Old Testament reading: Isaiah 51-53
Isaiah continues his presentation of Israel’s Redeemer, culminating with the well known Suffering Servant and Lamb of God in chapter 53. The Lord encourages His people to lift their eyes to the heavens and look down on the earth beneath, for all that the eye can see will come to naught while His salvation would be forever and His righteousness shall never be abolished (51:6). In 51:12-13 we see a familiar refrain that is better known from Matthew 10:28, i.e., ‘Do not fear man who is finite in his existence, but rather fear the Creator of all the earth, before whose fury no man can stand.’ Isaiah 52:7 should sound familiar as well, for Paul quoted this text in Romans 10:15 in declaring the good news of the gospel age. We would be remiss if we did not pay some attention to Isaiah 53. This classic text actually begins in Isaiah 52:13 with the introduction of “My Servant.” Seven times in Isaiah 53:4-6 we find the death of Jesus directly linked to our sins. Of note in verse 4 is how Jesus is said to have been “smitten by God.” We see here how God made Jesus to be the sacrifice for our sins (cf 2 Cor 5:21). We are also reminded that forgiveness of sins takes place in the mind of God, not in a baptistery or any outward acts of obedience. But it is only through obedience to God’s commands that we can receive that forgiveness (Acts 2:38).
New Testament reading: Matthew 5-7
What if Jesus really meant what He said? Some years ago, a host of billboards popped up across the United States with some reminders from “God.” The one I best remember was: “That ‘Love Thy Neighbor’ thing… I meant that. – God.” The Sermon on the Mount is filled with numerous direct statements dealing directly with the hearts and actions of men toward their fellow man. Not only must we love our neighbors, we are commanded to love our enemies (5:44), bless those who curse us, do go to those who hate us, and pray for those who persecute us, for in so doing we imitate our heavenly Father (5:45-48). This hard saying comes on the heels of ‘turn the other cheek’ and ‘go the second mile.’ Such runs totally counter to the internal impulses of most. The ability to accomplish this comes only with great care and consideration given to our hearts.
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