NOT WHERE OUR HOPE IS
Opening Prayer
Lord, help me to trust in You, the Hope of the World.
Read Matthew 12:15–21
15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. 16 He warned them not to tell others about him. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
21 In his name the nations will put their hope.”
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What do you do to escape from pressure? Be honest with yourself.There’s so much bad news at the moment. I’m under too much pressure—at home and at work. When’s it all going to end? Because I’m not sure I can take much more. How can God possibly understand how it feels?
Maybe that’s you, or someone you know. But what was Jesus going through? Look at verses 2, 10 and 14. He’s been called a drunkard, a glutton, someone who kept bad company. There are death threats, John was doubting him and now crowds are badgering him (15). Jesus was under tremendous pressure—and he knew where it was all horribly going to end.
Matthew shows Jesus as the Servant Messiah, described by the prophet Isaiah (Isa. 42:1–4); Jesus is the One who gently and lovingly brings healing and restoration. He is the total opposite of those who quarrel and shout loudest and trample over others (19,20); he is the Servant of the Lord (18). No wonder the world will hope in his name (21): this is a God who understands. He knows brokenness and pain and frailty and pressure. His name is the Hope of the World.
Apply
Our world is broken and only Christ can heal it. To whom can you offer the cure today? How can you share the story of Jesus as the ultimate hope for that person?
Closing prayer
What do you need from the Hope of the World today? Ask him.
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