January 2, 2025

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“Your first father sinned, and your spokesmen rebelled against Me. So, I will disgrace the princes of your sanctuary, and I will devote Jacob to destruction and Israel to reproach.” (Isaiah 43.27-28)

“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15.22)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

Of course, we know that Isaiah’s prophecies, the messages given to him by God concerning the working out of God’s plan for redemption, point to the coming Messiah and His Kingdom. They fuel our understanding of the birth of Christ and the purpose of it which we celebrate in the season of Christmas. They empower our understanding of the message and ministry of Jesus. They direct us to the certainty of the future of believers and non-believers as it aligns with the Christ of God. Rehearsing that, I would suggest that the Book of Isaiah is a prophetic gospel. The apostle Paul, being a devout Jew, knew of the impact of these works as they spoke of the “coming Messiah.” Paul’s issue? According to the “teachers of the Law,” even under his mentor Gamaliel, Jesus was not the Christ, the Messiah. What changed his mind? Simply put, Paul became a believer when he encountered the Resurrected Jesus and then was committed to a personal relationship with Him. Some might say, “Paul’s religion changed.”

What changed? In the verses offered for today’s reflection, Isaiah 43.25-26 and 1 Corinthians 15.22, we can see a same message. That message indicates that the way of “man” is filled with sin, rebellion and disgrace. God opposes all three. God calls “man” into putting away sin, laying down rebellion and distancing himself from disgrace. To state it in positive terms, as we see in the message of the Gospel, “man” is to put on righteousness, take up holiness and draw near to the God who has drawn near to him. Paul’s message to the Church through his teaching to the Christian fellowship in Corinth was simply put: As in Adam we die; but in Christ we shall have life. What is it that Isaiah declared? It is: Your first father, Adam, sinned, and those who “spoke for God” were in rebellion; God will change that course of thinking and acting. How will God change it? By letting the course which they propose to reach an ultimate conclusion.

What is that “conclusion”? Paul put it in these terms, Romans 6.23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Isaiah could only anticipate the conclusion because he had not experienced the Resurrected Christ nor did he had a relationship with Him. He knew it was to come but that it hadn’t happened yet. What was happening was the consequences of the reality of “living in the flesh” over and against “living in the spirit.” Ultimately, for Isaiah, the true conclusion was in God’s hands. God’s will was going to be done.

What is that “will.” Simply, sin must be punished. God must save. Man must choose. Consider this: Christ chose. God saved. Sin was punished. The way of Adam toward redemption was to abide by works. His work was intended to point toward God’s mercy (He let Adam and Eve live) and God’s redemption (renewal by the blood of the lamb). As is usually the case, humanity gets the message confused just as in the party game I grew up with called “Telephone.” You know that game, right? You have a line or circle of people. A message is transmitted quietly from one person to the next. By the time the message gets to the last person, it usually is a different version. It is not like today’s text messages which can be copied and pasted and sent on. But what is the problem with that practice? We are left only with the words and no intonations. We have to decide for ourselves what the message means in the context out of which it was first produced. Spiritually speaking, this happens a lot when it is left to human beings. How has it been said in the past: “A miss is as good as a mile”? So, what changes in terms of the gospel? Christ becomes flesh, dwells with us and demonstrates the consequence of sin and the consequence of walking by faith and not by sight. The consequence of sin is death. The consequence of faith is life…and not just any life. Regardless, the message is clear: If there is any hope for change and the change in the consequences of our actions, it is in and through God alone.

Mighty ones of God, let us consider that truth as we press forward into the new year. Our only hope is in God alone! Focus on His Word, His Message and His blessing and there will be life eternal and abundant.

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, before we were conceived in the womb, You had already formed us in Your love and by Your Spirit brought us into being. Each one of us is blessed with the opportunity of doing right, being good and producing the fruit of the Spirit in order that others be fed the truth of that same love so that the two will become one. It is our soul’s sincere desire to embrace the oneness You have in mind so we would know we are Your people and You are our God. Lead us in that discovery of the truth and the manifestation of that love for us all. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.