Scriptures: Micah 5:1-4, Exodus 12, John 6:51-58 King David was a shepherd boy from Bethlehem, and so the Son of David would come from Bethlehem, not only as a shepherd but as a lamb. Micah prophesied, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. 3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son” (Micah 5:2-3). Not only would Messiah come from Bethlehem, but his origins would be from ancient times because he is One with the Ancient…
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Day 10 – The Ark of God’s Covenant
Scriptures: Genesis 15:3-21, Ezekiel 16:59-63, Exodus 34:1, Matthew 26:26-28, Isaiah 59:20-21 As we continue mining the Old Testament for buried treasure, I’m reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 13:52, “Every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” When we look at the Old and New Testaments as one continuous revelation of God, the Holy Spirit reveals connections that are buried in scripture for us to find like a treasure hunt. God doesn’t speak in parables and the language of symbols to frustrate us, but…
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Day 8 – I AM the Bread from Heaven
Scriptures: Deuteronomy 8:3,18:18, John 6, Leviticus 24:8-9 In Deuteronomy 18:18 Moses tells the people God’s promise to him: “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him.” While God sent many prophets to Israel, none did miracles like Moses. Moses parted the water with his staff, but Jesus calmed the waves with his voice. Moses turned the water in Egypt to blood while Jesus turned water to wine. When Jesus multiplied bread to feed over 5000 people they saw his miracle as a sign that God had raised up the…
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Day 7 – I AM The Light
Scriptures: Isaiah 9:1-7, 42:1-7, John 9, Isaiah 60:19-20 Rather than come out and declare that he is the Messiah, Jesus often described himself and his kingdom in parables which are word pictures that describe a particular truth. God speaks through the language of symbols in dreams and visions because symbols can have many layers of meaning. The more we want to know, the deeper the Lord will take us in our understanding. That’s why Jesus told his disciples, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given – and you will receive even more” (Mark 4:24, NLT). The I AM statements…
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Day 3 – The Anointed One
Scriptures: Isaiah 11, 61, Zechariah 4, Acts 10:38, 2 Corinthians 5:20 Christ is not the last name of Jesus Christ, it is the Greek word for “Anointed One,” which in Hebrew is Messiah. So when we say Jesus Christ, we’re talking about Jesus, the Anointed One, the Messiah of the Jews. To be anointed is to have olive oil poured out or smeared on your head. In the Old Testament, the priests and temple objects were anointed with oil, as were kings. Being anointed with oil symbolized being chosen by God and set apart for a specific assignment. Oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit who is needed to accomplish…
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Day 2 – The Branch
Scriptures: Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 33:14-18, Zechariah 3:8-9, 6:9-13, Hebrews 7 Isaiah 11 describes the righteous ruler who will be anointed with the Holy Spirit to rule Israel and bring peace to the earth as the Branch. “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit” (Isaiah 11:1). The Branch comes from the stump of Jesse, King David’s father. Not only is Jesus descended from King David, as we see in Matthew 1, but he is an entirely new branch that precedes David because he comes from the stump of David’s father, Jesse. What does that mean? In scripture, cutting down a tree is a…
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Day 1 – The Living Word
Scriptures: John 1:1-18, John 5:19-40, John 17:1-8, 20-26 This is the first in a series of devotions designed to draw you closer to Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy during the season of Advent, but can be used anytime as an “Emmaus Encounter with Jesus.” It was on the road to Emmaus that Jesus revealed how he fulfilled the law, writings of the prophets, and the psalms. I encourage you to read the scriptures passages before each post so you can make the connections yourself by simply clicking on each reference which will take you to that passage. Each devotional ends with a worship response because the goal…
