"The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham."
The New Testament and the gospel begin with the most seemingly unremarkable of ways. However, it could not have begun more appropriately. It says three things: Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus is the son of David, and Jesus is the son of Abraham.
Jesus is the Christ, the coming Messiah promised to the people of God. The LORD has once again heard the sufferings of his people and their groans of agony under the oppressive reign of the Roman empire and of Herod. The Gospel begins with a declaration which no one has spoken before, that the Christ has come and his name is Jesus, "God saves".
Jesus is the Son of David, the promised and everlasting king in his line. He is the hope of God's everlasting kingdom and the fulfillment of God's covenant with David.
Jesus is also the Son of Abraham, his Seed through which God will bless every nation. In the Old Testament, Abraham and David are the greatest hopes for the Jewish people and are symbols of God's promise. Jesus is the embodied faithfulness of God. Matthew starts his Gospel with a threefold statement of promise and fulfillment. After years of anticipation, the messiah has finally come! God has not forsaken his promises and he has not forgotten us. This sentence points back to the entire Old Testament and you will never fully understand the New Testament until you understand what comes first.
Showing posts with label David. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David. Show all posts
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Psalm 77:9-11
"Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion? Then I thought, 'To this will I appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High." I will remember the deeds of the LORD; Yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago."
Despite a whole list of doubts David has in verses 7-9, David ultimately has one source of comfort: that God never changes. David reflects on God's track record, on how he has proven himself time and time again to be the God who performs miracles. And of course, we see that it is the Exodus account that gives David cause for faith.
Even though things look bad now, David trusts God never changes and in so doing knows what God will do. The only surprise with God is in how he does something, not if he does something, but when he acts you can be sure it will be mighty.
God is the only thing in this world which never changes, a solid rock and firm foundation we can hold onto. It is this trust in God's unchangeable character that forms the backbone of our faith.
Without great doubt, there cannot be great faith. The more doubts you have, the more we must rely on the truth of God, in his unchanging character. But don't just take my word for it, God's actions speak for himself. Everything rests on the belief that God is who he has revealed himself to be.
Despite a whole list of doubts David has in verses 7-9, David ultimately has one source of comfort: that God never changes. David reflects on God's track record, on how he has proven himself time and time again to be the God who performs miracles. And of course, we see that it is the Exodus account that gives David cause for faith.
Even though things look bad now, David trusts God never changes and in so doing knows what God will do. The only surprise with God is in how he does something, not if he does something, but when he acts you can be sure it will be mighty.
God is the only thing in this world which never changes, a solid rock and firm foundation we can hold onto. It is this trust in God's unchangeable character that forms the backbone of our faith.
Without great doubt, there cannot be great faith. The more doubts you have, the more we must rely on the truth of God, in his unchanging character. But don't just take my word for it, God's actions speak for himself. Everything rests on the belief that God is who he has revealed himself to be.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Psalms 46:4-5
"There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at the break of day."
In verse 4 we see a happy river flowing through the city of God in contrast to the raging waters of verses 2 and 3. We see that despite what chaos may be going on outside, those in God's kingdom experience peace. David, who wrote the psalm, would have also understood rivers to be places of abundance and provision. Imagine the stark contrast between the desert he and his men were fleeing through with the lush green foliage around the riverbanks and the fresh water for his men to drink. Not only is God's kingdom peaceful, but it is also abundant and full of life. In short, it is a paradise, an oasis in the midst of chaos.
It is this way because the Most High lives there and because He lives there, it will not fall. The phrase "God will help her at the break of day" can also be translated "will help her see the dawn", that is He will see her through the night safely. Traditionally, the place where God dwells is the Temple.
But the best part is this: You are the temple or "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" (1 Cor 6:19) With God in Christ through the Holy Spirit, we have inner strength and peace when the world around us crumbles.
In verse 4 we see a happy river flowing through the city of God in contrast to the raging waters of verses 2 and 3. We see that despite what chaos may be going on outside, those in God's kingdom experience peace. David, who wrote the psalm, would have also understood rivers to be places of abundance and provision. Imagine the stark contrast between the desert he and his men were fleeing through with the lush green foliage around the riverbanks and the fresh water for his men to drink. Not only is God's kingdom peaceful, but it is also abundant and full of life. In short, it is a paradise, an oasis in the midst of chaos.
It is this way because the Most High lives there and because He lives there, it will not fall. The phrase "God will help her at the break of day" can also be translated "will help her see the dawn", that is He will see her through the night safely. Traditionally, the place where God dwells is the Temple.
But the best part is this: You are the temple or "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" (1 Cor 6:19) With God in Christ through the Holy Spirit, we have inner strength and peace when the world around us crumbles.
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