Old Testament reading: Isaiah 61-64
We referenced Isaiah 62:2 on Day 226 and our discussion of the name Christian, a name given by God to His people (Acts 11:26) after the Gentiles (Cornelius – Acts 10) became recipients of God’s righteousness. This text bears mentioning again as it is monumental in the context of the Great Commission (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8) and the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy that God would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh (i.e., both Jews and Gentiles, cf Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:16-17). I also love the references made to this new people of God! In verse 3, those who would later be called Christians are described as “a crown of glory” and “a royal diadem” in the hand of our God. What a beautiful blessing is ours, that we might adorn the unspeakably glorious head of our God and Father! Through Christ the Father brings many sons to glory (Heb 2:10)! Moreover, God is said to rejoice over His people as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride (62:5). Undoubtedly the church is the Lord’s bride (2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:23-32), and to think He rejoices in us in such a fashion ought to instill in us the fullest measure of love and devotion to Him.
New Testament reading: Matthew 16-18
The Bible teaches that Jesus coexisted as both God and man. While such is (for me) impossible to grasp or explain, today’s reading gives evidence to that truth. In our recent reading of Matthew 8-9 (Day 273), we saw Jesus exercising authority that only God could possess. Here we see the omniscience of our Lord in that He knew of the conversation between Peter and those who received the temple tax (17:24-27). Jesus was said to have “anticipated” Peter, meaning He knew what Peter was going to say before Peter introduced the matter. Moreover, He performed a miracle in providing the money for Himself and for Peter to pay the temple tax. Matthew also here writes of Jesus’ existence as a man. In Matthew 16:21-23 and 17:22-23, Jesus began and continued to instruct His disciples in the impending matter of His suffering and death at the hands of men. As God exists from everlasting to everlasting (Ps 90:2), Jesus had to set aside some aspect of His divinity for the purpose of tasting death for every man (Heb 2:9, 14). Again, don’t ask me to explain it. I just know the text teaches it!
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