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.)
In the midst of the sadness of the book of Jeremiah (who is often called the “weeping prophet”), there are passages of light and hope, including the New Covenant (31:31-34) and the prediction of the Messiah (23:5-6). This latter section focuses on the righteousness of the promised Savior. Our Lord Jesus is without sin (I Peter 1:18-21 is a great exposition of this fact). Yet, Jesus bore our sins on the Cross (I Peter 2:24). II Corinthians 5:21 uses even stronger language: Jesus was “made … to be sin for us.” We would not dare say this about Jesus, for coming from us it would sound like blasphemy. However, the Scripture clearly states this overwhelming thought. Only when we understand this devastatingly sad reality can we begin to appreciate the words of Jesus in Matthew 27:46: “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” The righteousness of God requires separation from sin; this righteousness also ensures that God will always do the right thing. Our sure salvation in Jesus Christ is confirmation of His righteousness.