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 book of Zephaniah contains one of my favorite verses (3:17 – read it and join in the joy), several passages pertaining to deserved judgment, and references to the Messiah. One such verse is Zephaniah 3:15, which speaks of God as “the King of Israel.” The nation had a human king at that time (Josiah); here is the promise that God Himself would one day rule as King in Jerusalem (verse 16). Jesus was, is, and will be that King. He is of the kingly line of David (Luke 3:31) as well as being the divine “King of Kings” (Revelation 19:16). We read in John 19:19 that, above the head of Jesus on the Cross, the Roman ruler Pontius Pilate placed a sign reading, “Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews. The Jewish religious leaders objected (John 19:21), but Messianic prophecy is not to be thwarted by dissenting voices. Our King Jesus offers us an abundant entrance into His eternal kingdom (II Peter 1:11). Our King of Kings is coming one day to take us to this “everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”