Next Steps

Next Steps

The past 40 days have taken you through 40 key passages in the Bible. You have experienced God’s overarching storyline of creation, rebellion, redemption, and restoration in its pages. You have read of the ways that the Old Testament prepared categories, people, and promises that led to Jesus. You have seen threads and repeating themes that appear again and again throughout the Bible. And you have glimpsed the glory of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This Word of God is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). It is always relevant, always true, and always needed. Now that you have a better understanding of how the whole book fits together, you can continue to study with a focus on depth or breadth. You may want to dig deeper into a particular passage or book with the help of a commentary or study Bible. Or you may want to start a reading plan that takes you through the whole Bible.

Here are some resources you might find helpful:

• Free PDFs of D.A. Carson’s For the Love of God Volume 1 and Volume 2. This is a reading plan and accompanying short commentary to read two or four chapters per day from different parts of the Bible. Used every day at four chapters a day, this will take you through the OT once and the NT & Psalms twice in a year. It is easily modifiable for a more manageable plan. Carson offers a small and helpful commentary on one of the chapters but keeps the focus on the Scripture. This is a great tool for people who want to read through the entire Bible or for people who work well with a structured plan.
• Graeme Goldsworthy’s book According to Plan, available here, or Michael William's book Far as the Curse is Found, available here. These books are an introduction to Biblical theology, or understanding how the Bible fits together as a whole. They trace several themes from beginning to end, and parts of this 40-day overview emphasized some of those themes. These are good resources for people who have some familiarity with the Bible but still want to learn more about how it all fits together.
• The Bible Project, available here: This website offers a chronological reading plan, videos to introduce each book of the Bible, thematic studies and videos, and many other resources. This would be good for people who learn visually or for people who want a contextual overview of a book before diving in. It is excellent for anyone, regardless of level of familiarity with the Bible.
• This sheet for how to study the Bible on your own: If you want to study a particular book or section, or if you just want to get more out of your Bible reading, try these tips and tools. In each passage, focus on Observation, Interpretation, and Application (or, phrased another way, the What, So What, and Now What). You may find it helpful to journal out your thoughts as you go.

Whatever you choose, be realistic with your time, learning styles, and needs. Set aside a time and place for simple, consistent meeting with God in order to know and love him more. Keep a journal of what you are learning and review it periodically to see what God has been teaching you. If you fall behind, don’t give up and don’t be discouraged. Try again the following day. This is hard work - but knowing God is worth it. Pastor and writer John Piper once wrote, “Loving God is most essentially treasuring God - valuing him, cherishing him, admiring him, desiring him. And loving him with all our mind means that our thinking is wholly engaged to do all it can to awaken and express this heartfelt fullness of treasuring God above all things.”

Thank you for participating in this journey. May we continue to know God through his Word, love him with our lives, and bring glory to him in everything, for he is Most High and most worthy of all of our praise.

Resources and references

Alexander, T. Desmond, et al, editors. New Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2004.

Barker, Kenneth, et al, editors. NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002.

Carson, D.A. For the Love of God, Volumes I & II. Wheaton: Crossway, 1998.

Goldsworthy, Graeme. According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2002.

Hamilton, James M. What is Biblical Theology?: A Guide to the Bible’s Story, Symbolism, and Patterns. Wheaton: Crossway, 2013.

Kaiser, Walter C., and Douglas J. Moo. Five Views on Law and Gospel. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.

Piper, John. Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die. Wheaton: Crossway, 2006.

Richter, Sandra L. The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2008.

Schreiner, Thomas R. The King in his Beauty: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments. Ada: Baker Academic, 2013.

Williams, Michael. Far as the Curse is Found: The Covenant Story of Redemption. Phillipsburg: P & R Publishing, 2005.

Wright, Christopher. Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2014.

Day 40

Day 40: Revelation 21-22

Today we come to the end of the story. We have seen the overarching storyline of creation, rebellion, and redemption throughout the Bible, and we have seen glimpses of the promised restoration in ourselves and in the world around us through the person and work of Jesus. But someday, that restoration will be complete. These last two chapters of the Bible offer a picture of the glorious hope that awaits believers. The imagery used here in this Holy City combines elements of Jerusalem, the temple, and the Garden of Eden, ultimately bringing the story full circle.

In this Holy City, the New Jerusalem, sin and its effects will be completely eradicated. God will be able to dwell with his people as he initially planned. No longer will rebellion and sinful nature separate his people from him. But as the prophet John writes, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (21:3-4). Throughout the Bible, we have seen God take steps to live with his people -- through the tabernacle and subsequent temple in the Old Testament, through the sacrificial system that gave people the categories to accept the death of Jesus on their behalf, and through the church that he built in his name. But now, at the end of all things and forevermore, God himself will be with them in a perfectly restored relationship.

When the angel measures the city, it is a perfect cube (21:16), thus reflecting the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle (see Exodus 26). Its gates are beautiful stones, its streets are made of gold, and the leaves of its trees bring healing to the nations. Whether this imagery is literal or symbolic, one thing is clear: God will reign with his people, and the evil things of this world shall become undone. Everything will be as it was meant to be. And, amazingly, wondrously, his people will see his face (22:4).  

All of this is possible due to the love of God and the work of Jesus and the invitation of the Spirit. Jesus reminds the readers that he is coming soon (22:12) and that he is the “Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (22:13). Whatever we experience in this world, he was before it and he will be after it.

Ultimately, we are left with a choice. Will we heed the Spirit’s invitation and come to Jesus for our salvation and for a restored relationship with the God who made us? The penalty has been paid on our behalf, and God is making an offer to us for him to be the center of our lives and the delight of our hearts. “Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life” (22:17). Come!

Questions for reflection and discussion: What aspects of the New Jerusalem described here are you most looking forward to? How are those who believe and those who do not believe contrasted in this chapter? Have you or will you come and take the free gift that God is offering to you?

Day 39

Day 39: Hebrews 8-9

The entire book of Hebrews sets out to prove that Jesus is better -- better than angels, better than mankind, better than Moses, better than the priests and sacrifices of the old covenant. These chapters in particular gloriously bring together so many themes from Days 1-20 of this study and explain how Jesus is the true definition of so many of the offices and ideas established in the Old Testament.

In the longest New Testament quotation from the Old Testament, chapter 8 quotes the prophesied new covenant from Jeremiah 31 (see Day 20), the covenant that has come to pass thanks to the work and ministry of Jesus. When the author calls the old covenant “obsolete,” he is referring to the Mosaic covenant with its system of laws, priests, and sacrifices (not the entire Old Testament or even to the Abrahamic or Davidic covenants, which had largely been fulfilled in Jesus). Chapter 9 goes on to explain the full significance of Christ’s death in terms of that old system. In short, the tabernacle’s rules and regulations “were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper… [they were] external regulations applying until the time of the new order” (vv. 9-10). Even the tabernacle and Most Holy Place themselves were copies and shadows of what was in heaven. So when Jesus died, he entered the true Most Holy Place -- the very presence of God -- as both true priest and true sacrifice “by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption” v. 12). God had allowed the blood of animals to make people ceremonially clean, so how much more would the blood of Christ purify people from the inside out! As the author triumphantly explains, “For this reason, Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance” (v. 15).

Furthermore, this sacrifice was better because it did not need to be repeated day after day or year after year. Rather, he appeared “once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself” (v. 26). When he appears again, he will “bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (v. 28). Creation was completed, rebellion undertaken, and now true redemption enacted. The only thing left in the story -- restoration -- has, in fact, already begun.

Questions for reflection and discussion: Throughout this study, we have seen Jesus as the true king, the true prophet, the true temple, the true priest, the true sacrifice, and the true Israel. Which of these offices is most significant to you right now, and why? How has the Old Testament given you categories to understand who Jesus is? How can understanding these categories increase our love for him?

Day 38

Day 38: Philippians 2, Colossians 3

Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi is centered on themes of joy and humility. He is writing to the Philippian church to thank them for their support of him, and he encourages them to know Christ and treasure him above all else (3:7-11) and to rejoice in all of their circumstances (4:4-13). This encouragement is even more meaningful because of Paul’s circumstances: he is writing this letter from prison.

In the first chapter, he explains that his imprisonment has only been a platform for sharing the gospel with his fellow prisoners and with those who are guarding him. And to him, regardless of motive, regardless of circumstances, the most important thing is that Christ is preached (1:18). Paul continues by imploring his readers to be unified in mind and love and spirit, much like Jesus prayed before his arrest and crucifixion (see reading for Day 27). Similarly, he encourages them to be humble and to put others above themselves, just a Jesus did. He then expresses in poetic form how Jesus, “being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing” (vv. 6-7). These verses do not mean that Jesus misunderstood his role as God or thought himself beneath it and therefore rejected that claim. Rather, they express that Jesus did not insist that his full rights and status as God were something to be forcibly retained. He chose to empty himself and humble himself even to death on our behalf. And now, as a result, “God exalted him to the highest place” in order that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (vv. 9-11).

This beautiful hymn of the faith is the focal point of the book of Philippians and provides one of the earliest confessions of the full divine-human nature of Jesus. It also justifies the instructions to the believers at Philippi to live humbly and in unity with one another. For when we love sacrificially, when we do nothing out of selfish ambition, when we consider the needs of others above our own, we are simply following the example of Christ.

Similarly, in the book of Colossians, Paul’s letter to the church at Colosse contains large sections of practical commands and encouragements to live a holy life. All of this is bound up in the truth of who Jesus is and what he has done -- see Colossians 1:15-23 for an example in this particular book. But he never wanted his churches to forget that God has not saved us to simply go to heaven one day when we die. Rather, he invites us to be on mission in this world and to join in his plan of proclaiming the good news of his story. He calls us to be heirs with Christ, to be transformed by the Spirit and Word of God, to honor him by our words and conduct, and to be a light to those around us, ultimately bringing them into God’s great story as well.

Even in today’s reading, we find a brief impetus for these rules of holy living. The chapter begins with the words “since, then” which indicate that the verses to follow stem from certain realities and backgrounds. Because we have already been “raised with Christ,” our hearts and minds should be focused on things above (vv. 1-2). When we accepted Jesus’ death and resurrection on our behalf, we died, and our lives “are now hidden with Christ in God” (v. 3). As such, our conduct ought to match that of one whose life is no longer his own. The following verses use the imagery of taking off the old self and putting on the new self. The old self, or earthly nature, consists of anything that comes naturally to humans apart from the transforming work of Christ, such as “sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed” (v. 6). Now, since we are God’s chosen people, “holy and dearly loved,” we are to clothe ourselves in a new self, consisting of qualities such as “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” (v. 12). No matter what we do, we should forgive one another, love one another, be at peace with one another, and encourage one another through the Word of Christ, ultimately doing everything in the name of Jesus.

This passage highlights an interesting aspect of the Christian faith. The rationale for living in this manner comes from the completed work of Jesus and the ongoing work of the Spirit in our lives, and yet this chapter consists of active commands for us to live out. We must choose day in and day out to live in this way, yet we must also rely on God’s transforming work in our lives to give us the power to do so. Ultimately, as believers, our work is so intertwined with God’s work that it can be - and should be! - difficult to undo them from each other. Because we have been chosen, called, and empowered by God, let us make every effort to live our lives in a way that brings honor and glory to him.

Questions for reflection and discussion: What are some practical and theological implications of Paul’s hymn in 2:6-11? How can you imitate Christ’s humility in your home, community, church, or workplace? What do you think it means to set our hearts and minds on things above? What aspects of the old self are you currently working to put off, and what aspects of the new self are you currently working to put on?

Day 37

Day 37: I Corinthians 15

As the early church grew and spread throughout Europe and Asia, Paul wrote letters to many of the churches he had started or visited. One such letter, 1 Corinthians, was directed to the church at Corinth and was full of encouragement and exhortations to the believers there who were powerfully influenced by their pagan environment. Many of the problems addressed - immaturity, instability, infidelity, immorality, and others - continue to affect the lives of many churches today, and Paul wrote to remind them of the truth of the gospel and the reality of their call to be holy. Paul’s letters (which make up much of the New Testament) were written towards specific groups of people struggling with particular issues, and it is often helpful to understand the original problems in order to fully understand the purpose of the letter.

Towards the very end of this letter, in today’s reading, Paul culminates his letter into a chapter on the significance and implications of the resurrection of Jesus. In a way, this letter provides the climax for many of the teachings he has set forth in this letter; in other words, the resurrection of Jesus - and someday, of ourselves - gives his previous teachings and directives ultimate meaning and purpose. He begins by summarizing what the gospel is (vv. 3-8) and why it is of “first importance” (v. 3). He then writes at length of the essential truth of the resurrection.

Some believers in Corinth were claiming that there was no resurrection of the body, and that Christianity was a religion for this life only. This matches well with a current philosophy that it doesn’t really matter whether Christianity is right or wrong - if it works for people, they should stick with it. But here, Paul explains that it matters deeply whether it is right or wrong and if there is a resurrection. He says that if no one is resurrected, then Jesus also was not resurrected; in that case, “faith is futile” (v. 17) and “all who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost” (v. 18). It was the resurrection that proved that Jesus was who he claimed to be and that truly showed his triumph over death and the grave. Furthermore, Paul argues, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men” (v. 19). Our very hope and faith depends not only on Jesus’ resurrection, but on ours as well.

In the verses that follow, Paul agrees with his critics that we don’t know exactly what this resurrection will look like; we only know that it will be imperishable, glorious, powerful, and spiritual (vv. 42-44). But one thing we do know: “Death has been swallowed up in victory” (v. 54). In our time here on earth, we must face the inevitable reality of our own death and the eventual deaths of all those we love, provided Christ does not first return. This fact of death causes some to live without hope and consider everything meaningless, often leading either to excessive nihilism or hedonism. But we know that Jesus conquered death, and that he gives us power over death as well, which gives us meaning in our lives and hope in our deaths. In The Last Battle, C.S. Lewis wrote that death is only the beginning: “All life in this world and all adventures had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”

Questions for reflection and discussion: Why does Christianity hang on the essential truth of the resurrection? What implications does Jesus’ resurrection and our eventual resurrection have for our lives today? How does today’s chapter offer hope and encouragement in a fallen world?

Day 36

Day 36: Romans 7-8

Paul’s logical and linear argument in Romans continues in these two chapters. Together, they describe the realities of life in the flesh and life in the Spirit. The Christian gospel is unique in that it embodies an “already, but not yet” philosophy, as seen here. Those who have trusted in the person and work of Jesus have been declared righteous in the sight of God and have conquered sin; they are legally justified and fully belong to him. At the same time, they are growing gradually over time in the image of God and battling through their sin.

Romans 7 recounts this battle in a manner familiar to anyone who seeks to walk with God. The desire to do good and to please God is counteracted by the simultaneous desire to sin and to please the self. While elements of this struggle might be present throughout a Christian’s life, there is victory through Jesus (v. 25), and chapter 8 explains the life that the Christian has through the Spirit.

While no person - including a Christian - is perfected in this lifetime, we have assurance that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (v. 1). No condemnation! Instead, we are alive in the Spirit (v. 11), adopted as sons and daughters of God (v.15), and co-heirs with Christ (v. 17). Furthermore, we have hope in this time of waiting (v. 23), help when our prayers are discouraging (v. 26), and ultimate victory over anything that would separate us from Christ (vv. 37-39). These promises are astoundingly, deeply encouraging for any Christian. Read through Romans 8 again to savor the goodness of our Lord and all that he has done for us!

Questions for reflection and discussion: Is the struggle described in Romans 7 relatable to you? If so, in what way? What promises in Romans 8 are most precious to you right now? How would you describe the tension that exists between Romans 7 and Romans 8?

Day 35

Day 35: Romans 3

In today’s reading, Paul uses a sobering series of Old Testament quotations to show his readers that “there is no one righteous, not even one” (v. 10). In the Bible and in our world, not one person is without sin. Regardless of upbringing, church involvement, faith, or personality, no one is able to reach God due to the wrong they have done. Each one of us is guilty of wrongdoing; Paul writes that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (v. 23). This propensity towards sin goes to our very core; indeed, when people try to justify their imperfections, they might say, “I’m only human” - meaning that to be human means to be imperfect.

Some might argue that we need to embrace our imperfections and simply try to be the best version of ourselves. We might even find that when we compare ourselves to others, we aren’t nearly as bad as that person. But the truth is this: God is perfect and ultimately holy, and our sin prevents us from ever reaching him. Even the Old Testament laws point toward this; not only could the Israelites (and by extension, us) not keep the law, but the very existence of the law reminded them of how sinful they were (v. 20). No religion, philosophy, or set of good deeds would ever be enough to reach God. All of humanity was hopelessly lost.

But then we come to a great shift in v. 21: “But now…” Because people could never reach God, God has made a way for them and has testified to it all throughout the Law and the Prophets. He has provided a righteousness “through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (v. 22). All have sinned and all may be justified through the grace and redemption that came through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

Paul refers to Jesus’ sacrifice as a “sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood” (v. 25). Since the time of the Old Testament sacrifices, the blood of one creature was taken in place of another. And so here with Jesus. The sin of humanity was a debt that needed to be paid, or else God was not just. He could not let all of the evils of the earth simply slide by. But instead of requiring us to pay the penalty of death (see Romans 6:23), God took the sacrifice of Jesus in our place “to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (v. 26). What a beautiful and transforming gift of justice and mercy!

Questions for reflection and discussion: What is your reaction to the list of quotations in vv. 10-18? Do you consider yourself to be among the people that are described here? How has God provided a solution, and how does this reflect both his grace and his justice?

Day 34

Day 34: Acts 26

In this chapter, we see another one of Paul’s evangelistic approaches: his personal testimony. Throughout his missionary journeys, Paul was often persecuted or imprisoned - see, for example, his list of hardships in II Corinthians 11:21-33. But now, both the Jewish and Roman ruling bodies were involved in his trials. Before appearing in the presence of King Agrippa, Paul had appealed to Caesar (Acts 25:11-12). As a Roman citizen, Paul would have had the right to appear before the emperor Nero. Nero is often remembered in history for his vicious persecution of Christians, but if Paul would have won the case currently brought against him regarding his supposed crimes against the Jewish people, it would have gained official recognition for Christianity. Much more was at stake in these trials than Paul’s own freedom or safety.

This Agrippa, to whom Paul is speaking in Acts 26, was King Herod Agrippa II, the great-grandson of the Herod who tried to kill the baby Jesus in Matthew 2. The various Herods were appointed by the ruling Roman emperors and the Senate, and they were involved in the death of Jesus (Luke 23), John the Baptist (Matthew 14), and some of the other apostles. Herod Agrippa II, however, showed considerable sympathy towards Paul in allowing him to speak in his own defense, thus sharing the gospel with everyone assembled there and preventing more violence from the Jewish leaders.

Paul told his story in a calm and orderly manner, speaking freely of his upbringing, conversion, and subsequent ministry. He concluded once again with the idea that he was “saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen - that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles” (vv. 22-23). And when Governor Festus shouted insults in response, Paul simply replied, “What I am saying is true and reasonable” (v. 25). He even prayed for Agrippa and told him frankly that he hoped to see him become a Christian (v. 29). God had clearly been at work in the life of Paul, and he continued to work in him now, even on such a public stage. Without getting defensive or angry, Paul simply told the story of how his own life had been changed, and in doing so he was able to explain the person and work of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of all of Scripture.

Questions for reflection and discussion: How has Paul’s life been changed since meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus? What is your testimony, the story of how God has worked in your life? How can you truly and reasonably tell your story so that it points your listeners toward the person and work of Jesus?

Day 33

Day 33: Acts 17

The first part of today’s reading is indicative of much of the book of Acts. Paul and his companions traveled from city to city, meeting people and speaking in the synagogues and starting or strengthening the churches. For example, in Thessalonica, the capital city of Macedonia in southeastern Europe, Paul “went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead” (vv. 2-3). This sermon series must have been similar to what Jesus spoke the the men on the road to Emmaus, once again using the whole of Scripture to point to Jesus as the Christ (see Day 30).

Whether because of persecution or expediency, Paul and his companions never stayed in one city for too long, and the gospel continued to spread throughout Asia and Europe. In Athens, the famous cultural hub of art, philosophy, and literature, Paul took a slightly different evangelistic approach. The Athenians and other leading thinkers, members of the Areopagus, loved to listen to new ideas. So Paul started with what was already familiar to them and commented on their religious nature (vv. 22). He then used their own idol, marked “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD” (v. 23), to introduce to them the God who made this world and everything in it.

Paul explained to them that this God, whom they did not yet know, was sovereign over the details of history: “He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us” (vv. 26-27). He even quoted the Athenian’s own poets in order to make a connection to them, using what he knew of their culture as a starting point to talk about the true God and how he was set apart from their idols. He left this particular meeting by briefly mentioning the resurrection - at which point the people were divided, but for some led to further discussion and even belief in Jesus. As a whole, Paul’s speech to the Areopagus pointed to the one true God and gave us an example for how we might speak to those around us about the Jesus we know and love.

Questions for reflection and discussion: What recurring patterns do you see when Paul and his companions enter a new city? What does it mean to you that God determined the exact time and place where you should live, in order that you might know him? How can we use what we know of our culture in order to bridge the gap between those around us and the one true God?

Day 32

Day 32: Acts 9

After Pentecost, the early church began to grow at an incredibly rapid pace. The resurrection of Jesus had turned a localized band of followers into a worldwide movement. Through sermons, miracles, and everyday church life, the apostles and other believers spread the gospel of Jesus and began to fulfill the Great Commission (see Matthew 28:18-20). They faced persecution from the Jewish leaders who did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Acts 7 records the story of the first martyr of this young church, a man named Stephen, whose death was overseen by a man named Saul. Shortly after this event, many in the church were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria due to intensified persecution in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1). However, even this was part of God’s plan to reach the world, since Jesus had previously told his disciples that they would be witnesses in those exact areas (Acts 1:8).

Those who hated this new church of God continued to pursue Christians. In today’s reading, Saul, the one who had given authority to the first martyrdom, set out to take prisoner anyone who said they followed Jesus. As he was on his way to Damascus, Jesus himself appeared to him and said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (v. 4). The church was so aligned with Jesus that to persecute it was to persecute him. After a few days with the disciples in Damascus, this same Saul “began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God” (v. 20). Saul’s life was so immediately transformed that he began to teach the truth of that which he had just been out to destroy. In time, he would change his name to Paul, travel around the Middle East and Europe planting churches, and write those churches letters that would then become much of our New Testament.

In this moment, though, others around Saul were understandably confused and concerned. This man was infamous for his persecution of Christians. Could this be a trap? Would more people get hurt or killed as a result of this man’s infiltration? But God assured them regarding Saul, “This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel” (v. 15). Later, Saul (as Paul) would write, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life” (I Timothy 1:15-16). God could take a man known for persecuting and killing Christians and turn him into a key foundation of his church just by one encounter with Jesus. There are no limits on the people that God can use or the lives that he can transform.

Questions for reflection and discussion: How did the persecution of the church actually end up fulfilling what Jesus had spoken, and what might this indicate about hardships or persecution in our lives? Do you consider yourself, or someone you know, too far gone to be saved or used by God? How does the story of Saul’s conversion speak into that?

Day 31

Day 31: Acts 2

On the 50th day after the Sabbath of Passover week - also called Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks (see Leviticus 23:15-16) - all of the believers were together in Jerusalem. Jesus had instructed them to stay there until they received the gift of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 1:4-5), at which point they were to be “witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). So when the Holy Spirit came upon them in the form of tongues of fire, the first thing they were able to do was to speak in other languages, so that the message of Jesus could go to other nations.

When this happened, the people were “amazed and perplexed” (v. 12), and some accused them of being drunk (v. 13). But Peter addressed the crowd and explained from the Scriptures all that was going on. He used several passages from the Old Testament to discuss the promised coming of the Holy Spirit as well as the death and resurrection of Jesus, and he concluded powerfully, “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (v. 36). He called his listeners to repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of their sins, and that day 3,000 people became new Christians (v. 41).

This was a remarkable and amazing day for the early church. But it was an equally remarkable and amazing day in the life of Peter. Not too long ago, Peter had looked into the face of Jesus after vehemently denying that he even knew him, and he went away and “wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62). Peter had always been a bit impetuous: jumping out of a boat, twice (Matthew 14:24-33; John 21:7-8); claiming to understand a glorious transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-5); and attacking those who came to arrest Jesus (John 18:10-11). But when he was the first of the disciples to confess Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus said that he would build his church on Peter, whose name meant “rock” (Matthew 16:15-19). And even though Peter denied him, Jesus kept this promise. The resurrection of Jesus transformed Peter from a rash denier into a bold proclaimer of the gospel. He was still audacious and outspoken, but God now used these exact qualities in incredibly powerful ways in the life of the early church. Peter had seen the full glory of the resurrected Jesus, and it changed him deeply and irrevocably.

Questions for reflection and discussion: How did Pentecost start a new era in the life of the church? How and why was Peter’s life transformed? Have you seen your life or the lives of others changed in this way? How could you, like Peter, point someone to Jesus using the Old Testament?

Day 30

Day 30: Luke 24

Any event recounted by multiple people today would contain different details of what happened. Here, too, we see some different details from Luke’s account of the resurrection. But the grieving walk to the tomb, the surprising emptiness, and the life-changing appearances of Jesus himself are as evident here as they were in yesterday’s reading.

Luke also includes a few additional pieces of information about what Jesus did after his resurrection, one of which is the story of the two men on the road to Emmaus. Jesus, unrecognized by the men, walked with them for some time and pretended not to know what had been going on in Jerusalem. After the men explained the situation, Jesus responded in an unexpected way: “‘How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (vv. 25-27). Jesus knew that these Jewish men would have been very familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures, and he expected them to recognize from those Scriptures that the Messiah would suffer and be raised from the dead (see also v. 46, Psalm 22, Isaiah 53).

This passage points to a continuing truth: all of Scripture points toward Jesus, to the glory of God. From beginning to end, this story of Creation-Rebellion-Redemption-Restoration explains the need for, the work of, our life in, and the glory of Jesus Christ. He echoed this once more to his disciples: “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms” (v. 44). But the text continues that “he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures” (v. 45). The glory of God is revealed in his Word, but he also works in our hearts to enable us to see this glory (see Days 20 and 22). And then, 40 days after his resurrection, with a final commission to be witnesses of these things, Jesus ascended into heaven, leaving his disciples worshiping and praising God.

Questions for reflection and discussion: What new details of the resurrection stuck out to you in today’s reading? In what ways have you seen all of Scripture point to the person and work of Jesus? Have you asked God to open your heart so that you can understand the Scriptures?

Day 29

Day 29: John 20

Mary Magdalene walked to Jesus’ tomb in sadness and in deep grief. She was prepared to care for his body, to mourn him, to process through some of her confusion. But unexpectedly, the tomb was empty. What could this mean? Her natural response was to assume that someone moved the body. The idea of resurrection was so far from her mind that she did not immediately recognize Jesus when he stood in front of her.

But then, when he called her by name, she did.

With great joy and surprise, she ran to the other disciples to tell them the news. No one fully understood the significance of what had happened (see v. 9), but when Jesus later appeared to the disciples as well, the were “overjoyed” (v. 20) to see him. Peter was among these disciples - the first time seeing Jesus since denying him three times on the night of his death - and Jesus welcomed him back in (see John 21:15-25). And when Thomas demanded to see proof before he would believe, Jesus gladly showed him his scars.

Much of the remainder of the New Testament writings are spent unpacking the theological significance of the resurrection. And John closes this chapter by explaining the whole purpose of these events: “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (v. 25). This author had a definite purpose in mind, and he understood that what he had seen would change everything. Rest for a moment in the overwhelming, life-changing, world-altering joy that the disciples and their friends experienced when they realized that Jesus was alive and that “it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him” (Acts 2:24). Jesus has risen - he has risen indeed!

Questions for reflection and discussion: Now, three days later, what do you think that Peter, Mary, or the other people in this chapter would have been thinking and feeling? What elements of the resurrection are most surprising, confusing, or important to you? Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and by believing do you have life in his name?

Day 28

Day 28: Matthew 26-27

To the eyes of those who saw it, Jesus’ life and ministry ended in shame, betrayal, mockery, pain, and rejection. This was it. The disciples had been fooled. His followers were scattered. And everyone who had placed their trust in this Jesus was disappointed.

But this death was no accident. This was, in fact, the very reason why Jesus came. Go back to Day 19 and re-read Isaiah 53. Remember that this chapter was written hundreds of years before Jesus walked the earth. And yet it summarized the nature and purpose of his death perfectly. This suffering servant, this would-be Messiah, was “despised and rejected” (v. 3). He “took up our infirmities and carried our sorrow” (v.4). And in all this, “he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (v. 5).

Paul would later explain that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and that God is both “just and the one who justifies” (Romans 3:26). The sin of each person who has ever lived was upon Jesus that day, and he acutely felt the separation that it caused him from his Father. Someone had to pay the penalty of sin. The idea of a sacrificial offering - one life offered in place of another - had been in place since God covered Adam and Eve with animal skins after the fall (see Day 2). But here, it is God himself who is paying the price. How many times in our Old Testament readings did we see God affirm again and again that the penalty of breaking the covenant would be on him? (See, for example, Day 3.) He cannot break the laws of justice - sin demands death - but instead of our eternal death, it was the death of Jesus that accomplished this.

The disciples and those who saw, however, did not yet understand these things. For three days, they lived in complete darkness of the soul. They did not yet realize that this had to happen, that this was God’s plan all along, or that “by his wounds, we are healed.”

Questions for reflection and discussion: How does the death of Jesus fit in with the rest of the Biblical storyline we have read so far? What do you think that Peter, Joseph of Arimathea, Mary, Judas, or some of the other people in these chapters would have been thinking and feeling? Why did Jesus die, and what implications does this have for you and those around you?

Day 27

Day 27: John 15, 17

In the narrative of the book of John, chapters 1-12 detail his works and his words, and in chapter 13, he gathers with his disciples for the Last Supper before his crucifixion. Chapters 14-17 are all spoken to his close disciples on the eve of his death. Put in this context, these chapters, including today’s reading, are directed specifically to those who know Christ and desire to follow him more deeply.

The first part of John 15 records Jesus describing himself as the true vine, and his followers as the branches. In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel was often referred to as a vine - but a corrupt vine that bore little fruit (see, for example, Psalm 80:8-16, Isaiah 5:1-7, and Jeremiah 2:21). That vine did not fulfill its purpose, but Jesus, the true vine, did. Now true believers, the branches, must remain connected to the vine. Each branch receives its life and nourishment and very existence from being connected to the vine. The repeated injunction to abide or remain emphasizes the necessity of this for bearing fruit - good works, obedience to his commands, love for others, and a godly life.

Jesus also explains to his disciples that to love God means to obey him (vv. 9-10) and that this is ultimately for our full and complete joy (v. 11). His commands can be summed up in v. 12 - “Love each other as I have loved you” - but he also explains that we have him to look to as our example: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (v. 13). Jesus provided the ultimate example for us in obeying God, loving him, and loving others through his sacrificial death on the cross. This will not be popular with the world, and they will turn on the disciples - and future believers too - in hatred. But together with the Spirit, the Counselor (v. 26), followers of Jesus can testify about his goodness and his love and his grace, ultimately bringing glory to the Father.

After we see this teaching, we get a precious glimpse into the prayer life of Jesus in John 17. Just before he is betrayed and crucified, he prays for himself, for his disciples, and for all future believers.

When he prays for himself, the connected glory of Jesus and the Father is revealed. He also once again points to his mission when he says, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (v. 3). This echoes back to the reading for Day 20, where John 3:16 famously declares that those who believe in Jesus will have eternal life. And now, this verse clarifies what that eternal life is: knowing God.

Jesus then moves on to pray for his disciples. He prays for their protection, for their joy, and for their sanctification. He does not pray that they would leave the world, even though they do not belong to it, for he is sending them into the world just as he was sent (vv.15-18). And as they are sent, he specifically indicates how he wants them to be sanctified, or made holy: by the truth of God’s word (v. 17). It is impossible to remain in him or be made holy apart from his Word.

Finally, Jesus prays for all future believers - including those of us who follow Jesus today. The crux of this prayer is on the unity of believers. The oneness of those who follow him echoes the oneness of Jesus and the Father, and in turn it reflects to the world that Jesus was truly sent by God (v. 23). Since this is the last of Jesus’ discourse before his arrest, the importance of this prayer for unity cannot be overstated. Jesus prayed for our unity - may our churches and homes and lives be an answer to this prayer.

Questions for reflection and discussion: In your life, what does it practically mean to “remain” or “abide” in Jesus, and how are you doing with abiding in him? What fruit are you seeing in your life or in the lives of people in your church or small group? What do you think it means to know God, and how is this connected to eternal life? How can you contribute to the unity that Jesus prayed for?

Day 26

Day 26: John 5, 11

In John 5, Jesus makes several audacious claims about himself after performing a particularly audacious deed. This chapter alone dispels any notion that Jesus thought of himself simply as a good teacher. First, he cured a man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years simply by the word of his power. Then, he explained his actions to the Jewish leaders in such a way that they “tried all the harder to kill him” (v. 18). Several specific instances are worth noting:

-vv. 20-23 - Jesus places himself (the Son) on equal ground as God (the Father) in the areas of giving life, raising the dead, judging others, and receiving honor. These acts were normally only accorded to God the Father and would have been utter blasphemy from the mouth of anyone but one who was equal to God in every way.

-vv. 24-27: Jesus ascribes to himself the power to grant eternal life to those who hear his word and believe in him. He has “life in himself” (v. 26) and is not dependent on anyone else. Rather, through his universal authority, he can bring life to others.

-vv. 36-37: Jesus claims that not only did John the Baptist testify about him, but God himself has testified about him as well. If anyone claims to believe in God the Father but not Jesus the Son, they have to ignore this part of God’s testimony.

-vv.39-40 & 45-47: Jesus states that the whole of the Old Testament Scriptures point to him. It is not enough to simply read and understand the Scriptures, but to see the “light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4) in them.

When we realize the claims that Jesus is making about himself in this chapter through his actions and his claims to authority, we have to make a choice about who this man was. In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis describes this choice:

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

Then, in John 11, both Jesus’ full humanity and full deity (or God-ness) are on display in this chapter. We see him weep with his friends at the death of Lazarus and then miraculously raise him from the dead. Verses 25-26 encapsulate his teachings on this. He says to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Jesus does not simply say that he gives resurrection and life, as amazing as that alone would be. Rather, he states it as part of his identity: “I am the resurrection and the life.” These words also call to mind God’s proclamation of his name to Moses in the burning bush as “I am” (see reading for Day 5). His nature is such that final death is impossible for him, as it is for all those who believe in his name. We will experience a physical death, but the deeper life that Jesus gives means that death will be unable to triumph in the end.

Martha’s response to Jesus is a beautiful confession of faith: “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world” (v. 27). Even in the midst of her grief at the death of her brother and her confusion over why Jesus didn’t come earlier, she knew that this Jesus was the promised Messiah, the one equal to God himself. She placed her trust fully in him, and he did not disappoint her.

Questions for reflection and discussion: Why were the Jewish leaders so upset with the claims that Jesus was making? Do you believe that Jesus was a liar, a lunatic, or Lord? When has physical death seemed to triumph in your life, and how does this passage speak truth into those times? Do you agree with Martha’s confession of who Jesus is?

Day 25

Day 25: John 3

Yesterday’s reading pointed us to the fact that we need a new heart. Today’s reading finds Jesus explaining that by saying that we need to be born again. The Pharisee, or Jewish teacher of the law, named Nicodemus is rightly confused. He assumes that Jesus is speaking of another physical birth, but Jesus explains to him that it is a spiritual rebirth. Because of the sin of Adam and Eve (see reading for Day 2), each of us is born with a natural tendency towards sin and rebellion against God. We need a fresh start, a clean slate before God. We need a total and complete salvation.

Jesus goes on to assert that this salvation is in him: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (vv. 16-17). These familiar verses are full of precious promises. God loved us so much that he would send his Son to die on our behalf, and as a result we can have eternal life in him! Throughout the Old Testament, we saw the people of God trying and failing to live up to the standard of holiness that would allow sinful people to reside with him. Even here, in this passage, we see that people reject Jesus and his message because they love their darkness and their sin (v. 19). But here too, we see that for those who believe, God himself has provided the way. In our new birth and with our new heart that God has graciously offered, we are now changed from the inside out to love God more than we love our darkness.

Questions for reflection and discussion: What do you think Jesus meant by saying, “You must be born again”? Comparing this to a physical and natural birth, what implications does this have for our spiritual rebirth? How does John 3:16 sum up the gospel message?

Day 24

Day 24: Matthew 5-7

Today’s passage is known as the Sermon on the Mount. In the book of Matthew, it is Jesus’ first public discourse, and it summarizes his teachings about how the people of God should live. Note how many times Jesus says, “You have heard it said… but I say to you…” regarding various commandments and laws. It might seem as if Jesus is completely doing away with the laws and customs of the Old Testament; indeed, Christians today no longer practice many of the culturally-specific laws of the nation of Israel. However, Jesus clarifies that he “did not come to abolish [the Law and the Prophets] but to fulfill them” (5:17).

Many teachers of the Old Testament law would add rules upon rules, all with specific exceptions, which ultimately distorted the original purpose of God’s good law and allowed for injustice to creep in. But here, with each scenario that he presents - murder, adultery, divorce, etc - Jesus takes the original law and moves it to an internal, heart-level issue.

These new commands are much more difficult. Some of them might even seem impossible. Love your enemies, do not look at another lustfully, seek the kingdom of God first, do not worry - much of this seems out of our control. And that’s precisely the point. The external rules and regulations do not transform our hearts, and are therefore not sufficient to save. But even in the Old Testament, God had promised, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep all of my laws” (Ezekiel 36:26-27). This was why Jesus came. We needed to be transformed from the inside out. We needed to be born again.

Questions for reflection and discussion: Of all the various issues covered in the Sermon on the Mount, which one speaks to you most today, and why? What do you find challenging or even impossible? How does this part of Jesus’ teaching relate to the rest of the Bible?

Day 23

Day 23: Luke 4

Before Jesus began his earthly ministry, he was tempted by the devil to take shortcuts. Both of them knew that Jesus had a long and painful road ahead of him, and Satan offered him world domination without the suffering. This may have been a reasonable offer; elsewhere, Satan is called “the prince of this world” (John 12:31), “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4), and “the ruler of the kingdom of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). He tested Jesus, tempted him, and quoted Scripture to try to back up his claims.

But that suffering was precisely why Jesus came in the first place, and Jesus responded strongly by quoting Scripture right back, and more rightly. This temptation occurred after 40 days of fasting in the desert, and Jesus would have been in an incredibly weak state. However, he never lost sight of the mission that his Father had called him to, and he would not take shortcuts to get there, no matter how attractive they may have seemed in the moment. The author of Hebrews would later write that “we do not have a high priest [Jesus] who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). We can therefore call on him with confidence to receive mercy and grace, because we know that he has been there too.

The rest of the chapter describes the beginnings of Jesus’ activity during his ministry. He spoke in the synagogue to mixed results (compare v. 22 to vv. 28-30), yet he never stopped proclaiming the truth of who he was. He used the Old Testament Scriptures to point out to the people that he was, in fact, the promised Messiah (see reading for Day 19). He drove out evil spirits and healed the sick. He began to do for the people physically what his ultimate work would accomplish for us spiritually. His name and his work began to spread across the region, and wherever he went he repeated, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent” (v. 43). This good news - this gospel - began to work its way into the hearts and lives of all who heard it, with varying reactions from the people themselves.

Questions for reflection and discussion: How can we use Scripture to fight off temptation, as Jesus did? How does this passage set up Jesus’ role as high priest on our behalf? In what ways does Jesus fulfill the Scripture that he himself read?

Day 22

Day 22: John 1:1-18

The first words of today’s reading, “In the beginning,” take the reader back to Genesis 1 (see reading for Day 1) and to the account of creation. Way back then, this “Word” was with God, and was God. He was both distinct from him and of the same essence as him. What we read in English as “Word” comes from the Greek word logos. This is God’s logic, his reason, the spoken word which brought forth creation and revelation. A word reveals, discloses, uncovers what previously could not fully be understood. A person can have many thoughts in his head and others might know some of them through actions or expressions, but until he forms words, the thoughts cannot be truly known by anyone else. Same with God. He had revealed himself in many ways in the Old Testament, but this Word finally made him completely known and knowable.

So who or what is this Word? It is more than just God’s speaking into creation. Instead, verse 14 explains that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” This Word is Jesus. Jesus became man in order to narrate the invisible God and to make him known. The One through whom all things were made (v. 3) put on human flesh and walked among us. In Old Testament, before Solomon built the temple, the place where God would dwell with his people was called the tabernacle. The priests would make sacrifices in the tabernacle, and the people saw it as a holy place. Here, the original text says that Jesus “tabernacled” among us. This person of Jesus became for us the means through which God would dwell with his people.

Again, in verse 18, John makes this clear: “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” Jesus revealed to us in relatable, human form what previously could not truly be understood. In the words of theologian D.A. Carson, John 1:18 “summarizes how the ‘Word’ which was with God in the very beginning came into the sphere of time, history, tangibility – in other words, how the Son of God was sent into the world to become the Jesus of history, so that the glory and grace of God might be uniquely and perfectly disclosed.”

Consider for a moment how far the Almighty God has gone in pursuit of us. Though he was completely holy, immortal, untouchable, completely set apart, God became man. He became one of us. He walked among us in this broken, messed-up world. In the person of Jesus, we could touch God, listen to God, see God face to face. If he has gone so far, can he not be trusted with what we are going through today? He is not distant. He is near. As we read about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus over the next few days, let us keep in mind that this person of Jesus was not just a nice person or a good teacher – he was God Himself, come to dwell with man.

Finally, look at verses 11-12. Even after all this, his people did not receive him, and he was “despised and rejected” (Isaiah 53:3; see reading for Day 19). But for all who did receive him, both then and now, he gave the right to become children of God!

Questions for reflection and discussion: Whereas yesterday’s reading communicated the birth of Jesus in a historical narrative way, today’s reading communicates it in a more theological way. How do the two passages complement and enhance one another? Why is it significant that Jesus is called the “Word” of God? Have you received him and believed in his name?

Day 21

Day 21: Luke 1-2

After hundreds of years of apparent silence from God, the birth of two baby boys was foretold by angels. The first pronouncement was to an old, barren couple who would give birth to John the Baptist. His ministry would pave the way for Jesus; “many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God” (1:16). The second pronouncement was to a skeptical young virgin who, by the power of the Holy Spirit, would give birth to the long-awaited Messiah.

The angel’s announcement to Mary was one of tremendous significance: “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end” (1:32-33). Many of the themes and promises that we saw throughout the Old Testament are here fulfilled. Not only would he be the promised Messiah, but he would also be the Son of God himself. Furthermore, he would ascend to the throne once promised to David (2 Samuel 7:13,16; see reading from Day 12) and would reign forevermore (Isaiah 9:6-7; see reading from Day 19). Even Zechariah’s song picks up on the promises to both Abraham and David.

This wonderful and miraculous Christmas story is rightly precious to us. But it goes so much deeper than children in bathrobes at pageants or quaint Nativity scenes on mantles. This was what the people had been waiting for. This was God’s answer to the problems of mankind begun all the way back in Genesis 3. This was the fulfillment of everything that had come before. Later, the apostle Paul would put it this way: “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).

So as shepherds sang in the fields and wise men traveled from the east, we know that all of heaven joined with Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, and Zechariah in rejoicing that it was time. The redemption of Israel, and of all of humanity, had begun.

Questions for reflection and discussion: How does the Christmas story have new meaning for you after the readings in the Old Testament? What themes, types, or prophecies in the Old Testament did the birth of Jesus fulfill? What elements of this familiar story are most precious to you, and why?

Day 20

Day 20: Jeremiah 31

Jeremiah was another prophet to spoke to the people of Israel and Judah before and during the exile. Their own sins had caused their downfall, and God’s righteous judgment is a significant theme of the book. However, he often speaks of a topic that may have seemed impossible at the time: restoration.

In this chapter, God first affirms his love for his people, even in the midst of their own sin and rebellion: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness” (v. 3). He then promises that they will not always experience hardship, pain, and discipline as they now are. Though righteous judgment must come, he promises, “I will build you up again… against you will take up your tambourines… again you will plant vineyards” (vv. 4-5). At the time of this writing, the people of Judah will soon be deported to Babylon; their enemy is even now at the gate. And yet, God declares that they will come back!

Then, we come to the highest point of Jeremiah’s prophecy and the glorious affirmation that Yahweh is still at work. The LORD, the covenant God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David, will make a “new covenant” with Israel: “‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,’ declares the Lord. ‘For I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more’” (vv. 33-34). Instead of tablets of stone, this covenant would be written on the tablets of human hearts. People wouldn’t need to rely on special teachers, for personal and intimate knowledge of God would be accessible to everyone. And the main problem with the old covenants, namely, the people’s sin, would be definitely dealt with once and for all. This covenant, like the old ones, would be enacted by the shedding of blood -- but this would be a different blood altogether than the blood of bulls and goats.

This new covenant promises internal change to a people who would soon experience utter ruin. They must have clung to these words as they were led away from their homeland. When they returned, as promised, 70 years later, they must have wondered if this new covenant would come to pass anytime soon. Four hundred years would go by before a baby’s cry in the city of David would indicate that the mediator of this new covenant had come at last, and when Jesus clearly declared, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:20), the new covenant had been put into effect once and for all.

Questions for reflection and discussion: How is this new covenant similar to the old covenants we have seen? How is it different? The phrase “new covenant” here is later translated as “New Testament,” what we today call the distinctly Christian part of the Bible. How is this promise of a new covenant significant in the lives of believers today?

Day 19

Day 19: Isaiah 9, 53, 61

Today’s chapters provide both a summary of what has happened so far and a bridge into what comes next. After the historical narrative of the Old Testament that we have been reading comes a series of books of prophecy. In general, these books of prophecy attest to God’s faithfulness and sovereignty (Numbers 23:19, Isaiah 46:9-10) and point the way to the coming Messiah, who will be absolutely known based on His fulfillment of these Old Testament prophecies (Isaiah 48:3-5, Romans 1:2-4). These prophetic books often fulfill a dual function: they fit chronologically within that historical narrative, and they also point forward to what is to come in the future. The prophet Isaiah lived and wrote around 700 B.C. The powerful kingdom of Assyria, who would ultimately exile Israel, had begun to attack the southern kingdom of Judah as well, and the people were growing discouraged and were tempted to trust in the strength of men. But Isaiah challenges them to trust in the Lord alone and to look to him for their salvation. Ultimately, in whom will they trust?

Isaiah 9 brings us to a great and majestic prophecy pointing forward to the ultimate Savior of Judah – the promised Messiah. From the same land that is currently being invaded by a powerful enemy, a light will shine, and the instruments of war will be turned into instruments of peace (v. 5). And then, verse 6 reveals the means of this salvation: a child! But not just any child. This is no mere man. The government will rest upon his shoulders, he will reign on the throne of David – he is the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. (What precious titles!) God himself will come in the form of a child in order to save not only Judah, but the entire human race and all of creation. These words offer a beacon of hope to a discouraged people.

But there is a problem. How can a holy God come to dwell with sinful men and women? The rest of Isaiah 9 shifts abruptly in tone and outlines why God is allowing an enemy to invade his people. Quite simply, they are not following him. They have become prideful (v. 8-12), seeking the adulation of great men (v. 13-17) and utterly lacking in brotherly love (v. 18-21). They refuse to acknowledge God, and they have turned away from him and gone their own way. Why should any Messiah come and dwell with these people? There seems to be no hope at all.

Enter Isaiah 53. There is hope, but it is not what they – or we – ever would have expected. This chapter is the last of four passages later in Isaiah that present a shocking, scandalous picture of this promised Messiah. He will not come first as a mighty warrior to rescue all the people of Israel from every enemy. He will come as a servant – and a suffering servant, at that. He will be “despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (v. 3). He will be oppressed and afflicted, led to slaughter like a lamb, and his soul will make an offering for the guilt of others. This doesn’t sound like a powerful Messiah. This doesn’t sound like what was expected.

But, you see, it was all because of us: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – every one – to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (v. 6).

And, you see, it was all for us: “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (v. 5).

How was this Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, going to be able to dwell with sinful man? By taking the punishment that we deserved upon himself. With his wounds, we are healed. This God so wanted reconciliation with his people – with Judah, with Israel, with me, with you – that he would literally love us to death.

Seven hundred years after this prophecy was written, God would become a man in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was despised and rejected, led to the cross like a lamb to the slaughter, in order that his wounds might heal his people. This passage is the most quoted Old Testament passage in the New Testament, and for good reason – it proclaims the glorious gospel seven centuries before Jesus walked the earth. His death was hardly the unfortunate circumstances of a turbulent political climate. It was a part of God’s sovereign plan to redeem his people and bring his kingdom to earth.

But the story doesn’t end there. Isaiah 61 speaks of a year of the Lord’s favor – a time when the Messiah would come in the Spirit of God to bind up the brokenhearted and to set prisoners free, a time when the warrior Messiah would vanquish every enemy and God’s people would be reunited to him like a bride to her groom. When Jesus began his earthly ministry, he read part of this exact passage in the temple (Luke 4:18-19), and he said, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (v. 21). He knew that he was the promised Messiah, sent from God to save his people from their sins. But some of this would have to wait. Before he would become the warrior Messiah, he would be the suffering servant, and the Lord would lay on him the iniquity of us all.

Questions for reflection and discussion: What type of Messiah does Isaiah 9 set up, and how does that contrast with the Messiah set up in Isaiah 53? What are some common expectations about what a Messiah or Savior should be? This side of the cross, we recognize Jesus in Isaiah 53. What parts of this chapter are most meaningful to you as you consider Jesus’ death on your behalf?