THE WORD FOR YOUR DAY 12.10.14 - Jesus as Savior from sin (the real enemy) Daily Scripture: Matthew 1:20-21, Acts 5:27-32 20 As he was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph son of David, dont be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child she carries was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you will call him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. Acts 5:27-32 27 The apostles were brought before the council where the high priest confronted them: 28 In no uncertain terms, we demanded that you not teach in this name. And look at you! You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching. And you are determined to hold us responsible for this mans death. 29 Peter and the apostles replied, We must obey God rather than humans! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God has exalted Jesus to his right side as leader and savior so that he could enable Israel to change its heart and life and to find forgiveness for sins. 32 We are witnesses of such things, as is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him. Most of us know the story: a carpenter named Joseph, engaged to Mary, struggled to believe her story that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. He planned to break the engagement quietly. In a dream, an angel told him to believe Mary, and to name the child Jesus (Greek form of Hebrew Joshua, meaning Yahweh is salvation). Salvation ran much deeper than just the Roman army. This child brought salvation from humanitys greatest enemy: sin. The earliest Christians echoed that, as they defied the leaders trying to silence them. Scholar N. T. Wright wrote that Matthew sees Jesus as the one who will now complete what the law of Moses pointed to but could not of itself produce. He will rescue his people, not from slavery in Egypt, but from the slavery of sin, the ‘exile they have suffered not just in Babylon but in their own hearts and lives. In what ways has missing Gods path led your heart and life into a kind of exile? What are the benefits of letting Jesus save you from that exile? Wright also observed that in Acts 5 Peter spoke of Jesus as Savior because he has broken through the power of death itself and is therefore ready to rescue people not only from that ultimate enemy but from such other enemies, whether sickness, oppression, persecution or imprisonment, as they may face from time to time. What enemies of that sort are you facing? How confident are you that Jesus can ultimately save you from all of them? Todays Prayer: Lord Jesus, you came to save us from sin because sin hurts, damages and destroys us. Be my savior today from all that makes me less human, and keep me growing into the person you want me to be. Amen.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Dec 2014 10:45:25 +0000
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