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Post by Parker on May 18, 2023 10:37:13 GMT -8
This year-long reading plan features devotionals from The Jesus Bible, which explores how Jesus can be found in both the Old and New Testaments.
LET THERE BE LIGHT - Day 1
Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Genesis 1:3
God brings light into darkness. That is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, and it begins here. In this verse, the spoken words of God create physical light to brighten a dark world. The New Testament records God sending his Son, Jesus, to be the light of the world (Jn 1:1 – 14). And Paul wrote to the church in Corinth that salvation occurs when God commands the light of his own glory “displayed in the face of Christ” to shine on the darkness of sinful hearts (2Co 4:6).
Light represents the glory and salvation of God as it is expressed in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the exact representation of God, and he revealed God to a world sitting in darkness. Those who trust in Jesus are brought from the darkness of sin into God’s light — where there is joy, peace and hope forever. In the end, there will be no more darkness, and the light of God’s glory will shine brightly in God’s eternal kingdom (Rev 21:23).
Jesus, thank you for bringing light into my heart and into my life. Please shine your light through me so the people around me may encounter you. Amen.
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Post by Parker on May 19, 2023 7:38:28 GMT -8
MADE IN GOD’S IMAGE
Human beings are uniquely created in the image of God. When the rest of creation was being birthed, it was “good.” God created the birds, fish, plants and stars to display his splendor and oh, how amazing they are. God said these creations were good. However, when it came to humans, the tone changed. He said that the creation of humans was “very good.” Human beings are an extra-special creation for at least three reasons.
First, it is clear that humans have an identity that is rooted in God. When God said, “Let us make mankind in our image,” he reiterated the presence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit in the act of creation. . . .Humans are special because Jesus, as a part of the Trinity, created them in his image. Second, humans are special because they were created for a unique purpose. No two humans are the same. Other aspects of creation serve general functions, but only humans have a unique, individual purpose. Third, humans are designed to have a one-on-one relationship with God through Jesus, powered by the Holy Spirit. As a right of being created in the image of their Creator, humans can relate directly to him. It is through Jesus that this relationship is made possible. He came and tore down the dividing wall of hostility that separated his special creation from God (Ro 8:34 – 39).
Jesus, thank you for tearing down that dividing wall between my Creator and me. Show me my purpose in this life and help me to accomplish it, starting today. Amen.
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Post by Parker on May 20, 2023 5:12:58 GMT -8
GOD’S CREATED MISSION
Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Genesis 1:28
Adam and Eve lived on mission. This is seen in a couple of ways. First, they were to multiply and fill the earth. As created image-bearers, were it not for sin, they would naturally multiply and fill the earth with more and more image-bearing worshipers of God. As worshipers spread, the glory of God would be seen throughout the world God had created. Second, people were to exercise dominion over God’s world.
They were to do more than simply care for the world — they were to harness the latent potential built into God’s very good created design in order to magnify the order, beauty and capabilities inherent in all things made by God. Sin changed all that God created, but it did not obliterate this mandate. In Christ, men and women can fulfill their God-given mission to fill the earth with worshipers and develop the world in such a way as to bring God great glory.
Jesus, help me to remember that I am created in your image. Help me to be a good steward of all the good gifts you have given me. Please guide me in fulfilling the mission you have given me for my life. Amen.
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Post by Parker on May 21, 2023 6:43:09 GMT -8
SIN
Genesis 6:1-8 1 John 2:16-17 2 Corinthians 5:21
The exact nature of the sin described in these verses is perplexing to most readers. While the actions are somewhat unclear, what is abundantly evident is the fact that God’s good, created order has been corrupted by human rebellion. The people have done the very thing God commanded them to do in the garden — they have been fruitful and multiplied and filled the earth (Ge 1:28). Sadly, rather than filling the earth with image-bearers who reflect God’s glory, they have instead filled the earth with brokenness.
Interestingly, the sin recounted here describes the people seeing something as beautiful and pursuing that thing in rebellion to God’s command, as did Adam and Eve. Rather than submitting to the command of God and trusting the goodness of his dictates, the first couple chose to trust their eyes and follow the lusts of their hearts (Ge 3:1 – 7). At its core, this is the nature of all sin.
God, the Creator of all things, knows best how the human life should be lived. He provides clear guidance on his good and gracious plans for humanity, which are ultimately for good. Sin is rooted in unbelief in the promises of God. Rather than trusting in the ways of God, all people choose to follow the desires of their own hearts and, in so doing, elevate themselves to the position of God. People believe they know better than God; therefore, they run after the lusts of their hearts and the desires of their eyes. John warns, however, that these things are passing away and so are those who live their lives in pursuit of them. Only those who do “the will of God” can live (1Jn 2:16 – 17).
But, how does one do the will of God? The implications of Adam’s sin and the fall are not merely that all people make bad decisions, yet if they try hard enough they can keep God’s law. Rather, sin renders all people unable to keep God’s law and trapped in the shackles of their sin. Jesus perfectly and completely lived the life they could not live, no matter how hard they tried. Those who are aware of their inability to keep God’s law can turn to Christ in repentance and faith and be given the free gift of righteousness. By grace, God credits the perfection of Jesus to men and women who could never earn it by their own merit (2Co 5:21).
Jesus, forgive me for my rebellion, my unbelief, and my arrogance. Thank you for living the perfect life that made my salvation possible. Amen.
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Post by Parker on May 22, 2023 7:35:49 GMT -8
DECLARING THE END FROM THE BEGINNING
Isaiah 46:9-11 Matthew 16:21
As the sovereign ruler of the cosmos, God can do anything he pleases. His word is not merely advice or a prediction; it is a declaration, even if humans do not yet see the visible evidence of that declaration in the world. He who knew the very end before the very beginning can be trusted to not only know what will transpire but to bring it about in the way and time in which he sees fit.
As a prophet, Jesus too had the ability to declare what would and would not occur. Consider his declarations that he would rebuild the temple in three days, that Jerusalem would be destroyed and even his straightforward declaration of his own suffering, death and resurrection to come (Mt 16:21). Just as God declared his word through the prophet Isaiah, so also Jesus makes declarations as a prophet: words not born of his own opinion or logical deduction, but instead from the knowledge of God from the very beginning. As we trust the declarations of God the Father, so also can we trust in the declarations of Jesus, God’s Son.
Jesus, I praise you for your sovereignty, your omniscience and your faithfulness. Erase any doubt that may linger in my heart or mind, so that I may trust in you with all that I am. Amen.
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Post by Parker on May 23, 2023 4:56:01 GMT -8
THE ETERNAL GOD
Psalms 90:1-12
Before Genesis 1:1, God was. The eternal God knows no beginning, nor will he know an end. A thousand years are as a day to him (v. 4). While the mountain peaks were born one day, God was not (v. 2). In fact, creation exists because of this eternal God.
Psalm 90 includes multiple reminders that humankind is not by nature eternal. The psalmist, identified as Moses in the superscription, noted that it generally takes 70 or 80 years for humans to turn back to dust (vv. 3,10). In light of this, he prayed that God would help his people to number their days (v. 12).
God is eternal. Humans are not, due to their fallen nature. A merciful Jesus interrupts the ordinary nature of things, declaring, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (Jn 17:3). Only an eternal God could give eternal life. Only an eternal and merciful God would.
Jesus, in my humanness I cannot understand eternity, but I do not have to understand it to believe in it. Thank you for gifting me with forever. Amen.
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Post by Parker on May 24, 2023 9:14:10 GMT -8
THE PROMISED ONE
Genesis 3:15-17
God’s judgment of sin is interrupted by a stunning picture of his grace. Because of human sin, there are vast implications — from men and women to the very creation itself. But God promises that sin will not have the final word. This first reference to the plan of God to save fallen sinners, sometimes referred to as the protoevangelium (the first gospel), declares God’s commitment to his creation. He will not abandon it to destruction but will pursue it in love. His promise is clear — a descendant of the woman will crush the head of the serpent. The heel of this male heir of the first parents will be struck, though the child will emerge victorious by crushing the head of the evil one.
The exact nature of the plan is yet to be explained, but the plan is already in place. Jesus, the promised seed of the woman, would leave no doubt as to the fulfillment of this promise. It would appear that Satan had done far more than strike the heel of the Son of God as Jesus hung lifeless on a cross. But God would have the final word. Through Jesus’ victorious resurrection, he would crush the head of Satan — permanently declaring victory over sin and death and fulfilling the promise made at the outset of the Bible.
Jesus, I thank you and praise you for your beautiful grace. Thank you for crushing Satan’s head. Help me to live my life fully aware of your grace and victory. Amen.
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Post by Parker on May 25, 2023 6:54:43 GMT -8
CHRIST, THE PROMISED PROPHET
Deuteronomy 18:15-19 Matthew 4:12-17 Luke 4:16-21
Throughout the first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch), Moses served the people of Israel in three primary offices or ways: prophet (Dt 34:10 – 12), priest (Ex 32:31 – 35) and as a type of king or ruler (Ex 18:24 – 26). The people of God relied on Moses to lead them as a forming nation and in religious practices according to God’s Word, as well as petitioning the Lord on their behalf.
Moses foretold of another prophet that God would raise up to serve Israel in the same vein. Deuteronomy 18:15 states, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.” This verse established a culture of anticipation that went unfulfilled for hundreds of years. The people of Israel longed for the next great leader, one who would lead them as a king, priest and prophet. Moses foreshadowed the one for whom Israel waited. He was a type of Christ, looking forward to the Messiah who was yet to come.
Jesus proved to be the long-anticipated prophet, following in the offices of Moses and fulfilling the anticipation of Israel recorded in the Old Testament (Mt 4:12 – 17; Lk 4:16 – 21). Although many Israelites looked for a military leader, Jesus came as a humble servant, even willing to face the most humiliating form of execution within the Roman Empire (Php 2:5 – 8). He is a king — whose kingdom is not of this world — who came to serve his people by atoning for their sin on a cross to rescue them from the judgment of God. He is a prophet who proclaimed the commands of God and showed his followers the right path to please the Lord (Jn 14:15, 23). Finally, he is a priest, going before the Father on behalf of the people of God, an office he currently fulfills at the right hand of the Father without ceasing (Heb 7:23 – 25).
Ultimately, all of the Old Testament authors — from Moses to David and the other prophets — looked forward to the day when the Messiah would come and bring finality to their anticipation, a day when they would see their ultimate Prophet, Priest and King.
Jesus, you are the perfect Prophet, the only Priest I need and the King of my life. Thank you for coming into this broken world and giving sinners a path to redemption. Amen.
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Post by Parker on May 26, 2023 5:06:24 GMT -8
JESUS: THE PROMISE OF GOD
Joshua 23:14-16 Romans 1:1-4 II Corinthians 1:18-20
Joshua finished his life with an astounding observation about God’s work. He claimed that God had been faithful to fulfill every one of his promises to the nation of Israel. In spite of the sin of the people and the vast scope of God’s redemptive work, God had proven the covenant-keeping nature of his character. He is always faithful to his promises. He always keeps his word. He will never break a promise.
While this claim comes at the culmination of Joshua’s life and mission, it continues throughout all subsequent generations. In fact, God’s promises were meant to extend throughout all generations. His promise in Genesis 3:15, that one would come who would “crush” Satan forever, was not merely a promise to the nation of Israel but to all those who would suffer under the implications of life in a sin-drenched world. His promises to the nation of Israel, fulfilled in their taking of the land, represent only a portion of the great and glorious promises made by God throughout all history.
Paul, at the beginning of his letter to the church at Rome, claimed that Jesus was the pinnacle of the fulfillment of the promises of God (Ro 1:1 – 4). Jesus’ sacrificial death was not a knee-jerk reaction by God to address human sin but was the plan of God before the foundation of the world. Paul traced the details of the coming of Christ — from his lineage, to the timing of his birth, to the manner of his death — and identified them as a fulfillment of God’s plan. The writings of the prophets validate this claim, as they make repeated promises about intricate details of Jesus’ life that are ultimately fulfilled hundreds of years later. This confidence led Paul to conclude, in 2 Corinthians 1:18 – 20, that all of God’s promises are answered in Christ. Both the specific promises regarding the Messiah and the general promises regarding God’s plan for dealing with human sin are fulfilled by Jesus.
God’s faithfulness to his promises provides hope for his people. Not only has he done what he said he would do, but he will continue to perfectly execute his plan. In spite of the seeming chaos of life in a fallen world, Christians can take heart that he has overcome the world and will perfectly accomplish all he set out to do (Jn 16:33).
Jesus, I know you do not break promises. Help me to wake each morning, live each day and sleep each night in confidence of your faithfulness. Amen.
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Post by Parker on May 27, 2023 6:34:35 GMT -8
FULFILLING THE PROPHETIC WORD
II Kings 8:7-15
The king of Aram, Ben-Hadad, was ill and uncertain if he would survive. Word reached him that the prophet Elisha had come to Damascus, so he sent his servant Hazael with forty camels loaded with gifts and asked the prophet whether he would live or die. Hazael did as he was instructed, but he could have never imagined what Elisha would tell him. According to Elisha, God decreed that the king would die and that Hazael would rule over Aram. Earlier God had told this same truth to Elijah, Elisha’s predecessor (1Kings 19:15).
God’s words create and shape reality; they can topple empires and replace kings with servants. At one time, God chose to speak his reality-shaping words through the prophets, people like Elisha and Elijah. Now he has chosen to speak uniquely through his Son, Jesus (Heb 1:1 – 2). And with ultimate authority and power, Jesus’ words pierce the innermost parts of people, revealing their secret thoughts and intentions (Heb 4:12 – 13). By his word, judgment falls upon the unrepentant and mercy comes to those with a contrite heart.
Jesus, I come before you with a humble heart, praising you for your omnipotence and thanking you for your mercy. I am so grateful for you, and I know I would be nothing without you. Amen.
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Post by Parker on May 28, 2023 5:57:56 GMT -8
CYRUS POINTS TO THE MESSIAH
Ezra 1:2-4 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia:
All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has Is. 44:28; 45:1, 13commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. 3Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel 1 Kin. 8:23; 18:39; Is. 37:16; Dan. 6:26(He is God), which is in Jerusalem. 4And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.
About 150 years beforehand, Isaiah prophesied the events described in the book of Ezra. He foretold that Cyrus would be the Lord’s “shepherd” and would rebuild Jerusalem and its temple (Isa 44:28). This prophecy was fulfilled in Ezra 1:2 – 4 when Cyrus proclaimed that he would rebuild the Lord’s temple and he released the Israelites to return to their homeland for the construction project. This pagan king can be viewed as a foreshadowing of the Messiah.
Like Cyrus but much better, the true Messiah is a king-shepherd who rules with the Lord’s authority (Eze 34:23 – 24; 37:24 – 25; Jn 10:11). Like Cyrus, Jesus Christ would build God’s house. Jesus said that his body was the temple, which would be destroyed and then raised up again in three days (Jn 2:19 – 22). Also, the church is the new “holy temple in the Lord” which Jesus built by his death and resurrection (Eph 2:19 – 22). Finally, like Cyrus, the Messiah would bring about a new exodus.
The original exodus — when the Lord saved his people from slavery in Egypt — was the premier salvation event in the Old Testament. However, a promise was made that a new exodus would occur in the future, with the Lord freeing his people from slavery forever and living among them. Passages like Isaiah 11 and Ezekiel 37 prophesied that the Messiah would accomplish this new and final salvation, and the New Testament describes the fulfillment of these prophecies in Jesus of Nazareth (cf. Rev 21:1 – 5).
Jesus, you are a mighty king and a gentle shepherd. Thank you for setting me free from slavery to sin and for protectively leading me through this life. Amen.
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Post by Parker on May 29, 2023 4:13:45 GMT -8
THE BOW IN THE HEAVENS
Genesis 9:12-16
The rainbow is a symbol of God’s promise never to destroy the earth again with a flood. More importantly, it serves as a tangible reminder of the faithfulness of God to fulfill his promises to his people. To modern ears, the notion of God “remembering” something may sound strange. How can an all-knowing God forget anything? Rather, the text points out that God would consistently call to mind his covenant promises, even when the people’s rebellion seemingly knew no end.
These promises stem from the task given to Adam and Eve in the garden (Ge 1:26 – 31). They were not merely to relax and enjoy their home. They were to represent God by exercising dominion and rule over the world in which they were placed. They were also to multiply and fill the earth with image-bearing worshipers.
Sin holistically altered the nature of this task, but it did not change the mission. The mission continues even after the systemic nature of sin was demonstrated in unthinkable ways, causing God to lament his work of creation (Ge 6:6). God acted in judgment, though he sustained a chosen remnant from the flood. Following their deliverance in the ark, God reinstated his mission with Noah and his family (Ge 9:1). They were called to multiply and fill the earth — a task made possible by the grace of God.
God affirmed his role in their lives and mission through a covenant. Throughout the ancient world, covenants were often used to describe the relationship of a king to his subjects. In it, the nature of the relationship was described along with the subjects’ responsibilities for obedience and life in the kingdom. This was certainly the case with Noah.
The foundation of God’s covenant with Noah and his family was grace and mercy. He called them, protected them and pledged his faithfulness to them. The death of Jesus fulfilled God’s covenant to Noah. As the pointed spear of a Roman soldier pierced Jesus’ side while he hung on a criminal’s cross, God’s wrath was directed at God’s only Son (Jn 19:34). In that climactic moment, the wrath of God and the grace of God met, and all of God’s promises found their fulfillment in Jesus (2Co 1:20).
Jesus, thank you for rainbows. Thank you for all the promises you have graciously given. Thank you for your faithfulness in keeping your word. Amen.
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Post by Parker on May 30, 2023 5:27:08 GMT -8
ONGOING PROMISES OF A FAITHFUL GOD
Genesis 12:1-3 Galatians 3:16-17
The covenant between God and Abraham (often referred to as the Abrahamic covenant) occupies the central focus of the next several chapters of the Bible. Genesis 12 begins with a vital prologue that sets the stage for the promises and ceremonies that would follow. They testify to the irrevocable nature of the promises of God.
The passage begins with a task given to Abram. He was called to leave all that he had known — his home, most of his family and his country of origin — and travel to an unknown location that God would reveal in due time. While the passage begins with an act of obedience, it is clear that the covenant is based on the promises of God.
Seven promises follow in rapid succession. (1) God promised to make Abram into a great nation — a pledge that would find fulfillment in the birth of the Hebrew nation. (2) God promised to bless Abram, his family and the nation that would emerge with his loving care and continued provision. (3) Abram, later renamed Abraham, would be given a name that would live on long after his earthly life concluded. (4) The nation would be a blessing to other nations as they modeled conformity to God’s law and demonstrated proper worship of the awe-inspiring God. (5) God would bless those who blessed the nation. (6) God would stand in judgment against those who oppressed his people. (7) All people would be blessed through Abram and the generations that followed him.
These grand and glorious promises were rooted in the nature and character of God. In spite of the people’s unbelief, rebellion, idolatry and spiritual adultery, God remained faithful to his promises because the covenant was based on grace and not on law. Paul writes that God gave Abraham these promises long before the law was given on Mount Sinai (Gal 3:16 – 17).
As one born in the line of Abraham, Jesus was the means by which these promises could be fulfilled. All those in Christ, born again by the grace of God, are children of Abraham and recipients of the promises of God that were fulfilled in Jesus. Paul testified to this reality when he claimed that all those who respond in faith to the good news of Jesus are heirs of the promises given to Abraham (Gal 3:28 – 29).
Jesus, I thank you that I, in my arrogance and rebellion, cannot undo any of God’s promises. Thank you for making it possible for me to be adopted into God’s family. Amen.
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Post by Parker on May 31, 2023 4:33:27 GMT -8
CONFIDENCE IN GOD
Genesis 22:5 / Hebrews 11:19
Abraham’s confidence in light of his impending task testifies to a deeper confidence — his profound confidence in God. Not only had God asked him to do this startling task, but Abraham was certain that God would provide a means of deliverance. He told his servants to wait while he and Isaac, his son, went to worship God on the mountain. Knowing that God commanded him to sacrifice his son, Abraham told the servants that he and the boy would come back soon. “We will worship and then we will come back to you,” he said. He knew that God had promised to create a great nation through Isaac (Ge 12:1 – 3; 13:14 – 16; 15:1 – 21; 17:1 – 22; 18:1 – 15). For this reason, Abraham knew that God would either deliver Isaac from death or resurrect him following his death (Heb 11:19). Either way, God would keep his word.
Jesus also trusted God in the face of impending death. The ultimate son of the promise, Jesus asked that God take away the cup of his suffering (Lk 22:42). Yet Jesus knew that God would be faithful — either by providing deliverance from death or through his subsequent, victorious resurrection. Unlike Isaac, Jesus would willingly and confidently walk not only to the brink of death but through death itself and once again demonstrate the faithfulness of God to his promises.
Jesus, sometimes I am not as confident as I should be. Forgive me. Help me to always obey you, even when I don’t understand your commands. Amen.
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Post by Parker on Jun 1, 2023 4:26:04 GMT -8
SPRINKLED WITH BLOOD
Exodus 24:5-8 / I Peter 1:2
God’s covenant relationship with his people was made possible by the blood of a sacrifice. At the Passover, the Israelites placed blood over the doors of their houses. Here the individual members of the nation of Israel were sprinkled with the blood of the covenant. The people understood that their relationship with God was predicated on the substitutionary death of something else. The sin of the people was transmitted to the animal, and the animal died the death the people deserved, temporarily restoring their relationship with God.
Whereas the people of God in the Old Testament were marked with the blood of a sacrificial animal, the people of God in the church are permanently covered with the blood of the perfect sacrifice — Jesus Christ. Peter, writing to Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor, noted that they also were sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ (1Pe 1:2). Though they are dispersed among the nations, God still marks his people by blood.
Jesus, thank you for pouring out your blood so that all who believe in you may have new life. Help me to live each day fully aware of the fact that I have been sprinkled with your precious blood. Amen.
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