Day 107: Luke 4:31-44 & Psalm 107 - What Was the Point of Jesus' Miracles?

Today's Reading: Luke 4:31-44 & Psalm 107

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What Was the Point of Jesus' Miracles?

"And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” And reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region." - Luke 4:36-37, ESV

Why did Jesus perform miracles? Many Christians would answer, "To show that He was God." And that may be part of the explanation, but I think it misses the bigger picture. 

Many Old Testament prophets performed miracles. Moses called down the ten plagues on Egypt and parted the Red Sea. He was not God and was not trying to prove that he was. He was God's appointed representative to confront Pharaoh, which he did.  Joshua was empowered by God to make the sun stand still in the sky, but he wasn't God. Elijah and Elisha also performed many miracles, some of which were similar to those done by Jesus. Again, these miracles did not prove that these prophets were God incarnate, because they weren't.

Romans 1:4 says that Jesus "was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead," not by His miracles. So, why do miracles? It was partly to demonstrate who He was, but more specifically to show that He was the Christ, the long-awaited Anointed One, the Messiah. He acted as God's chosen one, anointed with the power of the Holy Spirit. 

His miracles also authenticated His teaching. Jesus taught with great authority, and then He validated that authority by casting out demons, healing the sick, etc. His actions pointed to the validity of His words. It was His preaching that was most important for people to hear. He says in verse 43, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” So, while Jesus did miracles, the purpose for which He was sent was to "preach the good news of the kingdom of God." After all, a blind man might receive sight and see for a lifetime, but if He receives the kingdom, He will see forever! 

Finally, Jesus' miracles demonstrated His love and anticipated His full kingdom reign. The Gospels tell us that Jesus was moved with compassion for the crowds of people, He was moved by their ignorance of God's kingdom and their need for the truth, but He was also moved by their suffering. Jesus loved the people and served their physical and spiritual needs. He also gave people a preview of what life will be like in His eternal glorious kingdom, when all sickness, blindness, disability and demonic possession will be done away with forever! 

We can have confidence that Jesus is the Christ, that His word is truth, that His heart if loving and that His coming again will end all suffering forever all because of His great miracles. To think that such authority and power is exercised at the right hand of God now for us and for our salvation is amazing. It should lead us to worship, gratitude and deeper discipleship. 

Prayer Based on Psalm 107:

We give thanks to You, O Lord, for You are good,
    for Your steadfast love endures forever!
Ae are the redeemed of the Lord,
    whom You have redeemed from the gravest trouble
and have gathered in from the lands,
    from the east and from the west,
    from the north and from the south.

Some of Your people wandered in desert wastes,
    fleeing from the violence of ISIS in Iraq and Syria,
    finding no way to a city to dwell in;
hungry and thirsty,
    their soul fainted within them.
Then they cried to You, O Lord, in their trouble,
    and You delivered them from their distress,
    even as You did for the Israelites in the wildnerness so many years ago.
You led them by a straight way by the hands of Moses and Joshua
    till they reached a city to dwell in,
    and You lead Your people now.
Let us all thank You, O Lord, for Your steadfast love,
    for Your wondrous works to the children of man!
For You satisfy the longing soul,
    and the hungry soul You fill with good things.

Some of Your people have sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    prisoners in affliction and in irons,
for they had rebelled against Your word, O God,
    and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
So You bowed their hearts down with hard labor;
    they fell down, with none to help.
Then they cried to You, O Lord, in their trouble,
    and You delivered them from their distress.
You brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
    and burst their bonds apart.
Such was the state of all of us under the chains of sin and death,
   under the tyranny of the devil because of our rebellious hearts.
And so we thank You, O Lord, for Your steadfast love,
    for Your wondrous works to the children of man!
For You shatter the doors of bronze
    and cut in two the bars of iron,
    setting us free from bondage to sin and Satan.

Some of us have fools through our sinful ways,
    and because of our iniquities suffered affliction;
    and they drew near to the gates of death.
Then they cried to You, O Lord, in their trouble,
    and You delivered them from their distress.
You sent out his word and healed them,
    and delivered them from their destruction.
We thank You, O Lord, for Your steadfast love,
    for Your wondrous works to the children of man!
We offer You the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
    and we will tell of Your deeds in songs of joy!

You, O Lord, turn rivers into a desert,
    springs of water into thirsty ground,
a fruitful land into a salty waste,
    because of the evil of its inhabitants.
You also turn a desert into pools of water,
    a parched land into springs of water.
And there You let the hungry dwell,
    and they establish a city to live in;
they sow fields and plant vineyards
    and get a fruitful yield.
By Your blessing they multiply greatly,
    and You do not let their livestock diminish.
We are abundantly blessed, 
    and it all comes from Your hand! 

When we are diminished and brought low
    through oppression, evil, and sorrow,
You pour contempt on princes
    and make them wander in trackless wastes;
We are seeing Your judgment even now against America,
   for evil and oppression,
   for the murdering of innocent lives,
   for the rejection of truth and goodness.
But You raise up the needy out of affliction
    and make their families like flocks.
The upright see it and are glad,
    and all wickedness shuts its mouth.

Make us wise that we may attend to these things;
    let us consider the steadfast love of the Lord.
Let our hearts be wholly Yours,
   and let us give You thanks and praise and love forever!  

Day 106: Luke 4:1-30 & Psalm 106 - How Did Jesus Defeat Satan's Temptations?

Today's reading: Luke 4:1-30 & Psalm 106

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How Did Jesus Defeat Satan's Temptations?

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him,“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” - Luke 4:1-4, ESV

Both Matthew 4 and Luke 4 record Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. Jesus fasted for forty days. Back on Day 7, I covered Matthew's account of Jesus' temptation, focusing on why Jesus had to be tempted and then briefly on how he overcome. Today, I'd like to focus more attention on how Satan tempted Jesus and how Jesus was able to defeat the devil for us.

Satan came at Jesus when He was alone, hungry and weak. These are times that Satan often chooses for temptation. When we are with others, especially when we are with other Christians, and when we are well-fed and well-rested, strong and healthy, temptation is easier to resist and seems less compelling. But Satan knows that when he can get us alone, and when we are tired, hungry, lonely, weak or angry, we are more prone to give in to his temptations.

Satan tempted Jesus in the same three common ways he attacks all of us: with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and pride of life. (See 1 John 2:15-16) When Satan tempted Jesus to turn the stone into bread, he was tempting Him to meet His own physical appetite apart from God's will. When he showed Him the kingdoms of the world, this is a "lust of the eyes," materialism. Finally, when Satan took Jesus to the pinnacle of the Temple and tempted Him to throw Himself down, he was tempting Jesus to show off and demonstrate to everyone clearly who He was. This was a "pride of life" temptation.

Notice also that all three temptations were short-cut temptations. In the right time, God the Father would faithfully provide Jesus with food, with the nations and with glory. But Satan wanted Jesus to feed Himself, grasp for the kingdom without suffering, and enter into glory without the cross. Satan is the master of the promised short-cut, and we need to beware his voice when we're tempted to cut corners.

So, how did Jesus defeat Satan? 

First of all, Jesus was "full of the Holy Spirit" (v. 1). Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit at His baptism. Though He was and is fully God, He was also fully and authentically human, and in His humanity He was tested and tempted in our place as our Messiah. Jesus needed the Holy Spirit to fill Him - to empower Him - so He could stand against the temptations of the devil.

Secondly, Jesus defeated Satan with the word of God. The word of God is given to us as the sword of the Spirit, wielded in battle to defeat the enemy of our souls. Jesus had obviously memorized large parts of Deuteronomy, maybe even the whole book. He was ready to properly and effectively counter Satan's lies - even Satan's manipulation of Scripture - with the sharp, powerful truth of the Bible. 

But notice that even when Jesus had won this victory, Satan "departed from him until an opportune time." Satan would come back with force when Jesus was at His weakest point, in the Garden Of Gethsemane on the night He was betrayed. Satan is a restless and deadly enemy, leaving us alone only to come again at "an opportune time." If we are to resist him, we need the power of the Holy Spirit, the truth of God's word and the ready intercession of our Great High Priest. 

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." - Hebrews 4:15-16, ESV 

Prayer Based on Psalm 106:

Yesterday, I gave you my prayer based on Psalm 106. Today, here is the prayer from Pray All the Psalms:

We praise you, O Lord.

   We give thanks to you Lord, for you are good;

            your love endures forever.

  Who can proclaim your mighty acts, O Lord

            or fully declare your praise?

   Blessed are they who maintain justice,

            who constantly do what is right.

   Remember us, O Lord,

            when you show favour to your people,

            come to our aid when you save us,

   that we may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen

            ones,

            that we may share in the joy of your nation

            and join your inheritance in giving praise.

   For you qualified us to share in the inheritance of

            the saints

            in the kingdom of light.

   For you rescued us from the dominion of darkness

            and brought us into the kingdom of your Son,

            whom you love.

   In him we have redemption,

            the forgiveness of sins.

   Yet we have sinned, even as our fathers did;

            we have done wrong and acted wickedly.

   We are no different from ancient Israel,

            we, the Church, have been rebellious too.

   When Israel's fathers were in Egypt,

            they gave no thought to your miracles;

   they did not remember your many kindnesses,

            and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.

   Yet you saved them for your name’s sake,

            just as you saved us,

            to make your mighty power known.

   You rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;

            you led them through the depths as through a desert.

   You saved them from the hand of the foe;

            from the hand of the enemy you redeemed them.

   The waters covered their adversaries;

            not one of them survived.

   Then they believed you promises

            and sang your praise. 

[MORE] 

Day 105: Luke 3:23-38 & Psalm 106 - Why Is Luke's Genealogy Different from Matthew's?

Today's reading: Luke 3:23-38 & Psalm 106

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Why Is Luke's Genealogy Different from Matthew's?

(Or "Who Was Joseph's Father?")

"Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli" - Luke 3:23

"and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ." - Matthew 1:16

Today, we're going to look at one of the most famous Bible "contradictions" critics have pointed out to show the flaws of the Bible: Matthew and Luke each trace the genealogy of Joseph (Jesus' legal earthly father) differently. So, why do these two Gospels have two different, conflicting genealogies? 

Matthew's genealogy of Jesus begins with Abraham and works down to David and then down to Joseph, showing how Jesus' birth was the fulfillment of the covenant promises made to Abraham and David. Luke's genealogy starts with Joseph and traces backwards, also going back to David and then to Abraham but not stopping until it goes all the way back to Adam, "the son of God." Luke traces back to Adam because his is a more universal Gospel, not aimed at a Jewish audience but at a Gentile Greek audience.

But the real problem comes with this question: Who is Joseph's father? Matthew says Joseph was the son of Jacob. Luke says he was the son of Heli. So, who's right? Joseph didn't have two dads, did he? 

You may have heard some people say that Luke's genealogy traces the lineage of Mary, and that "the son of Heli" could mean "the son-in-law," but that's actually not a convincing argument. That's not how genealogies work. I think the solution is clear and we have a whole book in the Bible that explains to us how to resolve this, the Book of Ruth. In addition to Ruth, the story of Judah and Tamar helps, too.

In the ancient world, having a male heir was essential to passing along your family's inheritance. Thus, a man who died without a son needed help to produce an heir. His wife would be given in marriage to his brother or- as in Elimelech's case in  Ruth - if he had no brother, to a close relative, a kinsman-redeemer. The first son to be born from this new marriage would legally be the heir and descendant of the dead husband, while being the biological child of the new husband. Thus, he would have two fathers, This was called Levrite marriage. 

Levrite marriages were common enough that we have at least two clear examples in Jesus' genealogy, besides in the case of Joseph. Judah and Tamar had Perez and Zerah, and in Matthew's genealogy they are listed as the sons of Judah. Legally, however, Perez and Zerah were the sons of Er, Judah's firstborn son, who died without a son. Likewise, in Ruth, Boaz's firstborn son, Obed, was legally the heir/son of Elimelech, Naomi's husband and Ruth's father-in-law, who lost his male heirs when both of his sons died. Since Elimelech himself was dead and had no brother, a kinsman-redeemer had to be found to enter into the Levrite marriage. 

Confused? It's really very simple: In the ancient world, it would not have been strange for a man to have two fathers, his biological father who raised him, and his legal father, whose heir and legal descendant he was. In this case, Jacob was probably the biological father of Joseph, while Heli was likely his legal father, having died without an heir. 

Wouldn't it make sense for Joseph to have two fathers, since he would raise a son who would have two fathers, too? Joseph was Jesus' legal, earthly father, but he was not his biological father. God was the true and heavenly Father of Jesus. Perhaps Joseph would have had some insight into raising someone else's son, if he had had that experience himself growing up. 

More importantly, we can see that God's word does not contradict itself. Every apparent contradiction has a resolution upon further study.

Prayer Based on Psalm 106:

We praise You, O Lord!
We give thanks to You, Lord, for You are good,
    for Your steadfast love endures forever!
Who can utter all Your mighty deeds, O Lord,
    or declare all You praise?
You bless those who observe justice,
    who do righteousness at all times!
Remember me, O Lord, when You show favor to Your people;
    help me when You save them,
that I may look upon the prosperity of Your chosen ones,
    that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation,
    that I may glory with Your inheritance.

Both we and our fathers have sinned;
    we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.
Our fathers did not consider Your wondrous works;
they did not remember the abundance of Your steadfast love,
    but rebelled against You in many ways - 
       neglecting Your gospel, neglecting the Great Commission,
       engaging in racism and arrogance, disregarding the poor.
Yet You saved them for Your name's sake,

    that You might make known Your mighty power.

Save us, O Lord our God,
    and gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to Your holy name
    and glory in Your praise.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”

    Praise the Lord!

Day 104: Luke 3:1-22 & Psalm 105 - Who Was John the Baptist and What Was His Ministry?

Today's Passage: Luke 3:1-22 & Psalm 105

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Who Was John the Baptist and What Was His Ministry?

"As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." - Luke 3:15-16, ESV

John the Baptist is one of the most compelling and confusing characters in the Gospels. All four Gospels clearly place the ministry of Jesus in the context of the ministry of John the Baptist. They all show us John baptizing and preaching throughout Judea before Jesus comes on the scene. 

John wore a garment of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey, while living out in the wilderness. To the first century Jewish community, this bizarre clothing and behavior sent a clear message: John was a great prophet sent by God. 

But who exactly was John and why was he sent? Luke gives us the most historical detail about John, while the Gospel of John gives is the clearest insight into his theological role in the coming of Jesus. What do we know about John?

1. John was conceived miraculously as God's gift to a childless elderly couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth. In this way, Jon's conception and birth echo God's promise to Abraham and Sarah, fulfilled in the birth if Isaac. It signifies from God that John is a significant figure in God's dealings with His people.

2. John was the last of the Old Testament prophets. If you ask most Christians who the last Old Testament prophet was, they would probably say Malachi. But the "Old Testament" indicates not so much a section of the Bible as an era in covenant history under the old covenant, the Law of Moses. In this sense, John was the last Old Testament prophet, and Jesus later indicates that John was the greatest of all of the Old Testament prophets.

3. John was sent to prepare the way for Jesus. John's ministry was a fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3-5, as Luke 3:4-6 indicates. John's message was simple, "Prepare the way for the Lord," for the long-awaited Messiah. If the people accepted John as a prophet, then they would be more likely to accept his testimony about Jesus. 

4. John humbly exalted Jesus. John did not try to steal Jesus' glory or role for himself. He humbly pointed people away from himself and to Christ. 

5. John preached repentance and baptized with a baptism of repentance. To repent means to change your mind, to turn away from your sin and toward God. John wanted God's people to see that just being Jewish, being descendants of Abraham, was not enough. They needed to repent of their sinful attitudes and actions and seek the Lord.

In the end, John the Baptist did not live to see Jesus bring salvation to God's people. He belong es to the company of Old Testament saints, who "though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised." (Heb. 11:39) Yet through his testimony, many came to believe in Jesus. And he serves as a model of faithful witness for all of us who would seek to magnify Jesus and see others come to know Him! 

Prayer Based on Psalm 105:

We give thanks to You, O Lord; and we call upon Your name;
    we long to make known Your deeds among the peoples!
We sing to You, we sing praises to You;
    we tell of all Your wondrous works!
We glory in Your holy name;
    that our hearts may rejoice as we seek You!
We seek You, Lord, and Your strength;
    we seek Your presence continually!
We remember the wondrous works that You have done,
    Your miracles, and the judgments You uttered,
We, be faith, are the offspring of Abraham, Your servant,
    children of Jacob, chosen by Your matchless grace!

You are the Lord our God;
    Your judgments are in all the earth.
You remembers Your covenant forever,
    the word that You commanded, for a thousand generations,
the covenant that You made with Abraham,
    Your sworn promise to Isaac,
which You confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
    as your portion for an inheritance.”
You confirmed and expanded this promise through Your Son,
   who said, "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth." 

Your covenant promises are all fulfilled in Your Son:
    He is our Great King, the Son of David.
    He is the Seed of Abraham and the blessing of the nations.
    He is our Great High Priest after the order of Melchizedek.
    He is our spotless Passover Lamb, who covers our sin and saves us from wrath.
    He is the Word of God made flesh, the Promise realized in a Person.

You have secured us as Your people forever,
    that we might follow You and honor You with joy! 
We give thanks to You, O Lord, and we rejoice in You!

Amen.    

Day 103: Luke 2:39-52 & Psalm 104 - Why Did Jesus Go to the Temple at Age 12?

Today's Reading: Luke 2:39-52 & Psalm 104

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Why Did Jesus Go to the Temple at Age 12? 

"After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers." - Luke 2:46-47, ESV

Today, we come to one of the most unique and puzzling passages in the Gospels. This is really the only incident we have from the childhood of Jesus. It is also the last glimpse we have of Joseph in the life of Jesus. It is also the one time we see Jesus do something that looks like it could be considered wrong. It does appear that his parents thought he was wrong. To help us in further study of this unique passage, I recommend these resources: 

See G. Campbell Morgan's Explanation of this passage

See John MacArthur's message on this passage

I'd like to consider why Jesus did this and what it shows us about Him.

1. Jesus was maturing and was entering spiritual manhood. At age 12, boys in the Jewish culture were marked out as men before God, expected to enter into their own study of Torah and to mature beyond the childhood basic teaching of their parents. As Jesus was making this transition, He was also passing from the temporary guardianship of Joseph into the direct care of His Heavenly Father.

2. Jesus was demonstrating His knowledge and understanding. Jesus was putting on a display for the religious leaders in Jerusalem as a sign. One of the signs of Messiah was to be great wisdom in understanding.

3. Jesus was showing His devotion to the Law of God. Jesus was a devoted student of Torah, and He was demonstrating how much He had studied and how much He understood.

4. Jesus was showing His full humanity as well as His position as the Son of God. Jesus was truly human, and He grew in wisdom and in understanding, He did so perfectly, of course, unhindered by sin. Nonetheless, He still had to learn and grow. He is showing us this here. As He grew in His understanding of Scripture, He also grew in His self-awareness as the Son of God, understanding His position and His call.

5. Jesus was embodying Psalm 1, as the man who is blessed because He delights in the Law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night. He was doing this as the Man who was to redeem humanity in Himself.

There is much more we could say about this passage. We could also speculate on what Jesus might have asked or said to these leaders. Some things we can't know, but we can know this: Jesus was fully human and grew in the knowledge of God and His word, only did so in a way that was so much more perfect and wonderful than anyone else ever has. This should encourage us to walk in His footsteps!

Prayer Based on Psalm 104:

Psalm 104 is a beautiful creation hymn, celebrating God's goodness in His rule over creation.

Fernando Ortega has a beautiful rendition of this Psalm, "Creation Song"



From Pray All the Psalms:

Praise the Lord, O my soul.

   O Lord, my Triune God, you are very

            great;

            you are clothed with splendour and majesty.

   You are the one God:,

             the Father from whom all things came 

             and for whom I live;

   and you are but one Lord, Jesus Christ,

            through whom all things came

            and through whom I live.

  When the earth was formless and empty,

            darkness was over the surface of the deep,

            you are the Spirit of God who hovered over the

            waters.

 I will praise you for you wrap yourself in light as

            with a garment;

            you stretch out the heavens like a tent

            and lay the beams of your upper chambers on

            their waters.

   You make the clouds your chariot

            and you ride on the wings of the wind.

   You make winds your messengers,

            flames of fire your servants.

   You set the earth on its foundations;

            it can never be moved.

   You covered it with deep oceans as with a

            garment;

            the waters stood above the mountains.

   But at your rebuke the waters fled,

            at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;

   they flowed over the mountains,

            they went down into the valleys,

            to the place you assigned for them.

   You set a boundary they cannot cross;

            never again will they cover the earth.

   I will praise you for you make springs pour water

            into the ravines;

            it flows between the mountains.

   They give water to all the beasts of the field;

            the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

   The birds of the air nest by the waters;

            they sing among the branches.

   You water the mountains from your upper

            chambers;

            the earth is satisfied by the fruit of your work.

   You make grass grow for the cattle,

            and plants for man to cultivate—

            bringing forth food from the earth:

   wine that gladdens the heart of man,

            oil to make his face shine,

            and bread that sustains his heart.

   The trees you plant, O Lord, are well watered,

            the cedars of Lebanon that you planted.

   The lilies of the field grow.

            They do not labour or spin.

   Yet not even Solomon in all his splendour

            was dressed like one of these,

            for you clothe the grass of the field.

   The birds make their nests;

            the stork has its home in the pine trees.

   The birds of the air do not sow or reap or store

            away in barns,

            and yet you feed them.

   Not one sparrow will fall to the ground

            apart from your will.

   The high mountains belong to the wild goats;

            the crags are a refuge for the coneys.

   The moon marks off the seasons,

            and the sun knows when to go down.

   You bring darkness, it becomes night,

            and all the beasts of the forest prowl.

   The lions roar for their prey

            and seek their food from you, O God.

   The sun rises, and they steal away;

            they return and lie down in their dens.

   Then man goes out to his work,

            to his labour until evening.

   How many are your works, O Lord!

            In wisdom you made them all;

            the earth is full of your creatures.

    There is the sea, vast and spacious,

            teeming with creatures beyond number—

            living things both large and small.

   There the ships go to and fro,

            and the whales and dolphins, which you

            formed to frolic there.

   These all look to you

            to give them their food at the proper time.

   When you give it to them,

            they gather it up;

   when you open your hand,

            they are satisfied with good things.

   When you hide your face,

            they are terrified;

   when you take away their breath,

            they die and return to the dust.

   When you send the Holy Spirit,

            they are created,

            and you renew the face of the earth.

   May your glory endure forever, O Lord.

            Rejoice in your works, O Lord.

   When you look at the earth, it trembles,

            when you touch the mountains, they smoke.

   I will sing to you, O Lord, all my life;

            I will sing praise to the Triune God as long as I

            live.

   May my meditation be pleasing to you,

            as I rejoice in you, O Lord.

   But may sinners vanish from the earth

            and the wicked be no more,

   by the triumph of the gospel, O Lord,

            that they may no longer destroy this world.

   Praise the Lord, O my soul.

            Praise the Lord.

Day 102: Luke 2:22-38 & Psalm 103: How Long Must We Wait on the Lord?

Today's Reading: Luke 2:22-38 & Psalm 103

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How Long Must We Wait on the Lord?

Today's devotional is taken from my e-book of advent devotionals, The Light Has Come:

The Falling and Rising of Many: Simeon’s Prophecy

Scripture: Luke 2:25-35

And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” – Luke 2:34-35, ESV

What do you do when the one thing you’ve been waiting for all your life finally comes and, when it does, it completely shatters all of your expectations? This is not a question that many of us know how to answer, for we’ve not had enough life experiences to help us here. We are not old men, doubled over by the cares of a long and expectant life. Even in the short years we have lived, we have not unwaveringly sought one thing and hoped for it with all our hearts. Our divided and distracted hearts keep us from feeling real kinship with Simeon.

Simeon was a single-minded man of purposed determination. Luke tells us that he “was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel.” God had given Simeon a rare and precious promise, a promise that kept Simeon waiting and watching expectantly. God told Simeon that he would have the honor of seeing Israel’s True Hope before he died. When the day came for the promise to come true, “he came by the Spirit into the temple.”

Simeon received the promise with great joy. God had been faithful after all! The wait had been long and Simeon was now a tired old man, but he had finally seen the Long-Expected One with his own eyes! Now he could die in peace, for he had seen God’s salvation face-to-face. None of us can die in peace until we have seen God’s salvation. Simeon was a man at peace. He now saw what his heart had longed for all those years.

Yet before Simeon passed from this world into the peaceful rest of the righteous, he spoke words that must have taken Mary and Joseph by surprise. I think even Simeon himself was shocked by the words that came from his lips. They were given to him by the Holy Spirit, as a prophecy of things to come. Simeon went to bless Joseph, Mary and Jesus, but the words he spoke were not words of blessing, but a dark and mysterious warning.

What did it mean that Jesus was “destined to cause the falling and rising of many” and that a sword would pierce Mary’s soul? Well, while Jesus’ whole ministry exposed “the thoughts of many hearts,” I think Simeon was directly speaking of the coming cross. It was at the cross that Mary felt deep pain in her soul as she watched her son shamed and dying before the jeering mob. The cross was the reason for Jesus’ coming, and even at His birth, its shadow hung over His life.

As Jesus hung on the cross, heaven and earth intersected in a unique way. In the dying of the Savior of the World, justice and mercy met in a bloody demonstration of the love of God for sinful people. Satan fell and salvation was finally made a reality as God’s justice was satisfied and the chains of slavery that had held God’s people were broken.

Something else also happened on that cross, as Jesus died for our sins. The cross was transformed that day from a symbol of human wickedness and torture into a symbol of hope for millions of people. Yet it also became a symbol of God’s final and unrelenting judgment against rebellious sinners. Those who embrace the cross and its shame find final freedom in the blood of Jesus, as they receive the forgiveness that can only be found at that dark place.

Those who reject the cross and its offer of forgiveness find something else on Calvary’s hill-- a graphic demonstration of God’s furious wrath against sin. Those who will not accept what Jesus did on the cross must still see in it the anger of God against wickedness. If they will not allow Jesus to bear that anger, they must be prepared to bear it themselves, something which none of us has the ability to begin to imagine.

The cross offers us no middle ground. It will be our falling or our rising, our destruction or our salvation. And at the cross, our hearts will be revealed before God; there will be no doubt where we stand. Perhaps you never expected to find life at such a place of death. Perhaps you’re not ready to accept that someone else’s pain could mean peace to your soul. I’m sure Simeon wasn’t expecting what God revealed to him, either. The question is, now that you know the truth, what will you do with it?

What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written,

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense;
    and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” - Romans 9:30-33. ESV

Prayer Based on Psalm 103:

Psalm 103 is one of the best texts in the Bible for preaching the gospel to ourselves. It is a glorious reminder of gospel truth and one we should ponder and sing and tell to ourselves again and again!

Psalm 103 by Sovereign Grace:




O Lord, let my soul ever bless You!
   and all that is within me,
   bless Your holy name!
Let me not forget all Your benefits,
You forgive all my iniquity,
     You heal all my diseases, in this life and in eternity
You redeems my life from the pit,
    and You crown me with steadfast love and mercy,
You satisfy me with good
    so that my youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Oh Lord, let me believe and rejoice and glorify You for Your amazing love and benefits to me!

You, O Lord, work righteousness
    and justice for all who are oppressed.
You made known Your ways to Moses,
    Your acts to the people of Israel.

You, O Lord, are merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
You will not always chide,
    nor will You keep Your anger forever.
You does not deal with us according to our sins,
    nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is Your steadfast love toward those who fear You;
as far as the east is from the west,
    so far do You remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
    so You, O Lord, show compassion to those who fear You.
For You know our frame;
    You remember that we are dust.

As for man, his days are like grass;
    he flourishes like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
    and its place knows it no more.
But Your steadfast love, O Lord, is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear You,
    and Your righteousness to children's children,
to those who keep Your covenant
    and remember to do Your commandments.
O Lord, give us the grace to keep trusting in Jesus,
   who is the substance and fulfillment of Your covenant.

You, O Lord, have established Your throne in the heavens,
    and Your kingdom rules over all.

Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
    you mighty ones who do his word,
    obeying the voice of his word!
Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
    his ministers, who do his will!
Bless the Lord, all his works,
    in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!

10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman:



Praise to the Lord, the Almighty by Fernando Ortega: