You have a choice.

You can either read the reflection below or listen to me talk in the video here:

Day 2

Today we are focusing on Matthew 4:1-11, the temptation of Jesus:
“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.”

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

First thing: Again remember our focus, who is Jesus? What does this story reveal about him?

Jesus battles if’s and maybe’s, with a trust in God’s faithfulness. The biggest thing we see Satan do is introduce doubt and uncertainty to our lives. And we see him trying to do this with Jesus here. Every statement he makes includes an “if”. Every challenge he brings about seeks only to bring God’s faithfulness into question. If you are the son of God turn these stones to bread, if you are the son of God throw yourself down, if you worship me all this I will give you. Each of these temptations are rendered useless in light of Jesus’ trust in the Father. He understood who the Father is and what he is like and because of this he could not settle for anything less. No temptation could overwhelm his security in his identity because his identity rested on who his Father is. The challenge for us is to have this same trust. To lean wholly on God and trust in him. 

You are invited to pray or to be prayed for. As we learn more about who Jesus is let us then enter into prayer and be shaped by him.

You have a choice.

You can either read the reflection below or listen to me talk in the video here:

Day 1

Let’s start off with an intro before we dig in. As we walk through the book of Matthew, my hope is that we keep one thing as the focus of why we are doing this; that is to continually ask “Who is Jesus?”  As we read about and share thoughts about what the text says, we have to be disciplined to always come back to this question. It is easy for us to be swept up by interesting details, strong statements, and moving stories. We must not be dissuaded from recognizing the amazing revelation of who Jesus is and what he has done for us. So my hope in every day of this reflection is that we always come back to the question, who is Jesus? What does this story reveal about him? 

Fulfillment

In the opening chapters of Matthew we get a lot of info and it opens up with everyone’s favourite type of scripture, a genealogy. I want you to notice something if you take the time to read through the first chapters of Matthew. We see many references to things being fulfilled. In the first 5 chapters alone there are 12 references of things occurring in order to fulfil prophecy (1:22-23, 2:5-6: 2:15, 2:17-18, 2: 23, 3:3, 3:15, 4:14, 5:17). The genealogy does this same thing. It shows us how Jesus is the fulfilment of 2 promises of God; that through Abraham all nations will be blessed, and that a king would come from the line of David who would reign forever. 

Jesus is the focal point of the entire Bible. Throughout the Old Testament people received promises and prophecies from God about him restoring and renewing creation. Jesus came to fulfil God’s plan. Jesus’ birth was always meant to lead to the cross and resurrection. To a hope rooted in God’s redeeming love. As we read through Matthew we need to hold onto this. That what we see calls back to God’s promises and how Jesus is the fulfilment of those promises. 

For us, we need to take hold of the truth that God is still at work. The victory has already been secured through Jesus, and we as his people are being shaped and moulded into his image.When we look at Jesus’ words and actions, we are seeing God in action and we are seeing what God calls us to do as well. As his spirit works in us he shapes our loves to also be part of the fulfilment of his will. To love extravagantly, to serve boldly, and to worship wholeheartedly.

So if you take some time today to read any of the first 3 chapters of Matthew (I do not plan to have you reading this much through the rest of the month), take time to pause worship God that he has and is actively working all things together in completion of his plan.

You are invited to pray or to be prayed for. As we learn more about who Jesus is let us then enter into prayer and be shaped by him.