Old Testament reading: Genesis 10-13

I believe Abraham is the singular most important character of the Old Testament. Today’s reading introduces God’s dealings with Abram, whom God later called Abraham. Abram means “exalted father,” while Abraham means “father of many nations” (Gen 17:5). In Genesis 12:1-3 we find the great promise God made to Abraham. This promise would eventually lead to the establishment of the nation of Israel, the giving of the Mosaic Law, the giving of Canaan to Israel, a succession of kings, and ultimately the appearance of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1). Paul repeatedly emphasized God’s promise to Abraham, particularly in his epistles to the Romans and the Galatians, noting the promise was greater than the Mosaic Law because it included all men and not only the nation of Israel. Those who have been baptized into Christ are said to be Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise God made to him (Gal 3:26-29). Of no other man is said what James said of Abraham, namely, “he was called the friend of God” (James 2:23). 2 Chronicles 20:7 describes him as God’s “friend forever.”

New Testament reading: Matthew 10-12

Matthew 10 begins with what is sometimes called the Limited Commission. It is identified as “limited” because it only included the nation of Israel (vv 5-6). This is in contrast to the Great Commission, which includes all men (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15). The purpose of the Limited Commission was to inform Israel of the imminency of the kingdom they so desperately desired, even though they did not understand its nature or purpose (cf John 6:15; Acts 1:6). Preaching the coming kingdom to Israel served as a shadow of the preaching of the gospel to the whole world (Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8), beginning first with the Jews (Romans 1:16), then the Samaritans (Acts 8),and finally to the rest of the world (Acts 10).

Old Testament reading: Genesis 6-9

Our text details the account of Noah, the only man who could ever say of sin, “Everyone else is doing it” (Gen 6:5). Noah was a great example of righteousness amidst a world overtaken in sin. Of note, verse 9 does not reach that Noah was perfect in the sense of being without sin, but he was blameless or maintained his integrity amidst the wicked world in which he lived. Note also that “Noah walked with God” (6:9). This beautiful declaration is elsewhere used only of Enoch (Gen 5:22, 24). Another statement that stands out is Genesis 6:8, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” Noah was indeed delivered from the Flood by grace, but grace did not negate Noah’s obligation to obey God. In fact, Hebrews 11 teaches us that Noah’s obedience of faith was the means by which God’s grace was administered to him and his household (Heb 11:7).

New Testament reading: Matthew 8-9

The thief on the cross is often used as an illustration of salvation without baptism. Matthew 9:2-8 contains the appropriate response to this error, namely, “the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins” (Matt 9:6). When preparing to heal the lame man, Jesus asked the question of His audience, “What is easier, to say ‘Your sins are forgiven?’ or, ‘Take up your bed and walk?’” What the Lord is declaring is that the forgiveness of sins is not something that can be seen. The fact was, aside from the blasphemous implications, anyone could have said it. Jesus was simply pointing out that saying it in their presence didn’t really prove anything as being forgiven of sins cannot be seen or measured empirically. However, telling a lame man to get up and walk was (to them) a much more challenging task. Thus, to prove He did have the authority to forgive sins, and refute their charge of blasphemy, Jesus commanded the lame man to get up and walk, which he did before their very eyes. Jesus forgave the sins of numerous individuals throughout His earthly ministry, the thief just happens to be the last (and best known).

Old Testament reading: Genesis 3-5

“Through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin” (Romans 5:12). Genesis 3 details the saddest day in the history of man, the entrance of sin into God’s perfect creation. From this point, God begins the long trek to Calvary. It is worthy and necessary to note that Genesis 3 records the fall of Eve and Adam, not the fall of man. Each man is responsible for his own sin (cf Eze 18:20). Adam’s sin was his and mine is mine. Today we are also made witnesses to man’s first inhumanity to his fellow man (Genesis 4). Finally, Genesis 5 lists the great ages of the Patriarchs, many of whom lived more than 900 years. However, with the exception of Enoch (5:23-24), of all these ancients one thing is said of them all… “and he died.” How sobering!

New Testament reading: Matthew 5-7

Today’s reading contains the greatest sermon ever recorded. The Sermon on the Mount needs to be given greater study and more diligent practice. Every time I read it, I realize how far I have to go to be more like my Lord. Of note in this reading are the beatitudes (5:3-10). It is well said that each of these character traits is dependent on the one previous. Moreover, the blessing for the last beatitude is the same as that for the first. No one can endure persecution for righteousness’ sake until they become poor in spirit, losing themselves in dedicated and sacrificial service to the Lord. Another interesting aspect of the Sermon on the Mount is Jesus’ contrast of “You have heard it said” with “But I say to you.” This contrast appears 6 times in Matthew 5, and the significance is not lost on His audience. In Matthew’s conclusion to this great discourse we see the response of those who heard Jesus, that “He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (7:29). The scribes appealed to previous teachers of the Law in support of their views, but Jesus did no such thing. Rather, He presented Himself as the authority in these matters, and rightfully so as He possessed all authority (Matt 28:18).

Old Testament reading: Genesis 1-2 

God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor 14:40). Genesis, the book of beginnings, begins with God and the creation week. Genesis 1-2 is historically important because denies the false notion of an “ancient” earth. The Genesis record is clear concerning a six day creation. Moreover, the same Moses who wrote Genesis 1-2 also wrote Exodus 20:11, “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them.” If God was not trying to teach us that He created the world in six literal, 24-hour days, what else could He have said to make it any clearer? Genesis 1:1 is also biblically important as it gives meaning and perspective to the phrase “the beginning” as used elsewhere in Scripture (cf Matt 19:4; John 8:44). If Genesis 1 cannot be taken at face value, the creation of the home and the fall of Adam and Eve have no historical value or context.

New Testament reading: Matthew 1-4

Like our other reading, this text is both spiritually and historically important, for in it we are formally introduced to the subject of all Scripture: “Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Matthew’s genealogy is not exhaustive, but is given to show Matthew’s Jewish audience that Jesus is the seed of Abraham (Gen 12:1-3) and the seed of David, the Messiah who would come bringing salvation (cf Psalm 132:11-18; Acts 2:29-36). Also, every time we see or write a date, we should be reminded that time and history are measured according to the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. A quick reminder: Most folks know that B.C. means “before Christ,” but many mistakenly think A.D. means “after death,” referring to the death of Jesus. A.D. is short for Anno Domini, a Latin phrase meaning “in the year of our Lord.” In recent years, unbelievers have begun using the designations BCE and CE, meaning “before common era” and “common era.” However, no matter how hard they try to get away from Jesus, they are still measuring time according to His birth! When I see these, I just think of BCE as meaning “before Christ’s era” and CE as meaning “Christian Era.”