Old Testament reading: Exodus 10-12
No Old Testament event has a greater connection to the New Testament than does the Passover. The significance of this is seen as Jesus is called “our Passover,” who “was sacrificed for us” (1 Cor 5:7). The observance of the Passover was one of following what are sometimes called God’s positive commands. God’s commands may be divided into two categories. By moral commands, we speak of those things wherein we can see an actions resultant good or evil. It take neither a genius nor a high level of faith to see the resultant good of “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” By God’s positive commands, we speak of those things promised by God that must be obeyed purely through faith in God. Concerning the Passover, there was no logical connection between the application of blood to the door posts with deliverance from the Destroyer. Only faith in God would prompt obedience. In like fashion, it is only when the blood of Jesus is applied to the door of our hearts that we give testimony to our faith in God. The only remedy for sin is the blood of Jesus (Rev 1:5). The only way to receive remission of sins is to be baptized in response to believing the gospel (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38). Thus baptism is the means by which we contact the blood of Jesus. Upon hearing what the Bible teaches about salvation, people understand the need for faith in Christ, repentance and confession, but balk at baptism, saying, “I just don’t see the connection.” But baptism is a pure act of faith, for in it we declare our faith in the promise and working of God (Col 2:12).
New Testament reading: Luke 2-3
“I can die now.” This phrase is often used by those who meet some childhood hero or finally accomplish a lifelong dream. Simeon said the same things 2000 years ago when he finally saw the promised Messiah (2:25-29). How unfortunate that so many in Israel did not see in Jesus what Simeon saw, of which he also spoke in verses 34-35. Jesus came as God’s salvation for all people (v 31). Isaiah prophesied this very thing in Isaiah 9. The salvation of the Gentiles was to Israel’s glory, but Israel was blinded by pride so as to deny themselves God’s glory by killing His Son and opposing the Gentiles as partakers of God’s promise to Abraham.
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