Friday, July 06, 2012

Daily Devotional Friday 6th July

“In that day you will say: “Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.” Isaiah 12:4 NIV
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Today's reading: Job 30-31, Acts 13:26-52 (NIV)

View today's reading on Bible Gateway 

Job 30

   1 “But now they mock me, 
   men younger than I, 
whose fathers I would have disdained 
   to put with my sheep dogs. 
2 Of what use was the strength of their hands to me, 
   since their vigor had gone from them? 
3 Haggard from want and hunger, 
   they roamed the parched land 
   in desolate wastelands at night. 
4 In the brush they gathered salt herbs, 
   and their food was the root of the broom bush. 
5 They were banished from human society, 
   shouted at as if they were thieves. 
6 They were forced to live in the dry stream beds, 
   among the rocks and in holes in the ground. 
7 They brayed among the bushes 
   and huddled in the undergrowth. 
8 A base and nameless brood, 
   they were driven out of the land.
   9 “And now those young men mock me in song; 
   I have become a byword among them. 
10 They detest me and keep their distance; 
   they do not hesitate to spit in my face. 
11 Now that God has unstrung my bow and afflicted me, 
   they throw off restraint in my presence. 
12 On my right the tribe attacks; 
   they lay snares for my feet, 
   they build their siege ramps against me. 
13 They break up my road; 
   they succeed in destroying me. 
   ‘No one can help him,’ they say. 
14 They advance as through a gaping breach; 
   amid the ruins they come rolling in. 
15 Terrors overwhelm me; 
   my dignity is driven away as by the wind, 
   my safety vanishes like a cloud.
   16 “And now my life ebbs away; 
   days of suffering grip me. 
17 Night pierces my bones; 
   my gnawing pains never rest. 
18 In his great power God becomes like clothing to me; 
   he binds me like the neck of my garment. 
19 He throws me into the mud, 
   and I am reduced to dust and ashes.
   20 “I cry out to you, God, but you do not answer; 
   I stand up, but you merely look at me. 
21 You turn on me ruthlessly; 
   with the might of your hand you attack me. 
22 You snatch me up and drive me before the wind; 
   you toss me about in the storm. 
23 I know you will bring me down to death, 
   to the place appointed for all the living.
   24 “Surely no one lays a hand on a broken man 
   when he cries for help in his distress. 
25 Have I not wept for those in trouble? 
   Has not my soul grieved for the poor? 
26 Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; 
   when I looked for light, then came darkness. 
27 The churning inside me never stops; 
   days of suffering confront me. 
28 I go about blackened, but not by the sun; 
   I stand up in the assembly and cry for help. 
29 I have become a brother of jackals, 
   a companion of owls. 
30 My skin grows black and peels; 
   my body burns with fever. 
31 My lyre is tuned to mourning, 
   and my pipe to the sound of wailing.

Job 31

   1 “I made a covenant with my eyes 
   not to look lustfully at a young woman. 
2 For what is our lot from God above, 
   our heritage from the Almighty on high? 
3 Is it not ruin for the wicked, 
   disaster for those who do wrong? 
4 Does he not see my ways 
   and count my every step?
   5 “If I have walked with falsehood 
   or my foot has hurried after deceit— 
6 let God weigh me in honest scales 
   and he will know that I am blameless— 
7 if my steps have turned from the path, 
   if my heart has been led by my eyes, 
   or if my hands have been defiled, 
8 then may others eat what I have sown, 
   and may my crops be uprooted.
   9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman, 
   or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door, 
10 then may my wife grind another man’s grain, 
   and may other men sleep with her. 
11 For that would have been wicked, 
   a sin to be judged. 
12 It is a fire that burns to Destruction; 
   it would have uprooted my harvest.
   13 “If I have denied justice to any of my servants, 
   whether male or female, 
   when they had a grievance against me, 
14 what will I do when God confronts me? 
   What will I answer when called to account? 
15 Did not he who made me in the womb make them? 
   Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?
   16 “If I have denied the desires of the poor 
   or let the eyes of the widow grow weary, 
17 if I have kept my bread to myself, 
   not sharing it with the fatherless— 
18 but from my youth I reared them as a father would, 
   and from my birth I guided the widow— 
19 if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing, 
   or the needy without garments, 
20 and their hearts did not bless me 
   for warming them with the fleece from my sheep, 
21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, 
   knowing that I had influence in court, 
22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder, 
   let it be broken off at the joint. 
23 For I dreaded destruction from God, 
   and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things.
   24 “If I have put my trust in gold 
   or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’ 
25 if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, 
   the fortune my hands had gained, 
26 if I have regarded the sun in its radiance 
   or the moon moving in splendor, 
27 so that my heart was secretly enticed 
   and my hand offered them a kiss of homage, 
28 then these also would be sins to be judged, 
   for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.
   29 “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune 
   or gloated over the trouble that came to him— 
30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin 
   by invoking a curse against their life— 
31 if those of my household have never said, 
   ‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’— 
32 but no stranger had to spend the night in the street, 
   for my door was always open to the traveler— 
33 if I have concealed my sin as people do,
   by hiding my guilt in my heart 
34 because I so feared the crowd 
   and so dreaded the contempt of the clans 
   that I kept silent and would not go outside—
   35 (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me! 
   I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me; 
   let my accuser put his indictment in writing. 
36 Surely I would wear it on my shoulder, 
   I would put it on like a crown. 
37 I would give him an account of my every step; 
   I would present it to him as to a ruler.)—
   38 “if my land cries out against me 
   and all its furrows are wet with tears, 
39 if I have devoured its yield without payment 
   or broken the spirit of its tenants, 
40 then let briers come up instead of wheat 
   and stinkweed instead of barley.”
   The words of Job are ended.

Acts 13

   26 “Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. 27 The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 28 Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.
   32 “We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:
   “‘You are my son; 
   today I have become your father.’
   34 God raised him from the dead so that he will never be subject to decay. As God has said,
   “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’
   35 So it is also stated elsewhere:
   “‘You will not let your holy one see decay.’
   36 “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed. 37 But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.
   38 “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.40 Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:
   41 “‘Look, you scoffers, 
   wonder and perish, 
for I am going to do something in your days 
   that you would never believe, 
   even if someone told you.’”
   42 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. 43 When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
   44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him.
   46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us:
   “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, 
   that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
   48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
   49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. 51 So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

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Edom [Ē'dom]—red earthThe elder son of Isaac, and so named in memory of the red color of the lentil pottage for which he sold his birthright to his twin brother Jacob (Gen. 25:3036:18,19). See ESAU. Name is also used to describe those descended from Esau, the Edomites (Gen. 36:9).
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STANDING STRONG

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24
Until the fall of President Ceausescu in 1989, Romania was one of the most important countries for Open Doors Bible delivery ministry. We supplied countless Bibles and books—especially to Pastor Paul Negrut of the Baptist Church in Oradea. He later wrote to Brother Andrew and said, “In a divinely appointed network, we would receive a small number of Bibles to be distributed quietly and carefully among believers. Although the food supply was scarce, the Romanian believers treasured the Word of God more than anything in this world. When asked to choose between food parcels and Bibles, every Romanian that I know asked for Bibles.
“What Open Doors has done for us is better described in the words of a Christian lady who whispered to her husband, ‘The angels have arrived.’ Their little daughter heard those words and rushed into the next room to see the angels. To her surprise and disappointment, the ‘angels’ she saw were two bearded men casually dressed. The little girl had great difficulty reconciling her imagination about angels with the reality she saw. As strange as this looked for that little girl, this is the spiritual reality: for us you have been God’s angels that brought us the Bread of Life.”
Previously, Open Doors knew that the little Baptist Church of Oradea was likely to be knocked down at any moment as it was located in a slum clearance area. A new building was badly needed, because the little church was nowhere near big enough to accommodate all the believers anymore. However, the possibility of the church being granted planning permission for a new building was very slim.
At the beginning of 2005, we found that the little church still had not been pulled down, but it was no longer in use. A beautiful, big, new church had taken its place—a gigantic church, which seats 3,000. Every Sunday it is completely full, as it was in the past, right into the aisles. During the week, Bible studies are held for about 400 teenagers and young adults.
Dr. Paul Negrut’s church is heavily involved in evangelism and missionary work, reaching to Central Asia, Russia and the Middle East. They even have a theological university where pastors receive training. Students come not only from Romania but also from the missionary fields. One student is from Yakutsk (Siberia).
But not all believers in Romania are getting on well. Pastor Paul says, “In my experience, 95% of the believers who faced the test of external persecution passed it, while 95% of those who now face the test of prosperity fail it.”
But he also quickly analyzed the situation of persecution well: “It is not persecution itself but the lessons learned under persecution that make and keep the church and an individual believer strong in the Lord…what makes the difference is how we respond to persecution and how we respond to freedom.”[1] Stand strong in the Lord!
RESPONSE: Today I will prepare myself for the hard assignments in responding biblically to challenges.
PRAYER: Pray for Romania that God will revive His church to stand strong in the face of prosperity.
1. Audrey Dorsch, “After the Persecution—What Then?” Faith Today (November/December 1992), p.60.
Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS)
A daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks

© 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission

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Day 35

Thus there remains only one path for those who in following Jesus want to truly serve God in worship, and that is the path of reconciliation with their sisters and brothers. Anyone who comes to the word and sacrament with an unreconciled heart stands judged by doing so. Such a person is a murderer in God's sight. That is why you must "first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift." It is a difficult path Jesus imposes on his disciples. It includes much humiliation and dishonor for the disciples themselves. But it is the path to him, our crucified brother, and thus, it is a path full of grace. In Jesus, service to the least brother or sister and service to God became one. He went and was reconciled to his human kindred, and then he came and offered himself, the one true sacrifice, to his Father.

Biblical Wisdom

"So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother and sister, and then come and offer your gift."Matthew 5:23-24

Questions to Ponder

  • Bonhoeffer states that: "It is a difficult path Jesus imposes on his disciples." What makes it difficult?
  • He also states that, "it is a path full of grace." Where is the grace?
  • How did Jesus model the truth that, "service to the least brother or sister and service to God became one"?

Psalm Fragment

O guard my life, and deliver me;
   do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
   for I wait for you. Psalm 25:20-21

Journal Reflections

  • Is there someone with whom you need to be reconciled? Write about the circumstances that led to alienation from this person.
  • What step(s) might you take to begin the process of reconciliation?

Prayer for Today

Gracious God, thank you for reconciling me to yourself; now make me a reconciler.
40-Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Copyright © 2007 Augsburg Books, imprint of Augsburg Fortress.
Missed the first couple devotionals in this series, or want to re-read an earlier devotional? You can find a complete online archive of Bonhoeffer devotionals at BibleGateway.com. The first devotional can be found here.

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July 5, 2012
The Stone Unthrown
Sharon Jaynes
Today's Truth
 "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her," (John 8:7 NIV).
Friend to Friend
"What are we going to do with this Jesus," the chief priest asked the group. "He is going about healing people left and right. Everywhere I go the buzz is about Jesus. It's Jesus this, and Jesus that. And the crowds are calling him the Messiah! Everyone knows that the Messiah will not come from Galilee. If we don't get rid of him, we are going to have an insurrection on our hands."
"And ever since the buzz about him multiplying a few loaves and fish to feed over 5,000 people has circulated, his followers have multiplied as well. He must be stopped."      
"I have an idea," Lucius responded with a gleam in his eye. "I happen to know a certain married man who is sleeping with his mistress at this very moment. I happened to see him slink into her house last night."
And as the hard-hearted Pharisees gathered round, a spiteful plan to trick Jesus began to unfold.
The sun was just peeking through the securely locked shutters of Morah's bedroom window.  The predawn stillness was broken only by the songs of early rising birds floating on the breeze.  Morah was a tangle of sheets, arms and legs as the man she loved lay sleeping beside her.
"Oh, Zachariah," she whispered as her fingertips brushed a stray lock of hair from his closed eyes.  "If only you weren't married. I know this is wrong, but I love you so. And I have to believe you when you say you love me as well. We are risking our very lives with these frequent trysts."
Morah's musings were suddenly interrupted by a banging on the door.
"Open up!" the gruff voice demanded.
"Who is there?" Morah cried as she scrambled to find her robe.
"Open up or we'll break the door down."
"What's all the commotion," Zachariah mumbled as he groggily sat up in bed.  "What's going on?"
Before Morah could even think to answer, the angry mob of religious men broke through the simple lock and into the lovers' hideaway.
"What is the meaning of this?" Zachariah barked. "What do you think you are doing?"
"What do you think you are doing, my friend," the Pharisee countered. "That is the real question here."
"Morah, daughter of Omar, you are under arrest for adultery under the Law of Moses!" the moral police spat.  "Get dressed and come with me."
The Pharisee tossed Morah her night robe, but failed to turn his head as she slipped her trembling frame from the cover of the sheets and into the thin cloak. He grabbed her by the arm and began dragging her to the door.
"Where are you taking me?" she cried. 
"You'll find out soon enough," the Pharisee growled.
"What about Zachariah?" the youngest man of the group inquired.
"Just leave him," the Pharisee replied.  "We don't need him."
"Why don't you go back to your wife where you belong," the Pharisee called over his shoulder as the group left the room. And with that, the conspiring mob continued their trek to the temple with the half-clad trembling woman in tow. Two men flanked the weeping woman on either side, dragging her through the early morning hustle and bustle of the city. The bait was hooked, and now it was time to reel in the catch.
Like mice following the Pied Piper, a curious stream of townsfolk joined the parade.  Jesus was already teaching in the courtyard with a group gathered at his feet. As always, Jesus' message and miracles drew large crowds. A distant rumble interrupted his gentle teaching as the angry mob and curious crowd approached. They marched right into the inner circle of the classroom and thrust the woman at the Master's feet.
Morah's unbound hair fell around her bare shoulders and fluttered in the early morning breeze.  Her shame-filled eyes stayed riveted on the earthen floor, refusing to meet Jesus' gaze. Then one of the men pulled her to her feet and displayed her for all to see.
She didn't need to look at the man before her. She recognized his voice. It was Jesus.
"Teacher," the pious Pharisee began, "this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The Law of  Moses commands us to stone such a woman. Now what do you say?"
Jesus didn't look at the woman's half-clad body as the others openly gawked. He looked into her soul.
Morah lifted her eyes and looked into the face of love.  What do I detect in his gaze? She thought to herself. It wasn't contempt, disgust, or condemnation, but rather compassion, concern, and pure, unadulterated love. Somehow she knew that this was the look she had been searching for her entire life.
As Morah listened to the Pharisee's question, she understood Jesus' dilemma. If he set her free, the Pharisees would accuse him of ignoring the Law of Moses and deem him a heretic.  If he sentenced her to death by stoning, then his teachings of grace and forgiveness would be negated. 
The religious leaders already held the stones in their clenched fists, anticipating his reply. Their hearts were as hard as the rocks they held in their hands. But rather than give a quick answer, Jesus moved his gaze from the trembling woman and stooped to the ground.  With his finger, the very hand of God-made-man, he began writing in the dirt.  A frigid chill swept through the Pharisees pious robes. Suddenly they felt the rawness of naked exposure as Jesus' eyes looked up at each of them and without a word, uncloaked their sinful thoughts and desires. With one look from Jesus, they stood soul bare and more exposed than the half-dressed woman before them.
Everyone held their breath. The silence was deafening. The tension was palpable. Finally, Jesus rose and delivered the verdict.
"If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
Then Jesus squatted once again and continued to write.
One-by-one the Pharisees unclenched their fists, dropped the stones, and filtered through the crowd. The older men who had accumulated a longer list of sins turned to leave first, with the younger ones not far behind.
The remaining crowd listened closely as the drama continued to unfold.  After the last of the Pharisees cleared the scene, Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are your accusers?  Has no one condemned you?"
"No one, sir," she replied.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
The woman turned to leave, but not before picking up a discarded stone to take with her.
"To remember," she whispered.
Let's Pray
Dear Lord, this story of Your great mercy and grace takes my breath away. Just to think that the only person qualified to throw the stone was the very One who set her free. Help me to always remember that You have forgiven me of my sins. Help me to drop the stones I so quickly pick up to cast at others and extend to them the same grace You have extended to me.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
Now It's Your Turn
I hope your heart was stirred with the re-telling of this amazing story. We don't know the woman's name. I have simply called her Morah so we can paint a picture of a real woman with a real problem in our minds. Now let me ask a few questions…
When is the last time you held a rock of condemnation in your hand? Not a real rock, but a judgmental attitude?
When is the last time you acted like the Pharisees who were so quick to condemn?
Who do you want to be like, Jesus who showed grace and forgiveness, or the Pharisees who wanted to give her what she deserved?
If you can remember a time when Jesus showed you the same mercy and grace, click over to my blog page, and tell why you thank Jesus for the stone unthrown. Just leave your comment in the comment box under this devo/blog entry.
More from the Girlfriends
Today's devotion was taken from my book, What God Really Thinks about Women: Finding Your Significance through the Women Jesus Encountered.We tend to read the gospels with our twenty-first century eyes.  But when we understand how oppressive the culture Jesus stepped into was against women, we begin to understand just how radical Jesus' ministry, messages, and miracles were at setting women free. He risked His reputation to save theirs…and yours.
I am so passionate about this book that I'm giving away the Bible study guide free to all my GiGs who order the book this week. (Only the week this runs) All you have to do is email me that you've ordered the book on my website, and I'll include the Bible Study guide for free. 
Seeking God?  
Click here to find out more about 
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Girlfriends in God
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The Son of Man

Though we heed His teaching in the Gospels, we can forget that Jesus is a prophet. In fact, He is the prophet, par excellence. As the Word of God (John 1:1 ), He speaks, by the Spirit, throughout Scripture. Some people believe that Jesus has nothing to say about topics never mentioned in the Gospels, even if they are discussed in other biblical books. But all the doctrines of the Bible are the doctrines of Jesus, even if they are not directly recorded in the Gospels.
For further study:
The Bible in a year:
Coram Deo from TableTalk Magazine, Matthew Studies. Copyright © 2008 by Ligonier Ministries.
Subscribe to Tabletalk magazine and receive daily Bible studies & in depth articles from world class scholars for only $23 per per year! That's only $1.92 per month. And you can try it out for three months absolutely free! Bringing the best in biblical scholarship together with down-to-earth writing, Tabletalk helps you understand the Bible and apply it to daily living. 

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A sermon for men of taste

‘Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.’ 1 Peter 2:1–3
Suggested Further Reading: Psalm 34:8–14 (this Psalm was read earlier)
Evils to be avoided—malice . ‘Revenge is sweet,’ is the proverb of the Italians, and many an Englishman has half learned it, if not wholly. ‘Revenge is sweet;’ but not to the man who has tasted Christ, for he says, ‘How can I have vengeance upon my fellow, when Christ has put away my sin?’ Now, forgiveness is sweet, and he loathes malice, and turns aside from it as from venom itself. Guile : that is craftiness whereby men rob their fellow-creatures. Some men think guile a very fine thing. See that trader; you must keep both your eyes open or he will take you in; he does not exactly tell lies, but, well, he shaves very closely to the truth. It is guile; low craftiness and cunning. A man of God hates that thing. ‘What! Am I, the servant of the God of truth, to crouch, bend, fawn, do anything but what is upright, to gain wealth?’ As surely as the Lord says concerning the Laodicean church, ‘I will spue thee out of my mouth,’ so the believer says concerning anything that is not true and straightforward, ‘I am sick of it; I loathe it; I abhor it; I turn from it.’ The next thing is hypocrisy, whereby men are not so much robbed and injured as deceived. A Christian can be no hypocrite. Hypocrisy, like all other sins, lurks in man till the very last; but a believer hates to pretend to be what he is not. A man who has once tasted that the Lord is gracious, is a true and transparent man in his profession. If any suppose him to be better than he is, he does not wish to wear feathers that are not his own; he would not be glorified by another man’s labours, nor build upon another man’s foundation; hypocrisy he utterly detests.
For meditation: The best way of avoiding these sins is to seek their opposites with the Lord’s help—kindness for malice (Ephesians 4:31–32), openness for guile (2 Corinthians 4:2) and genuineness for hypocrisy (Matthew 6:2–6Romans 12:9).
Sermon no. 459
6 July (1862)

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The Son of Man

Mark 9:30-32 "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise" ( v. 31).
This month, our study of Matthew has looked at several points in Jesus' ministry when His magnificence was revealed. Peter's great confession at Caesarea Philippi (16:16 ) proclaims our Lord as the "Son of the living God." The transfiguration (17:1-8), in particular, is a striking illustration of the majesty of our Savior. In order that we might better understand and praise the majesty of the second person of the Trinity, especially as He is revealed in the names given to Him in Scripture, we will take a short break from Matthew's gospel and spend a week on Dr. R.C. Sproul's teaching series The Majesty of Christ.
The various titles ascribed to Jesus in the New Testament give us insight into His majesty. Were we to sit down and count the frequency of each, we would find that the Greek title christos , which we translate as "Christ," is the title most often used of Jesus in the New Testament. Christ is not Jesus' last name, of course; it means "anointed one" (like a king). Next in frequency of the titles ascribed to Jesus in the New Testament is the titlekurios, that is, "Lord." The use of kurios is striking because the Greek Old Testament uses it to translate the creator God's name, Yahweh. The application of the Greek translation of this name to Jesus in the New Testament is evidence of our Savior's divine identity. In calling Jesus kurios, the apostles are identifying Him with Yahweh.
Of all the titles for Jesus found in the New Testament, huiou tou anthropou, Greek for "Son of Man," ranks third in terms of total usage. However, of all the titles Jesus uses for Himself, Son of Man holds first place. This indicates the importance of the title and we should therefore pay close attention to it.
As with all the titles of Jesus, Son of Man is to be understood in light of its Old Testament context. When we examine the old covenant Scriptures, we find that the title Son of Man is used repeatedly for the prophet Ezekiel (see Ezek. 2:1 , for example). This is not the primary use Jesus has in mind when he calls Himself the Son of Man, but it cannot be discounted either. If it can be used repeatedly for the prophet Ezekiel, surely Jesus must intend on some level to reveal Himself as a prophet when He refers to Himself as the Son of Man.

Coram deo: Living before the face of God

Though we heed His teaching in the Gospels, we can forget that Jesus is a prophet. In fact, He is the prophet, par excellence. As the Word of God (John 1:1 ), He speaks, by the Spirit, throughout Scripture. Some people believe that Jesus has nothing to say about topics never mentioned in the Gospels, even if they are discussed in other biblical books. But all the doctrines of the Bible are the doctrines of Jesus, even if they are not directly recorded in the Gospels.
For further study:
The Bible in a year:
INTO the WORD daily Bible studies from TableTalk Magazine, Matthew Studies. Copyright © 2008 by Ligonier Ministries.
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