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.)
The petite book of Obadiah is a sobering exposition of the dangers of pride and lovelessness; it is a sad mirror of our present narcissistic culture. Verse 15 confirms that God must judge those who reject His good way. The New Testament specifies that Jesus is this Judge. In John 5:22, Jesus says, “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.” If we persist in our self-centeredness and selfishness, we will never perceive our need of a Savior; we will remain in rebellion against Him and will not honor Him as He deserves (John 5:23). This is true tragedy, for free forgiveness awaits and is available to all. John 5:24 gives us an eternal opportunity: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, ‘He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.’” Judge or Justifier – the choice belongs to each one of us.