The Jews had many preconceived ideas about the Messiah based on their interpretation of Scripture and what they wanted. When Jesus of Nazareth came on the scene with His public ministry, He was neither the Messiah they had been expecting, nor the Messiah they wanted. The Jews wanted someone Who would:
raise their standard of living,
grant them privileges without responsibility,
and restore them to the world power they had known under King David and King Solomon.
They wanted someone who would meet their physical and material and emotional needs.
They expected a glorious, victorious King Who would rid them of the Romans and establish them in national peace and prosperity and prominence. But the first time He came, He came to establish the kingdom of God, not in the world, but in the hearts of men. He was born to die. And so He was rejected as the King of Hearts. Then. But what about now? Would you crown Him King of your heart today?
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,
that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. § [He] Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. § As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. § There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
THE LORD OUR RIGHTOUSNESS.
2 Cor. 5:21; Isa. 53:6; 1 Peter 2:24;
Rom. 5:19; Titus 3:4–7; Rom. 8:1; Jer. 23:6
I will be like the dew to Israel.
The meekness and gentleness of Christ.
A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” … And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.
And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young.
Hos. 14:5; 2 Cor. 10:1; Isa. 42:3; Luke 4:18–19,
21–22; 22:61–62; Isa. 40:11
“Do not let your hearts be troubled” is a command you and I are to obey! Deliberately calming ourselves is a choice we are to make in the face of shocking setbacks,
catastrophic circumstances,
abrupt accidents,
irritating interruptions,
devastating dissension,
agonizing addiction,
frequent failures,
all of which cause us to be terrified of the consequences and repercussions. In the midst of the swirling, cloying fog of fear, Jesus commands, “Stop it!”
How in the world is it possible to obey a command that involves so much of our emotional feelings? Our obedience begins with a choice to stop being afraid, followed by a decision to start trusting God.
It is God who works in you.
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God. § A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. § No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. § I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Lord, You will establish peace for us, for You have also done all our works in us.
Phil. 2:13; 2 Cor. 3:5; John 3:27; 6:44; Jer. 32:39;
James 1:16–18; Eph. 2:10; Isa. 26:12
The spirit indeed is willing,
but the flesh is weak.
In the way of Your judgments, O Lord, we have waited for You; the desire of our soul is for Your name and for the remembrance of You. With my soul I have desired You in the night, yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early.
I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find … For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. § The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. § Our sufficiency is from God. § My grace is sufficient for you.
Matt. 26:41; Isa. 26:8–9; Rom. 7:18,
22–23; Gal. 5:17; Phil. 4:13; 2 Cor. 3:5; 12:9
As Jesus and His disciples rested together on the mountainside, we have the beautiful picture of the Good Shepherd, making His sheep lie down in green pastures, leading them beside the still waters, that He might restore them on the inside. Jesus knew the demands that would be made on the disciples and Himself that very day, and He knew in order to meet those demands, they had to have some time alone together.
Again and again, I have been amazed to discover that the verse of Scripture or thought or insight that God seems to give me in my early morning quiet time with Him is the very same verse or insight or thought I am called on to give to someone else during the day. Many times I have wondered how I would have been able to speak a “word that sustains the weary,” had I not first received it for myself in those brief, early morning retreats. Jesus offers us ample resources, but we have to receive them from Him in order to impart them to others.
