The Heart of God: The Messenger of the Covenant (6)

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24.27

Read and meditate on Psalm 22 and Isaiah 54.
As David and Isaiah foresaw, the death of the Messenger of God’s covenant would lead to great rejoicing and to magnifying the glory of God.

For reflection
1.  Meditate on Matthew 28.1-8 and John 20.11-18. Recall the events of Genesis 3. Why did Jesus first entrust the news of His resurrection and triumph to Mary Magdalene? What does this “great reversal” portend for the world?

2.  On the Mount of Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus in glory (Luke 9.28-31). This account reaches back to the past to talk about the present and anticipate Christ’s ultimate victory. How do you see this? How does this incident help us in thinking about the unity of Scripture and God’s purpose in sending Christ?

3.  Meditate on Matthew 27.45-53. What aspects of the triumph of Christ are intimated in these verses? What did Jesus’ death, and coming resurrection, accomplish?

4.  Meditate on Acts 1.1-8 and Psalm 110. Having ascended to the right hand of the Father, what is Jesus presently doing? What is our role, as His people, in this work?
 
5.  Meditate on Philippians 2.5-11. From this passage, summarize the work and triumph of Christ. What is the ultimate objective of Jesus’ work?

Summary
Jesus Christ has triumphed over death, over the grave, over the devil, and over sin. He is exalted in glory, ruling at the right hand of God; and one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord. We His people are sent forth (Jn. 20.21), like the dew of the morning, armed with the Word of the Lord, to bring refreshing grace to the world and subdue every enemy of the Lord. How would you describe the state of this high calling in your own life?

Closing Prayer
I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
You who fear the LORD, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard.
My praise shall be of You in the great assembly;
I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the LORD.
Let your heart live forever!
All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
For the kingdom is the LORD’s,
And He rules over the nations.
All the prosperous of the earth
Shall eat and worship;
All those who go down to the dust
Shall bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep himself alive.
A posterity shall serve Him.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,
They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,
That He has done this.

Psalm 22.22-31

T. M. Moore

Two books can help you gain a fuller understanding of the terrain we will be covering in this series. Kingdom Documents provides a concise overview of the primary teaching of the Old and New Testaments, and shows, through early Church creeds, how our forebears understood the primary teachings of God’s Word. (click here to order). I Will Be Your God develops more fully the idea of God’s covenant and leads us to consider the practical implications of our covenant relationship with God (click here).

Visit The Ailbe Seminary, where our course, Introduction to Biblical Theology, offers a parallel study of our theme in this series, using brief video presentations and the workbook God’s Covenant: An Introduction. All courses at The Ailbe Seminary are available without charge.

We are happy to be able to offer each week’s Scriptorium studies in a free weekly PDF, suitable for personal or group use. You can download all the studies in this series by clicking here. Please prayerfully consider sharing with The Fellowship of Ailbe through your giving. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.