A major theme in 2 Corinthians 3 is boldness. 2 Corinthians 3:12 states:
“Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.”
In this verse we also see the word hope. Hope is different in the Bible than it is in the English language. Hope as an English word often conveys doubt, but almost always in the New Testament the word hope is the Greek elpis/elpizo. There is no doubt attached to this word. This means that when we see the word hope in the Bible, we know it means confidence and security.
So, if there is no doubt in this type of hope, let me ask you a question. What would change in your demeanor if you knew… I mean really knew that the hope you have is assured? If you already knew you won the game or aced the test, you would be bold and confident in what you are trying to do. Biblical hope is a reality, not just a feeling. It’s a sure foundation that we can build our lives on.
Kirk Cameron once asked the question, if you had the cure for cancer would you keep it to yourself, or would you share it? If you knew you could save someone’s life you would be more bold. As Christians we have the opportunity to save people by being bold with our faith. We are called to give an answer to anyone that would ask.
“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).
When was the last time you were bold enough to share your faith?
-Brooke Cisneros
Reflection Questions
What would change in your demeanor if you knew… I mean really knew that the hope you have is assured? How would you explain your hope – and how it is different from a hope with doubt?
When was the last time you were bold enough to share your faith?
How can you boldly share your faith today? Will you?
In today’s readings, again we find ourselves in Psalm 51, and while I’m not going to write about it all 6 days we will be reading it, based on some commentaries I’ve read, there are definitely those who could!
It’s hard for me to read Psalm 51:10-11 and not find myself humming the chorus you may also know, “Create in me a clean hea-a-art, o-o-o, God, and renew a right spirit within me. . .” What I thought was interesting though was that reading along in my ESV, the words matched up exactly to the song I knew so I was absolutely stuck with the music running through my head. The next time I read it I must have used NASB when I stumbled into “renew a steadfast spirit within me” which is when I realized Keith Green apparently didn’t use that version, it added a syllable, and threw me off! Different versions use different words, fine and dandy. But, I realized I just didn’t equate “steadfast” with “right” in my use of the words. It makes sense reading either one in the Psalm, but it led me to do a bit more of a word study I found interesting.
The word “steadfast” (or “right”) in verse 10 is used approximately 217 times in the Bible, but the only place it is translated steadfast is 6 times in the book of Psalms. Other translations of this word throughout scripture include: made ready, established, set, formed, reliable, trustworthy. This helped me get a better grasp on the desirable type of spirit David was asking God to renew in him.
I also really liked how David wished to use his experiences of sin/guilt/repentance to help others and bring God glory as we see in verses 13-14. I am grateful David’s testimony lasted the centuries, and grateful for the testimonies I have heard in people throughout my life as well. We know as a society even from a more medical/psychological perspective that guilt and shame are two incredibly destructive emotions for mental and physical health for those of any age. Top of the list kind of emotions selected for those struggling with severe depression, suicidal thoughts, and other health problems. When we are stuck in a pattern of guilt and shame or know others stuck in that pattern, we need a sovereign God with a perfect plan of forgiveness and reconciliation to help just like David did. As we experience life including its mistakes and wrongs, like David, we want to share the mercy and hope we have been given with others in our lives.
As Psalm 51 ends, we see reference to Zion and the walls of Jerusalem prospering. It seems historically there have been some varying interpretations from theologians/commentators on these last two verses. Some hold the belief that just these two verses were added later during the time in exile after Jerusalem had been destroyed, and others suggest they were more prophetic words of David. Regardless of who wrote them and when they were written, I like that the Psalm ends with a tie to Jerusalem. A city that will continue to be in our news it seems throughout our lifetimes, and a hope of a New Jerusalem one day where there will not be sin, tears, pain, sorrow. Until then, may we seek to be restored and upheld like Psalm 51 so beautifully describes.
Isn’t it funny how you can read the same passage of scripture numerous times and still find new nuggets within it? I know the story of Rahab quite well, and since I love studying strong women of the Bible, I even read a historical fiction novella about her (“Unashamed” by Francine Rivers, if you’re interested). Still, I discovered a rabbit trail of new insight into Rahab through an oft-overlooked Bible feature: the footnote.
In the first verse of Joshua 2 (NIV), upon noticing a footnote following the word “prostitute,” I glanced to the bottom of the page to find this clarification: “or possibly, an innkeeper.” Excuse me? “Innkeeper” and “prostitute” are very different occupations! As I dug deeper, I found respectable commentaries arguing on both sides of the fence why one interpretation was definitely more likely than the other, and some even suggested that she operated both an inn and a brothel. In either case, Rahab was a Gentile who, because she met many travelers, was privy to a lot of information about the happenings outside her city walls, including the miraculous power of the God of Israel. When the king’s men came to inquire about the spies, she not only hid them, but committed treason by leading the guards astray to chase after the spies, knowing full well they were hiding on her roof. Rahab risked her life to protect the spies, and the spies honored her request to spare her life (and the lives of her family) when they would later take over Jericho. Not only was her physical life spared, but Rahab married Salmon (who was perhaps one of the spies), became grafted into God’s chosen people, and is mentioned as an ancestor to Jesus.
Let’s assume that she was a prostitute, as many interpretations of the Bible seem to imply. This woman was super important to the success of God’s people. Though we think she had a dark past, Rahab feared and trusted God perhaps even more than the Israelites did. How cool is it that God used not only a Gentile, but a promiscuous one at that, to help His people gain their Promised Land! It really gives us all hope that God can use us no matter our histories. In Romans 15, Paul reminds his readers that he is preaching not only to his fellow Jews, but also to help the Gentiles know about the saving power of Jesus. Thank God that his grace is for all of us!
Psalm 44 ties well into this storyline of conquering Jericho, confirming over and over again that it is only by God’s power that people throughout history have conquered their enemies: “They did not conquer the lands with their swords; it was not their own strength that gave them victory. It was by your mighty power that they succeeded… only by your power can we push back our enemies; only in your name can we trample our foes… it is you who gives us victory over our enemies.” (Psalm 44:3,5,7)
I’ll close with this blessing for your day from Romans 15:13 (NIV): “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
-Rachel Cain
Reflections:
– God has a history of using “unworthy” people (like Rahab) for His glory. Reflect on your life, your unworthiness. How has God used your story for His glory? In what ways can you allow Him to do that even more in the coming years?
– Can you think of anyone in your life whom you would have judged as unworthy, whom God has saved for his glory? Praise God for His faithfulness to all of us!
You’ve had the opportunity to read Psalm 42 for the last few days and maybe you have some ideas of why God included this in His Word to us.
One commentary titled this Psalm as “Honest prayer from a discouraged saint” (Enduring Word). You can see that the Psalmist was discouraged when writing these verses: “My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, ‘Where is your God?’” (3). “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” (5a). “As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, ‘Where is your God?’” (10).
Satan taunts us, trying to make us doubt God’s goodness and His omnipresence. His ploy works far too often. We look at this world and see the sorrow, stress, and sinfulness that is everywhere and it is easy to become discouraged and to doubt.
The Psalmist recognizes that he is feeling cast down and in turmoil. He brings those feelings to God in verse 9a, “I say to God, my rock: ‘Why have you forgotten me?’”. While he honestly tells God he’s feeling forgotten by Him, he still has confidence in Him and shows that in calling him “God, my rock”. God can handle our honest outpouring of emotions – even the really big, overwhelming ones!
The Psalmist responds to these feelings by remembering a time of praising God (4), telling himself he will praise Him again (5, 11), recalling God’s love (8), and telling himself to hope in God (5, 11). Rather than dwelling on what is wrong, he chooses to believe what he knows to be true and to hope in that. He knows God is trustworthy and able to save. Even when he doesn’t feel it.
Feelings are fickle. They come and go; swing up and down. Feelings are not dependable. But they are real. The evil in this world is also real. And we can become discouraged just like the Psalmist did. God wanted us to have an example of how to handle these feelings. And to ultimately choose to hope in Him.
Amy Blanchard
Reflection Questions
Are you discouraged? Why – what is making you feel that way? Tell God about it. Then take some time to counter that feeling with a reminder that God is always with you and will always love you. There is hope!
For all living things, water means life or death. This Psalm begins with a word picture of a deer panting for water. It brings to mind a desperation – in this picture, a desperation of being thirsty and needing water to survive. Then he says that just like that deer, his soul thirsts for God and he asks when he shall appear before God. Again, reflecting a desperation, this time not for water, but for fellowship with God. Have you ever been desperate for a closeness with God? I find that the more time I spend with Him, the more I crave that connection. If God seems distant to you, try spending some quality time with Him.
After Jesus’ death and resurrection Jesus ascends into heaven in Acts 1:11. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
In Mark 13:14–37, Jesus prepared his followers for intense persecution and tribulation in the days ahead and especially during the end times. He gives them hope to endure these trials by describing his glorious return as the conquering King of the universe (verses 24–27). To keep them from despairing in dark times, the Lord wants them to live in readiness for His second coming. “However,” Jesus states, “no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!” (verses 32–33).
“Day” and “hour” are often used in Scripture as references to time in general (see Matthew 7:22; 10:19; 24:42, 44, 50; 25:13; 26:45). But in Mark 13, Jesus focuses on a specific event in the future. Because no one knows the day or the hour of His return, Jesus stresses the need to pay attention, stay awake, and be ready at a moment’s notice. Multiple times in Mark 13, Jesus calls for people to be ready, to be watching: “Be on guard! Stay alert!” (verse 33), “Watch for his return” (verses 34), “You, too, must keep watch!” (verse 35), “Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning” (verse 36), and “Watch for him!” (verse 37).
The disciples wanted to know when the end would come (see Mark 13:3–4). But Jesus told them that even he did not know (verse 33). Jesus acknowledges God as omniscient alone. Since no other mortal knows the time of Jesus’ return, Jesus, as the perfect son of God didn’t know the day or hour of his return, nor did the angels in heaven, only God the Father. It is possible that Jesus, now in his glorified state, knows the day and hour of his return. But at that moment, speaking with his disciples, the information was not at Christ’s disposal. Later, just before His ascension, Jesus would remind them, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority” (Acts 1:7). Jesus accepted his human limitations, and so must we. The thing that matters is being ready every day for his return. What is stopping you from being ready?
Believers of every age have experienced persecution, natural disasters, and earthly trials. We all have our cross to bear. We all have our issues to deal with. We know how difficult it can be to live in this world. Genuine disciples must understand that these challenges are a daily reality of life in a fallen world. Yet, believers are not without hope because, in the end, our victorious King will return for us. Romans 8:38-39“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
In the meantime, since no one knows the day or the hour, we are to watch and be ready for Him no matter what we must endure as we continue His mission of spreading the good news of God’s kingdom”. You don’t have to know the day or the hour. You just have to be ready. God has already supplied the victory through his son Jesus Christ
Many have tried to predict the day of Christ’s return, but Scripture is straightforward—no one knows the day or the hour. Jesus said to stay awake because his coming will be a surprise: “Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed”. Now we might not know when Christ will return, but we should know when he has come to us and saved us. Do you remember that day? Do you remember that hour that your Lord and savior came to you? The day you accepted him? If not, I hope and pray that you search this day, this hour, to find Christ and know him completely. His day is coming soon. Are you ready?
-Andy Cisneros
Reflection Questions
Are you ready for the return of Jesus Christ?
What can you do to make preparations?
What should we be looking for? Why did Jesus give us these warnings?
A teacher poses a challenging question in his class. Most students begin to ponder, some begin to turn and whisper, some cross their fingers and hope they are not asked to contribute. Not a single hand goes in the air. The teacher repeats the question; this time, he says it in a different way. It doesn’t help. Thoughts become more frantic. Anxiety increases. Some students begin to avoid eye contact. At the moment that it seems that the teacher will start combing the class for a response, a lone hand ascends into the air. It is that kid who knows everything. Thank you, that kid who knows everything! The teacher calls on her, and you are saved from having to answer the question. All’s right with the world; you now can rest easy.
I have seen this scenario played out many times as both a student and a teacher. No matter how difficult the question, it seems there is always one person in our lives who is prepared to answer it. Whether it is at school, in your family, your circles of friends, or your work, there is always that one person (who very well may be you) that you turn to that has the experience, knowledge, or wisdom it takes to figure out life’s most difficult questions.
A passage in today’s text is like “that kid who knows everything.” It is the all-encompassing answer that holds God’s key and fundamental truth in which we can fix our hope. It stops us from over-thinking, stifles our anxiety, and helps us to take on, not avoid challenging situations, like:
When you are having trouble making sense of the world around you
When you feel like your prayers are not being answered
When you seek “the reason” THIS is happening to YOU
When you lose someone or something you dearly love
When justice cannot be found
When we lose our health or happiness
When we face many other examples from Job 19:7-20
This is Job’s answer and ours:
Job 19:25-27 – “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
It is not resignation. It is not a cop-out. It does not mean you stop seeking, studying, or pursuing. It is the assurance and peace which you can rest in and be guided in while you are waiting.
-Aaron Winner
(Originally posted December 18, 2016)
Reflection Questions
What are some of the hard questions Job was wrestling with? What hard questions do you have?
What was Job’s “that kid who knows everything” answer in Job 19? What is the definition of redeemer? Do you have one – who lives? How do you know?
What is your hope for the future? How does this give you peace today?
If you’ve ever been to the Texas Roadhouse restaurant, there is one thing you can always count on: bread and cinnamon butter. This is provided before every meal as a free appetizer, and on more than one occasion, we’ve had enough to be full by the time our actual meal arrived (the same can be said of the breadsticks at Olive Garden). Those rolls were not the meal, and were never intended to be the only thing you enjoyed: however, it gave you a taste of what was to come later, and whet your appetite for more (if you had enough room left in your stomach).
Our passage in Matthew 14 reminds me of our experiences at Texas Roadhouse: it offers us a “taste of what’s to come” in the kingdom of God. There were many people following Jesus at the time, and they were hungry from their journey of traveling after him: so Jesus miraculously offers them enough bread and fish to feed 5,000 men (probably about 10,000 people when you include women and children). What Jesus was doing was showing them what the kingdom of God was going to be like, as he was talking to them about its splendor. In Isaiah 25:6-9, we learn that the kingdom of God will be a time of tremendous feasting and the end of hunger forever: Jesus gives the crowd a foretaste of what this incredible moment will be like by doing this miracle for them.
There are two cautions that all Christians should be aware of when it comes to the kingdom of God. First, there are some Christians who are only focused on the kingdom of God in the future. While we still wait for the kingdom to come fully, we are able to presently experience some of it NOW and offer that to others (notice that Jesus invited his disciples to perform this miracle first). We are able to enjoy some of the kingdom of God’s blessings now, through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, as we anxiously await to experience it fully in the end when Jesus comes. We should never neglect the fact that “the kingdom of God is in our midst” when we have Christ dwelling inside of us (Luke 17:20-21).
The second caution for Christians is living too much in this life without having a hope for the future reign of God’s kingdom. Jesus is very clear: the kingdom of God will not come fully until he returns (Matthew 25:31-40). While we can experience an “appetizer” now, it’s not the full meal: never fill up completely on the blessings of this age, but look forward with hope towards the future when Jesus returns. We should LOVE his appearing in the clouds, longing for that day to come soon (2 Timothy 4:8). We need a balance of now and then: living for the future kingdom today, with hope that it is coming soon.
Do you look forward to Jesus’ return and the kingdom of God? How can you enjoy it today?
Talon Paul
Reflection Questions
Do you look forward to Jesus’ return and the kingdom of God?
How can you enjoy it today?
How can you help feed (spiritually and/or physically) those who are hungry for more of Jesus and those in need of an appetizer of the coming glorious feast in the kingdom of God?
Here we are, the last day of 2023. We’ve come to the end of the year. We’ve also come to the end of this eight day focus on the life of Jesus. We started with the announcement that he was to be born, then his birth announcement, his escape to Egypt, his new beginning in Nazareth, his baptism and testing, his ministry, his death, this resurrection, his ascension to heaven and now we’ve reached the end. Revelation 21 is a picture of what the future will be after all of the other prophecies surrounding the end of this age and the return of Jesus to reign are completed. I’m going to insert one passage from 1 Corinthians 15 to help transition us to Revelation 21.
“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-24).
Paul here gives the basic outline: Christ died and became alive again. When he comes again those who belong to Christ will, in the same way become alive again, never more to die. Jesus will reign for a time, Revelation 20 says it will be 1000 year or a millennium, and at the end of that time there will be a final judgment and all of the powers which opposed God since the beginning will finally be destroyed, at which time Jesus will hand over the kingdom to God himself who will come and reign over us in person.
Today’s reading in Revelation 21 shows what will happen after Jesus hands over the kingdom to God. God sets up his kingdom on earth, in what Revelation calls the New Jerusalem (it’s much larger than the present city of Jerusalem).
This brings the Bible full circle. In Genesis 1-3 when God first created the earth, he came to the Garden of Eden to visit with Adam and Eve in person. After they sinned and were cast out of the garden, they were separated from God. They could no longer dwell in the presence of God. God made provision for his people through various tabernacles and temples that would have a very holy place where the glory of God would come and where a representative of the people, the high priest would come once a year. But God’s presence was always mediated by other forms- a burning bush, an angel, pillar of fire or pillar of cloud. Now, in Revelation 21, God is back fully on earth with his people, in an unmediated direct way. There’s no need for a temple now, for everyone who is there has been made holy by the blood of Jesus which has cleansed them from their sins. They are immortal and sinless. There will be no more death or pain or brokenness. The Lord God announces, “I am making everything new.”
Tomorrow begins a new year, 2024. My best guess is, not much will change in the world. Yes, you’ll need a new calendar. People might have a new insurance plan. But there will still be sickness, there will still be wars, people will still be snarky on social media and the Democrats and Republicans will continue to fight. And people will still die. That’s not going to change until Jesus returns and puts a final nail in the coffin of evil in this world. This passage gives us a hopeful picture of what the world will be like after that happens, when God comes to live with us, when the final enemy of death will be destroyed and God makes all things new.
The world will be the same tomorrow, but you can be made new. If you put your full faith and trust in Jesus and follow him, he will make you new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”. Will you choose to be in Christ, will you be made new? Happy new year and happy new you!
-Jeff Fletcher
Reflection Questions
How would you describe Revelation 21 to someone who has never read it before? What do you find most exciting about the New Heaven and the New Earth and New Jerusalem?
Have you chosen to be in Christ? How does life in Christ create a new creation?
Through your Bible reading what have you learned about God and His Son Jesus in 2023? How can what you learned change you? How can you put this knowledge to use in 2024? Who needs to know what you know? Thank God for revealing Himself to you through His holy Scriptures.
Watch for the NEW 2024 SeekGrowLove Bible reading plan to be revealed later today!
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
It’s Christmas Day! The day we have all been waiting for. Unless you’re really, really good, you likely will have already gotten up, peeked in your stocking and maybe opened gifts with your family. You may have even eaten a large meal. Maybe now you’re taking a few minutes to check your email and give some attention to your devotions for the day. Whether you’re reading this at 8 a.m. or 8 p.m., it’s still Christmas Day. A day you’ve been waiting for. Christmas comes every year so at most, you’ve had to wait 364 days for Christmas.
The people of Israel had to wait hundreds of years for the first Christmas. From the time King David was first promised that his son would be the Messiah and would reign forever, it had been many generations. Now that day had finally come. Normally, when a royal birth happens, especially a future King, it’s a pretty big deal. There are grand proclamations that come from out of important palaces in important cities. The whole community might stand outside the walls of the royal palace to hear the great news officially announced. But this first Christmas announcement was quite different. It wasn’t in the city of Jerusalem outside the palace walls, it was in the fields of rural Bethlehem. The audience wasn’t the whole city gathered, it was a few sleepy shepherds in the middle of the night making sure their sheep were safe from predators. The one making the announcement wasn’t the royal page or member of the court of Jerusalem, it was an angelic messenger of God.
News of the Messiah’s birth went largely unnoticed for many years. It would take several announcements from God “a voice from heaven saying, this is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased.” Eventually, his few disciples understood that he was the Messiah. What finally sold many people was his death and resurrection. The Bible says that one day “every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord” (Messiah/king). On this Christmas Day, let us be sure that we not only hear and believe the Good News that at long last the promised Messiah was born in a manger in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago, but that he died for our sins and God raised him up from death and clothed him in immortality, he has ascended to the side of God and will come again to reign over all. One day every knee will bow, but for today, be sure that you are bowing and giving your allegiance to King Jesus, and be sure to share this news with everyone you know.
Merry Christmas!
-Jeff Fletcher
Reflection Questions
How was God’s plan for a Messiah different from what many people expected? What do you love about how God brought about His plan for a Messiah? What does His plan reveal about Him?
Does your holiday festivities show that you are celebrating that Jesus is Lord? How are you bowing before him and confessing that he is Lord – yesterday, today and tomorrow?
How can you share the good news of great joy? Who needs to hear it?
Every city has a story. My parents and extended family grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and most school breaks, I went to Cleveland. While some refer to it as “the mistake on the lake”, I love the city! I like the architecture and history, the cultural diversity and ethnic foods, the Westside market, being right on Lake Erie, the Metropark system, a plethora of cute donut shops putting my hometown in southern Indiana to shame, and what is still my favorite ice cream place ever, Malley’s! But, while I enjoyed visiting and genuinely liked the place, I didn’t have the memories of what it used to be like or appreciate the changes as much as those in my family who had known its previous years. It seemed like around every corner though someone had a story. My Dad’s old high school is now an apartment complex. My Mom’s old church that she went to take pictures of is….shall we say…. no longer in a neighborhood welcoming cheerful little ladies in Oldsmobiles with cameras driving slowly down the street snapping photos and pointing. Now Cleveland hasn’t been destroyed like Jerusalem was, and it is still a great city, but as a person who never saw the “olden days”, I couldn’t appreciate all of the changes in the same way. In today’s reading of Isaiah 61, I think it is important to remember that Isaiah KNEW Jerusalem. He had grown up there in its glory days, and he knew what it had been. Similar to stories of people who see their cities and countries devastated by war today, Isaiah had seen a city destroyed. When he uses phrases like verse 4 “ancient ruins” and “devastations of many generations”, he could visualize exactly what it used to be. How painful that must have been without the promise God gave him that he shared with others through his prophecy.
The Hebrew name for Jerusalem is Yerushalayim which I recently learned while attending a Bible study, is a combination of the Hebrew word “Yireh” (referencing an abiding place) and “Shalem” (meaning peace or complete). Hence….sometimes we hear “the City of Peace”. Hmm. If you haven’t heard much about Jerusalem yourself, a quick Wikipedia scan of facts doesn’t seem to cry out “city of peace” to me:
destroyed twice
besieged 23 times
attacked 52 times
captured and recaptured 44 times
And really, who could possibly keep count of the violence and destruction given – it’s one of the world’s oldest cities. But, it is also a city of current world conflict, not just the past. We see its involvement in current world events, and we can read of its historical and future significance in the Bible. In fact, Jerusalem is mentioned over 800 times in the Bible! It seems to be a place that is important to God. Eternal peace also seems to be important to Him, and while Isaiah saw the city destroyed once, Isaiah also prophesied the LORD’s message regarding a coming day of peace that we’ve read about several times this week already.
For those hearing this in Isaiah’s days (and for the next 700 years or so!) there would have been some questions. While we certainly still have our own questions today, Jesus himself takes care of explaining Isaiah 61 pretty nicely in Luke 4.
“And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Him. And He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
18 “the spirit of the lord is upon me,
because he anointed me to bring good news to the poor.
he has sent me to proclaim release to captives,
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”
20 And He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all the people in the synagogue were intently directed at Him. 21 Now He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
I love to picture Jesus just unrolling the scroll written ~700 years before, skimming along to see….oh yes….this is one of the passages talking about me.
Some of Isaiah’s prophecies are already fulfilled, some are yet to achieve complete fulfillment in the New Jerusalem. But, in our generation, we have the privilege of looking back at so many already which have taken place to provide assurance and hope for the best one yet to come. We can thank God that through Jesus, we do have peace and reconciliation with Him, and one day, we will all live in true peace. Until then, may we all seek to know the word of God the way Jesus did, may we all seek to be peacemakers, and may we share the message of true peace with others in a world in desperate need.
Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth:
Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation is coming;
Behold His reward is with Him, and His compensation before Him.”
12 And they will call them, “The holy people,
The redeemed of the Lord”;
And you will be called, “Sought Out, A City Not Abandoned.
1. Jerusalem isn’t alone in not always being a place of peace. Our minds can be places of war and devastation sometimes. What worried, anxious, angry, depressed, un-peaceful weights should you share with the LORD through Jesus today?
2. How does looking back over history and seeing scriptures fulfilled boost your confidence in the Bible and its message? Are there questions you have that you could ask someone in the body of Christ?
3. How can you use the hope of Isaiah’s message to find peace with God and to be a peacemaker in situations in your life?
(Originally posted December 18, 2016)
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