Day 17: Casting Lots Over Clothes

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Reading

they divide my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.

Psalm 22:18

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, ²⁴ so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,

“They divided my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.”

So the soldiers did these things

John 19:23-24

Devotional

I love Psalm 22. Back in Jesus’s day, Scripture didn’t have verse references and chapters, but the Jews would memorize it in chunks. One of those chunks began with Psalm 22:1 which reads: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” I can just picture the unfolding of events on Jesus’s crucifixion day. Everyone is full of emotion, some grieving over the death of Jesus, and others full of glee that they put an end to Him.

Jesus has been deprived of sleep, mocked, beaten, and now hangs bloody and battered from a cross. As His bones pop out of joint and His strength fades, He looks over to the Roman soldiers and sees them gambling over His clothes, and He cries out: “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?” Psalm 22‘s words begin to spring to life in the minds of those there. They look at Jesus, contemplate what he’s been through these last few days, they see the soldiers gambling, and it all begins to click. Jesus is the man David wrote about in Psalm 22!

The fact that the soldiers cast lots for His clothing shows us just how desensitized they had become to the killing of men. Even in a man’s darkest hour, they thought little of taking the last of his possessions even before he died.

Take a Moment

How much are we like that in our own sins? We have become desensitized to our sins. Blinded by the things we are around too often. Take a moment and think through the things you do frequently (whether that’s daily or weekly or …), are you using those activities and duties to bring the fullest glory to God? Or have they become too habitual for you to look outside of yourself to the One who created you?

Take a moment and pray that God would help you be aware of the lost around you that you might be a light to them. Pray too that God would help you see those around you who most need encouragement, so you can be there for them in their sorrow.

Check back each day for a new advent devotion on the Messianic Prophecies. A summary of all the advent devotions can be found here.

Day 16: The Scourging

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Reading

But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. ² And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. ³ They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. ⁴ Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” ⁵ So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” ⁶ When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” ⁷ The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.”

John 19:1-7

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

1 Peter 2:24-25

Devotional

The flagellation of Christ is not a very Christmassey image, is it? We like to focus on the sweetly bundled babe on a bed of fresh hay, parents and donkeys and wise men lovingly looking over Him. I certainly would prefer to focus on the lovely images associated with Christ, but it’s important to look to what the lovely moments were leading to. In a few days we’ll talk more specifically about Christ being pierced; today let’s talk a little bit about Christ being flogged.

In most of the sermons and depictions I’m familiar with Christ goes, more or less, straight from the flogging to the crucifixion. The differences in the gospels telling should give us pause, however. In the Gospel of John we see there’s quite a lot happening between Pilate ordering the flogging and ordering the crucifixion, and I think this is where the importance of the flogging comes in.

If Pilate had ordered Christ to death in one swoop it would have been easier (still deplorable, but easier) for folks to wash their hands of the whole affair. The quickness of the conviction would have left most people convinced there was nothing more to be done. However, in John 19 we see a beaten and bloodied Jesus brought back before the people while Pilate makes another attempt to get the mob to choose someone else.

But they double down and demand his execution. They see Jesus hurting and wronged, but still they want more. They commit themselves to this depravity and will not be satisfied with the punishment already doled out. How often friends, do we make the same demands of Jesus’ suffering? If we took the time to really evaluate our sin; our self serving hearts, our conviction that we deserve that thing, or our self justification for that sin- Is it much different than seeing Christ already bloody and beaten for the sins we’ve already committed, and demanding He go to the cross, too?

Take a Moment

Take some time to contemplate the Earthly suffering Christ took on for you. Do you value it? Does it grieve you? Of course Jesus was victorious over death and suffering, providing us with eternal life as a result. But I wonder – do we feel the weight of our sins, and do we recognize just how painful it was for Christ to bear them for us? Do we really believe that our sin contributed to that weight, or do we take for granted His preemptive efforts for our eternal destinations?

How differently would we act if we remembered the suffering of Christ? How much more frequently would we flee from our sinful temptations if we thought it might spare Him one lashing?

Spend some time to read the gospel accounts of Jesus’ suffering between being arrested and crucified. Praise Him for following through, and willingly sacrificing Himself for us. Praise Him for his willingness to become flesh, live, die, and rise again all that we might be reconciled to our Heavenly Father.

Check back each day for a new advent devotion on the Messianic Prophecies. A summary of all the advent devotions can be found here.

Day 15: Arrest

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Reading

“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,
    against the man who stands next to me,”
declares the Lord of hosts.

“Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered;
    I will turn my hand against the little ones.

Zechariah 13:7

Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
    who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.

Psalm 41:9

While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. ⁴⁸ Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” ⁴⁹ And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. ⁵⁰ Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. ⁵¹ And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. ⁵² Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. ⁵³ Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴ But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” ⁵⁵ At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. ⁵⁶ But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.

Matthew 26:47-56

And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. ⁴⁴ Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” ⁴⁵ And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. ⁴⁶ And they laid hands on him and seized him. ⁴⁷ But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. ⁴⁸ And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? ⁴⁹ Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” ⁵⁰ And they all left him and fled.

Mark 14:43-50

Devotional

Here we come to the beginning of the hardest time of Jesus’s life. Yes, He had already had great hardship. Herod sought to kill Him as a child, so His parents fled with Him and raised Him in another country. He experienced forty days and nights of starvation while being tempted by Satan in the wilderness. And He brought good news to the people only to be met with opposition from those who claimed to love God most. Yes, in every way Jesus experienced hardship, but all of those trials and struggles paled in comparison to the last few days of His life.

Here we see Him praying and in distress after the Passover meal. He knew that Judas would betray Him for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12-13), He knew just how harsh His punishments would be (Isaiah 53:8-10), and it caused Him stress. Even still, seeing the trial come He had the courage to say, “But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” And at that moment His disciples ran. They abandoned Him one and all. None of them went to defend Him in the trials saying: “That’s not what happened.” Indeed, they scattered with such haste that one disciple lost his clothes in the chaos (Mark 14:51-52).

Jesus knew that not only His disciples would abandon Him, but also the Father would turn His back to Him. For the first time in all of eternity, Jesus would not be in communion with the Trinity. The arrest was the beginning of a series of dark and torturous moments for Jesus. It signified an aching we cannot fathom was to descend upon Him, and still, Jesus said, “Let it come.”

Take a Moment

When you have had the clarity and discernment to see trials coming, have you been able to echo with Jesus “let it come?” The same power that Jesus wielded on Earth in healing the sick, lame, and blind resides with you, Believer. There is no trial that has overtaken you or will ever overtake you in which Jesus will abandon you. Take a moment and think about that. Think about the hardest trials you’ve been through as a Believer, where was Jesus? How did he make that situation easier? How did He prepare you for that moment?

Think about the trials on the horizon. Perhaps this Covid lock-down will continue another year, or your job will lay you off, or a fellow church-mate will gossip and slander you, or a dear friend will stab you in the back. How would that affect you? Would you be able to echo Jesus’s words: “Let it come?”

Take a moment and thank Jesus for being willing to face His trials and death for you.

Check back each day for a new advent devotion on the Messianic Prophecies. A summary of all the advent devotions can be found here.

Day 14: Triumphal Entry

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Reading

The Coming King of Zion
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
    righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Zechariah 9:9

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” ⁴ This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

⁵ “Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
    humble, and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

Matthew 21:1-5

The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. ¹³ So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” ¹⁴ And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

¹⁵ “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
    sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

John 12:14-15

Devotional

We’re all familiar with Palm Sunday. Does your church do anything special, like recreating the procession with palm branches and a parade through the sanctuary? Sing special songs about His coming? I’ve always loved the picture we’re given here – the King of Kings and Lord of Lords arriving on a humble and simple animal, the donkey. It’s easy to draw a connection to the humility in riding a colt – not noble animals in our context by any means. It’s consistent with the vision of Jesus we’ve created in our modern narrative. Did you know, though, that riding on a donkey had a precedent? 

At the time there was an official meaning assigned to steeds: donkey’s for civil affairs and horses for military ones. It’s fair to say Jesus is showing us His humility by riding a simple steed, and fulfilling prophecy along the way. But by using a donkey, Jesus is also sending a clear message for those who understand the cultural context. Christ came on a mission of peace. He came to pave the way to eternal life, offering Himself as sacrifice to satisfy the wrath of God on our behalf. He did not fight back, defend Himself, or take vengeance on those who betrayed and ultimately murdered Him. And He wanted folks to know that was his intention from the get go – He came to fulfill prophecy, please His Father, and march towards the faithful day at Calvary. Jesus knew, of course, what was coming; what was waiting for Him. Still, He chose to declare his intent as peaceful and continue moving forward to secure our eternal destinations, never deviating from the goal.

Take a Moment

What is your mission for your time on Earth? How are you spending the days God has gifted you? Beyond your profession and where you live, what’s the driving intentions behind your day to day life? Take some time to evaluate if you’re showing up in your relationships, your ministries, and even in your time with God, on a proverbial donkey or horse. Are you out to make peace or war with the life and folks God has placed you with? Are you committed to a life that shows humility and gentleness or do you spend your energy fighting with the world and everyone in it? Repent where needed, and praise God for sending us the perfect example to model our lives after.

Also take time to praise Jesus and thank Him for choosing a donkey, when He could have chosen the horse.

Check back each day for a new advent devotion on the Messianic Prophecies. A summary of all the advent devotions can be found here.

Day 13: Cleansing the Temple

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Reading

For zeal for your house has consumed me,
    and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.

Psalm 69:9

The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. ¹⁵ And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶ And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

¹⁸ So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” ¹⁹ Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” ²⁰ The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” ²¹ But he was speaking about the temple of his body. ²² When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

John 2:13-22

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. ¹³ He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

¹⁴ And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. ¹⁵ But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant.

Matthew 21:12-15

And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, ⁴⁶ saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”

⁴⁷ And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, ⁴⁸ but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.

Luke 19:45-48

Devotional

Zeal, or great enthusiasm, for Father’s house consumes Jesus. The more time I spend thinking about that statement the more interesting it becomes. Jesus is passionate about taking care of what belongs to God. Jesus is passionate about cleansing and purifying the place that God calls home. Out of that passionate love and enthusiasm for God, Jesus flips tables, fashions a whip, and chases away those who would defame God’s house. What we see in Jesus is that passionate enthusiasm for God drives one to not only serve the poor, love on the social outcasts, and guide wayward hearts to God, but it also stands in violent opposition to arrogance, pride, and idolatry.

Going a step deeper, we remember that God’s house is not some temple or building in Israel. It’s not the church building we used to go to every week (pandemics are weird). Indeed Paul tells us that we are the home of the Lord, we are His dwelling temple (1 Corinthians 3:16)! When Scripture talks about Jesus’s zeal for the house of the Lord, it’s not for the bricks and mortar, surely He knew that temple would be destroyed. Rather, Jesus’s zeal is for you and me. He wants to chase off your sinful habits, shatter your stone heart (Ezekiel 36:26), and give you a heart that burns with an undying passion for God. He wants you to be conformed into His likeness (Romans 8:28-29) – zealous for the house of the Lord.

Take a Moment

What are some of the illicit wares you’re selling in your temple? Have you convinced yourself that certain sins are acceptable as long as you don’t go too far? Have you allowed social media, politics, money, or materialism to set up trade in your heart? Take a moment and think about what it is in your life that Jesus wants to zealously chase away.

Spend some time in prayer praising Jesus for being so zealous for God’s house that He died on the cross paving the way for your salvation. Pray that God would impart the same zealous spirit in you that we see in Jesus.

Check back each day for a new advent devotion on the Messianic Prophecies. A summary of all the advent devotions can be found here.

Day 12: Miracles

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Reading

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
    and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
    and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
    and streams in the desert;

Isaiah 35:5-6

And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight.  And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Luke 7:20-23

And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Matthew 11:5-6

Devotional

Can you imagine what it must have been like to witness one of these interactions with Jesus? To see the cripple stand? Or what it might have been like to be the cripple standing? To use eyes and legs and ears and voice for perhaps the first time ever? I’m incapable of understanding what that must have been like; what joy and elation, what relief and freedom. I do see, though, the compassion that fueled Christ during His time among us. Christ came to preach the Good News –  life everlasting is available to those who believe in Him and repent of their sins. But one of the things I love the most about our Savior is that while the promise of eternity is enough, He sought to give us more.

Christ’s primary goal is to win us over to Himself, but He did far more than just that while He was here. He made friends, He shared their joys and sorrows, and He eased suffering along the way. Our souls are of course the paramount concern, but our bodies and earthly sorrows, too, He has compassion for.

Take a Moment

Have you benefited from healing or provision that cannot be explained outside the hand of God? Or has someone close to you? How good is our God that He gives us such blessings, relief, and provision. Take some time to think about, and thank God for, the ways He moves within our Earthly concerns. If you are currently suffering an ailment, take that pain and struggle to Him and ask for His intervention and/or strength to continue. Take comfort knowing that a place without suffering is coming, and one day these ailments and difficulties will be a far and distant memory.

Check back each day for a new advent devotion on the Messianic Prophecies. A summary of all the advent devotions can be found here.

Day 11: Use of Parables

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Reading

I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,

Psalm 78:2

And he said, “Go, and say to this people:

“‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
¹⁰ Make the heart of this people dull,
    and their ears heavy,
    and blind their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes,
    and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
    and turn and be healed.”

Isaiah 6:9-10

Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” ¹¹ And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. ¹² For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ¹³ This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. ¹⁴ Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
    and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
¹⁵ For this people’s heart has grown dull,
    and with their ears they can barely hear,
    and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
    and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
    and turn, and I would heal them.’

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. ¹⁷ For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable.

Matthew 13:10-17

³⁵ This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:

“I will open my mouth in parables;
    I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”

Matthew 13:35

Devotional

Parables are a mysterious means of communication that Jesus used to speak of deep and old truths. Those that wanted to understand meditated on the morsels and devoured His every word seeking what it was He meant. Through that time-consuming and difficult process they learned truths about the sinful state of man and the abundance of who God is that were “hidden since the foundation of the world.”

It is through parables then that Jesus helped reveal the hearts of mankind to themselves. Those that were broken over His parables showed they understood and genuinely wanted to be what God was calling them to be. Those that were confused or offended by what He said revealed that all they wanted was their own self-satisfaction. The many saints of God find themselves broken and shattered before His every word, hoping and longing for more of His life-giving words to pour out upon their ears and mending their broken souls.

Conversely, the pharisees of our day are offended when called out by sin and seek to shift the focus of the conversation and attention off themselves. The arrogant and prideful will have nothing to do with God’s words, but will seek their own wisdom elsewhere.

Take a Moment

Do you find your own soul desiring Jesus more every day? Do you seek out His word and diligently meditate upon it that you might learn how to walk worthy, please the Lord, and bear more fruits of the Spirit (Colossians 1:9-10)?

Pray that God would grant you ears to hear and a heart that passionately seeks to understand. We believe in a God who answers our prayers and seeks us out. All we have to do is answer His call (Revelation 3:20).

Check back each day for a new advent devotion on the Messianic Prophecies. A summary of all the advent devotions can be found here.

Day 10: Anointing

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Reading

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
² to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
    and the day of vengeance of our God;
    to comfort all who mourn;
³ to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

Isaiah 60:1-3

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. ¹⁷ And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
    and recovering of sight to the blind,
    to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

²⁰ And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. ²¹ And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Luke 4:16-21

Devotional

I love these images of Christ. The connection between having the Spirit of the Lord upon Him combined with the acts of loving kindness He would accomplish are a beautiful insight into who our Savior is, and by extension, what we should be like. 

Have you taken time to think about this? Jesus was fully God; He could have done any kind of miracle or act of wrath He wanted to show us who He is. Those who questioned and reviled Him could have been met with any number of ailments, curses, or woes. Instead, though, we see Jesus walk through His earthly life with humility, patience, gentleness, and compassion.

We see Jesus feed the hungry, heal the sick, restore sight, weep for the loss of His friend – and then bring Lazarus back to life. An all powerful God chose to reveal Himself to us through acts of mercy and kindness; through love in motion. How wonderful is that? Not only is this a wonderful truth about our beloved Brother, but this paves the path we ought to walk as we seek to become more like Him. In our efforts to please and honor God we should turn to the primary example of what was pleasing to our Father – Christ, and His behavior while here on Earth.

Take a Moment

Take some time to praise God for the character of Jesus, focusing on His patience and gentleness in response to persecution. Jesus took on that suffering for you and I; don’t let this season of advent pass without reflecting on how previous this gift is. 

Then, take some time to take inventory of your own responses to the upheavals in your life. When the waters of life start boiling how do you respond? Is Christ reflected in the way you treat others, respond to tough choices, and the lengths you’re willing to go to be kind to those around you? Or is there work to be done? Wherever you are in your journey toward Christlikeness, thank God for sending His Son to show us how, and to help us on the way.

Check back each day for a new advent devotion on the Messianic Prophecies. A summary of all the advent devotions can be found here.

Day 9: Called a Nazarene

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Reading

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
    and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

Isaiah 11:1

He was despised and rejected by men,
    a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Isaiah 53:3

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
    righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
    and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
    and he shall speak peace to the nations;
his rule shall be from sea to sea,
    and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Zechariah 9:9-10

And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

Matthew 2:23

Devotional

Only once does Matthew use the plural for “prophet” when describing the fulfillment of prophecies, and yet not once does Old Testament Scripture ever say that Jesus would be called a “Nazarene.” What is it that Matthew is trying to say? It gets lost a bit in our culture today, two thousand years later, but “Nazarene” was a slur that meant trashy, lowly esteemed, or despised. In John 1:46 we see that Nathanael is shocked that Jesus could be from Nazareth, because nothing good could possibly come from there.

Why was it important for Jesus to be despised and rejected by men? Because too often we look to charismatic, rich, and influential people naturally. Just as the Israelites chose Saul to lead them, we choose people that look good at a distance to be our leaders too. But Saul failed, and God appointed a lowly shepherd to take his place. That shepherd, David became the greatest king in Israelite history. Jesus continues to upset this trend. He’s not one we would naturally choose to lead us, and that just shows only God could have accomplished the events of His life. Only God could make someone so despised be followed by crowds of thousands in a time before social media even existed.

It’s also important that Jesus was so lowly esteemed as it makes Him relatable when we feel lonely, despised, and rejected. We did not care about Him, and yet He still lived faithfully to honor and glorify the Father. He still lived honorably to pursue us in our sin and love us, while we hated Him.

Take a Moment

Praise God for making Jesus to be a mold-breaker and relatable High Priest (Hebrews 4:15).

Pray that He would reveal the ways in which you despise Jesus by keeping areas of your life to yourself. Pray that He would help humble you and so that you would submit those areas to Him.

Check back each day for a new advent devotion on the Messianic Prophecies. A summary of all the advent devotions can be found here.

Day 8: Death of Babies by Herod

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Reading

Thus says the Lord:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
    lamentation and bitter weeping.
Rachel is weeping for her children;
    she refuses to be comforted for her children,
    because they are no more.”

Jeremiah 31:15

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. ¹⁷ Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

¹⁸ “A voice was heard in Ramah,
    weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
    she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

Matthew 2:16-18

Devotional

Of all the prophecies surrounding Christ, this is probably the hardest one for me to draw truth from. It’s hard to look back and make sense of the loss of innocent life Jeremiah 31:15 tells us is coming. Why would God allow such a tragedy to occur? And if it was going to occur, why did it have to mar the wonder of Jesus’s coming? Why would God allow the most important birth of human kind to be juxtaposed with this senseless loss of life?

Scripture does offer some general guidance here. We can discuss how we are in a sin fallen world; having free will means evil will choose evil; not all of our suffering will be a direct result of our own sin, and so on. We can also explain how God’s wisdom and goodness prevail even in light of questions such as these. Being Wise and Good means He knows what is best for us, and He knows the best way to provide that best, even when it seems impossible to us that what is happening could be good. These are good points to make and are worth exploring. 

I wonder, though, how often you or I are willing to sit in our discomfort and turn to God in those moments of confusion. I know some view statements about how not everything God does will make sense to us is a kind of cop out, but the truth is even if every single thing was documented and explained in a way we could understand there is no way you or I would ever have enough time to sit down and learn it all. There will always be questions – always at least one more thing we do not know.

So are we comfortable with the unknown? Do we trust God enough to admit to Him “I do not know” and “I am confused” and sometimes even “This doesn’t make sense, and it’s upsetting.” When we take a look at our lives, at Scripture, and at the world at large do we see all the ways in which our Heavenly Father has made Himself perfectly clear? Or do we get lost in the sauce of what we wish we knew?

Take a Moment

What are some aspects of God, Scripture, or events in your own life that you struggle to accept and or understand? Write them out, including the specifics of what you are grappling with. Now make a list of some of God’s promises. If you can, include ways in which God has already been fulfilling them in your life. (Hint, Advent season is very full of these!) Take some time to pray to your Abba, asking for forgiveness where necessary, help where needed, and then thank Him for fulfilling promises even when we don’t understand them, appreciate them, or deserve them.

Check back each day for a new advent devotion on the Messianic Prophecies. A summary of all the advent devotions can be found here.