As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16–17, NIV 1984).
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:14–21, NIV 1984).
My Advice – When my parents were expecting me, they had to wait the full nine months before learning whether they had a boy or a girl. Then the announcements went out, “It’s a boy!” When my boys were born we had ultrasound, but we chose to not to know their sex until they were born. Today, prospective parents are revealing the sex of their unborn babies months before the birth in imaginative and creative ways. One website proclaims: “This is a moment that should be memorable.” Indeed. That is until later in life when the child reveals they are one of the currently estimated 112 genders (that’s sarcasm folks – and perhaps a subject for another blog).
The texts above are the greatest reveal in all of history. The Jews had anticipated the coming of the Messiah for generations. But there had been 400 years of silence since that last word form the Old Testament prophets. When Christ was born, the parents knew, the shepherds knew, the Wise Men knew, that He was no ordinary child. Then followed thirty years since Mary first “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19, NIV 1984), and before it was revealed publicly. First by the Father, “This is my Son.” Then by Jesus Himself, “today this scripture is fulfilled.“
The reveal continued to unfold throughout Christ’s brief ministry. It revealed that He was more than the Son. He was King of kings. But before He could assume His throne He had to be the suffering servant. “Pilate…brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. (John 19:13–16, NIV 1984). That day, another scripture was fulfilled when Jesus said “it is finished!“
My Advice – More than 2000 years have passed and men continue reject their King. What about you? What have you decided about the big reveal?
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Today’s musing was inspired by Teaching Pastor Kevin Rutledge’s sermon on March 1, 2020. Check it out at https://www.fbcsycamore.com/sermons. If you live in or are visiting the area, come and join us Sundays at 10:30 a.m. We’d love to be partners in the Gospel with you.
The Brew Is A Musing 