Key Passage
Jesus answered, "Go back to John and tell him about the things that you hear and see: Blind people are able to see again; crippled people are able to walk again; people that have leprosy are healed; deaf people can hear again; dead people are raised from death; and the Good News is told to the poor people."
— Matthew 11:4-5 ERV (Read Full Text)
Key Thought
John the Baptist had preached about a fiery judgment on the enemies of God's people and a mighty Messiah who would bring deliverance for God's people. His confusion about Jesus' role as Messiah was natural. Like everyone in Matthew who chooses a one-dimensional view of the Messiah, he will miss Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah. Jesus reaches into the prophet Isaiah's promises about the Messiah and identifies himself. The background of the prophet's expectation is both judgment and mercy: defeat for the evil ones and deliverance for God's people. The great reminder to us is that a simple, single-sided view of Jesus as Messiah will be lacking. Our hearts must be open to God's plan for the Messiah and not our own sense of what he should do. As we come to know Jesus as both Lord and Christ, we understand that he fulfills the expectations of the prophets for the Messiah, but he is also Sovereign. We do not write the definition; we follow obediently the one who fulfills all God's promises.
Prayer
Almighty God—who spoke and the universe was hung in the great expanse, who promised through your prophets and it was so—please give me a heart full of faith to follow and see in Jesus the fulfillment of all your promises. I don't want to fashion Jesus into my idea of a Messiah, but I want him to be my Lord and Christ. It is through his holy name I pray. Amen.
Related Scriptures
People are afraid and confused. Say to those people, "Be strong! Don't be afraid!" Look, your God will come and punish your enemies. He will come and give you your reward. The Lord will save you. Then the blind people will be able to see again. Their eyes will be opened. Then the deaf people will be able to hear. Their ears will be opened. Crippled people will dance like deer. And the people that can't talk now will use their voices to sing happy songs. This will happen when springs of water begin flowing in the desert. Springs will flow in the dry land.
— Isaiah 35:4-6
The deaf will hear the words in the book. The blind will see through the darkness and fog. The Lord will make the poor people happy. The poor people will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
— Isaiah 29:18-19
{The Lord's servant says,} "The Lord my Master put his Spirit in me. God chose me to tell good news to poor people and to comfort sad people. God sent me to tell the captives that they are free and to tell the prisoners that they have been set free. God sent me to announce the time when the Lord will show his kindness. God sent me to announce the time when our God will punish evil people. God sent me to comfort sad people. God sent me to the sad people of Zion. {I will get them ready for the celebration.} I will take away the ashes on their head, and I will give them a crown. I will take away their sadness, and I will give them the oil of happiness. I will take away their sorrow, and I will give them celebration clothes. God sent me to name those people 'Good Trees' and 'The Lord's Wonderful Plant.'
— Isaiah 61:1-3
Devotional provided by Heartlight®
© 1996-2017. All rights reserved.
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Jesus answered, "Go back to John and tell him about the things that you hear and see: Blind people are able to see again; crippled people are able to walk again; people that have leprosy are healed; deaf people can hear again; dead people are raised from death; and the Good News is told to the poor people."
— Matthew 11:4-5 ERV (Read Full Text)
Key Thought
John the Baptist had preached about a fiery judgment on the enemies of God's people and a mighty Messiah who would bring deliverance for God's people. His confusion about Jesus' role as Messiah was natural. Like everyone in Matthew who chooses a one-dimensional view of the Messiah, he will miss Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah. Jesus reaches into the prophet Isaiah's promises about the Messiah and identifies himself. The background of the prophet's expectation is both judgment and mercy: defeat for the evil ones and deliverance for God's people. The great reminder to us is that a simple, single-sided view of Jesus as Messiah will be lacking. Our hearts must be open to God's plan for the Messiah and not our own sense of what he should do. As we come to know Jesus as both Lord and Christ, we understand that he fulfills the expectations of the prophets for the Messiah, but he is also Sovereign. We do not write the definition; we follow obediently the one who fulfills all God's promises.
Prayer
Almighty God—who spoke and the universe was hung in the great expanse, who promised through your prophets and it was so—please give me a heart full of faith to follow and see in Jesus the fulfillment of all your promises. I don't want to fashion Jesus into my idea of a Messiah, but I want him to be my Lord and Christ. It is through his holy name I pray. Amen.
Related Scriptures
People are afraid and confused. Say to those people, "Be strong! Don't be afraid!" Look, your God will come and punish your enemies. He will come and give you your reward. The Lord will save you. Then the blind people will be able to see again. Their eyes will be opened. Then the deaf people will be able to hear. Their ears will be opened. Crippled people will dance like deer. And the people that can't talk now will use their voices to sing happy songs. This will happen when springs of water begin flowing in the desert. Springs will flow in the dry land.
— Isaiah 35:4-6
The deaf will hear the words in the book. The blind will see through the darkness and fog. The Lord will make the poor people happy. The poor people will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
— Isaiah 29:18-19
{The Lord's servant says,} "The Lord my Master put his Spirit in me. God chose me to tell good news to poor people and to comfort sad people. God sent me to tell the captives that they are free and to tell the prisoners that they have been set free. God sent me to announce the time when the Lord will show his kindness. God sent me to announce the time when our God will punish evil people. God sent me to comfort sad people. God sent me to the sad people of Zion. {I will get them ready for the celebration.} I will take away the ashes on their head, and I will give them a crown. I will take away their sadness, and I will give them the oil of happiness. I will take away their sorrow, and I will give them celebration clothes. God sent me to name those people 'Good Trees' and 'The Lord's Wonderful Plant.'
— Isaiah 61:1-3
Devotional provided by Heartlight®
© 1996-2017. All rights reserved.
