Wednesday
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 Ezra 1:2, we find that even a pagan king can grasp an essential truth: if God is really God, then He is sovereign over all. He is “the Lord God of heaven.” In the Hebrew of the Old Testament, “God” translates elohim, which has a plural ending and prepares for the full New Testament revelation of the Trinity: One God in Three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Hebrew behind “Lord” is YHWH or Yahweh (incorrectly translated Jehovah by the Jehovah’s Witnesses); the literal meaning of this word is”I AM THAT I AM” or “I AM SELF-EXISTENT.” Certainly Jesus is God, specifically God the Son, the Second Person (in no way inferior or subordinate) in the Triune Godhead. He is also Lord, for He employs the “I am” construction when referring to Himself (John 4:24-26; 6:35, 48, 51; 8:12, 24, 28, 58; 9:5, 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 13:19; 14:6; 15:5; 18:8). Note particularly John 8:58. Jesus does not say, “Before Abraham was born, I was.” No, He says, “Before Abraham was, I am.” Certainly everyone understood His claim, for his enemies immediately tried to kill Him (verse 59).
Theology (as above) is important. What does this particular theological truth mean to us? First, our Savior is always in our present circumstances, moment by moment. Second, although Jesus does not need us, He does want us. Others may discard us, but Jesus never will. Third, the promises made to Abraham were made not only about Jesus but also by Jesus; our self-existent Savior self-fulfilled these promises and will do the same for us. Fourth and last, “the Lord God of heaven” Who rules over all rules forever. Truly Jesus is good.