Short Thoughts – Week 35: Days 239-245

Week 35:    DAY 239   –  The Day of His Coming          

 

Day 239 

Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen. Revelation 1:7

Robin Mark’s song “Days of Elijah” includes this chorus:

            Behold He comes, riding on the clouds

            Shining like the sun at the trumpet call.

The Servant

This is the ultimate hope – the return of Jesus Christ is what the song next anticipates.

He is identified in Matthew 12:18 (quoting Isaiah 42:1-4) as the servant of God the Father, “Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen, My beloved with whom My soul is well pleased. I will put My Spirit upon him, and He will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.” You know the basic story: Jesus was born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth, beginning His public ministry at age 30. He died on a Roman cross three years later, rose again, and ascended into heaven. In Acts 1:9-11, we read, “9 And when He (Jesus) had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as He went, behold, two men stood by them   in white robes, 11 and said,“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This  Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will_come in_the same way as you saw   Him go into heaven.”

The Times

Palestine in Jesus’ day was ruled by the Romans. The place in which He was raised was on a trade route connecting the far east with the Roman Empire that spread west and north to Spain and England. The mood of the population was dark, looking for deliverance from a place of subjugation. Religious and political tensions prevailed. Zealots were most focused on a Messiah who would defeat the Romans. Sadducees rejected the supernatural, including a resurrection. Pharisees added many rules to the commandments and guidance of the Old Testament, neglecting the repentance from sin and belief in the Saviour.

The Call

I’ll let the scriptures speak for themselves:

5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, He said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me;6  in burnt offerings and sin offerings You have taken no pleasure.7  Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of Me in the scroll of the book.’” 8When He said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to  the law), 9 then He added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.(Hebrews 10:5-10)

The Father’s call upon Jesus was to be the one and only sacrifice that could pay for our sins. This call is also stated in these verses:

Hebrews 9:26, “He has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.”

 1 John 3:8, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”

I Peter 2:21, “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps.”  

I John 4:14, “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.”

All this the Lord accomplished in His first coming. But our song anticipates a second coming of Jesus Christ:

“Behold He comes… shining like the sun”:

             “… and His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became_white as light.” Matthew 17:2

“Behold He comes, riding on the clouds…at the trumpet call:

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of thenBlessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Mark 14:62

14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen   asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heave with a cry of command, with the voice  of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.And the dead in Christ will rise first.  17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to       meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.                    I Thessalonians 4:14-17

 7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even_those who pierced Him…7And behold, I am coming soon.  Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” Revelation 1:7; 22:7

In the first and last of the verses quoted above, Jesus Christ Himself says, “I am coming.” Throughout the centuries, many have tried to pinpoint the exact time of His coming – something we cannot do. We may understand an order of events, but not the exact day or hour.

In Matthew 24, the Lord spoke of stages in the lead up to His return. For example, Jesus gave some general indicators (false prophets and false Messiahs, wars, earthquakes and famines), but added, “…the end is not yet…All these are the beginning of the birth pains.” Then, He indicated still more in the list of end time events: the persecution of believers, a falling away of many professed believers, lawlessness, the preaching of the gospel worldwide, and said, “Then the end will come.” As that end comes even closer there will be more false prophets and false Christs, performing “great signs and wonders” until, finally, the “Abomination of Desolation” (i.e., Antichrist) will be made known and “there will be “great tribulation” such as has never been seen. And “immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the son of Man…and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory…”  (Matthew 24:3-30) Jesus went on to stress, ”… Concerning the day and hour no one knows” (Matt. 24:36). His emphasis was “be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matt. 24:44).

Your Turn:

  1. Read Matthew 24.
  2. What do you think “be ready” means? How are you made ready for His coming?
  3. Of His first coming, the Apostle John recorded these words:

“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:9-12)

In which grouping are you – among those who have not received Him, or among those who have received Him?

DAY 240        –           THE YEAR OF JUBILEE

Day 240

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’…And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:18-21

In Leviticus 23:3 we read the instruction God gave through Moses for a weekly “sabbath” (from the Hebrew “Shabbat,” meaning cease or desist). Six days the people were to work but not so on the seventh day: “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest.” Two chapters later we read about the seventh year:

“…the_land shall keep a Sabbath to the LORD. 3 For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, 4 but in the seventh_year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD. You shall not sow your field or    prune your vineyard….  Lev. 25:22-24

After the decrees about the seventh day and the seventh year, comes Lev. 25: and following –

8 “You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty nine years. 9 Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day  of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land.10 And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan. 11 That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you…

Hence, Mark’s song includes mention of the year of jubilee:                                                                                Lift your voice, it’s the year of jubilee,                                                                                               And out of Zion’s hill salvation comes.

The year of jubilee is called by various names throughout the Bible: a year of solemn rest, a release, the jubilee of the people of Israel, the year of liberty, the year of the Lord’s favour. In that year, debts were removed, and prisoners, captives and slaves were released. Property was returned to the original owners. People also were to rest (see Lev. 25:23-55). Certainly, this was cause for celebration – “lift your voice…salvation comes”.

Jesus spoke of Himself as a liberator, as one who came to free people from the bondage of sin:

‘He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ Luke 4:18-21 (fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah 61:1-2)

So, the Day of Jubilee points to Jesus who sets captives free. Logically, the song ends with the repetition of the phrase, “There is no God like Jehovah.” The song begins “These are the days of Elijah”. In Elijah’s time, the power of the one true God was shown in the fire that consumed the sacrifice (then, also, brought rain on a drought-stricken land). The false gods that people had come to worship were incapable of calling down fire or ending a drought. Surely, “There is no God like Jehovah!”

Your Turn:

  1. Read Leviticus 25.
  2. The 49th week would have been a sabbath year of rest for the land. Then, the 50th year was a second rest year in a row! This must have been a real test of faith—trusting God to supply food for these two years.
  3. Think of how transforming it would be to arrive at the 50th year – debts forgiven, land restored, prisoners freed, etc. The instructions were not to exact payment from the indebted or take someone else’s inheritance. This had an impact on poverty. Every 50 years the economy was reset: “It meant no clan or large family unit was forever poor; every fifty years there was a “reset” in the economy of Israel with debts canceled, servants liberated, and the return of land.” [ see David Guzik’s commentary on Lev. 25 at https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/guzik_david/study-guide/leviticus/leviticus-25.cfm ]
  4. Even more transforming was the first coming of Jesus Christ and His crucifixion on “Zion’s hill” (Jerusalem). “Salvation” came through His sacrifice.

Day 241      –          BEGINNINGS #1: CREATION

Day 241 Creation

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be …” Genesis 1:1-3a

What does the Bible say about “the beginning”?

There are many beginnings introduced in the Bible.: “And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job were more than his beginning…” (Job 42:12); “Jesus knew from the beginning those who were who did not believe… (John 6:64); also we read that certain kings “began” to reign (e.g., II Kings 12:1, 13:1;14:1, etc.). But there are some very significant places where it uses the words “the beginning” in a special way, starting with the first verse of the Bible.

Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning…” The first special use of the term “beginning” says something about the creation of the universe. This beginning part of the creation provides the necessary matter, space, and time which are necessary for what follows. Creation was from nothing.

Hebrews 11:3, “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”

In Revelation 4:11 we see heavenly beings saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and God. to receive glory, and honour, and power, for You created all things and by Your will they existed and were created.”

This creation was initially “without form and void”. Then, with the days of creation, God puts everything in order. Verses 3-28 cover these six days of creation (1- day & night; 2- the heavens; 3- sea & land, plus vegetation; 4- Sun, Moon, and stars; 5- birds & fish; 6- animals & humankind).

Chapter 1:28 and 2:15-25 add more detail to the creation of the humans (a man and a woman) and their responsibilities, as follows:

  1. be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it – Gen. 1:28a
  2. have dominion over the living creatures – Gen. 1:28b
  3. work the land and keep (or tend) it – Gen. 2:15     
  4. not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil – Gen. 2:16-17
  5. the man to leave father & mother and hold fast to his wife – Gen. 2:24

So, this is the beginning of creation. There are a variety of lessons for us to learn and apply from this.

Your Turn:

  1. Read Genesis 1 and 2.
  2. The Bible teaches that God brought the universe and its systems into being, from nothing. It describes a supernatural process engineered by an all-powerful God. It also says that it is by belief that we accept this explanation (Hebrews 11:3). How do you handle the Bible’s explanation of origins?
  3. What does tending the land, sea, and atmosphere, and having dominion over the creatures imply about exploitation of resources or careful conservation of them?
  4. In respect to the tree of knowledge of good and evil, God placed limits and barriers on human beings. What such limits remain on us today? See Romans 12:21.
  5. Leaving parents and clinging to one’s marriage partner says something about priorities. Later scripture teaches family responsibilities and respect for parents (no neglect), but scripture emphasizes highest priority to one’s partner. See Ephesians 5:33; I Timothy 5:8.

DAY 242      –          The Beginning of the Gospel

 

Day 242 Gospel 

“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Mark 1:1

Here is the very important “beginning” of the ministry on earth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In his Gospel, Mark briefly describes four steps involved in the “beginning of the gospel”.

Step 1(Mark 1:1-8) – There was preparation.

God sent a messenger ahead of Jesus. In verses 2-3, Mark quotes the prophecy of this time, found in Isaiah 40:33. The messenger is John the Baptist – who would prepare the way. Note v. 2, “I send my messenger” and then v.4, “John appeared”. John had a message of repentance and forgiveness. People came to John “confessing their sins” and in an act that sowed repentance, they were baptized. John’s Baptist was ceremonial, meant to illustrate repentance and cleansing. But John pointed to Jesus whose baptism was with the Spirit – an inner, real, and spiritual cleansing that forecast how forgiveness is  accomplished – through a death and a resurrection. Romans 6:3-4 explains, “ 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Step 2 (Mark 1:9-11) – There was Jesus’ baptism.

Jesus came to John and requested baptism. John knew that Jesus did not need to repent of any sin. Matthew 3:14, “John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” His action here was part of His identifying with us,we who do need to repent. He would go all the way to the cross and the tomb to die for our sins. His submission to this plan was pleasing to God the Father (Matt. 3:17, “I am well pleased”).

Step 3 :(Mark 1:12-13) – There was Jesus’ temptation.

This time of testing amounted to 40 days of severe temptation from Satan. Luke 4:1-13 gives more information than Mark. Jesus fasted, then Satan said, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” The Lord refused, “Man shall not live by bread alone.” Then Satan showed Him the world’s kingdoms and said, “If you… will worship me, it will all be yours.” Again, Jesus refused, saying, “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.” Finally, the devil tempted Jesus to jump off the peak of the temple building and trust angels to protect him, as scripture says they can. Jesus replied, “It is said,’ You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” Three temptations: for a physical need, for political power, and for misuse of God’s Word and to impress an audience. Jesus could not be the Saviour if He succumbed to temptation. “ 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:1)

Step 4: (Mark 1:14-15) – There was Jesus’ public proclamation of the good news.

The preparation for His ministry concluded with proclamation. “…Jesus came into Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” Preparation was over. He went about His work, and the first act after this introduction was to call others to follow Him – note His calling of the disciples in verse 16 and following.

All of this is “the beginning of the gospel”.

Your Turn:

  1. Read Mark 1.
  2. Practically everything of any importance requires preparation. A couple gets engaged and sets aside some time to prepare for the wedding. A person decides on a career and devotes time for education or apprenticeship. The Olympics come every four years and athletes give those four years to fitness and skill training. Company is coming so we vacuum and bake and get ready. How well we prepare influences the eventual performance. Are you preparing well for something important now?
  3. A response was required of those who heard John the Baptist preach. A response was expected of those who were introduced to Jesus: “Follow Me” (Mark 1:17). Have you become His follower?

DAY 243     –          BEGINNINGS: THE WORD

th-4044602686

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.   2 He was in the beginning with God. John 1:1-2

John 1:1 is very much like Genesis 1:1. The verse that follow in John 1 continue the similarity. Genesis says God was there in the beginning and created the earth as we know it. John 1 says the Word was there in the beginning and created all that there is. This similarity exists because “the Word was God” (v. 1).

John 1:1-18 also tells us that the Word is the Life-giver and the True Light and that people fall into one of two categories: those who receive Him and become His children and those who do not know Him because they do not receive Him (verse 10-13). Verse 18 says that this Word is the Son of God, Jesus Christ. People in the first category have the privilege of seeing Jesus, the Word, in His glory and experiencing His grace, as well as getting to know God the Father (vv. 16-18).

All of this is a lot to take in. But there’s more!

I Peter 1:23, “Since you have been born again, not of perishable but of imperishable, through the living and abiding Word of God.” This statement marks the conclusion of a long opening statement about Jesus Christ as the one who ransoms us from our sins and gives us life and joy that is “inexpressible”. In effect, I Peter 1 is re-affirming John 1.

Your Turn:

  1. Read John 1:1-18 and I Peter 1.
  2. When a teaching is repeated it must be important. Is the teaching in John 1 and I Peter 1 about the Word, creation, God, and salvation important to you? In what way?

DAY 244      –          SATAN’S BEGINNING … and END 

 

Day 243 Satan

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8 

We’ve thought about the beginning of creation, the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the beginning of the Word. Our last “beginning” is not so nice: the beginning of Satan.

  1. Satan’s Beginning: We read about the devil’s beginning in a few different places:

                  I John 3:8, “the devil has been sinning from the beginning”

                  John 8:44, “he (the devil) was a murderer from the beginning”

Ezekiel 28:12-19, ““Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.

These passages refer to the devil’s start – a created being (not existing from eternity past). From early on, he was characterized by his sinning – including murder. The third reference (Ezekiel 28) is part of a prophetic section about the City of Tyre and, in the early part of the chapter, its ruler or prince (in the 6th century B.C.) was full of pride and thought of himself as a “god” (v. 6).  But as the chapter continues, it appears to go beyond an earthly human to a spiritual being, a “guardian cherub” – guarding Eden (v. 14). God gave him a privileged role, but in time “unrighteousness” was found in him (v. 15).

  1. Satan’s Fall

Like the earthly prince of Tyre, this being became proud – of his beauty and splendour (v. 17). He s described as profane, sinful, and corrupt. Consequently, God removed him from “the mountain of God”. A similar description is found in Isaiah 14:12-15 –

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star (some translations translate this as ‘Lucifer’), son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.”

Isaiah began chapter 14 talking about the coming downfall of the leader of Babylon – the nation that had defeated Judah and taken many Israelites into captivity. But, like Ezekiel 28, the prophet’s tone changed to give what many Bible scholars believe is a description of the fall of Satan or Lucifer, who will be brought down to Sheol, the pit. Satan’s sin was one of pride and and rebellion: notice the five times Satan says “I will” – expressing his delusion that he will become God: “I will make myself like the Most High”.

  1. Satan’s End

The Bible goes on to declare Satan’s defeat. In the Book of Revelation, we read of a temporary confinement of Satan and then a permanent sentence.         

Revelation 12:9 – “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

Revelation 20:2, 7-10 – “And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years… And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, …  and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

Your Turn:

  1. Read Ezekiel 28:1-19.
  2. Satan’s great sin was pride. How does he tempt you using pride – that is, how does the devil use pride in your life? How is your own pride an offense to God?
  3. The Bible tells us to “resist” the devil (James 4:7). The same verse first says, “Submit yourselves to God.” Why is it important to submit to God first/ Is resistance to the devil possible if we fail to submit to God.

     

    DAY 245      –          Jesus’ Past Ministry

    Day 245 Jesus in Time Past

    Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

    As the verse says, there is a past, present, and future to Jesus Christ and His ministry. In this and the two following “Short Thoughts” we will consider the ministry of Jesus in these three eras.

    From our place in history, there are two parts to Jesus’ past activity: what He did before the birth in Bethlehem, and what He did during His 33 years from the Bethlehem birthday to His ascension.

    First, up to His birth in Bethlehem: Jesus has always existed. In the prayer of Jesus found in John 17, He says, “ And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” (John 17:5)

    There are several verses in the Gospel of John where Jesus affirmed His pre-existence.

    John 6:38, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.”

    John 6:62, “Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?”

    John 8:23, “He said to them, ‘You are from below; I am from above.’”

    John 8:58, “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’”

    John 16:28, “I came from the Father and have come into the world …”

    Furthermore, there are these well-known passages from Paul’s letters:

    Philippians 2:5-8, “ 5Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,  6 who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form,He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

    Colossians 1:15-17, “15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities –  all things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

    What did He do in His pre-existent state? One way He was active was in His appearances as the “Angel of the Lord” in various Old Testament situations. These appearances show Jesus in the following ways:

    • as promise-keeper (promising Abraham he would have a son next year at that time, Genesis 18:1-17)
    • as judge of the sinful city of Sodom (Gen. 18:16-21)
    • as a caregiver to Hagar, mother of Abraham’s son, Ishmael (Gen. 16:4-15)
    • as the provider (of a goat as a sacrifice), when Abraham was about to offer his son Isaac (Gen. 22:11-18)
    • as the One who would be ever-present and enabling for Moses (Exodus 3:2-4:17)
    • as a guard against the bad choice Balaam was making – when He used a donkey to teach the prophet a lesson (Numbers 22-24)
    • as a deliverer who was worthy of worship (giving, as a deliverer, a son, to Samson’s parents)

     

    Next, From His birth in Bethlehem to His ascension (about 33 years), Jesus lived a perfect life. He was raised in a carpenter’s house in Nazareth, then became an itinerant preacher/teacher  before taking our sins upon Himself and dying on a cross. I think it is helpful for us to read the several verses that follow, verses about His perfection, teaching, example, and redeemer. Please take a moment to read:

    I Peter 2:22, He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.

    I John 3:5, You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

    Hebrews 4:15, For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

    Mark 1:35, And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

    Matthew 4:17, From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

    John 14:6, Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

    I John 1:5, This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

    II Corinthians 5:21, For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

    1 Peter 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

    Hebrews 9:22, Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

    Ephesians 5:1-2, Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

    Hebrews 13:5-6, Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So, we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

    1 Peter 2:21, For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

    Hebrews 7:26, For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.

    I Timothy 2:6, Who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

    II Timothy 1:10, And which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

    YourTurn:

    I hope you have stayed with me this far and actually have read those several verses! 
    1. A good devotional exercise would be to choose one of the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) and read it through, perhaps one chapter per day, slowly absorbing the portrayal of Christ found there.
    2. Notice the correspondence between the work of the Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament and the ministry of Jesus Christ in the New Testament.