Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Priesthood of all Believers
Isaiah 61: 1-11

Ansu Varghese
St. John’s MTC, NY
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives  and release to the prisoners; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;
 
Chapter 61 of Isaiah is filled with sweeping promises and good news of a restored world in the future when we, His people, will experience the ‘Lord’s favor’ through the coming of the Messiah. The good news is a proclamation that things are going to be different. But it isn’t until we read The Gospel of Luke Chapter 4, Verses 14 to 21 (Jesus’ first sermon at Nazareth) that we realize the completion and fulfillment of these promises through His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus read this exact portion from the Book of Isaiah, to His listeners in the synagogue on the day of the Sabbath after which “…he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” ” (Luke 4:21)

The prophet Isaiah foreshadows the mission of Jesus Christ during the 8th century BC, about 700 years before Jesus confirms and links these prophecies to Himself. Jesus spent His time on earth healing the sick, feeding the hungry, bringing hope to the poor and unworthy, providing shelter to the homeless, comforting the broken-hearted and in full essence defining and piloting our purposeful lives as Christians. He, through the power of His Father - our God, fulfilled the purpose for which He came to earth. He delivered on all of these promises.

How do we relate these passages to ourselves and our daily lives today? We live in a world heavy laden by disillusionments and broken promises. We witness daily events where we feel His promises become less and less apparent. Do we give up on our Lord’s plan for us? We are assigned the job of the priesthood - to believe that through Jesus Christ, we have been given the responsibility to minister for Him and care for others.

As human beings, we should use our talents and professions to serve those who need us. As believers, we should motivate ourselves to provide for our fellow human beings in whatever capacity we can - big or small. As Christians, we should make into reality the vision our Father has for each one of us. Let us not go searching for our purposes, when we can instead live with a purpose. Let us deliver on our promises, in the most meaningful way we can and have been taught by His Son, Jesus Christ.

PRAYER


Our Almighty God, we praise and glorify You for the gift of Your Son. We stand in awe of You, Father and the redeeming work that we have experienced through our Savior Jesus Christ. We pray that we mature spiritually to get to know You and worship You as You have revealed Yourself through Your Son. Help us recognize our purposes in these human lives, inspire the witnesses in us, and fulfill the mission that you have planned for each one of us. Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
“When you realize God's purpose for your life isn't just about you, He will use you in a mighty way.” - Dr. Tony Evans (Senior Pastor, Dallas, TX).

Popular posts from this blog

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
  Constant, patient and welcoming love of God   St. Luke 15: 11-32  V.21: And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ The parable of the ‘Prodigal son’ is one of the most frequently quoted parables that Jesus told His disciples. The parable contains the rich mine of human virtues and emotions. This parable is lived and re-lived in progressing civilizations from time immemorial and continuing. It brings out in vivid detail the pathetic depth of human sinfulness and the glorious heights of God’s forgiveness.      As a story of human nature, fathers are generally merciful to their children in any circumstance. They are very protective and are eager to provide for and secure the lives of their offspring. Jesus is telling this parable to underscore the superlative love of God to His children. The nature of such love is reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 7:11. Humankind who are evil by nature, give good gifts t
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
PRIESTHOOD: THE ANOINTED MINISTRY Exodus 40:12-16 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting... wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest (Exodus 40: 12-13). Priesthood among the people of God was a divine command and initiation. God wanted some people to be separated for the special ministry among his people. God appointed Aaron and his descendants to take up this kind of ministry among the people of God. Priests are always separated and appointed as channels that connect God with his people. All throughout the history of Israel, priests played an important role in connecting people with God and to lead and guide them in the statutes of God. But there are incidents in the Bible where the priests failed in their duties and that led the people to go away from God. So the priests have a special and significant ministry to perform in this world among his people. Two important things
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Revelation for Liberation Acts 27:18-26 Sherine Thomas Long Island MTC, NY 20  When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. “After winter comes the summer.  After night comes the dawn.  And after every storm, there comes clear open skies” so said a Scottish clergyman from the 1600s. It’s been said, that hope can sometimes be the most dangerous weapon.  However, it’s sometimes the hardest weapon to carry when you’re living with the loss of a loved one, something that almost feels like a terrible nightmare that’ll never go away.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry when day in and day out no one seems to hear or see those tears that are shed or silent cries that are made during a heartfelt prayer. It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you see your loved one lying on that hospital bed.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you search and seek out answers to tell a child as to why they’ve been a
Read more