Category: Prophecy

  • Words left unsaid

    Grateful for what Jesus didn’t say

    I don’t know about you, but sometimes I speak before thinking. It’s gotten me into trouble over the years, and I’ve had to explain and apologize a lot.  Somethings are just better left unsaid.

    There was an instance in the Bible where something was intentionally left unsaid by Jesus, and I’m literally eternally grateful. We find it in Luke’s gospel.

    And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.

    He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:16-21 ESV

    It was a familiar passage to his audience, taken from Isaiah 61. He didn’t finish reading the passage. The next line in Isaiah is: “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God”

    That’s significant. When Jesus was reading in the synagogue, He declared that He was the Messiah. It was fulfilled in their hearing. If He had said “the day of the vengeance of our God” was fulfilled, then there would be no time for anyone else to come to faith.

    The day of vengeance (mentioned in several other places in Scripture) is when the Lord finally deals with His enemies. Anyone who is not a believer is an enemy of God.

    Had Jesus read the rest of that passage, time would have been up. All hope for the lost would be gone.

    That day is coming. Jesus is returning to fulfill it. In the interim, though, there is time for God’s enemies to be reconciled through faith in Christ. 

    Don’t waste a moment longer. Time truly is limited because none of us knows the day or hour of His return.

    Praise God, He left those words unsaid … for the moment.

    Kevin

    SUMMARY

    Jesus stopped reading Isaiah’s scroll one line too soon. He left out the day of vengeance, and grace is still open to you and me.

    TAKEAWAY

    You are still living in the year of the Lord’s favor, not the day of His vengeance.

    Your chance to be reconciled to God through faith in Christ is still open right now.

    You don’t know the day or hour of Christ’s return, so this isn’t the moment to delay

    You might also like

    The gospel – the greatest news

    Why everyone knows the truth – even if they deny it

    Do you see things through the eyes of faith

    Vantage point

  • Donkeys – Beasts of Burden – and a sign of Jesus

    donkey

    I’ve always had a soft spot for donkeys. It likely stems from a  giant stuffed donkey I had as a small child. Donkey-Burro was nearly as tall as I was and a constant companion.

    Donkeys and I have an affinity. I have never met one that didn’t like me. If there is more than one person around, the burros seem drawn to me.

    I remember one occasion in South Africa. The place we stayed had a donkey that I visited. Each time Kathy drew near, the donkey got between Kathy and me, moving her away so it could have my exclusive attention.

    Donkeys (or asses, in some older translations) appear in several places in the Scriptures. They are shown as beasts of burden, the mouthpieces of God (Balaam’s donkey), symbols of wealth (see Job), and symbols of peace. It’s the latter I want to touch on this morning.

    A donkey is used prophetically to symbolize the coming of the King of Peace.

    Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9 ESV

    We know from the gospels that this prophecy was fulfilled.

    Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Matthew 21:1-7 ESV

    The Jews were expecting a conquering, military messiah. That sort of king would ride in on a stallion, symbolizing wealth and military might.

    Instead, Jesus rode in on the donkey, a humble beast. He shattered their expectations and showed that He would be a different sort of king. He was a King of Peace, changing things by winning hearts and souls, not crushing them under His feet.

    There will be a return at the final judgment when all things are weighed and all of His enemies banished, a time when justice reigns perfectly and supremely, and a time where love conquers all.

    The humble beast brought the victor into Jerusalem that day. His ways are not our ways, and for that we can rejoice.

    The next time you see a donkey, remember the humble King of Kings and praise His name.

    Kevin

    Check these out

    Celebrate your identity in Jesus

    Why everyone knows – even if they deny it

    The burden of sin