Nowata Methodists Podcast

A little help for the first chapter: Ariel is another name for Jerusalem.

Christmas Eve is upon us. I hope you have plans to worship the newborn King with a local Christian covenant fellowship. Go sing some Christmas carols!

Isaiah 29

Woe to you, O Ariel,

the city of Ariel where David camped!

Year upon year

let your festivals recur.

And I will constrain Ariel,

and there will be mourning and lamentation;

she will be like an altar hearth before Me.

I will camp in a circle around you;

I will besiege you with towers

and set up siege works against you.

You will be brought low,

you will speak from the ground,

and out of the dust

your words will be muffled.

Your voice will be like a spirit from the ground;

your speech will whisper out of the dust.

But your many foes will be like fine dust,

the multitude of the ruthless like blowing chaff.

Then suddenly, in an instant,

you will be visited by the LORD of Hosts

with thunder and earthquake and loud noise,

with windstorm and tempest and consuming flame of fire.

All the many nations

going out to battle against Ariel—

even all who war against her,

laying siege and attacking her—

will be like a dream,

like a vision in the night,

as when a hungry man dreams he is eating,

then awakens still hungry;

as when a thirsty man dreams he is drinking,

then awakens faint and parched.

So will it be for all the many nations

who go to battle against Mount Zion.

Stop and be astonished;

blind yourselves and be sightless;

be drunk, but not with wine;

stagger, but not from strong drink.

For the LORD has poured out on you

a spirit of deep sleep.

He has shut your eyes, O prophets;

He has covered your heads, O seers.

And the entire vision will be to you like the words sealed in a scroll. If it is handed to someone to read, he will say, “I cannot, because it is sealed.”

Or if the scroll is handed to one unable to read, he will say, “I cannot read.”

Therefore the Lord said:

“These people draw near to Me with their mouths

and honor Me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from Me.

Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.

Therefore I will again confound these people

with wonder upon wonder.

The wisdom of the wise will vanish,

and the intelligence of the intelligent will be hidden.”

Woe to those who dig deep

to hide their plans from the LORD.

In darkness they do their works and say,

“Who sees us, and who will know?”

You have turned things upside down,

as if the potter were regarded as clay.

Shall what is formed say to him who formed it,

“He did not make me”?

Can the pottery say of the potter,

“He has no understanding”?

In a very short time,

will not Lebanon become an orchard,

and the orchard seem like a forest?

On that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll,

and out of the deep darkness the eyes of the blind will see.

The humble will increase their joy in the LORD,

and the poor among men will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

For the ruthless will vanish,

the mockers will disappear,

and all who look for evil

will be cut down—

those who indict a man with a word,

who ensnare the mediator at the gate,

and who with false charges

deprive the innocent of justice.

Therefore the LORD who redeemed Abraham says of the house of Jacob:

“No longer will Jacob be ashamed

and no more will his face grow pale.

For when he sees his children around him,

the work of My hands,

they will honor My name,

they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob,

and they will stand in awe

of the God of Israel.

Then the wayward in spirit will come to understanding,

and those who grumble will accept instruction.”

Isaiah 30

“Woe to the rebellious children,”

declares the LORD,

“to those who carry out a plan that is not Mine,

who form an alliance, but against My will,

heaping up sin upon sin.

They set out to go down to Egypt

without asking My advice,

to seek shelter under Pharaoh’s protection

and take refuge in Egypt’s shade.

But Pharaoh’s protection will become your shame,

and the refuge of Egypt’s shade your disgrace.

For though their princes are at Zoan

and their envoys have arrived in Hanes,

everyone will be put to shame

because of a people useless to them.

They cannot be of help;

they are good for nothing but shame and reproach.”

This is the burden against the beasts of the Negev:

Through a land of hardship and distress,

of lioness and lion,

of viper and flying serpent,

they carry their wealth on the backs of donkeys

and their treasures on the humps of camels,

to a people of no profit to them.

Egypt’s help is futile and empty;

therefore I have called her

Rahab Who Sits Still.

Go now, write it on a tablet in their presence

and inscribe it on a scroll;

it will be for the days to come,

a witness forever and ever.

These are rebellious people, deceitful children,

children unwilling to obey the LORD’s instruction.

They say to the seers,

“Stop seeing visions!”

and to the prophets,

“Do not prophesy to us the truth!

Speak to us pleasant words;

prophesy illusions.

Get out of the way; turn off the road.

Rid us of the Holy One of Israel!”

Therefore this is what the Holy One of Israel says:

“Because you have rejected this message,

trusting in oppression and relying on deceit,

this iniquity of yours is like a breach about to fail,

a bulge in a high wall,

whose collapse will come suddenly—

in an instant!

It will break in pieces like a potter’s jar,

shattered so that no fragment can be found.

Not a shard will be found in the dust

large enough to scoop the coals from a hearth

or to skim the water from a cistern.”

For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said:

“By repentance and rest

you would be saved;

your strength would lie in quiet confidence—

but you were not willing.”

“No,” you say, “we will flee on horses.”

Therefore you will flee!

“We will ride swift horses,”

but your pursuers will be faster.

A thousand will flee at the threat of one;

at the threat of five you will all flee,

until you are left alone like a pole on a mountaintop,

like a banner on a hill.

Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you;

therefore He rises to show you compassion,

for the LORD is a just God.

Blessed are all who wait for Him.

O people in Zion who dwell in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will surely be gracious when you cry for help; when He hears, He will answer you.

The Lord will give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, but your Teacher will no longer hide Himself—with your own eyes you will see Him.

And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.”

So you will desecrate your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. You will throw them away like menstrual cloths, saying to them, “Be gone!”

Then He will send rain for the seed that you have sown in the ground, and the food that comes from your land will be rich and plentiful. On that day your cattle will graze in open pastures.

The oxen and donkeys that work the ground will eat salted fodder, winnowed with shovel and pitchfork.

And from every high mountain and every raised hill, streams of water will flow in the day of great slaughter, when the towers fall.

The light of the moon will be as bright as the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days—on the day that the LORD binds up the brokenness of His people and heals the wounds He has inflicted.

Behold, the Name of the LORD comes from afar,

with burning anger and dense smoke.

His lips are full of fury,

and His tongue is like a consuming fire.

His breath is like a rushing torrent

that rises to the neck.

He comes to sift the nations in a sieve of destruction;

He bridles the jaws of the peoples to lead them astray.

You will sing

as on the night of a holy festival,

and your heart will rejoice

like one who walks to the music of a flute,

going up to the mountain of the LORD,

to the Rock of Israel.

And the LORD will cause His majestic voice to be heard

and His mighty arm to be revealed,

striking in angry wrath with a flame of consuming fire,

and with cloudburst, storm, and hailstones.

For Assyria will be shattered at the voice of the LORD;

He will strike them with His scepter.

And with every stroke of the rod of punishment

that the LORD brings down on them,

the tambourines and lyres will sound

as He battles with weapons brandished.

For Topheth has long been prepared;

it has been made ready for the king.

Its funeral pyre is deep and wide,

with plenty of fire and wood.

The breath of the LORD, like a torrent of burning sulfur,

sets it ablaze.

Isaiah 31

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,

who rely on horses,

who trust in their abundance of chariots

and in their multitude of horsemen.

They do not look to the Holy One of Israel;

they do not seek the LORD.

Yet He too is wise and brings disaster;

He does not call back His words.

He will rise up against the house of the wicked

and against the allies of evildoers.

But the Egyptians are men, not God;

their horses are flesh, not spirit.

When the LORD stretches out His hand,

the helper will stumble,

and the one he helps will fall;

both will perish together.

For this is what the LORD has said to me:

“Like a lion roaring

or a young lion over its prey—

and though a band of shepherds is called out against it,

it is not terrified by their shouting

or subdued by their clamor—

so the LORD of Hosts will come down

to do battle on Mount Zion and its heights.

Like birds hovering overhead,

so the LORD of Hosts will protect Jerusalem.

He will shield it and deliver it;

He will pass over it and preserve it.”

Return to the One against whom you have so blatantly rebelled, O children of Israel.

For on that day, every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold that your own hands have sinfully made.

“Then Assyria will fall,

but not by the sword of man;

a sword will devour them,

but not one made by mortals.

They will flee before the sword,

and their young men will be put to forced labor.

Their rock will pass away for fear,

and their princes will panic at the sight of the battle standard,”

declares the LORD, whose fire is in Zion,

whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

Isaiah 32

Behold, a king will reign in righteousness,

and princes will rule with justice.

Each will be like a shelter from the wind,

a refuge from the storm,

like streams of water in a dry land,

like the shadow of a great rock in an arid land.

Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,

and the ears of those who hear will listen.

The mind of the rash will know and understand,

and the stammering tongue will speak clearly and fluently.

No longer will a fool be called noble,

nor a scoundrel be respected.

For a fool speaks foolishness;

his mind plots iniquity.

He practices ungodliness

and speaks falsely about the LORD;

he leaves the hungry empty

and deprives the thirsty of drink.

The weapons of the scoundrel are destructive;

he hatches plots to destroy the poor with lies,

even when the plea of the needy is just.

But a noble man makes honorable plans;

he stands up for worthy causes.

Stand up, you complacent women;

listen to me.

Give ear to my word,

you overconfident daughters.

In a little more than a year you will tremble,

O secure ones.

For the grape harvest will fail

and the fruit harvest will not arrive.

Shudder, you ladies of leisure;

tremble, you daughters of complacency.

Strip yourselves bare

and put sackcloth around your waists.

Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,

for the fruitful vines,

and for the land of my people,

overgrown with thorns and briers—

even for every house of merriment

in this city of revelry.

For the palace will be forsaken,

the busy city abandoned.

The hill and the watchtower will become caves forever—

the delight of wild donkeys

and a pasture for flocks—

until the Spirit is poured out

upon us from on high.

Then the desert will be an orchard,

and the orchard will seem like a forest.

Then justice will inhabit the wilderness,

and righteousness will dwell in the fertile field.

The work of righteousness will be peace;

the service of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever.

Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place,

in safe and secure places of rest.

But hail will level the forest,

and the city will sink to the depths.

Blessed are those who sow beside abundant waters,

who let the ox and donkey range freely.

Matthew 4

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.

The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

But Jesus answered, “It is written:

‘Man shall not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took Him to the holy city and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple. “If You are the Son of God,” he said, “throw Yourself down. For it is written:

‘He will command His angels concerning You,

and they will lift You up in their hands,

so that You will not strike Your foot

against a stone.’”

Jesus replied, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “All this I will give You,” he said, “if You will fall down and worship me.”

“Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus declared. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”

Then the devil left Him, and angels came and ministered to Him.

When Jesus heard that John had been imprisoned, He withdrew to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, He went and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,

to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“Land of Zebulun

and land of Naphtali,

the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles—

the people living in darkness

have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of the shadow of death,

a light has dawned.”

From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.

“Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” And at once they left their nets and followed Him.

Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them,

and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed—and He healed them.

The large crowds that followed Him came from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

Today we begin the fourth and final gospel account of Jesus. I have been preaching on it for several months, so I rejoiced to rehearse many familiar thoughts in a familiar order today as I read through these.

I have a short message at the end dealing with gene therapy and what it has to do with how we read our scriptures. I’d like to think it is a worthy meditation.

And don’t miss the retelling of the Christmas story according to Matthew. Wise men and a flight to Egypt. And always remember the meaning of Jesus’ name: SALVATION!

Isaiah 26

In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

We have a strong city;

salvation is established as its walls and ramparts.

Open the gates so a righteous nation may enter—

one that remains faithful.

You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind,

because he trusts in You.

Trust in the LORD forever,

because GOD the LORD is the Rock eternal.

For He has humbled those who dwell on high;

He lays the lofty city low.

He brings it down to the ground;

He casts it into the dust.

Feet trample it down—

the feet of the oppressed,

the steps of the poor.

The path of the righteous is level;

You clear a straight path for the upright.

Yes, we wait for You, O LORD;

we walk in the path of Your judgments.

Your name and renown

are the desire of our souls.

My soul longs for You in the night;

indeed, my spirit seeks You at dawn.

For when Your judgments come upon the earth,

the people of the world learn righteousness.

Though grace is shown to the wicked man,

he does not learn righteousness.

In the land of righteousness he acts unjustly

and fails to see the majesty of the LORD.

O LORD, Your hand is upraised,

but they do not see it.

They will see Your zeal for Your people

and be put to shame.

The fire set for Your enemies

will consume them!

O LORD, You will establish peace for us.

For all that we have accomplished,

You have done for us.

O LORD our God, other lords besides You have had dominion,

but Your name alone do we confess.

The dead will not live;

the departed spirits will not rise.

Therefore You have punished and destroyed them;

You have wiped out all memory of them.

You have enlarged the nation, O LORD;

You have enlarged the nation.

You have gained glory for Yourself;

You have extended all the borders of the land.

O LORD, they sought You in their distress;

when You disciplined them, they poured out a quiet prayer.

As a woman with child about to give birth

writhes and cries out in pain,

so were we in Your presence, O LORD.

We were with child; we writhed in pain;

but we gave birth to wind.

We have given no salvation to the earth,

nor brought any life into the world.

Your dead will live; their bodies will rise.

Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust!

For your dew is like the dew of the morning,

and the earth will bring forth her dead.

Go, my people, enter your rooms

and shut your doors behind you.

Hide yourselves a little while

until the wrath has passed.

For behold, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling

to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity.

The earth will reveal her bloodshed

and will no longer conceal her slain.

Isaiah 27

In that day the LORD will take His sharp, great, and mighty sword, and bring judgment on Leviathan the fleeing serpent —Leviathan the coiling serpent—and He will slay the dragon of the sea. In that day:

“Sing about a fruitful vineyard.

I, the LORD, am its keeper;

I water it continually.

I guard it night and day

so no one can disturb it;

I am not angry.

If only thorns and briers confronted Me,

I would march and trample them,

I would burn them to the ground.

Or let them lay claim to My protection;

let them make peace with Me—

yes, let them make peace with Me.”

In the days to come, Jacob will take root.

Israel will bud and blossom

and fill the whole world with fruit.

Has the LORD struck Israel as He struck her oppressors?

Was she killed like those who slayed her?

By warfare and exile You contended with her

and removed her with a fierce wind,

as on the day the east wind blows.

Therefore Jacob’s guilt will be atoned for,

and the full fruit of the removal of his sin will be this:

When he makes all the altar stones

like crushed bits of chalk,

no Asherah poles or incense altars

will remain standing.

For the fortified city lies deserted—

a homestead abandoned, a wilderness forsaken.

There the calves graze, and there they lie down;

they strip its branches bare.

When its limbs are dry,

they are broken off.

Women come and use them for kindling;

for this is a people without understanding.

Therefore their Maker has no compassion on them,

and their Creator shows them no favor.

In that day the LORD will thresh from the flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, O Israelites, will be gathered one by one.

And in that day a great ram’s horn will sound, and those who were perishing in Assyria will come forth with those who were exiles in Egypt. And they will worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.

Isaiah 28

Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards,

to the fading flower of his glorious splendor,

set on the summit above the fertile valley,

the pride of those overcome by wine.

Behold, the Lord has one

who is strong and mighty.

Like a hailstorm or destructive tempest,

like a driving rain or flooding downpour,

he will smash that crown to the ground.

The majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards

will be trampled underfoot.

The fading flower of his beautiful splendor,

set on the summit above the fertile valley,

will be like a ripe fig before the summer harvest:

Whoever sees it will take it in his hand and swallow it.

On that day the LORD of Hosts will be a crown of glory,

a diadem of splendor to the remnant of His people,

a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment,

and a strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate.

These also stagger from wine

and stumble from strong drink:

Priests and prophets reel from strong drink

and are befuddled by wine.

They stumble because of strong drink,

muddled in their visions and stumbling in their judgments.

For all their tables are covered with vomit;

there is not a place without filth.

Whom is He trying to teach?

To whom is He explaining His message?

To infants just weaned from milk?

To babies removed from the breast?

For they hear:

“Order on order, order on order,

line on line, line on line;

a little here, a little there.”

Indeed, with mocking lips and foreign tongues,

He will speak to this people to whom He has said:

“This is the place of rest, let the weary rest;

this is the place of repose.”

But they would not listen.

Then the word of the LORD to them will become:

“Order on order, order on order,

line on line, line on line;

a little here, a little there,”

so that they will go stumbling backward

and will be injured, ensnared, and captured.

Therefore hear the word of the LORD, O scoffers

who rule this people in Jerusalem.

For you said, “We have made a covenant with death;

we have fashioned an agreement with Sheol.

When the overwhelming scourge passes through

it will not touch us,

because we have made lies our refuge

and falsehood our hiding place.”

So this is what the Lord GOD says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,

a tested stone,

a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;

the one who believes will never be shaken.

I will make justice the measuring line

and righteousness the level.

Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies,

and water will flood your hiding place.

Your covenant with death will be dissolved,

and your agreement with Sheol will not stand.

When the overwhelming scourge passes through,

you will be trampled by it.

As often as it passes through,

it will carry you away;

it will sweep through morning after morning,

by day and by night.”

The understanding of this message

will bring sheer terror.

Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on,

and the blanket too small to wrap around you.

For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim.

He will rouse Himself as in the Valley of Gibeon,

to do His work, His strange work,

and to perform His task, His disturbing task.

So now, do not mock,

or your shackles will become heavier.

Indeed, I have heard from the Lord GOD of Hosts

a decree of destruction against the whole land.

Listen and hear my voice.

Pay attention and hear what I say.

Does the plowman plow for planting every day?

Does he continuously loosen and harrow the soil?

When he has leveled its surface,

does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin?

He plants wheat in rows and barley in plots,

and rye within its border.

For his God instructs

and teaches him properly.

Surely caraway is not threshed with a sledge,

and the wheel of a cart is not rolled over the cumin.

But caraway is beaten out with a stick,

and cumin with a rod.

Grain for bread must be ground,

but it is not endlessly threshed.

Though the wheels of the cart roll over it,

the horses do not crush it.

This also comes from the LORD of Hosts,

who is wonderful in counsel

and excellent in wisdom.

Matthew 1

This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham:

Abraham was the father of Isaac,

Isaac the father of Jacob,

and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.

Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar,

Perez the father of Hezron,

and Hezron the father of Ram.

Ram was the father of Amminadab,

Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

and Nahshon the father of Salmon.

Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab,

Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth,

Obed the father of Jesse,

and Jesse the father of David the king.

Next:

David was the father of Solomon by Uriah’s wife,

Solomon the father of Rehoboam,

Rehoboam the father of Abijah,

and Abijah the father of Asa.

Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,

and Joram the father of Uzziah.

Uzziah was the father of Jotham,

Jotham the father of Ahaz,

and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.

Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh,

Manasseh the father of Amon,

Amon the father of Josiah,

and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers

at the time of the exile to Babylon.

After the exile to Babylon:

Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,

Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

Zerubbabel the father of Abiud,

Abiud the father of Eliakim,

and Eliakim the father of Azor.

Azor was the father of Zadok,

Zadok the father of Achim,

and Achim the father of Eliud.

Eliud was the father of Eleazar,

Eleazar the father of Matthan,

Matthan the father of Jacob,

and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary,

of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

In all, then, there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.

Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and was unwilling to disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly.

But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

“Behold, the virgin will be with child

and will give birth to a son,

and they will call Him Immanuel”

(which means, “God with us”).

When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and embraced Mary as his wife.

But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a Son. And he gave Him the name Jesus.

Matthew 2

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,

asking, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

And when he had assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.

“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,

for out of you will come a ruler

who will be the shepherd of My people Israel.’”

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and learned from them the exact time the star had appeared.

And sending them to Bethlehem, he said: “Go and search carefully for the Child, and when you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him.”

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the Child was.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with great delight.

On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they withdrew to their country by another route.

When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.”

So he got up, took the Child and His mother by night, and withdrew to Egypt,

where he stayed until the death of Herod. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

When Herod saw that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was filled with rage. Sending orders, he put to death all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, according to the time he had learned from the Magi.

Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

“A voice is heard in Ramah,

weeping and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her children,

and refusing to be comforted,

because they are no more.”

After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.

“Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those seeking the Child’s life are now dead.”

So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and went to the land of Israel.

But when he learned that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee,

and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Matthew 3

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

make straight paths for Him.’ ”

John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region around the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance.

And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?”

“Let it be so now,” Jesus replied. “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way.” Then John permitted Him.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him.

And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”

The scriptures speak to eternal truth, but they do so within a temporal framework. That means the story is told, not just using people from the past, but also countries, peoples, geopolitical realities. All of these things have changed a lot in the thousands of years of known human history. The scriptures only give us snippets of information about people and cultures outside of the covenant people of Israel. That is mostly okay, as salvation is known only in right covenant relationship with the Lord of Hosts.

Even so, some portions of scripture are difficult to appreciate, as they spend a good deal of time on peoples and regions outside of Israel. This was the case in yesterday’s readings, and it is again the case today. It is okay to just plow through and try to understand what you can on a bare reading. It is also okay to spend a little extra time looking into why it is that ancient Israel would care about what happens to these places, or at least where they are. One cannot help but notice that many of these regions, like Tyre and Sidon, happy to be in a region that is still quite troubled. Gee, could that have anything to do with prophecies made thousands of years ago? Surely not.

Forgive me for the sarcasm.

Anyway, it isn’t all in that genre. Things get easier near the end today, as renewed promises are made to Israel, which are echoed in the language of Revelation to Christians. And Moab, oh boy does Moab get it. Enjoy!

Isaiah 21

This is the burden against the Desert by the Sea:

Like whirlwinds sweeping through the Negev,

an invader comes from the desert,

from a land of terror.

A dire vision is declared to me:

“The traitor still betrays,

and the destroyer still destroys.

Go up, O Elam! Lay siege, O Media!

I will put an end to all her groaning.”

Therefore my body is filled with anguish.

Pain grips me, like the pains of a woman in labor.

I am bewildered to hear,

I am dismayed to see.

My heart falters;

fear makes me tremble.

The twilight of my desire

has turned to horror.

They prepare a table, they lay out a carpet,

they eat, they drink!

Rise up, O princes, oil the shields!

For this is what the Lord says to me:

“Go, post a lookout

and have him report what he sees.

When he sees chariots with teams of horsemen,

riders on donkeys, riders on camels,

he must be alert, fully alert.”

Then the lookout shouted:

“Day after day, my lord,

I stand on the watchtower;

night after night

I stay at my post.

Look, here come the riders,

horsemen in pairs.”

And one answered, saying:

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon!

All the images of her gods

lie shattered on the ground!”

O my people, crushed on the threshing floor,

I tell you what I have heard

from the LORD of Hosts,

the God of Israel.

This is the burden against Dumah:

One calls to me from Seir,

“Watchman, what is left of the night?

Watchman, what is left of the night?”

The watchman replies,

“Morning has come, but also the night.

If you would inquire, then inquire.

Come back yet again.”

This is the burden against Arabia:

In the thickets of Arabia you must lodge,

O caravans of Dedanites.

Bring water for the thirsty,

O dwellers of Tema;

meet the refugees with food.

For they flee from the sword—

the sword that is drawn—

from the bow that is bent,

and from the stress of battle.

For this is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a hired worker would count it, all the glory of Kedar will be gone. The remaining archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.”

For the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.

Isaiah 22

This is the burden against the Valley of Vision:

What ails you now,

that you have all gone up to the rooftops,

O city of commotion,

O town of revelry?

Your slain did not die by the sword,

nor were they killed in battle.

All your rulers have fled together,

captured without a bow.

All your fugitives were captured together,

having fled to a distant place.

Therefore I said,

“Turn away from me, let me weep bitterly!

Do not try to console me

over the destruction of the daughter of my people.”

For the Lord GOD of Hosts has set a day

of tumult and trampling and confusion in the Valley of Vision—

of breaking down the walls

and crying to the mountains.

Elam takes up a quiver, with chariots and horsemen,

and Kir uncovers the shield.

Your choicest valleys are full of chariots,

and horsemen are posted at the gates.

He has uncovered

the defenses of Judah.

On that day you looked to the weapons in the House of the Forest.

You saw that there were many breaches in the walls of the City of David. You collected water from the lower pool.

You counted the houses of Jerusalem and tore them down to strengthen the wall.

You built a reservoir between the walls for the waters of the ancient pool, but you did not look to the One who made it, or consider Him who planned it long ago.

On that day the Lord GOD of Hosts

called for weeping and wailing,

for shaven heads

and the wearing of sackcloth.

But look, there is joy and gladness,

butchering of cattle and slaughtering of sheep,

eating of meat and drinking of wine:

“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

The LORD of Hosts has revealed in my hearing:

“Until your dying day,

this sin of yours will never be atoned for,”

says the Lord GOD of Hosts.

This is what the Lord GOD of Hosts says: “Go, say to Shebna, the steward in charge of the palace:

What are you doing here, and who authorized you to carve out a tomb for yourself here—to chisel your tomb in the height and cut your resting place in the rock?

Look, O mighty man! The LORD is about to shake you violently. He will take hold of you,

roll you into a ball, and sling you into a wide land. There you will die, and there your glorious chariots will remain—a disgrace to the house of your master.

I will remove you from office, and you will be ousted from your position.

On that day I will summon My servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah.

I will clothe him with your robe and tie your sash around him. I will put your authority in his hand, and he will be a father to the dwellers of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.

I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.

I will drive him like a peg into a firm place, and he will be a throne of glory for the house of his father.

So they will hang on him the whole burden of his father’s house: the descendants and the offshoots—all the lesser vessels, from bowls to every kind of jar.

In that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, the peg driven into a firm place will give way; it will be sheared off and fall, and the load upon it will be cut down.”

Indeed, the LORD has spoken.

Isaiah 23

This is the burden against Tyre:

Wail, O ships of Tarshish,

for Tyre is laid waste,

without house or harbor.

Word has reached them

from the land of Cyprus.

Be silent, O dwellers of the coastland,

you merchants of Sidon,

whose traders have crossed the sea.

On the great waters

came the grain of Shihor;

the harvest of the Nile was the revenue of Tyre;

she was the merchant of the nations.

Be ashamed, O Sidon, the stronghold of the sea,

for the sea has spoken:

“I have not been in labor

or given birth.

I have not raised young men

or brought up young women.”

When the report reaches Egypt,

they will writhe in agony over the news of Tyre.

Cross over to Tarshish;

wail, O inhabitants of the coastland!

Is this your jubilant city,

whose origin is from antiquity,

whose feet have taken her

to settle far away?

Who planned this against Tyre,

the bestower of crowns,

whose traders are princes,

whose merchants are renowned on the earth?

The LORD of Hosts planned it,

to defile all its glorious beauty,

to disgrace all the renowned of the earth.

Cultivate your land like the Nile, O Daughter of Tarshish;

there is no longer a harbor.

The LORD has stretched out His hand over the sea;

He has made kingdoms tremble.

He has given a command

that the strongholds of Canaan be destroyed.

He said, “You shall rejoice no more,

O oppressed Virgin Daughter of Sidon.

Get up and cross over to Cyprus—

even there you will find no rest.”

Look at the land of the Chaldeans —

a people now of no account.

The Assyrians destined it for the desert creatures;

they set up their siege towers and stripped its palaces.

They brought it to ruin.

Wail, O ships of Tarshish,

for your harbor has been destroyed!

At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years—the span of a king’s life. But at the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot:

“Take up your harp,

stroll through the city,

O forgotten harlot.

Make sweet melody,

sing many a song,

so you will be remembered.”

And at the end of seventy years, the LORD will restore Tyre. Then she will return to hire as a prostitute and sell herself to all the kingdoms on the face of the earth.

Yet her profits and wages will be set apart to the LORD; they will not be stored or saved, for her profit will go to those who live before the LORD, for abundant food and fine clothing.

Isaiah 24

Behold, the LORD lays waste the earth

and leaves it in ruins.

He will twist its surface

and scatter its inhabitants—

people and priest alike, servant and master,

maid and mistress, buyer and seller,

lender and borrower, creditor and debtor.

The earth will be utterly laid waste

and thoroughly plundered.

For the LORD has spoken this word.

The earth mourns and withers;

the world languishes and fades;

the exalted of the earth waste away.

The earth is defiled by its people;

they have transgressed the laws;

they have overstepped the decrees

and broken the everlasting covenant.

Therefore a curse has consumed the earth,

and its inhabitants must bear the guilt;

the earth’s dwellers have been burned,

and only a few survive.

The new wine dries up, the vine withers.

All the merrymakers now groan.

The joyful tambourines have ceased;

the noise of revelers has stopped;

the joyful harp is silent.

They no longer sing and drink wine;

strong drink is bitter to those who consume it.

The city of chaos is shattered;

every house is closed to entry.

In the streets they cry out for wine.

All joy turns to gloom;

rejoicing is exiled from the land.

The city is left in ruins;

its gate is reduced to rubble.

So will it be on the earth

and among the nations,

like a harvested olive tree,

like a gleaning after a grape harvest.

They raise their voices, they shout for joy;

from the west they proclaim the majesty of the LORD.

Therefore glorify the LORD in the east.

Extol the name of the LORD, the God of Israel

in the islands of the sea.

From the ends of the earth we hear singing:

“Glory to the Righteous One.”

But I said, “I am wasting away! I am wasting away!

Woe is me.”

The treacherous betray;

the treacherous deal in treachery.

Terror and pit and snare await you,

O dweller of the earth.

Whoever flees the sound of panic

will fall into the pit,

and whoever climbs from the pit

will be caught in the snare.

For the windows of heaven are open,

and the foundations of the earth are shaken.

The earth is utterly broken apart,

the earth is split open,

the earth is shaken violently.

The earth staggers like a drunkard

and sways like a shack.

Earth’s rebellion weighs it down,

and it falls, never to rise again.

In that day the LORD will punish

the host of heaven above

and the kings of the earth below.

They will be gathered together

like prisoners in a pit.

They will be confined to a dungeon

and punished after many days.

The moon will be confounded

and the sun will be ashamed;

for the LORD of Hosts will reign

on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,

and before His elders with great glory.

Isaiah 25

O LORD, You are my God!

I will exalt You;

I will praise Your name.

For You have worked wonders—

plans formed long ago—

in perfect faithfulness.

Indeed, You have made the city a heap of rubble,

the fortified town a ruin.

The fortress of strangers is a city no more;

it will never be rebuilt.

Therefore, a strong people will honor You.

The cities of ruthless nations will revere You.

For You have been a refuge for the poor,

a stronghold for the needy in distress,

a refuge from the storm,

a shade from the heat.

For the breath of the ruthless

is like rain against a wall,

like heat in a dry land.

You subdue the uproar of foreigners.

As the shade of a cloud cools the heat,

so the song of the ruthless is silenced.

On this mountain the LORD of Hosts

will prepare a banquet for all the peoples,

a feast of aged wine, of choice meat,

of finely aged wine.

On this mountain He will swallow up

the shroud that enfolds all peoples,

the sheet that covers all nations;

He will swallow up death forever.

The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face

and remove the disgrace of His people

from the whole earth.

For the LORD has spoken.

And in that day it will be said, “Surely this is our God;

we have waited for Him, and He has saved us.

This is the LORD for whom we have waited.

Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”

For the hand of the LORD

will rest on this mountain.

But Moab will be trampled in his place

as straw is trodden into the dung pile.

He will spread out his hands within it,

as a swimmer spreads his arms to swim.

His pride will be brought low,

despite the skill of his hands.

The high-walled fortress will be brought down,

cast to the ground, into the dust.

Psalm 145

I will exalt You, my God and King;

I will bless Your name forever and ever.

Every day I will bless You,

and I will praise Your name forever and ever.

Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised;

His greatness is unsearchable.

One generation will commend Your works to the next,

and will proclaim Your mighty acts—

the glorious splendor of Your majesty.

And I will meditate on Your wondrous works.

They will proclaim the power of Your awesome deeds,

and I will declare Your greatness.

They will extol the fame of Your abundant goodness

and sing joyfully of Your righteousness.

The LORD is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion.

The LORD is good to all;

His compassion rests on all He has made.

All You have made will give You thanks, O LORD,

and Your saints will bless You.

They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom

and speak of Your might,

to make known to men Your mighty acts

and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and Your dominion endures through all generations.

The LORD is faithful in all His words

and kind in all His actions.

The LORD upholds all who fall

and lifts up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to You,

and You give them their food in season.

You open Your hand

and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

The LORD is righteous in all His ways

and kind in all His deeds.

The LORD is near to all who call on Him,

to all who call out to Him in truth.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him;

He hears their cry and saves them.

The LORD preserves all who love Him,

but all the wicked He will destroy.

My mouth will declare the praise of the LORD;

let every creature bless His holy name

forever and ever.

A lot of prophecy isn’t necessarily about Jesus. At least not in an immediate sense. In the context of the Ancient Near East standing on the precipice of Assyrian, then Babylonian, invasion, many nations were unsure of the future. Isaiah was given divine knowledge as to what awaited each nation and people-group. In these chapters, he issues a series of prophecies about some of these ancient peoples.

We also have a psalm of blessing and hope. I needed that. I actually read it earlier today for something, not realizing I would be seeing it again later in the day. The blessing upon sons and daughters is appreciated. So much of what I do, I do for them. In an ultimate sense, everything I and you do should be for his glory. That means we prioritize holiness even above parenting goals. This is a hard thing to understand.

As God can destroy and save nations, so he can and does do the same for each one of us. There is nothing more important in this life than aligning rightly under the lordship of Christ. Everything else, even fatherhood of these precious children, comes behind that.

Isaiah 16

Send the tribute lambs

to the ruler of the land,

from Sela in the desert

to the mount of Daughter Zion.

Like fluttering birds

pushed out of the nest,

so are the daughters of Moab

at the fords of the Arnon:

“Give us counsel;

render a decision.

Shelter us at noonday

with shade as dark as night.

Hide the refugees;

do not betray the one who flees.

Let my fugitives stay with you;

be a refuge for Moab from the destroyer.”

When the oppressor has gone, destruction has ceased,

and the oppressors have vanished from the land,

in loving devotion a throne will be established

in the tent of David.

A judge seeking justice and hastening righteousness

will sit on it in faithfulness.

We have heard of Moab’s pomposity,

his exceeding pride and conceit,

his overflowing arrogance.

But his boasting is empty.

Therefore let Moab wail;

let them wail together for Moab.

Moan for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth,

you who are utterly stricken.

For the fields of Heshbon have withered,

along with the grapevines of Sibmah.

The rulers of the nations

have trampled its choicest vines,

which had reached as far as Jazer

and spread toward the desert.

Their shoots had spread out

and passed over the sea.

So I weep with Jazer

for the vines of Sibmah;

I drench Heshbon and Elealeh

with my tears.

Triumphant shouts have fallen silent

over your summer fruit and your harvest.

Joy and gladness are removed from the orchard;

no one sings or shouts in the vineyards.

No one tramples the grapes in the winepresses;

I have put an end to the cheering.

Therefore my heart laments for Moab like a harp,

my inmost being for Kir-heres.

When Moab appears on the high place,

when he wearies himself

and enters his sanctuary to pray,

it will do him no good.

This is the message that the LORD spoke earlier concerning Moab.

And now the LORD says, “In three years, as a hired worker counts the years, Moab’s splendor will become an object of contempt, with all her many people. And those who are left will be few and feeble.”

Isaiah 17

This is the burden against Damascus:

“Behold, Damascus is no longer a city;

it has become a heap of ruins.

The cities of Aroer are forsaken;

they will be left to the flocks,

which will lie down with no one to fear.

The fortress will disappear from Ephraim,

and the sovereignty from Damascus.

The remnant of Aram will be

like the splendor of the Israelites,”

declares the LORD of Hosts.

“In that day the splendor of Jacob will fade,

and the fat of his body will waste away,

as the reaper gathers the standing grain

and harvests the ears with his arm,

as one gleans heads of grain

in the Valley of Rephaim.

Yet gleanings will remain,

like an olive tree that has been beaten—

two or three berries atop the tree,

four or five on its fruitful branches,”

declares the LORD, the God of Israel.

In that day men will look to their Maker

and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel.

They will not look to the altars

they have fashioned with their hands

or to the Asherahs and incense altars

they have made with their fingers.

In that day their strong cities

will be like forsaken thickets and summits,

abandoned to the Israelites

and to utter desolation.

For you have forgotten the God of your salvation

and failed to remember the Rock of your refuge.

Therefore, though you cultivate delightful plots

and set out cuttings from exotic vines—

though on the day you plant

you make them grow,

and on that morning

you help your seed sprout—

yet the harvest will vanish

on the day of disease and incurable pain.

Alas, the tumult of many peoples;

they rage like the roaring seas and clamoring nations;

they rumble like the crashing of mighty waters.

The nations rage like the rush of many waters.

He rebukes them, and they flee far away,

driven before the wind like chaff on the hills,

like tumbleweeds before a gale.

In the evening, there is sudden terror!

Before morning, they are no more!

This is the portion of those who loot us

and the lot of those who plunder us.

Isaiah 18

Woe to the land of whirring wings,

along the rivers of Cush,

which sends couriers by sea,

in papyrus vessels on the waters.

Go, swift messengers,

to a people tall and smooth-skinned,

to a people widely feared,

to a powerful nation of strange speech,

whose land is divided by rivers.

All you people of the world

and dwellers of the earth,

when a banner is raised on the mountains,

you will see it;

when a ram’s horn sounds,

you will hear it.

For this is what the LORD has told me:

“I will quietly look on from My dwelling place,

like shimmering heat in the sunshine,

like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”

For before the harvest, when the blossom is gone

and the flower becomes a ripening grape,

He will cut off the shoots with a pruning knife

and remove and discard the branches.

They will all be left to the mountain birds of prey,

and to the beasts of the land.

The birds will feed on them in summer,

and all the wild animals in winter.

At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD of Hosts—

from a people tall and smooth-skinned,

from a people widely feared,

from a powerful nation of strange speech,

whose land is divided by rivers—

to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the LORD of Hosts.

Isaiah 19

This is the burden against Egypt:

Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud;

He is coming to Egypt.

The idols of Egypt will tremble before Him,

and the hearts of the Egyptians will melt within them.

“So I will incite Egyptian against Egyptian;

brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor,

city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.

Then the spirit of the Egyptians will be emptied out from among them,

and I will frustrate their plans,

so that they will resort to idols and spirits of the dead,

to mediums and spiritists.

I will deliver the Egyptians into the hands of harsh masters,

and a fierce king will rule over them,”

declares the Lord GOD of Hosts.

The waters of the Nile will dry up,

and the riverbed will be parched and empty.

The canals will stink;

the streams of Egypt will trickle and dry up;

the reeds and rushes will wither.

The bulrushes by the Nile,

by the mouth of the river,

and all the fields sown along the Nile,

will wither, blow away, and be no more.

Then the fishermen will mourn,

all who cast a hook into the Nile will lament,

and those who spread nets on the waters will pine away.

The workers in flax will be dismayed,

and the weavers of fine linen will turn pale.

The workers in cloth will be dejected,

and all the hired workers will be sick at heart.

The princes of Zoan are mere fools;

Pharaoh’s wise counselors give senseless advice.

How can you say to Pharaoh,

“I am one of the wise,

a son of eastern kings”?

Where are your wise men now?

Let them tell you and reveal

what the LORD of Hosts has planned against Egypt.

The princes of Zoan have become fools;

the princes of Memphis are deceived.

The cornerstones of her tribes

have led Egypt astray.

The LORD has poured into her

a spirit of confusion.

Egypt has been led astray in all she does,

as a drunkard staggers through his own vomit.

There is nothing Egypt can do—

head or tail, palm or reed.

In that day the Egyptians will be like women. They will tremble with fear beneath the uplifted hand of the LORD of Hosts, when He brandishes it against them.

The land of Judah will bring terror to Egypt; whenever Judah is mentioned, Egypt will tremble over what the LORD of Hosts has planned against it.

In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD of Hosts. One of them will be called the City of the Sun.

In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the center of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD near her border.

It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of Hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors, He will send them a savior and defender to rescue them.

The LORD will make Himself known to Egypt, and on that day Egypt will acknowledge the LORD. They will worship with sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to the LORD and fulfill them.

And the LORD will strike Egypt with a plague; He will strike them but heal them. They will turn to the LORD, and He will hear their prayers and heal them.

In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt, and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together.

In that day Israel will join a three-party alliance with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing upon the earth.

The LORD of Hosts will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria My handiwork, and Israel My inheritance.”

Isaiah 20

Before the year that the chief commander, sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it,

the LORD had already spoken through Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, “Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and the sandals from your feet.”

And Isaiah did so, walking around naked and barefoot.

Then the LORD said, “Just as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and omen against Egypt and Cush,

so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old alike, naked and barefoot, with bared buttocks—to Egypt’s shame.

Those who made Cush their hope and Egypt their boast will be dismayed and ashamed.

And on that day the dwellers of this coastland will say, ‘See what has happened to our source of hope, those to whom we fled for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?’ ”

Psalm 144

Blessed be the LORD, my Rock,

who trains my hands for war,

my fingers for battle.

He is my steadfast love and my fortress,

my stronghold and my deliverer.

He is my shield, in whom I take refuge,

who subdues peoples under me.

O LORD, what is man, that You regard him,

the son of man that You think of him?

Man is like a breath;

his days are like a passing shadow.

Part Your heavens, O LORD, and come down;

touch the mountains, that they may smoke.

Flash forth Your lightning and scatter them;

shoot Your arrows and rout them.

Reach down from on high;

set me free and rescue me

from the deep waters,

from the grasp of foreigners,

whose mouths speak falsehood,

whose right hands are deceitful.

I will sing to You a new song, O God;

on a harp of ten strings I will make music to You—

to Him who gives victory to kings,

who frees His servant David from the deadly sword.

Set me free and rescue me

from the grasp of foreigners,

whose mouths speak falsehood,

whose right hands are deceitful.

Then our sons will be like plants

nurtured in their youth,

our daughters like corner pillars

carved to adorn a palace.

Our storehouses will be full,

supplying all manner of produce;

our flocks will bring forth thousands,

tens of thousands in our fields.

Our oxen will bear great loads.

There will be no breach in the walls,

no going into captivity,

and no cry of lament in our streets.

Blessed are the people of whom this is so;

blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.

Abigail joined me for today’s segment. We read chapters in Isaiah about the promise of the New Creation, condemnation of Israel’s enemies, warnings of the Day of the Lord, and comfort for God’s people despite much chastening. The session is closed with a psalm of pleading with God to end his silence and save his people. It is a shorter session today. It still requires a good deal of reflection and meditation to properly interpret Isaiah’s prophecies for our context today, such that we can rightly order our lives. You are welcome to seek me out if you are needing help doing this. That’s sort of the whole reason I became a preacher!

Isaiah 11

Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse,

and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—

the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the Spirit of counsel and strength,

the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD.

And He will delight in the fear of the LORD.

He will not judge by what His eyes see,

and He will not decide by what His ears hear,

but with righteousness He will judge the poor,

and with equity He will decide for the lowly of the earth.

He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth

and slay the wicked with the breath of His lips.

Righteousness will be the belt around His hips,

and faithfulness the sash around His waist.

The wolf will live with the lamb,

and the leopard will lie down with the goat;

the calf and young lion and fatling will be together,

and a little child will lead them.

The cow will graze with the bear,

their young will lie down together,

and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

The infant will play by the cobra’s den,

and the toddler will reach into the viper’s nest.

They will neither harm nor destroy

on all My holy mountain,

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD

as the sea is full of water.

On that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will seek Him, and His place of rest will be glorious.

On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover the remnant of His people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

He will raise a banner for the nations

and gather the exiles of Israel;

He will collect the scattered of Judah

from the four corners of the earth.

Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart,

and the adversaries of Judah will be cut off.

Ephraim will no longer envy Judah,

nor will Judah harass Ephraim.

They will swoop down on the slopes of the Philistines to the west;

together they will plunder the sons of the east.

They will lay their hands on Edom and Moab,

and the Ammonites will be subject to them.

The LORD will devote to destruction

the gulf of the Sea of Egypt;

with a scorching wind He will sweep His hand

over the Euphrates.

He will split it into seven streams

for men to cross with dry sandals.

There will be a highway for the remnant of His people

who remain from Assyria,

as there was for Israel

when they came up from the land of Egypt.

Isaiah 12

In that day you will say:

“O LORD, I will praise You.

Although You were angry with me,

Your anger has turned away,

and You have comforted me.

Surely God is my salvation;

I will trust and not be afraid.

For the LORD GOD is my strength and my song,

and He also has become my salvation.”

With joy you will draw water from the springs of salvation, and on that day you will say:

“Give praise to the LORD;

proclaim His name!

Make His works known among the peoples;

declare that His name is exalted.

Sing to the LORD, for He has done glorious things.

Let this be known in all the earth.

Cry out and sing, O citizen of Zion,

for great among you is the Holy One of Israel.”

Isaiah 13

This is the burden against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz received:

Raise a banner on a barren hilltop;

call aloud to them.

Wave your hand,

that they may enter the gates of the nobles.

I have commanded My sanctified ones;

I have even summoned My warriors

to execute My wrath

and exult in My triumph.

Listen, a tumult on the mountains,

like that of a great multitude!

Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms,

like nations gathered together!

The LORD of Hosts is mobilizing

an army for war.

They are coming from faraway lands,

from the ends of the heavens—

the LORD and the weapons of His wrath—

to destroy the whole country.

Wail, for the Day of the LORD is near;

it will come as destruction from the Almighty.

Therefore all hands will fall limp,

and every man’s heart will melt.

Terror, pain, and anguish will seize them;

they will writhe like a woman in labor.

They will look at one another,

their faces flushed with fear.

Behold, the Day of the LORD is coming—

cruel, with fury and burning anger—

to make the earth a desolation

and to destroy the sinners within it.

For the stars of heaven and their constellations

will not give their light.

The rising sun will be darkened,

and the moon will not give its light.

I will punish the world for its evil

and the wicked for their iniquity.

I will end the haughtiness of the arrogant

and lay low the pride of the ruthless.

I will make man scarcer than pure gold,

and mankind rarer than the gold of Ophir.

Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,

and the earth will be shaken from its place

at the wrath of the LORD of Hosts

on the day of His burning anger.

Like a hunted gazelle,

like a sheep without a shepherd,

each will return to his own people,

each will flee to his native land.

Whoever is caught will be stabbed,

and whoever is captured will die by the sword.

Their infants will be dashed to pieces

before their eyes,

their houses will be looted,

and their wives will be ravished.

Behold, I will stir up against them the Medes,

who have no regard for silver

and no desire for gold.

Their bows will dash young men to pieces;

they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;

they will not look with pity on the children.

And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms,

the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans,

will be overthrown by God

like Sodom and Gomorrah.

She will never be inhabited

or settled from generation to generation;

no nomad will pitch his tent there,

no shepherd will rest his flock there.

But desert creatures will lie down there,

and howling creatures will fill her houses.

Ostriches will dwell there,

and wild goats will leap about.

Hyenas will howl in her fortresses

and jackals in her luxurious palaces.

Babylon’s time is at hand,

and her days will not be prolonged.

Isaiah 14

For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again He will choose Israel and settle them in their own land. The foreigner will join them and unite with the house of Jacob.

The nations will escort Israel and bring it to its homeland.

Then the house of Israel will possess the nations as menservants and maidservants in the LORD’s land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors.

On the day that the LORD gives you rest from your pain and torment, and from the hard labor into which you were forced, you will sing this song of contempt against the king of Babylon:

How the oppressor has ceased,

and how his fury has ended!

The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,

the scepter of the rulers.

It struck the peoples in anger

with unceasing blows;

it subdued the nations in rage

with relentless persecution.

All the earth is at peace and at rest;

they break out in song.

Even the cypresses and cedars of Lebanon

exult over you:

“Since you have been laid low,

no woodcutter comes against us.”

Sheol beneath is eager

to meet you upon your arrival.

It stirs the spirits of the dead to greet you—

all the rulers of the earth.

It makes all the kings of the nations

rise from their thrones.

They will all respond to you, saying,

“You too have become weak, as we are;

you have become like us!”

Your pomp has been brought down to Sheol,

along with the music of your harps.

Maggots are your bed

and worms your blanket.

How you have fallen from heaven,

O day star, son of the dawn!

You have been cut down to the ground,

O destroyer of nations.

You said in your heart:

“I will ascend to the heavens;

I will raise my throne

above the stars of God.

I will sit on the mount of assembly,

in the far reaches of the north.

I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High.”

But you will be brought down to Sheol,

to the lowest depths of the Pit.

Those who see you will stare;

they will ponder your fate:

“Is this the man who shook the earth

and made the kingdoms tremble,

who turned the world into a desert

and destroyed its cities,

who refused to let the captives

return to their homes?”

All the kings of the nations lie in state,

each in his own tomb.

But you are cast out of your grave like a rejected branch,

covered by those slain with the sword,

and dumped into a rocky pit

like a carcass trampled underfoot.

You will not join them in burial,

since you have destroyed your land

and slaughtered your own people.

The offspring of the wicked

will never again be mentioned.

Prepare a place to slaughter his sons

for the iniquities of their forefathers.

They will never rise up to possess a land

or cover the earth with their cities.

“I will rise up against them,”

declares the LORD of Hosts.

“I will cut off from Babylon

her name and her remnant,

her offspring and her posterity,”

declares the LORD.

“I will make her a place

for owls and for swamplands;

I will sweep her away

with the broom of destruction,”

declares the LORD of Hosts.

The LORD of Hosts has sworn:

“Surely, as I have planned, so will it be;

as I have purposed, so will it stand.

I will break Assyria in My land;

I will trample him on My mountain.

His yoke will be taken off My people,

and his burden removed from their shoulders.”

This is the plan devised for the whole earth,

and this is the hand stretched out over all the nations.

The LORD of Hosts has purposed,

and who can thwart Him?

His hand is outstretched,

so who can turn it back?

In the year that King Ahaz died, this burden was received:

Do not rejoice, all you Philistines,

that the rod that struck you is broken.

For a viper will spring from the root of the snake,

and a flying serpent from its egg.

Then the firstborn of the poor will find pasture,

and the needy will lie down in safety,

but I will kill your root by famine,

and your remnant will be slain.

Wail, O gate! Cry out, O city!

Melt away, all you Philistines!

For a cloud of smoke comes from the north,

and there are no stragglers in its ranks.

What answer will be given

to the envoys of that nation?

“The LORD has founded Zion,

where His afflicted people will find refuge.”

Isaiah 15

This is the burden against Moab:

Ar in Moab is ruined,

destroyed in a night!

Kir in Moab is devastated,

destroyed in a night!

Dibon goes up to its temple

to weep at its high places.

Moab wails over Nebo,

as well as over Medeba.

Every head is shaved,

every beard is cut off.

In its streets they wear sackcloth;

on the rooftops and in the public squares

they all wail, falling down weeping.

Heshbon and Elealeh cry out;

their voices are heard as far as Jahaz.

Therefore the soldiers of Moab cry out;

their souls tremble within.

My heart cries out over Moab;

her fugitives flee as far as Zoar,

as far as Eglath-shelishiyah.

With weeping they ascend the slope of Luhith;

they lament their destruction on the road to Horonaim.

The waters of Nimrim are dried up,

and the grass is withered;

the vegetation is gone,

and the greenery is no more.

So they carry their wealth and belongings

over the Brook of the Willows.

For their outcry echoes to the border of Moab.

Their wailing reaches Eglaim;

it is heard in Beer-elim.

The waters of Dimon are full of blood,

but I will bring more upon Dimon—

a lion upon the fugitives of Moab

and upon the remnant of the land.

Psalm 143

O LORD, hear my prayer.

In Your faithfulness, give ear to my plea;

in Your righteousness, answer me.

Do not bring Your servant into judgment,

for no one alive is righteous before You.

For the enemy has pursued my soul,

crushing my life to the ground,

making me dwell in darkness

like those long since dead.

My spirit grows faint within me;

my heart is dismayed inside me.

I remember the days of old;

I meditate on all Your works;

I consider the work of Your hands.

I stretch out my hands to You;

my soul thirsts for You like a parched land.

Selah

Answer me quickly, O LORD;

my spirit fails.

Do not hide Your face from me,

or I will be like those who descend to the Pit.

Let me hear Your loving devotion in the morning,

for I have put my trust in You.

Teach me the way I should walk,

for to You I lift up my soul.

Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD;

I flee to You for refuge.

Teach me to do Your will,

for You are my God.

May Your good Spirit lead me

on level ground.

For the sake of Your name, O LORD,

revive me.

In Your righteousness,

bring my soul out of trouble.

And in Your loving devotion,

cut off my enemies.

Destroy all who afflict me,

for I am Your servant.

"The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away." Matthew 16:1-4

This week we finish the 16th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. In this chapter the Pharisees demand a sign from Jesus, Jesus warns his disciples against the Pharisees and Sadducees, Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah, & finally Jesus predicts his coming death.

Today we get a depiction of God’s heavenly throne room, followed by several prophecies about the coming Messiah in the context of the coming Assyrian invasion and the overrunning of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. A lot of these different lines of prophecy are difficult to suss out, as these things did not historically overlap. Many apocalyptic saying in the bible will only be fully understood at the end of days, when all that is hidden will be revealed.

God continues to be enthroned between the cherubim. Christ sits at his right hand. The Holy Spirit continues to comfort and strengthen the hearts of the saints. God’s Word continues to be true. Our scriptures maintain their fidelity in pointing to the Triune God over all. All praise be to the Lord of Hosts!

Isaiah 6

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple.

Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling out to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts;

all the earth is full of His glory.”

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook, and the temple was filled with smoke.

Then I said:

“Woe is me,

for I am ruined,

because I am a man of unclean lips

dwelling among a people of unclean lips;

for my eyes have seen the King,

the LORD of Hosts.”

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And with it he touched my mouth and said:

“Now that this has touched your lips,

your iniquity is removed

and your sin is atoned for.”

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying:

“Whom shall I send?

Who will go for Us?”

And I said:

“Here am I. Send me!”

And He replied:

“Go and tell this people,

‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;

be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’

Make the hearts of this people calloused;

deafen their ears and close their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts,

and turn and be healed.”

Then I asked:

“How long, O Lord?”

And He replied:

“Until the cities lie ruined

and without inhabitant,

until the houses are left unoccupied

and the land is desolate and ravaged,

until the LORD has driven men far away

and the land is utterly forsaken.

And though a tenth remains in the land,

it will be burned again.

As the terebinth and oak leave stumps when felled,

so the holy seed will be a stump in the land.”

Isaiah 7

Now in the days that Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, Rezin king of Aram marched up to wage war against Jerusalem. He was accompanied by Pekah son of Remaliah the king of Israel, but he could not overpower the city.

When it was reported to the house of David that Aram was in league with Ephraim, the hearts of Ahaz and his people trembled like trees in the forest shaken by the wind.

Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear-jashub to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct that feeds the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field,

and say to him: Calm down and be quiet. Do not be afraid or disheartened over these two smoldering stubs of firewood—over the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.

For Aram, along with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has plotted your ruin, saying:

‘Let us invade Judah, terrorize it, and divide it among ourselves. Then we can install the son of Tabeal over it as king.’ But this is what the Lord GOD says:

‘It will not arise;

it will not happen.

For the head of Aram is Damascus,

and the head of Damascus is Rezin.

Within sixty-five years

Ephraim will be shattered as a people.

The head of Ephraim is Samaria,

and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.

If you do not stand firm in your faith,

then you will not stand at all.’ ”

Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying, “Ask for a sign from the LORD your God, whether from the depths of Sheol or the heights of heaven.”

But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask; I will not test the LORD.”

Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God as well?

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.

By the time He knows enough to reject evil and choose good, He will be eating curds and honey.

For before the boy knows enough to reject evil and choose good, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.

The LORD will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since the day Ephraim separated from Judah—He will bring the king of Assyria.”

On that day the LORD will whistle to the flies at the farthest streams of the Nile and to the bees in the land of Assyria.

And they will all come and settle

in the steep ravines and clefts of the rocks,

in all the thornbushes and watering holes.

On that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates —the king of Assyria—to shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to remove your beard as well.

On that day a man will raise a young cow and two sheep, and from the abundance of milk they give, he will eat curds; for all who remain in the land will eat curds and honey.

And on that day, in every place that had a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels of silver, only briers and thorns will be found.

Men will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns.

For fear of the briers and thorns, you will no longer traverse the hills once tilled by the hoe; they will become places for oxen to graze and sheep to trample.

Isaiah 8

Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary stylus: Maher-shalal-hash-baz.

And I will appoint for Myself trustworthy witnesses—Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah.”

And I had relations with the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. The LORD said to me, “Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz.

For before the boy knows how to cry ‘Father’ or ‘Mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.”

And the LORD spoke to me further:

“Because this people has rejected

the gently flowing waters of Shiloah

and rejoiced in Rezin

and the son of Remaliah,

the Lord will surely bring against them

the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates —

the king of Assyria and all his pomp.

It will overflow its channels

and overrun its banks.

It will pour into Judah,

swirling and sweeping over it,

reaching up to the neck;

its spreading streams will cover

your entire land, O Immanuel!

Huddle together, O peoples, and be shattered;

pay attention, all you distant lands;

prepare for battle, and be shattered;

prepare for battle, and be shattered!

Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted;

state a proposal, but it will not happen.

For God is with us.”

For this is what the LORD has spoken to me with a strong hand, instructing me not to walk in the way of this people:

“Do not call conspiracy

everything these people regard as conspiracy.

Do not fear what they fear;

do not live in dread.

The LORD of Hosts is the One

you shall regard as holy.

Only He should be feared;

only He should be dreaded.

And He will be a sanctuary—

but to both houses of Israel

a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense,

to the dwellers of Jerusalem

a trap and a snare.

Many will stumble over these;

they will fall and be broken;

they will be ensnared and captured.”

Bind up the testimony

and seal the law among my disciples.

I will wait for the LORD,

who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob.

I will put my trust in Him.

Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me as signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD of Hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.

When men tell you to consult the spirits of the dead and the spiritists who whisper and mutter, shouldn’t a people consult their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?

To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.

They will roam the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged; and looking upward, they will curse their king and their God.

Then they will look to the earth and see only distress and darkness and the gloom of anguish. And they will be driven into utter darkness.

Isaiah 9

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those in distress. In the past He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future He will honor the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations:

The people walking in darkness

have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of the shadow of death,

a light has dawned.

You have enlarged the nation

and increased its joy.

The people rejoice before You

as they rejoice at harvest time,

as men rejoice in dividing the plunder.

For as in the day of Midian

You have shattered the yoke of their burden,

the bar across their shoulders,

and the rod of their oppressor.

For every trampling boot of battle

and every garment rolled in blood

will be burned as fuel for the fire.

For unto us a child is born,

unto us a son is given,

and the government will be upon His shoulders.

And He will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of His government and peace

there will be no end.

He will reign on the throne of David

and over his kingdom,

to establish and sustain it

with justice and righteousness

from that time and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.

The Lord has sent a message against Jacob,

and it has fallen upon Israel.

All the people will know it—

Ephraim and the dwellers of Samaria.

With pride and arrogance of heart

they will say:

“The bricks have fallen,

but we will rebuild with finished stone;

the sycamores have been felled,

but we will replace them with cedars.”

The LORD has raised up the foes of Rezin against him

and joined his enemies together.

Aram from the east and Philistia from the west

have devoured Israel with open mouths.

Despite all this, His anger is not turned away;

His hand is still upraised.

But the people did not return to Him who struck them;

they did not seek the LORD of Hosts.

So the LORD will cut off Israel’s head and tail,

both palm branch and reed in a single day.

The head is the elder and honorable man,

and the tail is the prophet who teaches lies.

For those who guide this people mislead them,

and those they mislead are swallowed up.

Therefore the Lord takes no pleasure in their young men;

He has no compassion on their fatherless and widows.

For every one of them is godless and wicked,

and every mouth speaks folly.

Despite all this, His anger is not turned away;

His hand is still upraised.

For wickedness burns like a fire

that consumes the thorns and briers

and kindles the forest thickets

which roll upward in billows of smoke.

By the wrath of the LORD of Hosts

the land is scorched,

and the people are fuel for the fire.

No man even spares his brother.

They carve out what is on the right,

but they are still hungry;

they eat what is on the left,

but they are still not satisfied.

Each one devours the flesh of his own offspring.

Manasseh devours Ephraim,

and Ephraim Manasseh;

together they turn against Judah.

Despite all this, His anger is not turned away;

His hand is still upraised.

Isaiah 10

Woe to those who enact unjust statutes

and issue oppressive decrees,

to deprive the poor of fair treatment

and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people,

to make widows their prey

and orphans their plunder.

What will you do on the day of reckoning

when devastation comes from afar?

To whom will you flee for help?

Where will you leave your wealth?

Nothing will remain but to crouch among the captives

or fall among the slain.

Despite all this, His anger is not turned away;

His hand is still upraised.

Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger;

the staff in their hands is My wrath.

I will send him against a godless nation;

I will dispatch him against a people destined for My rage,

to take spoils and seize plunder,

and to trample them down like clay in the streets.

But this is not his intention;

this is not his plan.

For it is in his heart to destroy

and cut off many nations.

“Are not all my commanders kings?” he says.

“Is not Calno like Carchemish?

Is not Hamath like Arpad?

Is not Samaria like Damascus?

As my hand seized the idolatrous kingdoms

whose images surpassed those of Jerusalem and Samaria,

and as I have done to Samaria and its idols,

will I not also do to Jerusalem and her idols?”

So when the Lord has completed all His work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, He will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the fruit of his arrogant heart and the proud look in his eyes.

For he says:

‘By the strength of my hand I have done this,

and by my wisdom, for I am clever.

I have removed the boundaries of nations

and plundered their treasures;

like a mighty one I subdued their rulers.

My hand reached as into a nest

to seize the wealth of the nations.

Like one gathering abandoned eggs,

I gathered all the earth.

No wing fluttered,

no beak opened or chirped.’ ”

Does an axe raise itself above the one who swings it?

Does a saw boast over him who saws with it?

It would be like a rod waving the one who lifts it,

or a staff lifting him who is not wood!

Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts will send a wasting disease

among Assyria’s stout warriors,

and under his pomp will be kindled

a fire like a burning flame.

And the Light of Israel will become a fire,

and its Holy One a flame.

In a single day it will burn and devour

Assyria’s thorns and thistles.

The splendor of its forests and orchards,

both soul and body,

it will completely destroy,

as a sickness consumes a man.

The remaining trees of its forests will be so few

that a child could count them.

On that day the remnant of Israel

and the survivors of the house of Jacob

will no longer depend

on him who struck them,

but they will truly rely on the LORD,

the Holy One of Israel.

A remnant will return —a remnant of Jacob—

to the Mighty God.

Though your people, O Israel, be like the sand of the sea,

only a remnant will return.

Destruction has been decreed,

overflowing with righteousness.

For the Lord GOD of Hosts will carry out

the destruction decreed upon the whole land.

Therefore this is what the Lord GOD of Hosts says:

“O My people who dwell in Zion,

do not fear Assyria,

who strikes you with a rod

and lifts his staff against you

as the Egyptians did.

For in just a little while

My fury against you will subside,

and My anger will turn to their destruction.”

And the LORD of Hosts will brandish a whip against them,

as when He struck Midian at the rock of Oreb.

He will raise His staff over the sea,

as He did in Egypt.

On that day the burden will be lifted from your shoulders,

and the yoke from your neck.

The yoke will be broken

because your neck will be too large.

Assyria has entered Aiath

and passed through Migron,

storing their supplies at Michmash.

They have crossed at the ford:

“We will spend the night at Geba.”

Ramah trembles;

Gibeah of Saul flees.

Cry aloud, O Daughter of Gallim!

Listen, O Laishah!

O wretched Anathoth!

Madmenah flees;

the people of Gebim take refuge.

Yet today they will halt at Nob,

shaking a fist at the mount of Daughter Zion,

at the hill of Jerusalem.

Behold, the Lord GOD of Hosts

will lop off the branches with terrifying power.

The tall trees will be cut down,

the lofty ones will be felled.

He will clear the forest thickets with an axe,

and Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One.

Psalm 149

Hallelujah!

Sing to the LORD a new song—

His praise in the assembly of the godly.

Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;

let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.

Let them praise His name with dancing,

and make music to Him with tambourine and harp.

For the LORD takes pleasure in His people;

He adorns the afflicted with salvation.

Let the saints exult in glory;

let them shout for joy upon their beds.

May the high praises of God be in their mouths,

and a double-edged sword in their hands,

to inflict vengeance on the nations

and punishment on the peoples,

to bind their kings with chains

and their nobles with shackles of iron,

to execute the judgment written against them.

This honor is for all His saints.

Hallelujah!

We begin Isaiah today. The prophecies of Isaiah are interconnected throughout the New Testament. Jesus was the fulfillment of dozens of prophecies. In the aftermath of the resurrection of Christ, it was the prophecies of Isaiah that helped people make sense of John the Baptist and Jesus. God’s masterpiece, laid forth centuries before Jesus, has continued to be fleshed out over the millennia.

We will be in Isaiah for a while. Do your best to see the many layers on which these prophecies operate. It might be worth spending some time to learn the history of ancient Israel, its dispersion under the Babylonians, then its reconstitution. The brokenness of the covenant people, and their eventual restoration by a loving God who overlooks their many infractions, provides the same hope for Christians today. The Lord, I believe, will fulfill his promises to the Jews. We who are in Christ have an even richer promise. God is faithful. His prophecies show this. Enjoy!

Isaiah 1

This is the vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth,

for the LORD has spoken:

“I have raised children and brought them up,

but they have rebelled against Me.

The ox knows its owner,

and the donkey its master’s manger,

but Israel does not know;

My people do not understand.”

Alas, O sinful nation,

a people laden with iniquity,

a brood of evildoers,

children of depravity!

They have forsaken the LORD;

they have despised the Holy One of Israel

and turned their backs on Him.

Why do you want more beatings?

Why do you keep rebelling?

Your head has a massive wound,

and your whole heart is afflicted.

From the sole of your foot to the top of your head,

there is no soundness—

only wounds and welts and festering sores

neither cleansed nor bandaged nor soothed with oil.

Your land is desolate;

your cities are burned with fire.

Foreigners devour your fields before you—

a desolation demolished by strangers.

And the Daughter of Zion is abandoned

like a shelter in a vineyard,

like a shack in a cucumber field,

like a city besieged.

Unless the LORD of Hosts

had left us a few survivors,

we would have become like Sodom,

we would have resembled Gomorrah.

Hear the word of the LORD,

you rulers of Sodom;

listen to the instruction of our God,

you people of Gomorrah!

“What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?”

says the LORD.

“I am full from the burnt offerings of rams

and the fat of well-fed cattle;

I take no delight in the blood of bulls

and lambs and goats.

When you come to appear before Me,

who has required this of you—

this trampling of My courts?

Bring your worthless offerings no more;

your incense is detestable to Me—

your New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations.

I cannot endure iniquity

in a solemn assembly.

I hate your New Moons

and your appointed feasts.

They have become a burden to Me;

I am weary of bearing them.

When you spread out your hands in prayer,

I will hide My eyes from you;

even though you multiply your prayers,

I will not listen.

Your hands are covered with blood.

Wash and cleanse yourselves.

Remove your evil deeds from My sight.

Stop doing evil!

Learn to do right;

seek justice and correct the oppressor.

Defend the fatherless

and plead the case of the widow.”

“Come now, let us reason together,”

says the LORD.

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

they will be as white as snow;

though they are as red as crimson,

they will become like wool.

If you are willing and obedient,

you will eat the best of the land.

But if you resist and rebel,

you will be devoured by the sword.”

For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

See how the faithful city has become a harlot!

She once was full of justice;

righteousness resided within her,

but now only murderers!

Your silver has become dross;

your fine wine is diluted with water.

Your rulers are rebels,

friends of thieves.

They all love bribes

and chasing after rewards.

They do not defend the fatherless,

and the plea of the widow never comes before them.

Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts,

the Mighty One of Israel, declares:

“Ah, I will be relieved of My foes

and avenge Myself on My enemies.

I will turn My hand against you;

I will thoroughly purge your dross;

I will remove all your impurities.

I will restore your judges as at first,

and your counselors as at the beginning.

After that you will be called the City of Righteousness,

the Faithful City.”

Zion will be redeemed with justice,

her repentant ones with righteousness.

But rebels and sinners will together be shattered,

and those who forsake the LORD will perish.

Surely you will be ashamed of the sacred oaks

in which you have delighted;

you will be embarrassed by the gardens

that you have chosen.

For you will become like an oak whose leaves are withered,

like a garden without water.

The strong man will become tinder

and his work will be a spark;

both will burn together,

with no one to quench the flames.

Isaiah 2

This is the message that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD

will be established as the chief of the mountains;

it will be raised above the hills,

and all nations will stream to it.

And many peoples will come and say:

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,

to the house of the God of Jacob.

He will teach us His ways

so that we may walk in His paths.”

For the law will go forth from Zion,

and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Then He will judge between the nations

and arbitrate for many peoples.

They will beat their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will no longer take up the sword against nation,

nor train anymore for war.

Come, O house of Jacob,

let us walk in the light of the LORD.

For You have abandoned Your people,

the house of Jacob,

because they are filled

with influences from the east;

they are soothsayers like the Philistines;

they strike hands with the children of foreigners.

Their land is full of silver and gold,

with no limit to their treasures;

their land is full of horses,

with no limit to their chariots.

Their land is full of idols;

they bow down to the work of their hands,

to what their fingers have made.

So mankind is brought low,

and man is humbled—

do not forgive them!

Go into the rocks

and hide in the dust

from the terror of the LORD

and the splendor of His majesty.

The proud look of man will be humbled,

and the loftiness of men brought low;

the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.

For the Day of the LORD of Hosts

will come against all the proud and lofty,

against all that is exalted—

it will be humbled—

against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up,

against all the oaks of Bashan,

against all the tall mountains,

against all the high hills,

against every high tower,

against every fortified wall,

against every ship of Tarshish,

and against every stately vessel.

So the pride of man will be brought low,

and the loftiness of men will be humbled;

the LORD alone will be exalted in that day,

and the idols will vanish completely.

Men will flee to caves in the rocks

and holes in the ground,

away from the terror of the LORD

and from the splendor of His majesty,

when He rises to shake the earth.

In that day men will cast away

to the moles and bats

their idols of silver and gold—

the idols they made to worship.

They will flee to caverns in the rocks

and crevices in the cliffs,

away from the terror of the LORD

and from the splendor of His majesty,

when He rises to shake the earth.

Put no more trust in man,

who has only the breath in his nostrils.

Of what account is he?

Isaiah 3

For behold, the Lord GOD of Hosts

is about to remove

from Jerusalem and Judah

both supply and support:

the whole supply of food and water,

the mighty man and the warrior,

the judge and the prophet,

the soothsayer and the elder,

the commander of fifty and the dignitary,

the counselor, the cunning magician, and the clever enchanter.

“I will make mere lads their leaders,

and children will rule over them.”

The people will oppress one another,

man against man, neighbor against neighbor;

the young will rise up against the old,

and the base against the honorable.

A man will seize his brother

within his father’s house:

“You have a cloak—you be our leader!

Take charge of this heap of rubble.”

On that day he will cry aloud:

“I am not a healer.

I have no food or clothing in my house.

Do not make me leader of the people!”

For Jerusalem has stumbled

and Judah has fallen

because they spoke and acted against the LORD,

defying His glorious presence.

The expression on their faces testifies against them,

and like Sodom they flaunt their sin;

they do not conceal it.

Woe to them,

for they have brought disaster upon themselves.

Tell the righteous it will be well with them,

for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor.

Woe to the wicked; disaster is upon them!

For they will be repaid with what their hands have done.

Youths oppress My people,

and women rule over them.

O My people, your guides mislead you;

they turn you from your paths.

The LORD arises to contend;

He stands to judge the people.

The LORD brings this charge

against the elders and leaders of His people:

“You have devoured the vineyard;

the plunder of the poor is in your houses.

Why do you crush My people

and grind the faces of the poor?”

declares the Lord GOD of Hosts.

The LORD also says:

“Because the daughters of Zion are haughty—

walking with heads held high

and wanton eyes,

prancing and skipping as they go,

jingling the bracelets on their ankles—

the Lord will bring sores

on the heads of the daughters of Zion,

and the LORD will make their foreheads bare.”

In that day the Lord will take away their finery:

their anklets and headbands and crescents;

their pendants, bracelets, and veils;

their headdresses, ankle chains, and sashes;

their perfume bottles and charms;

their signet rings and nose rings;

their festive robes, capes, cloaks, and purses;

and their mirrors, linen garments, tiaras, and shawls.

Instead of fragrance

there will be a stench;

instead of a belt, a rope;

instead of styled hair, baldness;

instead of fine clothing, sackcloth;

instead of beauty, shame.

Your men will fall by the sword,

and your warriors in battle.

And the gates of Zion will lament and mourn;

destitute, she will sit on the ground.

Isaiah 4

In that day seven women

will take hold of one man and say,

“We will eat our own bread

and provide our own clothes.

Just let us be called by your name.

Take away our disgrace!”

On that day the Branch of the LORD

will be beautiful and glorious,

and the fruit of the land

will be the pride and glory of Israel’s survivors.

Whoever remains in Zion

and whoever is left in Jerusalem

will be called holy—

all in Jerusalem who are recorded among the living—

when the Lord has washed away

the filth of the daughters of Zion

and cleansed the bloodstains from the heart of Jerusalem

by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.

Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion

and over her assemblies

a cloud of smoke by day

and a glowing flame of fire by night.

For over all the glory

there will be a canopy,

a shelter to give shade

from the heat by day,

and a refuge and hiding place

from the storm and the rain.

Isaiah 5

I will sing for my beloved a song of his vineyard:

My beloved had a vineyard

on a very fertile hill.

He dug it up and cleared the stones

and planted the finest vines.

He built a watchtower in the middle

and dug out a winepress as well.

He waited for the vineyard to yield good grapes,

but the fruit it produced was sour!

“And now, O dwellers of Jerusalem

and men of Judah,

I exhort you to judge

between Me and My vineyard.

What more could I have done for My vineyard

than I already did for it?

Why, when I expected sweet grapes,

did it bring forth sour fruit?

Now I will tell you what I am about to do to My vineyard:

I will take away its hedge,

and it will be consumed;

I will tear down its wall,

and it will be trampled.

I will make it a wasteland,

neither pruned nor cultivated,

and thorns and briers will grow up.

I will command the clouds

that rain shall not fall on it.”

For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts

is the house of Israel,

and the men of Judah

are the plant of His delight.

He looked for justice,

but saw bloodshed;

for righteousness,

but heard a cry of distress.

Woe to you who add house to house

and join field to field

until no place is left

and you live alone in the land.

I heard the LORD of Hosts declare:

“Surely many houses will become desolate,

great mansions left unoccupied.

For ten acres of vineyard

will yield but a bath of wine,

and a homer of seed

only an ephah of grain.”

Woe to those who rise early in the morning

in pursuit of strong drink,

who linger into the evening,

to be inflamed by wine.

At their feasts are the lyre and harp,

tambourines and flutes and wine.

They disregard the actions of the LORD

and fail to see the work of His hands.

Therefore My people will go into exile

for their lack of understanding;

their dignitaries are starving

and their masses are parched with thirst.

Therefore Sheol enlarges its throat

and opens wide its enormous jaws,

and down go Zion’s nobles and masses,

her revelers and carousers!

So mankind will be brought low, and each man humbled;

the arrogant will lower their eyes.

But the LORD of Hosts will be exalted by His justice,

and the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness.

Lambs will graze as in their own pastures,

and strangers will feed in the ruins of the wealthy.

Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of deceit

and pull sin along with cart ropes,

to those who say, “Let Him hurry and hasten His work

so that we may see it!

Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come

so that we may know it!”

Woe to those who call evil good

and good evil,

who turn darkness to light

and light to darkness,

who replace bitter with sweet

and sweet with bitter.

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes

and clever in their own sight.

Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine

and champions in mixing beer,

who acquit the guilty for a bribe

and deprive the innocent of justice.

Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes the straw,

and as dry grass shrivels in the flame,

so their roots will decay

and their blossoms will blow away like dust;

for they have rejected the instruction of the LORD of Hosts

and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore the anger of the LORD burns against His people;

His hand is raised against them to strike them down.

The mountains quake,

and the corpses lay like refuse in the streets.

Despite all this, His anger is not turned away;

His hand is still upraised.

He lifts a banner for the distant nations

and whistles for those at the ends of the earth.

Behold—how speedily and swiftly they come!

None of them grows weary or stumbles;

no one slumbers or sleeps.

No belt is loose

and no sandal strap is broken.

Their arrows are sharpened,

and all their bows are strung.

The hooves of their horses are like flint;

their chariot wheels are like a whirlwind.

Their roaring is like that of a lion;

they roar like young lions.

They growl and seize their prey;

they carry it away from deliverance.

In that day they will roar over it,

like the roaring of the sea.

If one looks over the land,

he will see darkness and distress;

even the light will be obscured by clouds.

Psalm 148

Hallelujah!

Praise the LORD from the heavens;

praise Him in the highest places.

Praise Him, all His angels;

praise Him, all His heavenly hosts.

Praise Him, O sun and moon;

praise Him, all you shining stars.

Praise Him, O highest heavens,

and you waters above the skies.

Let them praise the name of the LORD,

for He gave the command and they were created.

He established them forever and ever;

He issued a decree that will never pass away.

Praise the LORD from the earth,

all great sea creatures and ocean depths,

lightning and hail, snow and clouds,

powerful wind fulfilling His word,

mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars,

wild animals and all cattle,

crawling creatures and flying birds,

kings of the earth and all peoples,

princes and all rulers of the earth,

young men and maidens,

old and young together.

Let them praise the name of the LORD,

for His name alone is exalted;

His splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

He has raised up a horn for His people,

the praise of all His saints,

of Israel, a people near to Him.

Hallelujah!

Acts 8

And Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death.

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

God-fearing men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him.

But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.

Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them.

The crowds gave their undivided attention to Philip’s message and to the signs they saw him perform.

With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, and many of the paralyzed and lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.

Prior to that time, a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and astounded the people of Samaria. He claimed to be someone great,

and all the people, from the least to the greatest, heeded his words and said, “This man is the divine power called the Great Power.”

They paid close attention to him because he had astounded them for a long time with his sorcery.

But when they believed Philip as he preached the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Even Simon himself believed and was baptized. He followed Philip closely and was astounded by the great signs and miracles he observed.

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. On their arrival, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.

For the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money.

“Give me this power as well,” he said, “so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

But Peter replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!

You have no part or share in our ministry, because your heart is not right before God.

Repent, therefore, of your wickedness, and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive you for the intent of your heart. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and captive to iniquity.”

Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

And after Peter and John had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many of the Samaritan villages.

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go south to the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”

So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official in charge of the entire treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship,

and on his return was sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet.

The Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to that chariot and stay by it.”

So Philip ran up and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

“How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,

and as a lamb before the shearer is silent,

so He did not open His mouth.

In His humiliation He was deprived of justice.

Who can recount His descendants?

For His life was removed from the earth.”

“Tell me,” said the eunuch, “who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?”

Then Philip began with this very Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

As they traveled along the road and came to some water, the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is there to prevent me from being baptized?”

And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing.

But Philip appeared at Azotus and traveled through that region, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

John 1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.

In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There came a man who was sent from God. His name was John. He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe.

He himself was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

The true Light who gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—

children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John testified concerning Him. He cried out, saying, “This is He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’ ”

From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.

And this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?” He did not refuse to confess, but openly declared, “I am not the Christ.”

“Then who are you?” they inquired. “Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”

He answered, “No.”

So they said to him, “Who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet:

“I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness,

‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ”

Then the Pharisees who had been sent asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands One you do not know. He is the One who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

This is He of whom I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’

I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel.”

Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him.

I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

And when the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

Jesus turned and saw them following. “What do you want?” He asked.

They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are You staying?”

“Come and see,” He replied. So they went and saw where He was staying, and spent that day with Him. It was about the tenth hour.

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus.

He first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated as Christ).

Andrew brought him to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated as Peter).

The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.

Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

“Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.”

“How do You know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”

“Rabbi,” Nathanael answered, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

Jesus said to him, “Do you believe just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.”

Then He declared, “Truly, truly, I tell you, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

The books of the Bible were largely written to be read aloud in one sitting. Today’s popular method of doing a verse or two at a time would seem strange and quite faithless to the first generations of believers. Those who died to self and lived in Christ were expected to commit large portions of scripture to memory. They understood these words to be divinely inspired, full of life.

I rejoice that I have this opportunity to read through the whole letter to the Ephesians. It is a very important book in establishing proper and holy household relations, equipping us for spiritual warfare, determining our ethics as we navigate a fallen world, and conducting ourselves rightly in relation to the church. Soak it all in!

Ephesians 1

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.

For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love

He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ

as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.

In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,

in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory.

And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him.

I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,

and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength,

which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms,

far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

And God put everything under His feet and made Him head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Ephesians 2

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience.

All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath.

But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved!

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.

Therefore remember that formerly you who are Gentiles in the flesh and called uncircumcised by the so-called circumcision (that done in the body by human hands)—

remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility

by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace

and reconciling both of them to God in one body through the cross, by which He extinguished their hostility.

He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household,

built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

And in Him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit.

Ephesians 3

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles...

Surely you have heard about the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you,

that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,

which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.

This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.

I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace, given me through the working of His power.

Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

and to illuminate for everyone the stewardship of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.

His purpose was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,

according to the eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In Him and through faith in Him we may enter God’s presence with boldness and confidence.

So I ask you not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

... for this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being,

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Then you, being rooted and grounded in love,

will have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth

of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do so much more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,

to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 4

As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received: with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. This is why it says:

“When He ascended on high,

He led captives away,

and gave gifts to men.”

What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth?

He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.

And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ,

until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head.

From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part.

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.

They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.

Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more.

But this is not the way you came to know Christ. Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him—in keeping with the truth that is in Jesus—

to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be renewed in the spirit of your minds;

and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another.

“Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set upon your anger, and do not give the devil a foothold.

He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.

Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.

Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 5

Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.

But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.

Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or crude joking, which are out of character, but rather thanksgiving.

For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.

Test and prove what pleases the Lord.

Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.

But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that is illuminated becomes a light itself. So it is said:

“Wake up, O sleeper,

rise up from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.”

Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord,

always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior.

Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,

and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.

In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

Indeed, no one ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church. For we are members of His body.

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”

This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church.

Nevertheless, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Ephesians 6

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.”

Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.

And do this not only to please them while they are watching, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve with good will, as to the Lord and not to men,

because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

And masters, do the same for your slaves. Give up your use of threats, because you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace.

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.

Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel,

for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly, as I should.

Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know about me and what I am doing.

I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about us, and that he may encourage your hearts.

Peace to the brothers and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

Today we conclude the Gospel of Luke. Jesus gives his last teachings, he has his Last Supper, he prays at Gethsemane, is arrested and put on trial, convicted and crucified, resurrects and ascends into heaven. The arrangement of these various details covers aspects that other gospels do not carry. These are matters of emphasis rather than substance.

Christ prays for our forgiveness even though we are the ones who are crucifying him. It is a hard thing to convey to folks that our sins and lives today can be connected to those who came before us. It wasn’t just ancient Jews who killed Jesus. It was us. We are told in Hebrews that every time we willingly give ourselves to sin, we are recrucifying him.

Crucifixion is heinous and humiliating, excruciating and embarrassing. It is unspeakable. It is what our Lord did to pay the price for our sins so that we wouldn’t have to. King Jesus did not have to do this. He does not need us. He in his sovereignty could be just fine without us. He chose us anyway. We self-interested people have a hard time understanding this. Why would he die for us if he doesn’t need us? Because he loves us.

Thank you, Jesus, for this unfathomable gift!

Luke 19

Then Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man named Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, who was very wealthy.

He was trying to see who Jesus was, but could not see over the crowd because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Him, since Jesus was about to pass that way.

When Jesus came to that place, He looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down, for I must stay at your house today.”

So Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed Him joyfully. And all who saw this began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinful man!”

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will repay it fourfold.”

Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

While the people were listening to this, Jesus proceeded to tell them a parable, because He was near Jerusalem and they thought the kingdom of God would appear imminently.

So He said, “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to lay claim to his kingship and then return.

Beforehand, he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Conduct business with this until I return,’ he said.

But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’

When he returned from procuring his kingship, he summoned the servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what each one had earned.

The first servant came forward and said, ‘Master, your mina has produced ten more minas.’

His master replied, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you shall have authority over ten cities.’

The second servant came and said, ‘Master, your mina has made five minas.’

And to this one he said, ‘You shall have authority over five cities.’

Then another servant came and said, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have laid away in a piece of cloth.

For I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man. You withdraw what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow.’

His master replied, ‘You wicked servant, I will judge you by your own words. So you knew that I am a harsh man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?

Why then did you not deposit my money in the bank, and upon my return I could have collected it with interest?’

Then he told those standing by, ‘Take the mina from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’

‘Master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’

He replied, ‘I tell you that everyone who has will be given more; but the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

And these enemies of mine who were unwilling for me to rule over them, bring them here and slay them in front of me.’ ”

After Jesus had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

As He approached Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, He sent out two of His disciples,

saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here.

If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying it?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”

So those who were sent went out and found it just as Jesus had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked, “Why are you untying the colt?”

“The Lord needs it,” they answered. Then they led the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks over it, and put Jesus on it.

As He rode along, the people spread their cloaks on the road.

And as He approached the descent from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of disciples began to praise God joyfully in a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen:

“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

But some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples!”

“I tell you,” He answered, “if they remain silent, the very stones will cry out.”

As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said, “If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes.

For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side.

They will level you to the ground—you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”

Then Jesus entered the temple courts and began to drive out those who were selling there.

He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be a house of prayer.’ But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

Jesus was teaching at the temple every day, but the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people were intent on killing Him.

Yet they could not find a way to do so, because all the people hung on His words.

Luke 20

One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the gospel, the chief priests and scribes, together with the elders, came up to Him.

“Tell us,” they said, “by what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?”

“I will also ask you a question,” Jesus replied. “Tell Me: John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men?”

They deliberated among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why did you not believe him?’

But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”

So they answered that they did not know where it was from.

And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

Then He proceeded to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it out to some tenants, and went away for a long time.

At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed.

So he sent another servant, but they beat him and treated him shamefully, sending him away empty-handed.

Then he sent a third, but they wounded him and threw him out.

‘What shall I do?’ asked the owner of the vineyard. ‘I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him.’

But when the tenants saw the son, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’

So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and kill those tenants, and will give the vineyard to others.”

And when the people heard this, they said, “May such a thing never happen!”

But Jesus looked directly at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:

‘The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone’?

Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

When the scribes and chief priests realized that Jesus had spoken this parable against them, they sought to arrest Him that very hour. But they were afraid of the people.

So they watched Him closely and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. They were hoping to catch Him in His words in order to hand Him over to the rule and authority of the governor.

“Teacher,” they inquired, “we know that You speak and teach correctly. You show no partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.

Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

But Jesus saw through their duplicity and said to them, “Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”

“Caesar’s,” they answered.

So Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

And they were unable to trap Him in His words before the people; and amazed at His answer, they fell silent.

Then some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to question Him.

“Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother’s widow and raise up offspring for him.

Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a wife, but died childless. Then the second

and the third married the widow, and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children. And last of all, the woman died.

So then, in the resurrection, whose wife will she be? For all seven were married to her.”

Jesus answered, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.

But those who are considered worthy to share in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage.

In fact, they can no longer die, because they are like the angels. And since they are sons of the resurrection, they are sons of God.

Even Moses demonstrates that the dead are raised, in the passage about the burning bush. For he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’

He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive.”

Some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, You have spoken well!” And they did not dare to question Him any further.

Then Jesus declared, “How can it be said that the Christ is the Son of David? For David himself says in the book of Psalms:

‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at My right hand

until I make Your enemies

a footstool for Your feet.” ’

Thus David calls Him ‘Lord.’ So how can He be David’s son?”

In the hearing of all the people, Jesus said to His disciples,

“Beware of the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, and they love the greetings in the marketplaces, the chief seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets.

They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”

Luke 21

Then Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.

“Truly I tell you,” He said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others.

For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

As some of the disciples were remarking how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and consecrated gifts, Jesus said,

“As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

“Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”

Jesus answered, “See to it that you are not deceived. For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.

When you hear of wars and rebellions, do not be alarmed. These things must happen first, but the end is not imminent.”

Then He told them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, along with fearful sights and great signs from heaven.

But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. On account of My name they will deliver you to the synagogues and prisons, and they will bring you before kings and governors.

This will be your opportunity to serve as witnesses. So make up your mind not to worry beforehand how to defend yourselves.

For I will give you speech and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you will be put to death. And you will be hated by everyone because of My name.

Yet not even a hair of your head will perish. By your patient endurance you will gain your souls.

But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know that her desolation is near.

Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country stay out of the city.

For these are the days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written.

How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people.

They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves.

Men will faint from fear and anxiety over what is coming upon the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Then Jesus told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near.

So also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.

For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of all the earth.

So keep watch at all times, and pray that you may have the strength to escape all that is about to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Every day Jesus taught at the temple, but every evening He went out to spend the night on the Mount of Olives.

And early in the morning all the people would come to hear Him at the temple.

Luke 22

Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death; for they feared the people.

Then Satan entered Judas Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve. And Judas went to discuss with the chief priests and temple officers how he might betray Jesus to them.

They were delighted and agreed to give him money. Judas consented, and began to look for an opportunity to betray Jesus to them in the absence of a crowd.

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare for us to eat the Passover.”

“Where do You want us to prepare it?” they asked.

He answered, “When you enter the city, a man carrying a jug of water will meet you. Follow him to the house he enters,

and say to the owner of that house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?’

And he will show you a large upper room, already furnished. Make preparations there.”

So they went and found it just as Jesus had told them. And they prepared the Passover.

When the hour had come, Jesus reclined at the table with His apostles. And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering.

For I tell you that I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

After taking the cup, He gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves.

For I tell you that I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.”

And He took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.

Look! The hand of My betrayer is with Mine on the table. Indeed, the Son of Man will go as it has been determined, but woe to that man who betrays Him.”

Then they began to question among themselves which of them was going to do this.

A dispute also arose among the disciples as to which of them would be considered the greatest.

So Jesus declared, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in authority over them call themselves benefactors.

But you shall not be like them. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves.

For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines? But I am among you as one who serves.

You are the ones who have stood by Me in My trials. And I bestow on you a kingdom, just as My Father has bestowed one on Me,

so that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat.

But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

“Lord,” said Peter, “I am ready to go with You even to prison and to death.”

But Jesus replied, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”

Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you out without purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”

“Nothing,” they answered.

“Now, however,” He told them, “the one with a purse should take it, and likewise a bag; and the one without a sword should sell his cloak and buy one.

For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about Me is reaching its fulfillment.”

So they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.”

“That is enough,” He answered.

Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed Him. When He came to the place, He told them, “Pray that you will not enter into temptation.”

And He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, where He knelt down and prayed, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. And in His anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.

When Jesus rose from prayer and returned to the disciples, He found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.

“Why are you sleeping?” He asked. “Get up and pray so that you will not enter into temptation.”

While He was still speaking, a crowd arrived, led by the man called Judas, one of the Twelve. He approached Jesus to kiss Him.

But Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

Those around Jesus saw what was about to happen and said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?”

And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And He touched the man’s ear and healed him.

Then Jesus said to the chief priests, temple officers, and elders who had come for Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against an outlaw?

Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on Me. But this hour belongs to you and to the power of darkness.”

Then they seized Jesus, led Him away, and took Him into the house of the high priest. And Peter followed at a distance.

When those present had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them.

A servant girl saw him seated in the firelight and looked intently at him. “This man also was with Him,” she said.

But Peter denied it. “Woman, I do not know Him,” he said.

A short time later, someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”

But Peter said, “Man, I am not.”

About an hour later, another man insisted, “Certainly this man was with Him, for he too is a Galilean.”

“Man, I do not know what you are talking about,” Peter replied.

While he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.

Then Peter remembered the word that the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

The men who were holding Jesus began to mock Him and beat Him. They blindfolded Him and kept demanding, “Prophesy! Who hit You?”

And they said many other blasphemous things against Him.

At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and scribes, met together. They led Jesus into their Sanhedrin and said, “If You are the Christ, tell us.”

Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe. And if I ask you a question, you will not answer.

But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”

So they all asked, “Are You then the Son of God?”

He replied, “You say that I am.”

“Why do we need any more testimony?” they declared. “We have heard it for ourselves from His own lips.”

Luke 23

Then the whole council rose and led Jesus away to Pilate.

And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding payment of taxes to Caesar, and proclaiming Himself to be Christ, a King.”

So Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”

But they kept insisting, “He stirs up the people all over Judea with His teaching. He began in Galilee and has come all the way here.”

When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man was a Galilean. And learning that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself was in Jerusalem at that time.

When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased. He had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had heard about Him and was hoping to see Him perform a miracle.

Herod questioned Jesus at great length, but He gave no answer.

Meanwhile, the chief priests and scribes stood there, vehemently accusing Him.

And even Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked Him. Dressing Him in a fine robe, they sent Him back to Pilate.

That day Herod and Pilate became friends; before this time they had been enemies.

Then Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people,

and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined Him here in your presence and found Him not guilty of your charges against Him.

Neither has Herod, for he sent Him back to us. As you can see, He has done nothing deserving of death. Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.”

But they all cried out in unison: “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” (Barabbas had been imprisoned for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate addressed them again, but they kept shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

A third time he said to them, “What evil has this man done? I have found in Him no offense worthy of death. So after I punish Him, I will release Him.”

But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices for Jesus to be crucified. And their clamor prevailed. So Pilate sentenced that their demand be met.

As they had requested, he released the one imprisoned for insurrection and murder, and handed Jesus over to their will.

As the soldiers led Him away, they seized Simon of Cyrene on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him to carry behind Jesus.

A great number of people followed Him, including women who kept mourning and wailing for Him.

But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

Look, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore, and breasts that never nursed!’ At that time

‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”

and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’

For if men do these things while the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

Two others, who were criminals, were also led away to be executed with Jesus.

When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on His right and the other on His left.

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.

The people stood watching, and the rulers sneered at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”

The soldiers also mocked Him and came up to offer Him sour wine. “If You are the King of the Jews,” they said, “save Yourself!”

Above Him was posted an inscription:

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

One of the criminals who hung there heaped abuse on Him. “Are You not the Christ?” he said. “Save Yourself and us!”

But the other one rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same judgment?

We are punished justly, for we are receiving what our actions deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!”

And Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour. The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.

Then Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.” And when He had said this, He breathed His last.

When the centurion saw what had happened, he gave glory to God, saying, “Surely this was a righteous man.”

And when all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened, they returned home beating their breasts.

But all those who knew Jesus, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching these things.

Now there was a Council member named Joseph, a good and righteous man,

who had not consented to their decision or action. He was from the Judean town of Arimathea, and was waiting for the kingdom of God.

He went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and placed it in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had yet been laid.

It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was beginning.

The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how His body was placed.

Then they returned to prepare spices and perfumes. And they rested on the Sabbath, according to the commandment.

Luke 24

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,

but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were puzzling over this, suddenly two men in radiant apparel stood beside them.

As the women bowed their faces to the ground in terror, the two men asked them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?

He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you while He was still in Galilee:

‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.’ ”

Then they remembered His words. And when they returned from the tomb, they reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the others.

It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles.

But their words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe the women.

Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. And after bending down and seeing only the linen cloths, he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

That same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.

And as they talked and deliberated, Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.

He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”

They stood still, with sadness on their faces.

One of them, named Cleopas, asked Him, “Are You the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in recent days?”

“What things?” He asked.

“The events involving Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered. “This man was a prophet, powerful in speech and action before God and all the people.

Our chief priests and rulers delivered Him up to the sentence of death, and they crucified Him.

But we were hoping He was the One who would redeem Israel. And besides all this, it is the third day since these things took place.

Furthermore, some of our women astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning,

but they did not find His body. They came and told us they had seen a vision of angels, who said that Jesus was alive.

Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had described. But Him they did not see.”

Then Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, how slow are your hearts to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then to enter His glory?”

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself.

As they approached the village where they were headed, He seemed to be going farther. But they pleaded with Him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”

So He went in to stay with them. While He was reclining at the table with them, He took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to them.

Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus—and He disappeared from their sight.

They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us as He spoke with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem.

There they found the Eleven and those with them, gathered together and saying, “The Lord has indeed risen and has appeared to Simon!”

Then the two told what had happened on the road, and how they had recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread.

While they were describing these events, Jesus Himself stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and frightened, thinking they had seen a spirit.

“Why are you troubled,” Jesus asked, “and why do doubts arise in your hearts?

Look at My hands and My feet. It is I Myself. Touch Me and see—for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and feet.

While they were still in disbelief because of their joy and amazement, He asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” So they gave Him a piece of broiled fish,

and He took it and ate it in front of them.

Jesus said to them, “These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.”

Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

And He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,

and in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you. But remain in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

When Jesus had led them out as far as Bethany, He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He left them and was carried up into heaven.

And they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, praising God continually in the temple.