Jesus Fulfills Old Testament Prophecy
Monday, September 16 Matthew 1:18-25; Isaiah 7:10-14
“The virgin willconceive a child”
Josephis engaged to Mary, but before the marriage and its sexual consummation, hediscovers that she is pregnant. No doubtgreatly upset, he nevertheless wants to minimize her shame and so plans a quietdivorce, the method of formally ending a Jewish betrothal. God’s angel, however, appears to him in adream, explaining that the child was conceived by means of the Holy Spirit andinstructing him to continue plans for the marriage. He commands them to name the child “Jesus”(“The Lord saves”), explaining that he will be the savior of his people, notfrom the physical oppression of the Roman occupation but from the spiritualenslavement of their sins.
Joseph obeys, and the passage ends with Matthew reinforcing thesupernatural nature of this conception, as the young couple refrains fromsexual relations not only until their marriage, but also before Jesus’birth. In these remarkable eventsMatthew sees the fulfillment of prophecy about what is commonly referred to asthe virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14), bolstered by references to the child as“Immanuel,” meaning “God with us” (Isaiah 8:8, 10).
You use faithful people, Lord, to fulfillyour purposes. Amen.
Tuesday, September 17 Luke 3:3-6; Isaiah 40:3-5
“Prepare the way ofthe Lord”
Luke portrays John the Baptist’s ministry as acall to repentance, the turning away from sin and toward God. Ministering in the desert in fulfillment ofthe pattern of salvation indicated by Isaiah, John preaches in fulfillment ofIsaiah’s prophecy. His ministry in theJordan River region is designed to get people ready for the arrival of God’ssalvation by having hearts open to respond to the coming Messiah. This is why in citing Isaiah, Luke mentionsthe leveling of obstacles in the way of God’s arrival. If the creation bows to God’s coming,certainly human heart should as well.
According to Isaiah 40, God will deliver his people and give them thecomfort of salvation. When the Gospelwriters point to this text, they inform us that John’s ministry means God is atwork to save his people. God isapproaching us, so creation should unfurl itself like a giant red carpet withpomp and honor to note his arrival. Among the evidences of such a carpet is a repentant heart (Isaiah57:14-17).
You promised salvation, Lord, and in Christyou fulfilled your promise. Amen.
Wednesday, September 18 Matthew 3:13-17; Isaiah 42:1-4
“My Son, with whomI am well pleased”
Formost of his life Jesus had lived in Nazareth, awaiting the time when the Fatherwould direct him to begin his public ministry. His act of being baptized by John was a complete and full identificationwith the Kingdom that John was announcing. Baptism symbolized the turning from the old to the new. Jesus’ baptism was his own symbolic act ofparticipation in the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ use of the word “righteousness” is significant, for righteousnessis the word which denotes right relationship. Jesus’ act of being baptized was a witness to the rightness of hisrelationship with God.
The voice from heaven has two phrases, each a quotation from the OldTestament. In Psalm 2:7, a psalm whichdescribed the Messiah as the coming King, we read, “You are my Son.” In Isaiah 42:1, the description of thesuffering servant, we read, “who pleases me.” At Jesus’ baptism he is given this divine confirmation from the Father,a word of his being and his behavior, of his acceptance and his approval. The person of the King is now identified asthe Son of God!
As your child,Father, may I be pleasing to you. Amen.
Thursday, September 19 John 12:12-16; Psalm 118:25-29; Zechariah 9:9-10
"These things had been written about him”
At the beginningof Passover week Jesus enters Jerusalem in messianic fashion, mounted on adonkey, and is greeted by the crowd with the words of Psalm 118:26: “Hosanna!Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” “The one who comes” was technical languagefor the Messiah. Although Jesus hadfrustrated earlier efforts by some of his followers to “take him by force tomake him king” (John 6:15), he now rides into the Jewish capital mounted on adonkey in keeping with Old Testament prophecy.
Jesus’ choice ofa donkey invokes prophetic imagery of a king coming in peace (Zechariah9:9-10), which contrasts sharply with notions of a politicalwarrior-messiah. By riding on a donkey,Jesus expresses his willingness to become the king of Israel, though in morehumble terms than the prevailing nationalism of the day. John duly notes that the disciples did notunderstand the significance of this event at first, but later they realized thatwhat had happened fulfilled Scripture.
As your disciple,Jesus, help me to see the ways you fulfill Scripture. Amen.
Friday, September 20 Matthew 26:57-68; Isaiah 50:4-9
“Then they began tospit in Jesus’ face . . .”
After Jesus’arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, he is brought to Caiaphas, the high priest,for interrogation. Because Jesus remainssilent while he is accosted with false accusations, Caiaphas finally chargeshim directly, under oath, to declare if he is the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus replies, “You have said it,” affirmingwho he is. Jesus goes on to claim to bethe exalted, heavenly Son of Man, one who is Lord, one who will be seated nextto the Father himself in heaven. Declaring him guilty of blasphemy, they proceed to physically abuse him.
The prophet Isaiahreceived many prophecies from God about the Messiah, about 700 years beforeJesus was born. In Isaiah 50:4-9, Isaiahwrote about the abuse that the Messiah would endure at the hands of sinfulpeople, that he would offer his back to those who beat him, his cheeks to thosewho rip out his beard, and his face to those who mock and spit on him. Yet, he would not be put to shame for God iswith him.
As were you, Jesus, your people today willbe hated, and God is with us. Amen.
Saturday, September 21 Acts 8:26-35; Isaiah 53:7-9
“Who was theprophet talking about?”
Thecenterpoint of the story is the reading of the Old Testament. Here is a man who is actually using hisBible, or, more accurately, a specific scroll while he is sitting in his seaton the ancient equivalent of his private jet. He is reading from the prophet Isaiah and, since people almost alwaysread aloud in those days, Philip heard what he was reading. Philip’s question about whether the eunuchunderstood what he was reading got the response he needed to share the goodnews with him.
The passage the eunuch was reading (Isaiah53:7-9) talks of the unjust humiliation and suffering of the Lord’sservant. His question about the identityof this servant becomes a launching pad for Philip’s telling him about Jesus - abouthis arrest and subsequent interrogation, his beatings and the efforts tohumiliate him, his conviction and death on a cross as if he were a commoncriminal, and his burial in a rich man’s tomb. Then, Philip would certainly have moved beyond the Isaiah text itselfand told the man about the resurrection of Jesus.
Idesire to know your Word well, Lord, so I can use it to tell your story. Amen.