ALL – Psalm 58:1-11
ALL – Proverbs 11:12-13
OT – Numbers 22:21-23:30
NT – Luke 1:57-80
Dads love to imagine how great their sons will become, what they will accomplish, how respectable and honorable they will be. Zachariah had the best gift a father could have; he didn’t have to dream (though he could still imagine)—he knew!
And you, my little son, shall be called the prophet of the glorious God, for you will prepare the way for the Messiah. – Luke 1:76, The Living Bible
On the one hand, Zechariah knew that his son would not be the greatest man who ever lived. Bummer.
But on the other hand, Zechariah’s son John would be the man who had the joy of preparing the way for the Messiah. Zechariah knew it. John would know it. No matter how difficult his life might become, this boy’s work would have great value, because it would point the world toward the Christ. Even today, 2000 years later, John’s ministry is evidence to the world that Jesus really is the Christ! Amazing!
I have two boys, and neither of them has any hope of being the greatest man of all history. Jesus, the Christ, has already come, and they can’t top Him. Still, as a father, I dream of seeing them grow into the kind of men whose lives point the world to Jesus. May my sons lives be significant because people come to know that Jesus is the Christ through them!
What are some other great hopes we can have for our children? What are some favorite prayers you pray for your kids?
Note: The rest of the week's readings can be found below.
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
March 16, 2010
ALL – Psalm 59:1-17
ALL – Proverbs 11:14
OT – Numbers 24:1-25:18
NT – Luke 2:1-35
March 17, 2010
ALL – Psalm 60:1-12
ALL – Proverbs 11:15
OT – Numbers 26:1-51
NT – Luke 2:36-52
March 18, 2010
ALL – Psalm 61:1-8
ALL – Proverbs 11:16-17
OT – Numbers 26:52-28:15
NT – Luke 3:1-22
March 19, 2010
ALL – Psalm 62:1-12
ALL – Proverbs 11:18-19
OT – Numbers 28:16-29:40
NT – Luke 3:23-38
March 20, 2010
ALL – Psalm 63:1-11
ALL – Proverbs 11:20-21
OT – Numbers 30:1-31:54
NT – Luke 4:1-30
March 21, 2010
ALL – Psalm 64:1-10
ALL – Proverbs 11:22
OT – Numbers 32:1-33:39
NT – Luke 4:31-5:11
Showing posts with label john the baptist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label john the baptist. Show all posts
Monday, March 15, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
When Elijah Comes!
ALL – Psalm 22:1-18
ALL – Proverbs 5:7-14
OT – Exodus 2:11-3:22
NT – Matthew 17:10-27
Expectations exceed reality. Often.
The Jewish leaders were teaching that Elijah had to return before the Messiah was coming. If you know anything about Elijah, he was an amazing prophet and man of God, a man of wonderful character who boldly proclaimed that God was in charge and would hold even kings accountable. To the Jews and their teachers, the vision of Elijah’s return must have been mouth-watering. To have a man of Elijah’s stature appear, to see the miracles he did, to watch him boldly confront their Roman oppressors, protected by God’s own hand, would be glorious! They had high expectations.
But the disciples were following Jesus, and they couldn’t remember having seen Elijah. Which was a bit confusing considering that Jesus was supposed to be the Messiah. So they decided to ask Jesus about the idea that Elijah would come before the Messiah. And Jesus said:
They are right. Elijah must come and set everything in order. And, in fact, he has already come, but he wasn’t recognized, and was badly mistreated by many. And I, the Messiah, shall also suffer at their hands. – Matthew 17:11-12, The Living Bible
The disciples heard clearly:
Then the disciples realized he was speaking of John the Baptist. – Matthew 17:13
John the Baptist carried on Elijah’s ministry, boldly confronting sin. He confronted Romans, but he also confronted Jews, even Jewish leaders. That’s probably why they didn’t recognize him. Their imaginations had constructed a glorious Elijah who would be on their side rather than opposing them. John the Baptist didn’t fit those expectations. And as Jesus said, he “was badly mistreated by many.”
His mistreatment demonstrated the kind of reception Jesus the Messiah would receive, too. “I, the Messiah, shall also suffer at their hands.” And it helps us today to set better expectations for our walk with Jesus. The world’s not going to run up and pat us on the back. They won’t see anything special in us. They’ll mock us for trusting in a man who lived and died 2000 years ago, they’ll mock our claim that He has any power today, and they’ll ignore us or mistreat us fairly frequently. True religion is not about having everything go our way. True religion is about going Jesus’ way, even if it doesn’t feel so good.
So let’s follow Him together.
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 5:7-14
OT – Exodus 2:11-3:22
NT – Matthew 17:10-27
Expectations exceed reality. Often.
The Jewish leaders were teaching that Elijah had to return before the Messiah was coming. If you know anything about Elijah, he was an amazing prophet and man of God, a man of wonderful character who boldly proclaimed that God was in charge and would hold even kings accountable. To the Jews and their teachers, the vision of Elijah’s return must have been mouth-watering. To have a man of Elijah’s stature appear, to see the miracles he did, to watch him boldly confront their Roman oppressors, protected by God’s own hand, would be glorious! They had high expectations.
But the disciples were following Jesus, and they couldn’t remember having seen Elijah. Which was a bit confusing considering that Jesus was supposed to be the Messiah. So they decided to ask Jesus about the idea that Elijah would come before the Messiah. And Jesus said:
They are right. Elijah must come and set everything in order. And, in fact, he has already come, but he wasn’t recognized, and was badly mistreated by many. And I, the Messiah, shall also suffer at their hands. – Matthew 17:11-12, The Living Bible
The disciples heard clearly:
Then the disciples realized he was speaking of John the Baptist. – Matthew 17:13
John the Baptist carried on Elijah’s ministry, boldly confronting sin. He confronted Romans, but he also confronted Jews, even Jewish leaders. That’s probably why they didn’t recognize him. Their imaginations had constructed a glorious Elijah who would be on their side rather than opposing them. John the Baptist didn’t fit those expectations. And as Jesus said, he “was badly mistreated by many.”
His mistreatment demonstrated the kind of reception Jesus the Messiah would receive, too. “I, the Messiah, shall also suffer at their hands.” And it helps us today to set better expectations for our walk with Jesus. The world’s not going to run up and pat us on the back. They won’t see anything special in us. They’ll mock us for trusting in a man who lived and died 2000 years ago, they’ll mock our claim that He has any power today, and they’ll ignore us or mistreat us fairly frequently. True religion is not about having everything go our way. True religion is about going Jesus’ way, even if it doesn’t feel so good.
So let’s follow Him together.
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
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