I started reading a new Bible—Life Application Study Bible (New International Version) to learn more about the history that went on during the time that Jesus came to earth. I decided to start reading Matthew and purposed myself to read all the explanations from the study Bible as I go along. One of the things I learned today, for example, is that in the 400 years between the Old Testament and the New Testament, when God remained silent, He was actually preparing the perfect time and place for Jesus’ arrival. This reminded me that when we are waiting on God (for what seems an eternity) for a prayer to be answered is precisely because God is preparing the perfect time and place to answer our prayer. This makes complete sense yet it’s so hard for us to wait on His promises. But we must not lose hope and continue to have faith.
The other thing I learned today is that Matthew wrote the Gospel originally for the Jews only. They were his intended audience and the purpose was solely to prove that Jesus was the true Messiah—the One they had been waiting for. He started by proving that Jesus came from the royal line of God’s chosen people—from Abraham, the father of all Jews, all the way to Joseph, the husband of Mary. On the other hand, Luke wrote the Gospel directed to the Gentiles to prove that Jesus came to save all humankind—Jews, Gentiles, men, and women.
The third thing I already knew but that caused me to ponder on today was the fact that all the Jews that continued to believe during that time that God was sending the Messiah—a Savior to save them from oppression, from punishment from their sins, and that would rule in a new Kingdom—were expecting a warrior. And instead, God sends them a little baby who was born in a manger, in some little town called Bethlehem. Isn’t God amazing? He has the ability to surprise us and His plans are definitely not our plans and His ways higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). Why did God do this? Why did God not just send a warrior that came down directly from heaven to show the world that He is King—powerful, majestic, conqueror, and invincible? Well, the thing is Jesus IS all of those things. God simply chose for Jesus to come into this world just like every other human being because He is and had to be part human in order to be here with us and fulfill the bigger plan of God.
Jesus came to earth directly from heaven because of God’s unending love for us. Jesus knew His mission and fulfilled it completely, to the very last minute. He started His ministry at around 30 years of age and worked in His ministry for three years and, at the end, He died on the cross. He fulfilled all the prophesies from the Old Testament. But the story doesn’t end with Jesus dead. The story ends with a new beginning—with Jesus conquering death and evil once and for all. He rose from the dead. And it begins with the proposal for each of us to choose life eternally with Jesus in heaven. So in the end, which was the beginning for us, Jesus IS a warrior—He fought evil and He won. Jesus’ Kingdom will never end unlike all the earthly kingdoms that do end. Jesus is powerful, majestic, conqueror, and indeed invincible. He conquered death. He has the power of the Holy Spirit, which is the same power He left for us to use as His followers. He is majestic for He is in His glory right now, waiting for us to get there when our turn comes. He is forever our Lord and King of Kings!
Follow Jesus. Make Him your Lord and never let go of Him. And if you are already a follower, then continue Jesus’ work by making disciples of all nations!