Thursday
Carpenter Diem (Because Jesus Was a Carpenter and Is Now Preparing a Home for His People)
The resurrection of God the Son, Jesus Christ, is crucial to the Christian faith. In Luke 24:13-35, we read of the resurrected Savior walking the road to Emmaus. This specific geographical reference reminds us of the absolute accuracy of God’s Word in all areas. In verse 27, Jesus begins to teach from the Old Testament; He not only walked the talk but also talked the walk! This passage does not reveal the exact Scriptures Jesus employed to teach these journeying believers, but we do know that He fulfilled the entire Old Testament (Matthew 5:17,18). Fulfilled prophecy is one of the major reasons that we can be certain that our faith in Jesus is not misplaced. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
Even those who do not like math should read the book of Numbers. It includes the great blessing of God (6:24-26) and perhaps the first verse you ever heard your parents quote (32:23 – “Be sure your sin will find you out.”) There is much in this book about Jesus, as well. For example, Numbers 24:17 predicts that the coming of the Messiah would include “a Star out of Jacob.” Matthew 2:1-12 is the fulfillment of this verse. The wisemen knew of the Old Testament and this specific prophecy. Thus, when they saw the star, they knew that the promise of God was unfolding. It is important to note that these men were from a pagan culture: yet, God spoke clearly to them. We now have the New Testament to complete God’s Word. We do not have a miraculous star to guide us, but we do have something (someone) to lead us. God the Holy Spirit indwells each Christian (I Corinthians 6:19) and directs us not temporarily but each step of our faith journey on our Emmaus Road. The miracle of the guiding star has been replaced by a greater and permanent miracle in each believer.