before him in rank and existence. From his abundance we
have received grace upon grace. The Law was given
through Moses, but grace and truth are through Jesus. No
one has ever seen God; but God’s only Son, who is in
complete communion with God, has revealed him.
Commentary:
Jesus Christ is the “living Word;” he
is the fulfillment, embodiment, and exemplification of
God’s Word lived out in this world in human flesh (John
1:1-3, 14). Jesus’ word is the Word of God (John 14:10,
24). Jesus’ word has the creative force of God’s Word
(Matthew 8:23-27). Jesus was fully human and also fully
God (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28). Jesus is God, who
became a man; not the other way around. God the Father,
God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; one God in three
expressions; in unity; the Trinity (Romans 8:9).
The structure of Creation has been
designed with God’s promised Messiah, Jesus Christ at
its very center (Ephesians 1:9-10). God has intended
from the very beginning to create an eternal kingdom of
his people who willingly choose to trust and obey him.
This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and find God
(Acts 17:26-27) and to learn to trust and obey him. God
has created this world to allow for the possibility for
sin (disobedience of God’s Word) so that we will have
true freedom to choose whether or not to trust and obey
God’s Word, but he has also fixed a time limit on
Creation and our individual lifetimes.
All have sinned and fall short of
God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23). The penalty for sin
is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Jesus Christ is God’s
one and only provision for the forgiveness of our sin,
salvation from God’s judgment of eternal condemnation
and destruction, restoration of fellowship with God
which was broken by sin, and eternal life in God’s
heavenly kingdom (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God’s Plan
of Salvation, sidebar, top right).
Jesus is the “light of the world,”
“the light of life” (John 8:12). Light represents
righteousness and darkness is sin and evil. Jesus is the
true righteousness and he imparts his righteousness to
those who trust and obey him (Philippians 3:9; 2 Timothy
4:8).
Light also symbolizes true, spiritual
enlightenment, eternal truth, the wisdom of God (1
Corinthians 1:17-25; 2:1-8) contrasted with the darkness
of spiritual ignorance, false teaching and unbelief
(Romans 1:21; Ephesians 4:18).
Light also represents eternal life
and the eternal kingdom of light (1 Timothy 6:15-16),
contrasted with the darkness of eternal death.
[For me, from a background of High
School Physics many years ago, I understand that the
speed of light is a speed limit in this creation. One
can never reach the speed of light, because as one does,
time slows down and would appear to stop as the limit is
reached. The result would be “relative” to the point of
view of the observer; outside, time stops; inside, time
goes on forever. This is not a scientific argument to
prove “eternity,” but I have learned from experience
that God’s Word is true, whether we understand
everything about this Creation or not.]
Jesus came to his own people, Israel,
God’s chosen people, who had a covenant relationship
with God, who had the Bible scriptures, but many refused
to recognize, accept, trust and obey him. Even in
Nazareth, his hometown, he was rejected and driven out
(Luke 4:16-30).
To those who accept Jesus, who trust
and obey him, Jesus gives the “power” to become adopted
children of God, who are “reborn” by the gift of the
indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John
1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus
(John 14:15-17). Jesus makes it possible for us to be
spiritually “born-again,” but we must receive it by
obedient trust in him. We cannot buy it, earn it or take
it by force or deception. The Holy Spirit is the seal
and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life
(2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11,
15-16).
Abraham was the mediator of the Old
Covenant of Law between God and Israel. The Law was to
restrain evil until the coming of Christ, and to show
that no one is able to be saved by doing good works
(keeping) of the Law (Galatians 2:16). They were only
able to maintain the Covenant by continual sacrifices
for the forgiveness of their sin.
Jesus’ coming ended the Old Covenant
and established the New Covenant of Grace through faith
(obedient trust) in Jesus. Jesus initiated the New
Covenant at the Last Supper, and at his crucifixion, the
curtain of the temple separating the people from the
presence of God was torn in two from top to bottom,
symbolizing that Jesus was the new and better way into
the presence of God (Luke 23:45). Jesus has become the
one and only sacrifice acceptable to God, for all time
and all people, for the forgiveness of sin. The Old
Covenant sacrificial system ended with the destruction
of the temple by the Romans in 70 A.D.
Jesus provides abundant grace (saving
love; unmerited favor) and truth (faithful promises) to
those who trust and obey him. Those who believe God’s
Word recognize Jesus as God’s Son, and those who see and
recognize Jesus, see what God looks like in human flesh.
Only through obedient trust in Jesus can we receive the
indwelling Holy Spirit and come to know Jesus and God
the Father personally and intimately (Revelation 3:20;
John 14:21, 23).
John was the last of the Old
Testament prophets and the first of the New. The true
Church, the “born-again” disciples of Jesus Christ, are
the heirs of John’s call to announce the coming of Jesus
and point others to him.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you
Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying
Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy
Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you
making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey
all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know
with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John
5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)? |
Wednesday - January 4 - A
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First
posted January 4, 2010;
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Ephesians 3:2-12 -
Mystery Revealed;
Paraphrase:
Paul was an evangelist to the
Gentiles because his preaching had been rejected by the
Jews, who had caused Paul to be imprisoned (Acts
21:27-22-29). Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus) had become
a steward of God’s grace to the Gentiles because of a
revelation to him of the mystery of God’s plan. This
mystery had not been known to former generations but had
now been revealed by the (Holy) Spirit to the apostles
and prophets of God. That plan is that Gentiles share
with Jews the same inheritance, members of the same body
and partakers in the same promise in Jesus Christ
through the Gospel.
By God’s grace (unmerited favor) Paul
was made a minister of the Gospel by the power of God
working in and through Paul (by the indwelling Holy
Spirit). Paul considered himself the least worthy of the
saints (believers) and realized that it was God’s
unmerited favor which made it possible for Paul to
proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of
Christ, and to reveal to all people, the mystery of
God’s plan which had been hidden for ages past in God,
the Creator of everything. Through the Church the great
wisdom of God has been revealed to the entire Universe.
This is according to the eternal purpose of God which he
has accomplished in Jesus Christ, our Lord. By faith in
Jesus we can have bold and confident access to God.
Commentary:
God has always intended from the very
beginning of Creation to establish an eternal kingdom of
his people who willingly choose to trust and obey him.
This Creation has been designed according to God’s
eternal purpose. It has been designed to allow the
possibility of sin (disobedience of God’s Word) so that
we truly have free choice whether or not to trust and
obey God. God will not tolerate disobedience forever; he
has placed a time limit on this Creation and on our
lifetimes.
The meaning and purpose of this
temporal lifetime is to seek and come to know God (Acts
17:26-27). This lifetime is our only opportunity to
learn to know, trust and obey God, and to be spiritually
“re-born” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life.
This is only possible through Jesus
Christ, around whom Creation has been designed (John
1:1-3, 14). All of us have sinned and fall short of
God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23), and the penalty for
sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Jesus is God’s one
and only provision for forgiveness of our sin, for
salvation from eternal condemnation, and restoration to
fellowship with God and eternal life in God’s heavenly
kingdom (Acts 4:12, John 14:6). None of us is worthy of
salvation and eternal life; it is the gift of God to be
received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ
(Ephesians 2:8-9; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar,
top right).
In order to have eternal life one
must be “born-again (John 3:3, 5-8), by the gift of the
indwelling Holy Spirit. Only Jesus baptizes with the
Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust
and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the
seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal
life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans
8:9b, 11, 15-16).
Jesus Christ is the revelation of
what formerly was the mystery of God’s eternal purpose,
now revealed to the “born-again” disciples and apostles
(messengers; of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ by the gift
of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus) is the
prototype and example of the “modern,”
“post-resurrection,” “born-again” disciple, apostle
(messenger; of the Gospel) and prophet (spokesman of
God’s Word by the Holy Spirit) of Jesus Christ, as we
all can be. Paul had not known Jesus during Jesus’
physical lifetime and was a persecutor of Christians
until he was confronted on the road to Damascus by the
Spirit of the risen and ascended Christ (Acts 9:1-9). He
repented, accepted Jesus as his Lord (Acts 9:5, 8-9),
was “discipled” by a “born-again” disciple, Ananias
(Acts 9:10-16), until Paul was “born-again” (Acts
9:17-18), and then Paul became an apostle guided and
empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:20). Paul’s rapid
conversion was exceptional, because he was already
formally educated in the scriptures and loved God and
God’s Word.
The true Church is the body of
“born-again” disciples, apostles of Jesus Christ and
prophets of God’s Word, stewards of the Gospel. They
have received and personally experienced the revelation
of the mystery of God’s plan in Jesus Christ by the
indwelling Holy Spirit (John 16:12-15), and are guided
and empowered by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Gospel
and to make disciples of Jesus Christ in fulfillment of
the Great Commission which the risen Jesus gave to his
disciples (Matthew 28:19-20), to be carried out after
they had been “born-again” (Luke 24:49: Acts 1:4-5, 8).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23;
Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you
trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you
received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first
truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of
Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus
commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty
where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians
1:13-14)?
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Thursday - January 5 - A
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First
posted January 5, 2010;
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Psalm 72 - Prayer
for the King;
Paraphrase:
The psalmist prayed that the king
would dispense God’s justice and righteousness. O that
he would judge God’s people with righteousness and give
justice for the poor. May the land prosper and provide
favorable conditions. May the king uphold the cause of
the needy, give relief to the needy and eliminate the
oppressor.
May he live as long as the universe
exists, through all generations. May he be like
refreshing showers on mown grass. In his reign may
righteousness flourish and peace abound until the
universe passes away.
May his dominion be from sea to sea
and from the river (Euphrates; cradle of civilization)
to the ends of the earth. May he have victory over his
enemies and completely subdue them. May the kings of the
earth pay tribute to him. May they bring him gifts, fall
down before him, and all nations serve him.
The Lord’s anointed King delivers the
needy, the poor and helpless; he pities the poor and
“saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and
violence he redeems their life; precious is their blood
in his sight” (Psalm 72:13b-14).
May he have long life, “may gold of
Sheba (south Arabia) be given to him. May prayer and
blessing be offered for him continually” (Psalm 72:15b).
May the Land produce food in abundance and its people
thrive and prosper.
“May his name endure forever, and his
fame continue as long as the sun! May men bless
themselves by him, and all nations call him blessed”
(Psalm 72:17)
May the Lord God of Israel be
blessed; He alone does marvelous things. May his great
name be blessed forever; may the entire earth be filled
with his glory! Amen! Amen!
Commentary:
The Lord was to be the King of
Israel. When Israel asked for an earthly king like other
nations, the Lord allowed it, although he warned them
that their earthly king would tax them and conscript
them to serve him, and not deal with them as righteously
and lovingly as the Lord (1 Samuel 8:4-22). Samuel
was a priest and prophet of God who began the
“anointing” of God’s chosen person to be king (1 Samuel
10:1-2).
Of the earthly kings of Israel, David
was the closest to the ideal king and prefigured the
coming of the Messiah (Messiah and Christ; mean
“anointed” in Hebrew and Greek, respectively), the
“anointed” eternal king God had intended from the very
beginning of Creation.
Jesus Christ is the “Messiah,” the
“royal Son,” the fulfillment of the psalmist’s prophecy
of a king who would dispense God’s justice and
righteousness; the righteous judge who would give
justice to the poor, needy and helpless, and defeat the
oppressor.
Jesus is the eternal king who will
reign over God’s eternal kingdom in heaven. In his reign
righteousness and peace flourish and abound for ever. He
will reign over all the earth; he is the King of kings
and Lord of lords. His name will continue forever. All
people will bless themselves by him and call him
blessed.
This psalm is messianic prophecy,
foretelling the coming of the Lord’s “anointed” eternal
King. At Jesus’ birth, wise men (the “three kings”) from
the east came seeking the child who had been born King
of the Jews (Matthew 2:1-2). They came to the Christ
child in Bethlehem and bowed down before him and gave
him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Earthly “kings” will be judged by
God’s Word according to how they treat the poor, the
needy, and the helpless. America claims to be a
“Christian” nation, with leaders who claim to be
“Christian.” We claim to have a government of the
people, by the people, for the people. But increasingly
it is the government of the people, by the rich, for the
rich. Instead of being a land of equal opportunity it is
becoming a society of two classes: the “haves” and the
“have-nots,” with a widening separation between the two.
Jesus has promised to return on the
Day of Judgment in great power and glory, to judge
everyone who has ever lived. In that day every knee
shall bow and every tongue confess to God (Romans
14:11). Those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and have
trusted and obeyed Jesus will receive eternal life in
his eternal kingdom in heaven, the fulfillment of the
psalmist’s prophecy of a land of righteousness, peace
and prosperity. Those who have rejected Jesus and have
refused to trust and obey him will be condemned to
eternal destruction in Hell with all evil (Matthew
25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10; see God’s Plan of
Salvation, sidebar, top right).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23;
Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you
trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you
received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first
truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of
Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus
commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty
where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians
1:13-14)?
Friday - Epiphany - January 6 - A
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First
posted January 6, 2011;
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Epiphany means "manifestation."
The Church commemorates the first manifestation of
Christ to the Gentiles, at the coming of the Magi
("Wise Men").
Isaiah 60:1-6 -
Zion Restored;
Mathew 2:1-12 - The Wise Men;
Isaiah Paraphrase:
[This text was written just prior
to the fall of Babylon and looks forward to the
restoration of Judah, the remnant of Israel, to the
Promised Land after their Babylonian exile.]
Zion (Jerusalem, the people of God)
is urged to arise and shine, reflecting the glory of
the Lord which is rising upon them. There is thick
(spiritual) darkness upon the peoples (Gentiles) but
the Lord will shine upon Zion and the Gentiles will
see the glory of the Lord reflected by Zion, and the
nations will come to that light, “and kings to the
brightness of your rising” (Isaiah 60:3b).
Look around and see; all gather
together and come to Zion, her sons and daughters come
from far away. Then Zion will be radiant and rejoice,
“because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to
you, and the wealth of nations shall come to you. A
multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels
of Midian and Ephah (Arab tribes east of the Red Sea);
all those from Sheba (Descendants of Noah through
Raamah, who settled on the Persian Gulf, to the east;
Genesis 10:7) shall come. They shall bring gold and
frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the
Lord” Isaiah 60:5b-6).
Matthew Paraphrase:
When Jesus had been born in
Bethlehem in Judea (the southern Roman province of
Israel; the Kingdom of Judah before the Exile) in the
reign of Herod the Great, “Wise men from the East came
to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born
king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the
East, and have come to worship him’” (Matthew 2:2).
This upset Herod who caused turmoil throughout
Jerusalem, assembling all the priests and scribes to
find the scriptural basis of this event. The religious
authorities quoted Micah 5:2, saying that the location
was to be Bethlehem in Judea (Judah).
Herod summoned the wise men and in
private found out the date that the star had appeared,
and told the wise men to return to Herod when they had
found the child, so that Herod could go and worship
him also. The wise men left and continued to follow
the star until it came to rest over the place where
the child was. They were filled with great joy and
entering, they found the child with his mother, Mary,
and they fell down and worshiped him. Then they
presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and
myrrh. Then they returned to their homes by another
route, having been warned in a dream not to return to
Herod.
Commentary:
This is the day that the Church
celebrates the visit of the Wise Men (the “Three
Kings,” “Magi”) to Christ. It is the first
manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. This text of
Isaiah was written prior to the fall of Babylon in 539
B.C.*
God’s Word is absolutely reliable
and true, and it is eternal; it is fulfilled over and
over as the conditions for its fulfillment are met.
The test of God’s Word is its fulfillment (Deuteronomy
18:21-22).
The prophecy of Isaiah was
marvelously fulfilled in the return of Judah, the
remnant of Israel, to the Promised Land after seventy
years of exile in Babylon, and it was fulfilled again
at the first Advent (coming) of Christ and the visit
by the Wise Men.
The prophecy also applies to the
Church, the “New Zion,” and to Christians who are the
“New Israel,” the “New People of God.”
Christ comes individually and
personally through the gift of the indwelling Holy
Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to
his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John
14:15-17). He is the one who frees us from captivity
in Babylon and restores us to the Promised Land of his
eternal kingdom. We are “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) by
his “birth” within us.
Christians are “born-again”
disciples of Jesus Christ who are called to rise and
shine with the reflected glory of Jesus Christ, the
“Light of the World (John 1:9; 8:12).” Light is the
symbol of divine righteousness and divine truth, not
by worldly standards but by the standard of Jesus
Christ and the Word of God.
None of us are righteous in God’s
judgment by our own doings (Romans 3:23). Only through
faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ can we fulfill
the requirements of God’s Word. None of us can know
eternal truth and divine wisdom except through faith
in Jesus Christ (John 14:6; 1 Corinthians 1:17-25;
2:1-8). The fear (appropriate respect for the power
and authority) of the Lord is the beginning of true,
divine wisdom (Proverbs 9:10, Palms 111:10).
Jesus has called his followers to
be his disciples (Acts 11:26c) and to be the “light of
the world” (Matthew 5:14-16) in the spiritual darkness
of this world, so that we will draw people to Jesus
who is the source of righteousness and truth.
The “Wise Men” were wise in worldly
knowledge and they were able to see the signs of God
in nature which led them to Jerusalem, the “city of
God,” but they needed “believers” who were
knowledgeable of the scriptures who were able to point
them to Christ (“Messiah;” both words mean “anointed”
in Greek and Hebrew, respectively; i.e., the promised
Savior). The Jewish religious leaders considered
themselves wise in religious knowledge, had the
scriptures (the Old Testament Bible), and knew God’s
promise of Christ, yet failed to trust and act on the
scriptures themselves, to seek and find the Christ.
In many ways the situation is the
same in our society today. Educated people are seeking
spiritual answers in the wrong places. Religious
people know a lot about God, but don’t know God
personally. Leaders have formal education in the
Bible, but don’t trust and obey the Word and receive
the promises. Some use the Bible to further their own
self-interests, instead of seeking to worship and
serve the Lord.
Are you Wise? Are you seeking the
Lord with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13; Deuteronomy
4:29)? Are you willing to worship him and give him
your best gift, your obedience?
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23;
Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you
trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you
received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first
truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of
Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus
commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty
where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians
1:13-14)?
*The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version,
Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Introduction
to Isaiah, p. 822, New York, Oxford University Press,
1962.
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Saturday - January 7 A
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Use
only until First Sunday after Epiphany.
First posted January 7, 2011;
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Psalm 45:7-9;
Paraphrase:
Because the Lord’s anointed king
loves righteousness and hates wickedness, God has
anointed him with the “oil of gladness” above others.
His robes are fragrant with precious perfumes. In
ivory palaces stringed instruments play for his
pleasure. Daughters of kings are among the bride’s
attendants, and at his right hand is his queen adorned
in gold of Ophir (a gold-producing region; perhaps
India).
Commentary:
This psalm was probably written to
celebrate a king’s marriage. It also applies to the
Messiah (Christ, God’s anointed eternal king) and his
bride, the Church.
Jesus is the Lord’s anointed
eternal King of kings. Jesus had the same standards of
righteousness and wickedness as God, and he was
obedient to God’s Word unto physical death on the
Cross, so God raised him up to eternal life and has
given him a name and authority above all others, in
heaven and on earth (Philippians 2:8-11; Matthew
28:18).
The true Church (as distinct from
the “nominal” Church) is the body of “born-again”
(John 3:3, 5-8) “disciples” (Acts 11:26c) of Jesus
Christ. The true Church is the bride of Christ
(Revelation 19:7-9), the “New Jerusalem” (Revelation
21:2). Those who trust and obey Jesus receive the
wedding garment, the “anointing” (gift) of the
indwelling Holy Spirit, without which no one will be
allowed to attend the wedding (Matthew 22:11-14).
Those who trust and obey Jesus
receive the “robe” of righteousness and the “garment”
of salvation (Isaiah 61:10); it is Jesus’
righteousness and salvation which they are given, not
their own, through his indwelling Holy Spirit within
them (Romans 8:9; see God’s Plan of Salvation,
sidebar, top right). Only Jesus baptizes with the Holy
Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust
and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the
seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has
eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14;
Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). It is possible for one to
know with certainty for oneself whether or not one has
received the “anointing” of the indwelling Holy Spirit
(Acts 19:2).
The wedding of the king is coming
soon! We must get ready for the celebration. The
Church is called to be the “ivory palace” of the king,
precious and pure; not a social club. Her members are
to be clothed in the wedding garments. We’re to be
making “music” pleasing to the king. We’re to be
serving the Lord, preparing for the wedding and
glorifying him. We’re to be alert for his coming, not
caught napping; not short of “oil” for our “lamps”
(Matthew 25:1-13); not abusing our fellow servants;
not indulging our physical appetites (Matthew
24:45-51).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23;
Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you
trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you
received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first
truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of
Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus
commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty
where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians
1:13-14)?
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