July 26 - Jesus and the Temple

Matthew 21:12-17

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. (Matthew 21:14 ESV)

Throughout their history the Jews had worshipped through song and sacrifice. King Solomon oversaw the construction of the first temple, where as Herod the Great was the steward of the last Jewish Temple. It had been intended as a place for the people to connect with God in profound ways. It had become something else entirely.

When Jesus arrived at the Temple it was chock full of money changers, merchants, and other swindlers. He would not tolerate it. So he threw them out in a moment of truly justified righteous indignation. The Temple had become something other than a place for repentance and prayer, but Jesus restored it to its intended use.

As he sat and taught his followers amidst the purged Temple grounds people began to bring the sick and the lame and he healed them. It was a complete turnabout for the Temple. The religious focal point of Judaism, it was no longer defunct, it was no longer a money trap meant to make the powerful wealthy, it was truly a place of connecting with God.

The Temple no longer stands. It was destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Romans. However, the time had already passed for the usefulness of a material temple by then. Jesus had changed that.

Today we can connect with God anywhere we like. We are no longer limited to only visiting a holy place. In fact, Christianity has no holy places, only the holiness of God, the Son, and the Spirit. When Jesus cleansed the Temple he demonstrated that it is his work and person by which we connect with God. It is by his death. By his love. And by his strength.

February 1 - Grow

Read: Luke 2:39-40

And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. (Luke 2:40 ESV)

When Herod the Great died Joseph returned to Nazareth with his young family. It was in Nazareth that the young boy Jesus grew into the mighty God-man we read of in the Gospels. Jesus became strong as he grew. He was filled with wisdom. But it was a process as relates to his human nature.

Growing is an essential part of all life. We start small and young and progress in age, size, and capability, or at least we should. Growing up on a farm I got to be pretty familiar with growing things. Whether it was an animal or plant, the phrase if its not growing its dying held pretty true. We should have a desire to continually grow in our relationship with God.

When we begin our personal journey with God we are like children. We may have great passion, enthusiasm, and faith, but we often lack the kind of maturity that fills us with strength and wisdom. Spending time with the Father gives us both strength and wisdom. Not so we can better manage things on our own, but so that we will trust God even more.

Jesus enjoyed the favor of God because of his growth. Yes, he was the Son of God, but he was also a man. And as he grew from boy to man he followed the Law of God, sought after the heart of God, and it produced in his human nature the strength, wisdom, and favor of God.

January 31 - Out of Egypt

Read: Hosea 11 & Matthew 2:13-25

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. (Hosea 11:1 ESV)

In 700 B.C. the prophet Hosea wrote that Jesus' family would flee to Egypt as refugees. It was a courageous and faithful act on the part of Jesus' adopted father Joseph that saved the young Messiah's life. But to further fulfill prophecy, and ultimately the mission of God for mankind, Jesus had to leave Egypt.

I really believe that along the way God sometimes directs us to places that are more like pit stops than they are destinations. We can, and should, do whatever good we can at these stops, but ultimately they are small parts of our journey. Whatever reason God has for sending us to those places, it is usually more about protecting us, helping us learn and grow, or helping someone there, than anything else. Sometimes you have to flee to your own personal Egypt to become who you are supposed to be, but you almost always have to leave it behind to step into your destiny.

Jesus didn't spend an incredibly long time in Egypt. Joseph only kept him there until the danger had passed and it was time to return to Nazareth. It would still be many years before Jesus would begin his public ministry. Sometimes God takes us from one season of preparation to another. These seasons look different, are often at different locations, and come with a plethora of diverse learning experiences. Don't be in a hurry to speed through these times. God can still use us in times of growth and learning. He will call us out of it when we're ready for the fullness of His plan.

January 30 - Into Egypt

Read: Matthew 2: 13-18

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." (Matthew 2:13 ESV)

Herod did not respond well upon learning that the wise men had tricked him. When the secret identity of the would-be king eluded him he turned up the crazy and went into full tyrant mode slaughtering an entire generation of boys. It was a horrendously evil act born of desperation, insecurity, and selfishness. Thankfully Jesus escaped unscathed because of his adopted father Joseph.

Joseph was such a courageous man. He risked incredible personal danger and disaster to protect his wife and adopted son. He obeyed commands that he didn't even fully comprehend in order to keep Mary and Jesus from harm. There is a lot to learn from the continued faithful response of a man we actually do not know a great deal about.

First of all he listened when God spoke. Whatever the means of communication used to reach Joseph, he paid attention. Some of us just have to much noise in our lives. It makes it hard to hear when God speaks. Secondly, Joseph obeyed God. Not only was he willing to listen, but he was willing to respond with faithful courage and obedience. I know sometimes I feel like God is trying to tell me something but I'm just too scared to do anything about it.

Think about it. Joseph was courageous. He not only listened to God, but he obeyed. And in his obedience he rescued Jesus from an insane tyrannical puppet king by taking him into Egypt.

January 29 - Where is the King?

Read: Matthew 2:1-12

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: "And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel." (Matthew 2:3-6 ESV)

Herod was a puppet king put in place by the Romans to govern the Jews. His dynasty was known for incredible greed and cruelty fueled by a borderline insane paranoia. The foundation stones of the Herodian Temple were actually all found to be stamped with his giant royal seal. He covered everything in plated gold. He liked himself.

So when the wise men blew through town in their wealthy caravan from another land Herod took note of their message. A king had been born. Herod had competition, at least in his mind. Where is this king? He assembled all of the sophisticated know-it-alls and overly educated folks and inquired, Where is the Christ to be born?

Herod was living amongst God's people. He was in a place of power, leadership, and stewardship. Herod had no idea where the king was.

I wonder if we sometimes find ourselves in a similar place? Many of us live among God's people. We worship with God's people, work with God's people, and fellowship with God's people, but we still have trouble knowing where the King is. Maybe the rough stuff in life gets in the way. Maybe we are our own adversity. Still, the King, Jesus, is available to us. He offers life if we will take it. He offers sonship and adoption if we will take. He offers to be Lord, Steward, Captain, Provider, and Father. All we need to do is look for our King.