Jesus Time!

Jesus spent so much time explaining the Kingdom of God. He used images, parables, stories, and yet many still didn’t understand. The Pharisees in particular, wanted signs and clarity and fireworks, and Jesus told them, “The Kingdom if God is not coming with something observable…” Luke 17:20. The Kingdom of God is not about signs and rules, but a culture that He grows in and through His people over time.

During the latter part of Jesus’ ministry, He becomes more and more descriptive about what it means to be His disciple. He also preaches in synagogues, telling everyone exactly who He is. Some people grow closer to Him while others grow farther away.

In the middle of Jesus’ ministry we see Him teach, heal, grieve, train disciples, perform miracles over and over again. That is a recipe to be emotionally, physically, spiritually exhausted. As part of his rhythm, Jesus would spend hours with His Father to replenish only to por out again. What a Savior!

What happens when you know exactly who you are—and then everything around you tries to make you doubt it? As we turn the page from 400 years of silence into the New Testament, we see God faithfully keeping His promises and Jesus firmly rooted in His identity as the Son of God. From the prophecies fulfilled in His birth to His temptation in the wilderness, Jesus shows us how to stay anchored in God’s Word when we’re tempted by discouragement, pride, distraction, or the opinions of others. Our identity doesn’t need to be proved—it needs to be rooted in the truth of who God says we are. ❤️

Wrapping up the entire Old Testament, we definitively see the utter failure of the human heart. No matter how many times God redeemed and restored his people, their hearts turned back to idolatry, rebellion, and unfaithfulness. Malachi wraps up with a future hope for the Messiah, who would heal and restore their those very hearts.

The exile is finished, but God is not! In the 60 years between Ezra chapter 6 and Ezra chapter 7, God communicates reminders, warnings, and hope through his prophets. (Zachariah has so very many prophecies about the Messiah!) We also see the very sweet story of Esther, involving the Jews who did not return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. God‘s love and faithfulness can be seen across the centuries and across kingdoms.

Looking at the books of Joel, Daniel, and the first part of Ezra, God’s story continues! Joel summarizes and reiterates what many other prophets have communicated. Daniel‘s life spans the entirety of the exile, and God speaks to him about the present, future, and final future— some of it scary, all of it loving. Accompanying those two prophetic books this week, we have the historical book of Ezra. The exile is over, and God stirs the hearts of pagan kings to accomplish his purpose.

After Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed, the exiles were convinced that God had left them, and that they were finished. It’s in this dark place that God provides the most beautiful hope. God’s promises of redemption and restoration are rich and alive in this last part of Ezekiel— not just for Israel, but for us as well.

The prophecies through Jeremiah are reiterated to the exiles through Ezekiel. God uses harsh language and images to wake His people up! They still don’t turn back to God, so why does He keep pursuing them? Because he is eternally patient, unremittingly faithful, and unfathomably good.

As we wrap up Jeremiah and grieve through Lamentations, we start the book of Ezekiel. We get to see the destruction of Judah all over again through Ezequiel‘s eyes. He was with the exile in the first wave of deportations, and God warns, implores, and invites His exiled people to turn back to Him.