Essential_Jesus_Reading_Plan.docx

The most important question in the world is “Who is Jesus?” Your answer to that question will determine your eternal destiny. The Essential Jesus Challenge is designed to show you and remind you of what the Bible has to say about who Jesus is, so that you can answer the question with conviction and gusto, “He is my Lord and my God, my Savior and my King.”

A good starting point in answering the question “who is Jesus” are the Gospels, the first four books in the New Testament. The first three of the Gospels have remarkably similar chronology and structure. All three begin with a record of Jesus’s ancestry (Matthew and Luke) or the beginning of his public ministry (Mark). While following a chronology of Jesus’s life that is loosely shared with the previous three Gospels, the Gospel of John uses a quite different structure. When it comes to who Jesus is John starts with the realization that the man that he has followed around for three years was more than what his ancestry could showed. Yes, Jesus was a human being, but there was a truth about him that went beyond his humanity.

John starts his Gospel not with the man Jesus, but with the second person of the holy Trinity. He starts with God Himself. He refers to the Son as “the Word,” making clear that “the Word” was with God and was fully God. He affirms that creation itself, everything that has an existence apart from God, was created by “the Word.” And he affirms that as God, “the Word” has life within himself (his existence is not dependent on anything).

In verse fourteen of today’s reading John affirms that this “Word” – the Second Person of the Holy Trinity that we call “the Son” – became flesh. That is, he became a human being without forfeiting his divinity. Theologians call this event the Incarnation, the moment that God took on humanity. The Incarnation is recorded in Luke’s Gospel, when that angel Gabriel appears to Mary to deliver the joyous news that she will give birth to the promised Savior of humanity. When Mary says, “May it be to me as you have said,” Jesus was conceived. From this point on “the Word” would be forever known as “Jesus.”

So, the first thing we learn from the Gospels is that Jesus is more than just a man, more than a great teacher, more than a great moralist. Jesus is both man and God.

The rest of the readings in the Essential Jesus Challenge are chosen to help unpack what that means.

Happy reading!

Paul encourages the Christians at Philippi to be less selfish and self-centered, and to behave in a manner in keeping with members of God's family -- encouraging, tender and compassionate, being united in spirit and purpose, and having the same attitude as Jesus.

In verses 6-11 Paul describes the attitude that Jesus had. Well-known Youth Ministry lead Doug Fields sums it up well:

"The Apostle Paul (the author of Philippians) challenged Christians to be less selfish and more loving, compassionate, joyful, and united (verses 1-4). In this challenge, Paul gives one of the most amazing descriptions of Jesus in the entire Bible (verses 5-11). Let’s consider what he wrote about Jesus: 

• Jesus is God (verse 6). 

• Jesus became a human being (verses 7-8a). 

• Jesus humbled himself (verse 7). 

• Jesus obeyed God (verse 8). 

• Jesus was exalted by God (verse 9). 

• Jesus will be acknowledged by everyone (verses 10-11). 

• Jesus became obedient to death—even death on a cross (verse 8). 

Remember reading John 1:1-18… we’re not talking about an ordinary man."

How would you describe the attitude of Jesus? How is His attitude good news for you? In what ways, specifically, can Jesus be an example for you regarding your attitude?

In this week's readings we're looking for a preliminary answer to the question "Who is Jesus?" We divide human history by him -- B.C. (before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini -- "in the year of the Lord"). Over 1 billion people on this planet claim to be his followers. The places where he lived out his earthly life have been places of pilgrimage for the faithful for millennia and are known collectively as the "Holy Land" because of him. But who exactly is he?

What insights do today's readings give you in understanding who Jesus is? Make a list of all the things that "Jesus is" according to these verses. Do any make you go, "Hmmmm"? Do any strike you as being especially true, or personally meaningful?

Going Deeper:

God is spirit, so there are no paintings, drawing, or sculptures of God that come to us from antiquity. But Paul writes that Jesus is "the image of the invisible God." What does that mean? One Bible commentator helps us understand this phrase a little better when he writes, "Christ is in the form of God and equal to God. To see him is to see the Father (Jn. 14:9). The point for Paul is that Christ is given to us as God’s image so that we may know what God wills and does. The concept of the image of God also makes it perfectly plain who Jesus himself is." In other words, before Jesus was born God had no physical form. But now that Jesus has come God can be seen. What does God look like? He looks like Jesus because Jesus is God.

What is God like? Look at Jesus to find out! Jesus is "the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being" (verse 3). Want to know what God thinks of the world, of human beings, of you? Look to Jesus to find out (hint: He "provided purification for sins" by dying on the cross because He loves you!). Want to know what God likes and doesn't like? A closer examination of the life of Jesus will tell you. 

Jesus was a man, but He was no ordinary man! He was also God enfleshed. So if you want to know what God is like, then you're in for a treat, because our reading plan is all about Jesus. By getting to know him better you're going to get to know God a LOT better!

Want to have an interesting conversation with a good friend? Ministry consultant Doug Fields says to try this: 

Ask someone this question: “What do you think God is like?” Just listen. Don’t judge. If the person returns the question to you, simply say, “I think he’s just like Jesus.” See where the conversation goes from there. 

How does Peter describe believers in this passage? How does he describe Jesus? How does Peter describe the relationship between Jesus and believers? 

The relationship between Jesus and believers is a deep mystery, and the Bible uses several images drawn from real life to help explain it. We've read in one of our readings this week that the Church is "the body of Christ." That's one image. Today's reading uses the image of a building. A house is made up of many bricks that are cemented together. In a similar way, though not an exact way, Christians are cemented together in Christ to be a "spiritual house" -- a temple of His Holy Spirit. But the important part of this image is that Jesus Christ himself is the foundation. We are united only in Him.

But to underscore the point that in trying to describe the Church he is describing a mystery, Peter shifts the imagery he uses in verses 9-10. Now the Church is described as a nation, a "people belonging to God." What are some of the descriptors that Peter uses here beyond "the people of God"? What is our purpose now as God's people? (The answer is in verse 9!).

When you came to faith in Jesus as your Savior not only were you individually given the gift of God's forgiveness of your sins and so, too, eternal life in Christ, but you were also grafted into the Church through your personal union with Jesus. How cool is that!

In this week's readings we'll be exploring the question, "Why do I NEED a Savior?" As in all things, getting back to the basics is a great help. And the basics for us -- for humanity -- start long ago in the mists of prehistory, when the earth was new and humanity was brought into existence.

In Genesis 1:26 we are told that God humanity in His own image. Then we're told that God placed the first man and woman in a Garden paradise called "Eden." He gave them just one rule to follow: "Don't eat from this specific tree!" There they lived in a perfect relationship with God, with each other, and with all of the rest of creation. 

Then, in Chapter 3 -- today's reading -- we are told how it all went horribly wrong. The serpent tempts Eve. Notice its tactics in verse 1: He asks a question designed to get Eve to question God's Word. "Did God really say...?" As the serpent (later revealed to be the Devil) continues to talk with Eve notice what happens. The fruit of the forbidden tree begins to look very good. She begins to desire to be like God by eating the fruit of that tree. And her thoughts and desires finally become action. Her husband, Adam, follows suit with an astonishing lack of resistance. The book of James, Chapter 1 tells us plainly that we are tempted when desire gets the best of us and becomes action -- intentional disobedience of God's commands. That's what sin is, disobeying God's Word.

When eventually confronted by God for their disobedience the man and the woman are punished. The image of God that they bore was lost, replaced by the desire to be like God that caused them to sin in the first place. And Genesis 5:1, 3a tells us the consequences for all of humanity: "5:1 When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God...3a When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image;..." Through the disobedience of our first parents human nature was completely corrupted, and that corrupted nature is passed down to everyone born into this world.

That's why we need a Savior! A corrupted nature cannot fix/clean/mend/restore itself. If there is to be a cure it must come from outside. And that's why God sent Jesus! Jesus was sent into humanity as an invasion force from heaven to rescue humanity from its own sin and folly! 

But just how deep does out sin go that it would take the very Son of God Himself to become one of us in order to save us? Keep up the readings for this week to find out!

There's a lot going on in today's reading! Let's focus on the essential activity.

It seems incredible that after witnessing all of the miracles that God performed to free the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt -- the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, etc. -- that Israel would so easily rebel against God by making a Golden Calf and worshipping it as the "god" who had freed them. But that's what they did. It's something that we see over and over again in the Bible; people or persons witnessing God's miracles in one minute and then completely forgetting what they've seen and engaging in sin of various sorts, whether idolatry, or doubt, or fear.

It happens still today. People are persuaded in one minute that they have seen a mighty working of God in their lives, and the next minute they are filled with questions about God's presence or even existence.

It happens because human beings are sinners. Sin is active disobedience of God that stems from an inner, unacknowledged (but still very real) spirit of rebellion against God. So doubting, forgetting, sinning -- they all come naturally to us. WE NEED A SAVIOR! Israel's worshipping of the Golden Calf is just one example of that reality. 

God is rightly angry over Israel's sin. But even here we see a wonderful example of God's plan for dealing with the problem of sin. Moses offers to take the punishment that the people deserve (vs. 31-32). He is willing to make what we call "atonement" -- that is, satisfying the requirements necessary to restore our relationship with God. It's a foreshadowing of what Jesus actually did on the cross thousands of years later. 

Sin may be ever present in us, but the Good News is that in Jesus Christ God's grace is ever present, too; present to forgive our sin because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, our Savior.

Author Whitney T. Kuniholm has a fantastic reflection on today's reading. I share it with you:

"Years ago, my wife and I made friends with a couple who wouldn't go to church. They were committed to their marriage, were loving parents and were involved in the community. But they were firm in their resistance to organized religion. Why? They didn't want to damage their son's self-esteem by exposing him to any talk about sin.

   It would be nice if sin only affected the "bad guys" of the world, those who deny God (v. 1) and aggressively pursue an evil agenda (v. 4). There's no doubt that it does; we only have to read the daily news to see evidence of that. But David says sin also affects the "good guys." We've all "turned aside"; we're all "corrupt." No one is good, "not even one" (v. 3).

   That may seem harsh or negative at first, especially for those who identify themselves with the "good guys." But if sin affects everyone, as David states, then it's not healthy to deny its hold on us. And that's why a good church is so important. Like a hospital, it doesn't give us the problem; it helps us diagnose and deal with it.

   But it's important not to let our understanding of sin cause us to misunderstand God. It's true, he hates sin. But it's not true that he enjoys catching people in their sins, as so many seem to think. In fact, his desire for us is just the opposite. He's actively looking for those who are seeking a deeper relationship with him (v. 2).

   David ends his psalm with a prayer for a savior. "Oh, that salvation would come out to Zion!" (v. 7). God answered that prayer centuries later when he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to restore all people from captivity to sin. That's reason to rejoice and be glad!

Pray: Dear God, in spite of all my inconsistencies, I do desire a deeper relationship with you. Help me to understand you better and experience you more. Amen.

Once again, Author Whitney T. Kuniholm shares a wonderful reflection on today's reading in his book "The Essential Jesus: 100 Readings through the Bible's Greatest Story":

   President Calvin Coolidge was famous for giving short answers. It is reported that he was once questioned about a church service he had attended and allegedly answered as follows. Question: “Did you like the sermon today?” Coolidge: “Yes.” Question: “What was the sermon about?” Coolidge: “Sin.” Question: “So, what did the preacher say about sin?” Coolidge: “He’s against it.”

   This reading from Isaiah reminds us once again that God is against sin. That means we should be too, for several important reasons. First, sin separates us from God (v. 2) We first saw this when Adam and Eve were evicted from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:2-324). By the time of Isaiah, people were even more distant from God; they had lost the ability to experience his presence or communicate with him at all (Isaiah 59:2). Today, the distance has gotten so great that some people mistakenly think God is dead, or that he never existed at all.

   Second, sin leads to a breakdown of fundamental values. The modern bumper sticker that reads “No justice. No peace.” could just as easily have been written by Isaiah (v. 8). He mentions justice six times in this reading alone. But as we work for justice today, we must be careful not to define it according to a short list of political issues. Biblical justice means doing what’s right for all people, especially the poor and oppressed (Psalm 82:3-4).

   Finally, sin causes a rejection of truth. Isaiah used the image of a person stumbling and lost in the street (Isaiah 59:14-15). Most people today believe in some form of their “own truth.” But when truth becomes relative, society loses its reference points and wanders ever further from God.

   It’s no surprise that God is against sin. What is surprising is that in spite of our continual rebellion against him, God has had a plan to save us from it all along (vv. 20-21). The plan was to send a Redeemer (v. 20) – Jesus Christ – who could restore the broken relationship forever.

We're getting closer to Christmas, and soon parents will be taking their kids to the mall to see Santa. The kiddos will sit on Santa's lap and tell him what they want for Christmas. "Have you been a good boy/girl?" He'll ask. But the thing is that the shopping mall Santa doesn't really know what the kids have done, and he doesn't really care. He just chuckles and promises that they'll get what they want. Is that how God feels when we sin? He doesn't know and he doesn't care, He'll just give us what we ask for? Not exactly! 

God has some pretty strong words about sin: “I hate… I despise… I cannot stand… I will not accept… I will have no regard… I will not listen” (21-23). Bottom line: God hates sin with passion! It can be frightening to think of God being angry. But when you consider the depth of his hatred for sin, can you begin to fully appreciate the power of his love for you by sending his own Son? Jesus willingly died for the sins of the world, the sins that God hated so much. That’s not anger; it’s overwhelming love. 

     If you've ever been to the movies (and who hasn't) you know what a "preview" is -- snippets of an upcoming movie that give you a glimpse of what's to come. Jesus said on numerous occasions that the Old Testament spoke about him, that it contained snippets of the Savior that God would one day send. 

   There are two general ways that the Old Testament points to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. One, which we're probably most familiar with, is prophesy. Prophecy is a saying by one of the Prophets that directly points to the coming Savior. "Unto us a child is born...and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6) is an example.

   The other way that the Old Testament points to Jesus is through "types." Types are simply a person, thing, or event that points to Jesus is the New Testament. Many people find that a basic understanding of types (typology) greatly enriches their reading and understanding of the Old Testament.

   In this week's readings we will look at five Old Testament types that are specifically mentioned in the New Testament -- The Passover, manna in the wilderness, Moses lifting up the bronze serpent, the temple, and Jonah in the big fish. Each will give us a unique glimpse of the Savior, Jesus, who would come centuries later.

   As we launch into our study of these Old Testament passages we can be encouraged that we are following a teaching method used by Jesus himself with two disciples on the road to Emmaus, "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself" (Luke 24:27).

Today's reading is, honestly, kind of gross -- slaughtering animals, smearing blood, widespread death. Yuck! And yet this passage is one of the most important passages in the Bible! It marks the turning point in the history of Israel, the moment that their 430 years of slavery in Egypt came to an end.

Moses and Aaron had gone to Pharaoh nine times to demand that he "let my (God's) people go." Each time Pharaoh hardened his heart and said, "NO!" And each time God sent a devastating plaque in response. The killing of the first born was the tenth and final plague that God unleashed on Egypt, and the result was that Pharaoh finally relented and let Israel go free. It was THE great miracle in the history of Israel, the one where God most miraculously showed his great power and might in defense of His people.

Israel was protected from the plague by following God's instruction to slaughter a male sheep or goat that was "without defect", and to smear its blood on their door posts. The killing of the lamb and shedding of its blood is itself a "type" of Jesus.

In the New Testament Jesus is referred to as a lamb. John the Baptist called Jesus "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Peter called him a "Lamb without blemish" (1 Peter 1:19). And John described him as the "Lamb that was slain" (Revelation 5:12). The Passover lamb was one of the first previews of God's plan of salvation.

And just as the blood of the Passover lamb became the essential element that saved the children of Israel, so the blood of Jesus shed on the cross became the essential element that secured salvation for all humanity.

   Jesus picked up this theme at the Last Supper when he offered his disciples a cup of wine and called it "the new covenant in my blood" (Luke 22:20). In doing this he transformed the Passover of Israel into make salvation available to all people (1 Corinthians 5:7).

In today’s Scripture reading is another sign pointing to Jesus the Savior. In the New Testament, when the religious leaders demanded a miracle, Jesus pointed to this passage. He said that just as Moses provided manna to meet the physical need of people, so he, Jesus, was the “true bread” who satisfied the ultimate need of all people—the need for a restored and eternal relationship with God.

Just as food is necessary to sustain life, so Jesus is necessary to gain and sustain eternal life. He is the indispensable ingredient that provides the soul's nourishment that results in Life. 

Sometimes parents have to discipline their children through the use of punishment in order to teach them an important lesson. In today's reading God acts like a parent with the people of Israel. They were grumbling against the God that had delivered them from slavery with mighty displays of his power and his love for them. How short their memory was!

Now at first glance you might think, “What’s the big deal? Weren’t the Israelites just being negative”? Well, yes, and they were also challenging God (verse 5)—that’s at the very heart of all sin. 

So God punished them for their grumbling by sending venomous snakes into their camp. And when the people learned their lesson and repented of their grumbling against the living God, he provided a way of salvation for those who had been bitten. He told Moses to make a bronze snake on a pole and to lift it up so that whoever had been bitten and looked at that snake would be healed and saved; saved from the poison in them that caused death.

Centuries later Jesus would show that the bronze serpent in the wilderness was meant to point to Him and the kind of death that he was going to die. In the Gospel according to John Jesus says this: "Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." (John 12:31-32). 

Just as the Israelites were saved by looking to the bronze snake lifted up on a pole, so sinners are saved by looking to Jesus lifted up on the cross. We are saved from the poison of sin in us that caused eternal death by believing in God's promise that whoever looks to the crucified and risen Jesus will be forgiven for their sin and thus saved.

The bronze serpent/snake was a "type" (a preview) of Jesus.

This reading describes the “ribbon-cutting ceremony” (or the grand opening) for a magnificent new Temple that King Solomon built as a place of worship. The temple replaced the Tabernacle (a tent) that God had commanded Moses to build as a place of worship as they traveled through the wilderness to the Promised Land. God's presence dwelt in the Tabernacle, symbolized by the cloud of his glory that settled on the most holy place when it was dedicated. The same thing happened when the Temple was consecrated. People would go to the Temple to meet with God (1 Kings 8:11-13). The Temple, then, came to symbolize the place where God dwelt among His people.

In the Gospel of John (John 1:14) we are told that the Son of God (the Word) became flesh and dwelt among us. A more literal translation would be "...became flesh and tabernacled among us. Jesus was literally God dwelling among us as one of us. His body was the place where God dwelt among His people. So the Old Testament Temple, as the place of God's dwelling, pointed to the coming Savior who would be THE place of God's dwelling.

During Jesus’ day, he was confronted by some doubting religious leaders who asked for proof that Jesus was God. Jesus answered them by referring to the story of Jonah (see Matthew 12:38-45). Jonah provided the proof they needed. How? Just as Jonah was entombed in the great fish for three days, so Jesus would be in the tomb three days after his crucifixion. And Jesus would rise again; just as the great fish gave up Jonah, the grave would not keep Jesus. He is the true Savior! Because Jesus is the true Savior, he knows everything about you. You can’t keep your “secret sins” from God. Jonah was foolish enough to think he could run from God. But really, that running from God is no more foolish than trying to think we can "get away" with sin...God always knows.

PSALMS ABOUT A SAVIOR

The Book of Psalms is one of the most-loved, and perhaps most-read sections in the entire Bible. It contains lots of prayers, poems, praises, and crying scenes from some amazing servants of God—people like David and Solomon and Moses. 

One of the reasons the Psalms are so rich in meaning is that they continue to develop the storyline about Jesus. Some of the Psalms are even called “Messianic Psalms” because they contain “previews” of the coming Savior/Messiah. 

To give us a good sense of these Messianic Psalms, in this section of readings we will look at five of the most popular ones. As you read, take notice of how often Jesus is quoted from the Psalms. You’ll read about his future crucifixion and realize that the cross was no “accident.” It was actually God’s plan—even hundreds of years before it happened. Also, as you read these psalms, consider the fact that you’re reading the same psalms that Jesus read as a child. Jesus studied and memorized the Old Testament as a child, teen, and young adult. It’s weird to think about Jesus reading about his future before it even happened. 

Okay! Get ready for some exciting stuff as you dig into the Psalms and learn about our Savior. Enjoy! 

[If you have the time, you may want to read all of the Messianic Psalms back-to-back to get the full impact of them pointing to Jesus. The specific Messianic Psalms are 2, 8, 16, 22, 24, 40, 41, 45, 69, 72, 89, 102, 110, and 118.]

The Psalms are sometimes called "the hymnal of the Old Testament Church" and "The Prayer Book of the Church." Today we read them as poetry -- and they are -- but originally they were sung as songs. There are 150 Psalms and in them are expressed almost every major emotion -- good and bad -- that people can experience. They are filled with praises to God, prayers for help, complaints, requests, lamentations, cries of distress, and cries of thanksgiving and gratitude. In addition, God used the authors of the Psalms to prophesy about future events, especially the coming of His appointed Savior.

   Some of the Psalms contain such direct proclamations of the future Savior that they are referred to as "Messianic Psalms." Psalm 2, which is today's reading, is one of those Messianic Psalms. 

   At first glance it is a Psalm about good kingship, reminding kings not to forget God or to rise up in rebellion against him. Their position as kings comes from God and not from lineage or their own popularity.

   Yet imbedded within that larger theme are very specific references to Jesus. In verse 2 the coming future Savior is called God's "Anointed One." In Hebrew that's "messiah", and Jesus is called "the Messiah" in the New Testament (John 1:41; John 4:25). The description of a Father's approval of his son echoes what God would say later say to Jesus (Matthew 3:17; Luke 9:35). And when the Apostles Peter and John were persecuted for proclaiming the Gospel they quoted this Psalm and explained how it applied to Jesus (see Acts 4:23-31).

   Taken together we can see that centuries before the birth of Jesus the Holy Spirit was working through the prophets to build the case for Christ.

We are all probably familiar with the narrative of Jesus's crucifixion, and we may even be familiar with some of the things that Jesus said from the cross: "Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise." "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." And "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" But did you know that that last word from the cross was actually a direct quote from Psalm 22? It's the first verse of the Psalm. And it's not the only one that has a striking correspondence to what would eventually happen to Jesus hundreds of years later. Compare the following verses to their New Testament fulfillment:

Psalm 22:6-8   Mocked and Insulted    Matthew 27:39-40

Psalm 22:8      Hears Prophetic Words Repeated in Mockery   Matthew 27:43

Psalm 22:16    Hands and Feet Pierced    John 20:27

Psalm 22:18    Soldiers Cast Lots for His Coat    Mark 15:24

Pretty conclusive evidence that Jesus was right when he told his disciples that the Psalms and the Prophets testified about him and what his death would be like centuries beforehand!

Be assured, dear Reader, that God's plan for your salvation was planned very carefully by God, and that it included the suffering and death of Jesus on your behalf! By his blood you have been healed (forgiven)!

This Psalm, written by King David, was written when he was in some pretty dire situation, in deep waters (we don't know what that situation was). It gives voice to his anxiety, his fear, and his unfailing trust in God for deliverance. He also points to Christ, prophesying about some of the details of his life and his death. One author summaries the importance of this Psalm when he writes:

"This psalm was especially meaningful to Jesus; he quoted it when explaining why the world hated him and his followers (John 15:25, quoting Ps. 69:4), and no doubt saw his own suffering on the cross echoed in the statement “they persecute those you wound” (Ps. 69:26). And it turns out that the references to gall and vinegar (v. 21) are prophetic of the details of Jesus’ death (Matthew 27:34, 45). The disciples too were familiar with this psalm, seeing it as an explanation for Jesus’ clearing of the temple (John 2:17, referring to Ps. 69:9).

“The LORD says to my Lord...” So who’s doing the talking here? Are there two Lords, or what?

Well, in a sense yes. If you look closely the word “lord” is printed two different ways in this verse (v. 1). The first time it’s in all caps, the second time it’s only capitalized at the first letter. Big deal you say? Well, here’s why it IS a big deal.

In our English translations of the Bible the word LORD (all caps) only appears where the divine name YHWH (Yahweh) appears in the original Hebrew text of the Old Testament. So whenever you see “LORD” you know it’s referring directly to God Himself.

So in verse 1 God is speaking, and He’s speaking to another person — the “Lord” (not all caps). In the context of this Psalm “Lord” is referring to a King.

In Matthew 22:41-45 (read it; it’s short!) Jesus quotes verse and points out that the King referred to in the Psalm is the “Christ” (Hebrew: Messiah, or “Anointed One”). So God is speaking here to the Messiah, and is describing the Christ’s rule and reign over everything.

Jesus quotes this verse in Matthew 22 to prove to the Pharisees that he is talking with that the Christ is not merely a human being, but that his origins are divine. In other words, that the Christ is God Himself!

THE CORNERSTONE:

This passage contains one of “the greatest hits” from the Psalms: “This is the day

the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” This specific verse has become

the opening sentence for millions of worship services around the world. But, even

more important than a Psalm of praise is the description of Jesus as “the stone.” Jesus was the stone that the religious leaders had rejected (see verse 22), and was the cornerstone (or “key/important/vital” stone) of the Church. In the New Testament, Jesus quoted this verse at the end of the parable about the evil tenants (see Matthew 21:33-46). Peter also referred to this when he called Jesus “the living Stone” (1 Peter 2:4-7) after his resurrection. Jesus is the rock—the foundation of the Church. Is Jesus the foundation of your life?

Today’s reading recounts God’s calling of Abram (God will later change his name to Abraham). Abram lived in the city of UR during the height of its glory (it was the capital of the Sumerian empire for two centuries). In telling Abram to leave Ur God was calling him out of idolatry and false religion. By choosing an idolater God showed that it isn’t by works that anyone is saved, but only

through grace.

And God adds grace upon grace by giving Abram a very special and specific promise (verse 2-3). Abram had no idea what God had in mind when God promised that “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you (v.3).” But God’s promise worked faith in him and caused him to act in faith. Abram acted in the obedience that flows from faith and left his country to go into a great unknown, trusting that God would be with him. And God kept all of His promises to Abram. Not all during Abram’s lifetime though.

What Abram didn’t know about God’s promise was that He wasn’t just promising that Abram would have lots and lots of descendants, but that through one descendant in particular God would pour out blessings on the nations. Paul explains this in his letter to the Galatians:

“The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.” (Galatians 3:16, NIV84)

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:26–29, NIV84)

So God’s call to Abram was no random act. He was putting into motion His plan of salvation for all of humanity, a plan that He put in place “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20). That plan centered on Jesus Christ, God’s “YES!” to all of His promises (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Author and Pastor Doug Fields summaries today’s reading well:

Jeremiah was sent to confront Israel’s sin and encourage them to turn back to God. The religious leaders (“shepherds” in verses 1-2) felt the pressure of Jeremiah’s prophecy. They were involved in un-godly activities instead of caring for God’s people. The good news is that these “bad shepherds” highlighted the need for a savior—the “Good Shepherd” (Jesus—see John 10:11-18). In other words, God was planning to step into the picture to re-establish the right relationship between us and God, the relationship that had been destroyed because of sin.

Micah was a prophet in Israel who’s charge by God was to preach against the sins of Israel, especially the wealthy and powerful. It’s not a “pick-me-up” kind of book. Ultimately the prophesies of punishment for sin that Micah spoke would be fulfilled when the nation was defeated and taken into captivity in Babylon.

But within this dark book is a prophesy of great promise and hope — today’s EJ reading. Beyond the great national tragedy that was looming Micah foretold of a time when a great Leader and King would save the nation and set up a kingdom where people “will live securely” (v.4) and enjoy the blessings of God.

Today’s reading, though short, gives us important details about this coming Savior King, all of which were fulfilled by Jesus. We learn about his origins. The Savior would come from the little town of Bethlehem, the birthplace of his ancestor King David. But though coming from Bethlehem, his “origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

We also learn about his character. Picking up on the theme of sheep and shepherd, Micah says that the Savior King will shepherd his flock “in the strength and majesty of the LORD,” not by human strength (v. 4). And he won’t just achieve peace, but “he will be their peace” (v. 5). Paul draws on this when he says about Jesus, “For he himself is our peace,...” (Ephesians 2:14).

Spend some extra time today thinking about God’s love that was revealed to us in Jesus.

The nation of Israel was conquered by the Babylonian Empire, and its rich and powerful citizens were taken back to the city of Babylon as slaves and exiles. Zechariah lived years after those calamitous events at a time when Israel was allowed to return to their land. His book contains encouragement to continue the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, and to avoid falling back into the old sinful practices that had led God to send them into exile in the first place (Zechariah, chapters 1-8). In the second part of his book Zechariah anticipates a future coming of a very special king (chapters 9-14). The question is, what kind of king would he be?

After having suffered the indignity and humiliation of exile in a foreign land we might not blame the people of Israel if they wanted a strong, warrior king would would fight fire with fire. But the future King that Zechariah describes was far different. He described a king would be be humble (v. 9), who would bring real peace throughout the world (v. 10), and who would bring a new kind of freedom (v. 11). 

It's not difficult to see Zechariah's prophesy fulfilled in Jesus. The Kingship of Jesus flips all human ideas of kingship on their heads. He is humble, not arrogant. He brings freedom (eternal freedom by dying on the cross to free us from our sins), not slavery. He brings the righteous rule and reign of God.

Today's reading in full of "future clues" that point us to Jesus. Some of the phrases in this reading are very direct prophesies (literally "foretelling") about Jesus. As author Doug Fields points out: "One is Zechariah’s reference to “the one they have pierced” (see 13:10). In the New Testament, John connected this verse to Jesus’ death on the cross. Another “future clue” is found in the poem about the shepherd and the sheep, which is a familiar theme in the New Testament."

These direct prophesies about the coming Savior are mixed and interspersed with other statements that are prophesies to the immediate situation of the nation of Israel that Zechariah is addressing in his book. That's the nature of Old Testament prophey -- it's all a word or message from God to His people, but the timing of fulfillment is confusing because there is usually multiple messages being sent.

It's like looking at telephone poles all in a row. When you stand directly in front of the first pole in the row you can only see the pole right in front of you, but when you take a big step to the right or left you can see all the other poles behind it.

So when Zechariah, or any of the other Old Testament Prophets, makes a prophesy about the future the question is, "When will that happen?" Now, as if its the telephone pole right in front of you, or later as if it's one of the other poles in the row? Usually the answer is seen in hindsight, in the unfolding of history. But sometimes God helps us by making both the prophesy and its fulfillment in history very plain -- like when the New Testament quotes an OT prophesy and says, "This was to fulfill what the Prophet (Name here) said..."

Again, notice that the promises of a future paradise are centered on a Savior who would be pierced, and who would lead God's people like a Shepherd. These are directly quoted in the New Testament and are, therefore, some of the most well known prophesies about Jesus in the Old Testament.

Doug Fields, who wrote a devotional guide on the EJ readings for youth, shows us the connection between all of this week's readings. He writes:

When it comes to the Old Testament prophets, the “the big man on campus” is Isaiah. The book of Isaiah is the longest of all the prophetic books and is the most quoted in the New Testament. But the most significant thing about Isaiah is that his prophecy gives us the clearest information about the coming Messiah (Jesus), which is why we’ll spend the next five readings pursuing what God said through this amazing prophet.

The clearest descriptions of the Messiah (Jesus) are found in what is called the four “Servant Songs” of Isaiah. Each song describes various parts of “the Servant of the Lord.” Interestingly, in the New Testament this phrase (Servant of the Lord) refers both to the na­tion of Israel and to the coming Messiah.

In the New Testament we see that Jesus was obviously aware of Isaiah’s writing and prophesies about him and he took the role of Servant of the Lord for himself.

Probably the most famous passage in the book of Isaiah is the one in which Isaiah describes the “suffering Servant” (52:13—53:12). It’s amazing to think that God gave Isaiah the words to describe the crucifixion of Jesus in graphic detail hundreds of years before it ever happened. And when Jesus walked the earth, he frequently explained that his mission was to suffer. But, as clear as the proph­esies seem to us now, very few people understood them back then: not the crowds, not the religious leaders, and—oddly enough—not even Jesus’ own disciples.

It’s hard to imagine that the God of the universe would send his own son to die for the sins of humanity, but that’s exactly what he did. And that’s exactly what Isaiah prophesied… almost 800 years before it happened!

As you read, may God’s Word come alive in your heart and draw you closer to him as you engage in his plan for your life. If you’re doing this as part of a group, make sure you take time to pray and thank God that part of his plan is connecting you with others who want to know more about Jesus.

The Old Testament readings in the Essential Jesus Challenge were chosen because they point us to Jesus in a clear way. It’s good for us to know that Jesus is found in both the New AND the Old Testaments. But the difficulty with reading Old Testament prophesies about Jesus is that they are always part of a larger message that God is delivering through his prophet to His people. So to understand the prophesies fully we need to take into account what the original situation in which the prophecy was given. And today’s reading is no exception. There’s enough material in Isaiah Chapter 7 to supply a multi-week Bible study, but we’re not focusing on all of the history alluded to; we’re interested in finding Jesus in the reading. So, here’s a bunch of history packed into a very short paragraph:

God’s people -- the 12 Tribes* of Israel -- had split into two rival kingdoms in the year 925 B.C., with Judah in the south (made up of the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin) and Israel in the north (the remaining ten Tribes). The political situation at the time of Isaiah’s prophecy was this: The king of Israel, Pekah, and the king of Aram, Rezin< are attacking the king of Judah, Ahaz, in Judah’s capital, Jerusalem. In that political climate God tells Isaiah to bring a message of assurance to King Ahaz and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The message was this: “Calm down. I’m gonna deal with Pekah and Rezin. You’re not in this alone” (vv. 3-9).

Ahaz was then offered a confirming sign by God, but he hesitated. He said that he wasn’t going to test the Lord, but in reality his hesitation came from the fact that he wanted to form his own alliance with Assyria. He wanted to plan a defense that he thought was more reliable than the word of a prophet. But God gave the sign anyway: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”). [verse 14]. For the original hearers, this probably meant that when God delivered Ahaz and Judah from their enemies, young mothers would name their sons in memory of God deliverance.

But the sign wasn’t just a sign to Ahaz, it was also a sign pointing to God’s greatest deliverance -- a deliverance from sin through the sending, birth, life, death, and resurrection of God’s own Son, Jesus! Jesus is God in the flesh; literally, “God with us.”

In today’s reading Isaiah brings a message of hope to God’s people, and it’s a message that they needed. As we discovered in yesterday’s reading (Isaiah 7), Jerusalem was under attack by two armies. God delivered them from that threat, but then allowed an even bigger one to grip them -- a pending attack by the powerful Assyrians.

When faced with big problems we naturally want God to solve them. He can and does. But not always in the way that we want. And sometimes it may seem to us that He isn’t helping at all. But while we might want immediate relief or help so that our lives can “get back on track,” God isn’t necessarily looking to keep our lives on an even keel. His concern is our eternal welfare, not just our current happiness. So He has promised us that He will make ALL things work for our good (Romans 8:28) -- our eternal good. Even when He seems like He’s missing in action, He is orchestrating everything to make even our worse situations serve our eternal good.

That’s why the word nevertheless is such a hopeful start to Isaiah 9. In spite of Judah’s sin, and in spite of its troubles, God was planning something good in the future. He was planning a future that would be wonderful in at least three ways:

1. Light. God would bring about a deliverance from the Assyrian invasion.
2. Joy. This deliverance would turn their fear and gloom into a great joy.
3. The coming Messiah (Savior King). A child would be born, who would be an exceptionally unique leader/king (v. 6-7) -- the promised Messiah. This prophecy was fulfilled at the birth of Jesus, who was born to deliver us from the darkness of sin, and who died and rose again to establish an everlasting kingdom for those who put their trust in him.

As one Christian write wrote: “The source of hope is not the absence of problems, as the people of God have discovered throughout the ages. rather, it is know that God is here and in control no matter what happens.”

This is the first of four “Servant Songs” in the book of Isaiah. God used this prophesy to communicate about the coming Messiah (Jesus). He has been chosen by God (verse 1). Isaiah prophesied that one day a Savior would come who would be uniquely chosen by God. He is God’s instrument of salvation (verse 6). Isaiah says that the Servant would be filled with the Spirit of God (verse 1) and would establish justice for all (verse 4), including the weak and helpless. In the New Testament, Jesus would claim that he was the fulfillment of this passage (see Matthew 12:15-21).

Written by Doug Fields

In this well-known passage Isaiah introduces us to the “suffering servant” and in the process gives us a detailed picture of what Jesus would experience on the cross. What’s amazing is that Isaiah wrote these verses about 800 years before Jesus lived! Isaiah couldn’t have fully understood what he prophesied about; it even took Jesus’ closest followers a long time to figure it out (see 1 Peter 2:21-25). Thankfully, we have the great advantage of seeing the full picture of God’s plan of salvation.

Written by Doug Fields