Do You Know The Tenderness Of The Child Of Promise?
Good Morning Friends,
There is no doubt that Jesus achieved the greatest potential of human kindness and love but also embodied the greatest assurance of the divine covenants, and especially the one God made with Abraham. No, it was not Isaac as a descendent, but the Messiah Jesus that would bring light to the nations, a blessing to our Father in faith and a blessing to all who believe. Do You Know The Tenderness Of The Child Of Promise?
Scripture: Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are now an alien, all the land of Canaan, for a perpetual holding; and I will be their God.” God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.
Genesis 17:3-9 (NRSV)
Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.” The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets; yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, ‘He is our God,’ though you do not know him. But I know him; if I would say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word. Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.” Then the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
John 8:51-59 (NRSV)
Message: Friends, today in the liturgical calendar can be a dark day but we are to have hope and faith and joy to persevere through this time because Christ is beyond time. We all have a need to be comforted when things get dark. So, press on. Believe the good news especially when things seem the darkest. There are great blessings in store for us all. Certainly, for God’s Israel the day shall come when her comfort shall abound, when the glory of the Gentiles shall flow to her like a stream and she shall be comforted by her God as a mother comforts a child. But I also believe that the comfort of our faith and its blessings are applicable to all the servants of God, and are available whether one is Jew or Gentile, barbarian or of great intellect. Friends, we are all one in Christ Jesus, and all the promises of God are ours in Him—for in Him all the promises have been made manifest. There are promises in God’s word suitable to every conceivable condition and if shared with the tenderness of the Spirit of Jesus the amazing grace that is birthed is the best comfort imaginable. Friends, Christ fulfilled the promises and although it is our only hope, to believe, the first hearers thought it such a horrible thing that they picked up stones to kill him and ultimately on a Cross on Calvary did just that. Never forget that Christ died so we might live.
Pray we see the everlasting spiritual nature of the covenants. Pray we appreciate that the promise of Abraham manifested in Christ is inclusive and exists in perpetuity. Pray we appreciate that Jesus went to the Cross for the people of all nations and to people yet unborn. Pray we tell someone today how much we love the story of the miracle birth of Isaac but more importantly the miracle birth and love of Jesus Christ. Pray we appreciate what God has done to address the problem of suffering in the world. Pray we share the tenderness of the Child of Promise who loves us more than we can ever know. Pray God’s heart stays near to us. Pray we experience the comfort of the promise of Jesus. Pray we find fulfilment in Jesus. Pray we glorify God in all we do. Pray God grant us the grace to believe as little children beyond the suffering of life and into the joy of the tenderness of Christ’s love for us all.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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