Jesus—offense or sanctuary?

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Isaiah 8:3-20

TO CHEW ON: “He will be as a sanctuary,
But a stone of stumbling
And a rock of offense
To both the houses of Israel,
As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” Isaiah 8:14

Whatever this (“He will be a stone of stumbling and rock of offense”) meant to the people of Isaiah’s time, we now recognize “Rock of Offense” as one of Christ’s names.

• The image of an offending stone appears as early as Psalm 118:22:

“The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.”

• Our passage speaks of of He (Messiah) as a sanctuary to some but “a stone of stumbling,” “rock of offense” and a “trap and a snare" to both Judah and Israel. (See also Jeremiah 6:21).

• The Gospel instances of Jesus mentioned in connection with offense are many:

• He said to John’s disciples when they asked: “‘Are You the coming one?’” “‘Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me’” - Matthew 11:6. 

• People of Nazareth wondered how a local boy who had grown up before they eyes could have such wisdom and supernatural power. “So they were offended at Him” and their unbelief quelled His miracles among them - Matthew 13:57. 

• He offended the Pharisees by laying bare of their hypocrisy - Matthew 16:12.

• Paul gets at the root of the reason for this offense. By his estimation it’s all about the Jews clinging to law-keeping as a way of earning right standing with God versus accepting righteousness by faith (see Romans 9:31-33).

• Peter sums up this dilemma well (1 Peter 2:6-8), even bringing in the  OT verses that we noted at the beginning:

"Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

'Behold, I lay in Zion / A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, / And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.' (quoting Isaiah 28:16) 

Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,'The stone which the builders rejected / 
Has become the chief cornerstone,' (quoting Psalm 118:22) 

 and 

“A stone of stumbling
 / And a rock of offense” (quoting Isaiah 8:14).

I think there is a warning for us in this too. We may not be hung up on keeping the Jewish law, but there is in our culture an underlying belief that it’s on the basis of the good we do that we’ll earn our way into heaven. This “I’ve done more good things than bad” thinking fails to take into account God’s righteous, holy standard and the realization that even our best living is tainted by sin:
“All we like sheep have gone astray…” - Isaiah 53:6.

and

“All our righteousnesses are as fllthy rags” - Isaiah 64:6.
 
So let’s live in a posture of faith in Him and Him alone as our righteousness even though it’s a message that continues to offend. For it is the only way to find in this Stone a sanctuary instead of one that will someday offend, stumble, snare, even destroy (Mathew 21:44).

PRAYER: Dear Father, help me to life by faith in the sanctuary of Jesus  and His death for me as the basis of my right standing with God. Amen.

 *********
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Beloved Son

Image: pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Luke 20:9-26

TO CHEW ON: “‘Then the owner of the vineyard said,”What shall I do? I will send my beloved son…”’” Luke 20:13

In the parable of the Wicked Vinedressers (Luke 20:9-16)—which the chief priests and scribes recognized as a parable against them—Jesus called the son that the king finally sent, in the king's words “my beloved son.”

If we are at all familiar with the Bible, flags will go up at that expression. We’ve heard it before.

• The prediction that God would send a Son occurs as early as Psalm 2:7:

“I will declare the decree:
The Lord has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.

The Messiah that Isaiah predicted was described in offspring terms:

“And now the Lord says,
Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant,
To bring Jacob back to Him,
So that Israel is gathered to Him-  Isaiah 49:5.

"Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand - Isaiah 53:10.

• When Jesus arrived, God the Father said it publicly at His baptism:

“And suddenly a voice came from heaven saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’” - Matthew 3:17 (also Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22).

He said it again on the Mount of Transfiguration:

“‘This is My beloved Son. Hear Him’” - Luke 9:35 (and Peter recalled the experience in 2 Peter 1:17-18).

• In confronting the Jewish religious leaders, who were so offended by His claims they sought to kill Him (as in our reading as well) Jesus said it plainly to them: 

“‘For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all things that He Himself does’” - John 5:20.

As we approach the Advent season when we focus on the expectation and fulfillment of God sending His Son, I am particularly moved by the adjective “beloved.” This was no robotic, mechanical gift from cold, distant God but a tearing apart of His very self as He entrusted His Beloved Son to Earth’s murderous gardeners; entrusted Him to what He knew would happen, indeed what had to happen in order to restore sinful man back to relationship with Him.

It's a gift that makes it possible for us to say with Paul:

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” - Colossians 1:13.

Hallelujah!

PRAYER: Dear Father, as a parent I understand how beloved a child is. That You would send Your Son Jesus to be treated as He was and sacrificed for me is hard to comprehend, but wonderful. Thank You! Amen.

 *********
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Is Jesus "I Am" to us?

Jesus - the Good Shepherd (Image: pixabay.com)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: John 14:1-14

TO CHEW ON: "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'" John 14:6

Jesus' words "I am" remind us of the first time God used that expression to identify Himself. It was to Moses at the burning bush when, after getting the assignment to lead Israel out of Egypt, he demurred. One of his objections (my paraphrase) You haven't even told me Your name (Exodus 3:13).

To that God replied: "'I AM WHO I AM' And He said, 'Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, "I Am has sent Me to you" ' " - Exodus 3:14.

"I am" carries a sense of ever-existence and present existence.

["Am"  in Hebrew—hayah, the word used in Exodus—means to be, become, come to pass, exist, be in existence, abide, remain, continue.
"Am" in Greek—eimi, the word used in John—means to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.]

In John Jesus said "I am" seven times to describe Himself. As God incarnate He combined this phrase with tangible earthly things in a way we humans can understand and to which we can relate. We would call them metaphors:

I am the bread of life - John 6:35.
I am the light of the world - John 8:12.
I am the door - John 10:9
I am the good shepherd - John 10:11.
I am the resurrection and the life - John 11:25.
I am the way, the truth and the life - John 14:6 (our reading)
I am the vine - John 15:5.

I love how these seven "I am"s of Jesus in John dovetail with each other. In the one in our reading today Jesus declared Himself "… the way to the Father (for which we need light to find the way, a shepherd to guide us, and a door to enter in). He is the truth about God (for which we need light, and which is a wholesome substance—bread) and the life of God"* (bread, resurrection and eternal life, vine connection). They all work together to express what is almost inexpressible in human terms. They are all parts of the picture that represent truths about God and our possible relationship with Him.

As I consider again who Jesus is in all His fullness, I ask myself, I ask you, have we, are we experiencing His richness? Are we letting Him enter our lives in all the ways He is the essence of what we need? Are we finding in Him the destination of our deepest longings?

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, these metaphors of who You are help me understand You and who you can be to me. Help me to experience their reality in my life today. Amen.

*quote from  Siegfried Schatzmann, study notes in John, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1469.
 
MORE: Feast of St. Philip and St. James
Today the church celebrates the Feast of Saint Philip and Saint James. Philip's request in our reading "Lord, show us the Father…" (John 14:8) elicited a gentle rebuke from Jesus: "'Have I been with you so long and yet you have not known Me, Philip?'" (John 14:9). Then Jesus went on to explain His oneness with Father (John 14:10-11).

Here is the collect that begins the liturgy of the day:

"Almighty God, who gave to your apostles Philip and James grace and strength to bear witness to the truth: Grant that we, being mindful of their victory of faith, may glorify in life and death the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen."

 *********
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Jesus the BRANCH

Image: Peggy_Marco / Pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Zechariah 3:1-10

TO CHEW ON: "'For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH.'" Zechariah 3:8

As the writer of my Bible's introductory notes on Zechariah promises, we find pictures of Messiah (Jesus) in this book. In our reading today He is called "BRANCH."

Other prophetic references to Messiah by this name show us that as the Branch:

• He would be a descendant or branch of Jesse (King David's father) - Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 25:5; 33:15. (Following this lineage and going back even father than Jesse is the source of the "Jesse Tree" commemorations we often see and take part in during Advent.)

• He is "beautiful and glorious" - Isaiah 4:2.

• He is a fair king and a righteous judge - Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15.

• His rule brings peace and cooperation to and between the civil and religious realms (He is called both King and Priest) - Zechariah 6:12,13.

This picture of Jesus as the fulfillment of the Messianic Branch prophecy is interesting, but does it have any useful application to our lives? I think it does.

A branch is a living part of nature. As a healthy appendage of a tree, shrub or vine it grows, leafs out, forms buds that open into flowers and bear fruit.

When Jesus is referred to as the branch, we are reminded of our connection to Him. Paul talks of that in Romans 11 where he refers to Israel as an olive tree. Some branches have been broken off because of their unbelief and other branches (Gentile ones) were grafted in. Indeed, the branches of ethnic Israel are also able to be reattached (Romans 11:11-24). In other words, regardless of our nationality, we can be attached to Jesus the Branch.

Branch imagery also reminds us of the fruitfulness that comes as a result of our union with Jesus. There is a beautiful description of it in John 15. There as we, secondary branches, stay attached to Jesus the main branch ("true vine") we bear fruit, are guaranteed answered prayers, and glorify the Father (John 15:1-8).

How wonderful to be a part of this family tree!

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the beautiful picture of Jesus as the main Branch and me attached to Him. May the sap flow freely between us today. Amen.

 *********
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Jesus is our peace

Image: Bessi / Pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Ephesians 2:11-22

TO CHEW ON: "For He Himself is our peace." Ephesians 2:14

If there is one Christmas wish I heard over and over during the season just past, it was the longing for peace. The current world situation with its lack of peace only makes that longing stronger.

Perhaps that's why Paul's simple statement, "He Himself is our peace" catches my attention. How is Jesus my peace? Your peace?

He is the peace between the Jews and Gentiles.
In the Jewish culture, the Jews were in with God, the Gentiles were out. This whole part of Ephesians is about Jesus obliterating that racial division and bringing peace between Jews and Gentiles: "His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace" - Ephesians 2:15 NIV.

He is the peace between God and all mankind through His blood.
"… and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross" - Colossians 1:20 NIV.

He is the embodiment and personification of peace.
That's one of His names: "Prince of peace" - Isaiah 9:6.

And how do we access the peace He represents to make it personal, our very own? Through communion with Him in prayer, petition and thanksgiving:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus"- Philippians 4:6,7 (emphasis added).

"The result of prayer is God's gift of peace, namely the secure confidence that God is sovereign and loving" - NIV Study Bible, Kindle Location 275,793 (emphasis added).

Let's live today in the peace that Jesus gives—that peace that makes us friends with God, that transcends the divisions of culture and race, and that absorbs the problems of this world and the hassles of life.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, when I'm troubled, please remind me of the peace that's available to me as I put my trust in Your sovereignty and love. Amen.

 *********
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

God's promise fulfilled in the Branch

Image from Pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Jeremiah 33:14-26

TO CHEW ON: " 'Behold the days are coming,' says the Lord, 'that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah:
 
In those days and at that time
I will cause to grow up to David
A Branch of righteousness;
He shall execute judgement and righteousness in the earth.' " Jeremiah 33:14,15

Whenever we hear the word "covenant" come from God's mouth, we know that He is referring to a serious promise. In today's reading He reminds the people, through Jeremiah, of His covenant with David. God compared the surety of its fulfillment to the everyday occurrences of sunrise and sunset, saying He would no more break His promise to David than abolish night and day (Jeremiah 33:19,20).

And what was that promise? That "David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel" - Isaiah 33:17, 2 Samuel 7:15,16.

But we know that David's earthly dynasty did end. So how could God say He would never, did never break this promise?

Because this is a new kind of king, with a new kind of kingdom. This descendant of David's line would be called a "A Branch of righteousness." And like the kingdom Jesus described  as His kingdom in other Bible passages we've read recently, this Branch's rule would be in  ..."judgment and righteousness in the earth" - Jeremiah 33:15.

Other prophets referred to this Branch:

• Isaiah: "In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious…" - Isaiah 4:2, and "There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, / And a Branch shall grow out of his roots" - Isaiah 11:2.

• Jeremiah himself first spoke a prophecy very similar to the one in our reading earlier in Jeremiah: "Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord,
  “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness;
  A King shall reign and prosper,
  And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth" - Jeremiah 23:5

• Zechariah referred to this Branch in his prophecy of a vision of Joshua the High Priest, where an angel said to Joshua: " ' Hear, O Joshua, the high priest. / … For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the Branch' " - Zechariah 3:8.

We believe that Jesus was and is this Branch. Why?

He was an earthly descendant of David, thus a branch of David's line and eligible to be a king (Matthew 1:1-17; Jesse and David are mentioned in Matthew 1:5,6).

Paul referred to Jesus Christ as coming from the "root of Jesse."  And he extended the hope of coming under Jesus' reign to the Gentiles:

"Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promise made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy as it is written … 'There shall be a root of Jesse;
And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles,
In Him the Gentiles shall hope' "  - Romans 15:8,9.12, quoting Isaiah 11:10.

As we celebrate Jesus' incarnation during the Advent season coming up, let's include in our meditation the beautiful teaching of Jesus as the Branch. And let's, in faith, give thanks for the righteous and just nature of His forever kingdom.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for being the Branch, the fulfillment of God's covenant promise to David. I look forward to seeing Your righteous and just kingdom in real time. Amen.

 *********
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.