Week 1 - Day 4
(10) Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, (11) trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. (12) It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
Reading: The context here is still the trials in the life of a Christian.
So, the prophets spoke of a messiah that would not have an easy life. Most clearly, we read it in Isaiah 53. Here is a portion of what was prophesied about the Messiah:
(4) Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him,
and afflicted.
(5) But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
(6) We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
We encourage you to read the whole chapter. Hey, you might want to read a New Testament gospel account as well -- to see just what Jesus, the come Messiah, went through.
In speaking these things, Isaiah did not write these prophecies for himself, but for you! We can know that Jesus was the Messiah, and we now have a person to have faith in and pattern of life to follow in the cross of Christ.
Yes - to follow. The way of Jesus Christ, the way to glory and salvation, is going through the pain. Often we pray that God would take away the pain. How about we ask God for power to go through it?
The way of the cross -- which isn’t very glorious in itself -- is suffering. And angels long to look into this love that God displayed by suffering and dying for us. For us, to accept the gospel is to accept trials and suffering, with the power of God on our side of course!
Reflection: In what ways have you seen that going through the pain is better?
Prayer Prompt: Lord, I do not want to suffer. I don’t want pain. I don’t want hardship. But through the scripture, I know that a Christ-following life is suffering. It’s the way of salvation. Help me believe that every milli-second of pain in the path of obedience to you is worth it. When I want to give up, and when things get really hard -- don’t let me give up. Show me the path, light my way, and let me suffer if it will produce fruit for your kingdom.