Oh how I need this...
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
(Luke 24:44-47 ESV)
(Luke 24:44-47 ESV)
Let me see you promised and prefigured; hidden and manifest in every text; as the shadow always present and as the substance coming in fulfillment; as my faithful substitute and as my glorious sovereign. Let me see you everywhere in the Scriptures, Lord Jesus.
For years I thought of the Law of Moses as rules and principles by which I could earn God’s favor and blessings, or at least micromanage my life for greater success. Now I understand that the law was given to drive us to you, Lord Jesus. It was never given as a basis of my acceptance with God. You fulfilled the law for us by your perfect obedience, and you’ve exhausted its judgment by your vicarious death. I wish I’d understood this earlier in my walk with you.
I used to read the Prophets with a fear of judgment and great intrigue about the future of Israel. Now I realize that all of God’s promises point to you, Jesus. You are the “Yes” and “Amen” to every promise God has made. You are the final and faithful remnant of Israel, and in union with you, we have life—we have everything. The gospel of your kingdom claims the entire cosmos, not just the Middle East—not just old Jerusalem but the New Jerusalem as well; not just the first heaven and first earth, but the new heaven and new earth as well. What a great creator and gracious redeemer you are, Lord Jesus!
I’ve always loved the Psalms, but until recent years, I read them more with an appreciation for David than with adoration for you, Jesus. But you are the King installed by your Father, the one who inherits the nations and the ends of the earth (Psalm 2)—thus we are commissioned to go with you to all nations and to preach this good news in humility and with great hope.
Indeed, Jesus, continue to open my mind to understand how the entire Bible is a revelation of the gospel—the story of God’s commitment to redeem his people and restore the world by you. So very Amen I pray, in your loving and peerless name. - Scotty Smith
Scotty Smith is Founding Pastor of Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN and a Council member with The Gospel Coalition.
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