TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Philippians 4:4-5
Rejoice in the Lord always. - Philippians 4:4
TODAY IN THE WORD
Twila Paris has been compared to the great hymnwriter Fanny Crosby for her prolific contribution to modern praise and worship. Songs such as “We Will Glorify,” “Lamb of God,” and “How Beautiful” have been included in millions of hymnals in churches around the world. And along the way over the past fifteen years, she has won numerous awards as a vocalist and songwriter.

Worship is Twila’s passion. She says, “I believe I am specifically called to emphasize worship, both by writing songs for the church and by leading in worship; to offer hope or encouragement to those who are suffering or weary; [and] to challenge God’s people to greater commitment to Him and to one another as His body. . . . My prayer, when all is said and done, is that those who listen to my music will experience the reality and joy of a relationship with Jesus Christ and that they will always hear His voice above my own.”

We as believers cannot hear such words too often! Apparently Paul thought so as well, since he once again exhorted the Philippians to rejoice near the end of his letter.

“Rejoice in the Lord always,” he wrote, then repeated himself just to make sure: “I will say it again: Rejoice!” (v. 4; cf. Pss. 32:11; 33:21; 70:4). As we have already noted this month, the theme of joy or rejoicing permeates the book of Philippians. Our joy is centered in Christ, rests in Christ, hopes in Christ, and draws strength from Christ.

Paul’s next exhortation concerned gentleness (v. 5), part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:23). In other places the word has been translated “considerate” (1 Tim. 3:3; Titus 3:2).

How do rejoicing and gentleness relate? One scholar has this helpful comment: “Gentleness suggests a forbearing, nonretaliatory spirit. Joy, an inner quality in relation to circumstances, may not always be seen; but the way one reacts to others--whether in gentleness or harshness--will be noticed.”
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As Twila Paris has recognized, worship and rejoicing are keys to the Christian life. Let’s do it!

Using what you learned from “Today Along the Way” on November 17, organize a family or small group worship time before the week is over. Use any structure or methods you think would be appropriate.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Philippians 4:6-7
In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. - Philippians 4:6
TODAY IN THE WORD
Jim and Joann Luing are one couple who have tried to teach their children the importance of taking everything to God in prayer.

One day Jim and his daughter Kelly were in the parking lot at Toys R Us. Jim noticed a woman standing next to a car, peering in the window. Guessing she’d locked her keys inside, he offered his help.

Kelly leaned out the window. “Let’s pray about it,” she suggested. Right there, as the woman listened curiously, Jim and Kelly prayed that God would help them find a way to open the car door and get the keys.

And He did! Jim found a hanger that “just happened” to be in his car and put it through the woman’s partly-opened window to pull up the lock.

God wants us to come to him with all our concerns, be they small or large. Anything that makes us anxious, wrote Paul, should be turned over to the Lord in prayer (v. 6). He was talking about any type of anxiety (possibly emotional) that might obscure or injure a believer’s faith in our loving Father (see Matt. 6:25-33; 1 Peter 5:7).

God wants us to petition Him for all our needs, but it is more than a “shopping list” that we bring to Him. We are to present our requests in a spirit of thanksgiving. Additionally, turning over our burdens to Him should be a godly habit, inspired by faith.

The result of this sort of prayer life is peace “which transcends all understanding” (v. 7). Like the anxiety, this peace is not superficial or passing. It is an inner spiritual tranquillity based on our salvation in Christ (cf. Rom. 8:38-39; Eph. 2:14; 1 Peter 1:5). Its source is not anyone or anything on earth, but God Himself. It “guards”--a specific military term used for a sentinel--our hearts and our minds, protecting us from human and demonic attacks of worry.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If you have not already memorized Philippians 4:6-7, we encourage you to do so today. If you have children, consider teaching all or part of these verses to them as well.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Philippians 4:8-9
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord. - Psalm 19:14
TODAY IN THE WORD
A short saying you may have heard shows the importance of our thought life to who we are and what we do for the Lord. One of its variations reads as follows:

Sow a thought, reap an action.

Sow an action, reap a habit.

Sow a habit, reap a heart.

Sow a heart, reap a life.

In this light, the smallest thought can lead to tremendous consequences. Consider Paul’s instructions, for instance, in verse 8 of today’s reading.

He had been going through a series of short exhortations as he prepared to close his letter. Yesterday we read that if we turn our burdens over to the Lord in prayer, His divine peace will guard our hearts and minds.

It makes sense that Paul next turned to the mind and the believer’s thought life. What are we to think about? Whatever is true, remembering that Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44). Whatever is noble, or of high reputation. Whatever is right, or just. Whatever is pure, or righteous. Whatever is lovely, or beautiful in God’s eyes, and whatever is admirable.

Is this list restrictive or limiting? Not at all! Notice that it is stated positively--“think about” rather than “don’t think about.” In fact, we should think about anything that is excellent or praiseworthy. This tells us that God’s wisdom and discipline can be present in and rule our thought lives without a spirit of fear or negativity. That’s faith!

Centering our thoughts on subjects with these characteristics will enable us to obey Paul’s other exhortations in this epistle. How? Thoughts become deeds. Considering godly examples such as Timothy and Epaphroditus leads to godly actions. Desiring to know Christ cultivates Christlikeness. That which is inside a person’s mind and heart promotes God’s changing, sanctifying work.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Paul made several memorable statements about why he lives and how the Philippians should live. It is important for us to think through our purpose as a Christian.

You may want to plan some additional time, perhaps this weekend, to study Paul’s thoughts on this subject in Philippians. Ask yourself what purpose your life is following.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Philippians 4:10-13
I can do everything through him who gives me strength. - Philippians 4:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
David Livingstone, the famous medical missionary to Africa, committed his whole self and life to the cause of Christ. Listen to his own words: “I am a missionary, heart and soul. God Himself had an only Son, and He was a missionary and a physician. A poor, poor imitation I am, or wish to be, but in this service I hope to live. In it I wish to die. I still prefer poverty and missions service to riches and ease. This is my choice.”

Livingstone’s attitude toward ministry and contentment mirrors that of Paul in today’s reading. As he wrapped up his letter to the Philippian church, he took time to express specific gratitude for their partnership in giving. This is in reference to the gift Epaphroditus had brought to Rome (v. 10; cf. Phil. 2:25). If the gift showed their love for him and involvement in his ministry, his response showed the pleasure he took in seeing his “children” grow.

Notice that giving was a natural part of their relationship as church and missionary. Paul simply expected that as soon as the Philippians could, they would contribute toward his work. He was not scolding them or “fishing” for another gift, but commending the Christlike love they had shown him. This is how the body of Christ should support a minister of the gospel (cf. 1 Cor. 9:11-14).

Paul wouldn’t have complained in any case (Phil. 4:11-12). As the narratives in the book of Acts bear out, he had experienced a variety of situations and events--from royal courts to local jails, from banquets to shipwrecks. Through it all, he had learned the spiritual skill of contentment, which is the ability to accept circumstances and worship God no matter what.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Have you learned Paul’s secret? It would be very difficult to rejoice under such circumstances. But God is soveriegn over all things. As a matter fact, He owns all things. We are only His stewards.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Philippians 4:14-23
My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:19
TODAY IN THE WORD
When you give to a missionary or an organization such as Moody Bible Institute, you receive by return mail a “receipt letter.” Do you read these? You should!

A “receipt letter” expresses gratitude for the gift. It may tell a story or testimony to show what God is doing through a person or group, because you are an active partner in the ministry.

Today’s reading is a “receipt letter” from the apostle Paul to the believers in Philippi. It focuses on their longstanding relationship, also alluded to at the start of the epistle (Phil. 1:5). (Read about Paul’s two recorded visits in Acts 16 and 20.) It also conveys Paul’s closing thoughts and prayers for the Philippians.

Paul commended them for being the only church to support him financially during his initial missionary work in the region (Phil. 4:15-16). Again, he was not “fishing” for more gifts--he mentioned their generosity in order to highlight how pleased God is by their obedience.

Paul used two different metaphors to describe this (vv. 17-18). One was from commercial language, as if their gift had been “credited” to a heavenly account. A second image was taken from the Old Testament system of offerings. Their gift was like the sweet fragrance of a sacrifice--both were acts of fellowship and worship before the Lord (see Lev. 7:12-15).

The promise of God meeting the Philippians’ needs (v. 19) flowed out of their having met Paul’s needs. They wouldn’t lack anything because they gave to God’s work--His inexhaustible wealth guarantees that truth (cf. Eph. 3:16-19). Of course, we can draw on this powerful promise ourselves, since we have the same God!

Paul ended the letter as he began--with grace (v. 23; cf. Phil. 1:2). We also should center our lives around the comforting, challenging, transforming reality of God’s grace.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We hope that Philippians is one part of the Bible you’ll return to gladly and often.

Review the notes you made when we asked you to read the whole epistle in one sitting. Have your questions been answered? What have you learned about each of the themes you noted? Can you write out another “larger truth”? How has God changed you or worked in your heart this month?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 1:18-21
You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. - Matthew 1:21
TODAY IN THE WORD
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other word would smell as sweet,” wrote Shakespeare. Yet, we all know there’s a lot to a name. Parents often take great care naming their children, perhaps naming a child after someone special or famous.

Knowing the importance of a name, our focus this month will be on the names and titles associated with the name that is above every other name--Jesus (Phil. 2:9). As we prepare to celebrate His birth, each week we will focus on a new series of names of Christ, beginning with His eternal names.

It is appropriate to start today with the name Jesus, which actually comes from the Hebrew, Yeshua or Yehoshua (translated in English as Joshua), meaning “Yahweh is salvation.” After Moses led the people from their bondage in Egypt, God used Joshua to lead His people into the Promised Land (Josh. 1:6). Although Joshua was not the savior, he provided a picture of the One to come who would lead God’s people from their bondage to sin into eternal life.

At the time of Jesus’ birth, the name Jesus (the Greek spelling of Joshua) was actually quite popular. Devout Jews were waiting expectantly for God to raise up a deliverer, perhaps naming their children Jesus with the hope that God might yet send the Promised One. But there’s one essential element in Jesus’ birth not true of any other baby named Jesus. Matthew 1:18 says that Mary “was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.” In all of history, there had never been a supernatural conception such as this. This would be no ordinary child! Only this child named Jesus would “save his people from their sins” (v. 21). In fact, His saving work on the cross became forever linked with His name--the Savior Jesus Christ.

No wonder Paul wrote that God “gave [Jesus] the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow . . . and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:9–11).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
When you get to know someone, you usually start by learning that person’s name. The same is true of getting to know Jesus.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Micah 5:2; Matthew 16:13-20
You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. - Matthew 16:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
In 1867 Secretary of State William H. Seward purchased Alaska for $ 7.2 million--about $12 per square mile! At the time, the deal was called “Seward’s Folly” and Alaska was dubbed “Seward’s Icebox.” Then, in 1880, gold was discovered. During the 1930s, drought-weary Midwesterners began to farm Alaska’s fertile soil. By the 1970s, oil was flowing through the Alaska Pipeline. Some things aren’t what they appear to be!

Jews living in Palestine at the time of Jesus’ birth certainly weren’t expecting their deliverer, or messiah, to be born in a feeding trough for cattle! Everyone knew that God’s messiah would come in power, conquering the Romans, reestablishing the throne of David, and restoring the temple! Yet, contrary to expectations, the promised Messiah was born in the lowliest circumstances.

These mistaken notions made it impossible for Jesus to openly claim this title, even though He alone was the promised Messiah. Jesus didn’t want people to settle for a liberator from Rome when He knew that what they really needed was a liberator from their sin.

But Jesus didn’t have to call Himself the Messiah--His birth and life revealed both the true nature of the Messiah and that He was the Messiah. When Jesus proclaimed the coming kingdom of God, He associated it with His own coming (Matt. 12:28). As Jesus taught, healed, and performed miracles, people began to recognize that He was the Christ (John 4:29). (Christ is Greek for Messiah; cf. John 4:25.)

Even more significantly, when people identified Jesus as the Messiah, He never corrected them. Indeed, Jesus blessed Peter when he realized that Jesus was the Christ (Matt. 16:17). At Jesus’ trial, He never denied that He was the Christ (Mark 14:61–62).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Many in Jesus’ day were so sure that they knew how the Messiah would come that they overlooked Jesus.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Psalm 90:1-4; John 1:1-3
The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. - Isaiah 40:28
TODAY IN THE WORD
In 1912 the greatest ship ever built set sail on its maiden voyage from England to New York. Its superior design, including elaborate internal flood compartments, rendered it “unsinkable.” Even its name--Titanic--implied colossal, invulnerable strength. But, shortly before midnight, on April 14,the Titaniccollided with an iceberg and completely sank less than three hours later.

In contrast to things thought to be invincible stands the truly Everlasting One. As we prepare for Christmas, we will spend this week looking at eternal names of Christ. What better way to begin than with “Everlasting One”? In fact, one way we know that Jesus is fully God is from Scripture’s clear teaching that Jesus has always, eternally existed.

Consider the psalm in today’s study. The psalmist declares that before the mountains were born--a poetic metaphor for the earth’s creation--the Lord is everlasting God (v. 2). For an everlasting Lord, time is not bound as it is for finite beings (v. 4). Our verse for today from Isaiah declares the same truth.

This might remind you of some New Testament verses. John 1:1 reads, “In the beginning was the Word.” In verse 3, we find echoes of the passage we just read from Psalm 90: “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”

Other passages affirm the everlasting nature of Jesus by speaking of His everlasting kingdom. “Out of you [Bethlehem] will come . . . one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Mic. 5:2). Or consider what Daniel 7:14 says: “His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

Only the Everlasting One could be the source of eternal life. In 1 John 5:20, we read that “we are in him who is . . . the true God and eternal life.”
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Sometimes it’s hard to find the right gift! This Christmas, consider giving gifts that will truly last forever.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 4:31-37; Revelation 4:1-8
I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. - Psalm 71:22b
TODAY IN THE WORD
Diamond appraisers are trained to look for certain qualities in these precious stones, such as color and clarity. Although people say diamonds are white, many diamonds have varying degrees of yellowish color. Only very pure diamonds are truly colorless, and are obviously more rare and expensive. Very costly diamonds are nearly free from defect.

Diamonds can help us to understand the Lord’s holiness--a quality of purity that has no blemish or defect. Yet because we are finite and affected by sin, we have a hard time understanding this moral perfection of the Lord.

The gospel accounts of our Lord’s birth stress the role of the Holy Spirit surrounding this holy event (Matt. 1:20; Luke 1:35). And His life was such that the disciples recognized that Jesus was indeed the Holy One of God (John 6:69).

Interestingly, however, the demons uttered the sublime title “Holy One of God” when they saw Jesus. Luke 4 records an encounter with a demon-possessed man early in Jesus’ public ministry (v. 31). People were marvelling at Jesus’ teaching (v. 32). Most likely, though, they had no idea that the Holy One of Israel was standing in their midst.

But demons, although entirely evil, were compelled to acknowledge Jesus’ holiness (vv. 33–34). With one command from Jesus, these demons were forced to leave the afflicted man, who was then fully restored without injury (v. 35).

This account reveals some powerful truths about the holiness of Jesus. First, the horrifying powers of darkness must acknowledge the holiness of our Lord. Second, these evil agents are completely powerless before the Holy One.

Evil is in every way opposite to the holiness of God. Perhaps this is the best way to understand our Lord’s holiness--it is set apart from anything evil. All that is pure and clean is incomprehensible to darkness (John 1:5).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Whereas even the best diamonds reveal some level of imperfection under the expert’s powerful microscope, there is absolutely nothing impure or discolored about the Lord.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Psalm 118:22-24; 1 Peter 2:4-8
See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation. - Isaiah 28:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
Perhaps your church has a cornerstone inscribed with the date your church was built and maybe a Scripture verse. You may have been present when this cornerstone was laid and the building dedicated.

Although cornerstones today are largely ceremonial--sometimes even hollowed out for a time capsule--ancient buildings had massive cornerstones to support their weight. Because cornerstones were essential, they became a metaphor for a foundation. Psalm 118 describes the nation Israel as a cornerstone, but one that had been rejected by other nations yet chosen by God (v. 22). God’s vindication of the nation produced great joy (vv. 23–24).

Centuries later Jesus used the Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Matt. 21; Mark 12; Luke 20) to apply this psalm to Himself, likening Himself to Israel--rejected by humans but vindicated and exalted by God.

Perhaps while reflecting on this very parable, Peter also wrote about Jesus, the Cornerstone. But since a cornerstone is used in a building, we may wonder what type of building would have Jesus as its cornerstone? Notice how today’s passage from Peter begins by calling Jesus the Living Stone (v. 4). What’s more, all believers are described as living stones who are precious to God and who are being built into a spiritual house of worship (v. 5).

In addition to Psalm 118, Peter also quoted Isaiah 28:16--today’s verse. This beautiful passage probably first had the massive stonework of the temple in mind, alluding to the abiding, unshakable presence of the Lord. The one who trusts in this chosen, precious Cornerstone will never be put to shame (1 Peter 2:6).

Knowing that Jesus is our Cornerstone is a marvelous source of comfort. He is our stability, our firm foundation, the solid rock of our strength.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Psalms and hymns are filled with metaphors for Jesus’ foundational nature. For example, in Psalms 18:2 and 31:2, the Lord is a rock and a fortress. In Psalm 61:3, the Lord is a strong tower.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Isaiah 9:1-7; 11:1-5
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor. - Isaiah 9:6
TODAY IN THE WORD
Throughout history, kings have relied on wise men; prime ministers have sought capable advisers; and presidents have trusted experienced cabinet members.

Today’s passage points the way to an even better adviser. In the seventh century B.C., Isaiah advised Judah’s king, Ahaz. During this treacherous time in the divided kingdom, Israel had formed an alliance with Syria against Assyria and sought Judah’s allegiance. God used Isaiah to speak out against the alliance and to persuade Judah to put its trust in God alone. During this unstable time, God gave Isaiah astounding prophecies about the coming Messiah.

In the midst of political turmoil, God promised that one day the government of the nation and even beyond (Isa. 9:2–3) would rest upon the stable, unwavering shoulders of an amazing Child yet to be born. This Promised One would rule with wise counsel, divine strength, the endless care of a father, and peace (vv. 6–7). For a terrified, war-weary people, there could be no better news!

Isaiah 11 provides additional descriptions of Messianic rule. Upon Him the spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and power (v. 2) would rest. We read that “with justice, he will give decisions for the poor of the earth” (v. 4).

In the incarnation of Jesus, we see the beginning of these prophecies’ fulfillment. The gospels record people’s amazement at the wisdom of Jesus’ teaching (Luke 4:32). Everything about Him revealed the marvelous wisdom of God--the Wonderful Counselor!

Jesus understood that Isaiah’s prophecies referred to Him. In Luke 4, in the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah, directly applying the prophecy to Himself (Luke 4:13–21).

After Jesus’ death and resurrection, another Counselor came to be with His disciples forever--the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 17; 16:7). The Wonderful Counselor, incarnate in Jesus, now dwells within us who have put our faith in Him.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Have you ever needed to talk to a friend about a pressing situation, but as hard as you try, you couldn’t get a hold of your friend?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Isaiah 9:2-6; Philippians 4:6-7
And he will be called . . . Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6
TODAY IN THE WORD
When President Wilson signed the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, the United States had high hopes for lasting peace. Soon, however, financial tragedy and a new shadow rising over Europe threatened this fragile peace. Fifty-nine years ago today, a surprise, pre-dawn attack on Pearl Harbor shattered any hope for peace. The United States once again faced the horrors of war.

Heads of state often think of peace as the avoidance of conflict, but sin makes conflict impossible to avoid for long. The biblical idea of peace includes completeness and well-being. Such peace only comes from God. In fact, today we will see that Jesus is the embodiment of this peace (Isa. 9:6).

When Jesus was born, many recognized that God’s promised peace had finally come. Following John’s birth, Zechariah praised God for sending the Lord “to guide our feet into the path of peace” (Luke 1:79). Following Jesus’ birth, the angels announced: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14). Not surprisingly, one of the final things Jesus said to His disciples was “Peace be with you!” (John 20:26).

When the Prince of Peace returns in glory, He will usher in a reign of everlasting peace (Isa. 9:7). But prior to that, there are three areas in which we now have peace, even in the midst of a stressful, conflict-filled world.

First, we have peace with God (Rom. 5:1), because we have been made right in God’s sight through faith in Jesus’ blood shed on the cross.

Second, we have peace in our circumstances. Jesus said, “My peace I give you” (John 14:27). Paul also wanted believers to experience “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding” (Phil. 4:7). Philippians exhorts us to be anxious about nothing, but to come to God with prayer and thanksgiving (v. 6). Only God’s peace can “guard [our] hearts and [our] minds in Christ Jesus” (v. 7).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Ironically, as we sing “Hail the Heaven-born Prince of Peace,” the season’s hectic pace may leave us far from peaceful.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Isaiah 9:2-9; John 1:1-9; 8:12
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. - Isaiah 9:2
TODAY IN THE WORD
On July 13, 1977, a heat wave caused a blackout in New York City. In the twenty-five hours before power was finally restored, looting and vandalism inflicted $150 million in damages on the city. What a terrifying picture of the “people walking in darkness”!

As we learned yesterday, Isaiah was writing during a tumultuous, dark time. What more joyous news could there be to people “living in the land of the shadow of death” than that a “great light” had dawned (Isa. 9:2)!

By God’s mercy, this great light was even to extend beyond Judah. Isaiah later wrote that the Lord’s chosen servant will be “a light for the Gentiles” (Isa. 42:6) to bring “salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isa. 49:6).

God never forgets His promises, even when several centuries pass. After Jesus’ birth, His devout parents dedicated Him in the temple as was required (Luke 2:22–23). There, Simeon, prepared by the Holy Spirit (v. 26), immediately recognized Jesus as the Great Light (v. 32).

In John’s gospel, where darkness always portrays the sinful world in need of salvation, Jesus is powerfully revealed as the Light of the World. Chapter 1 proclaims that Jesus is the light of men (v. 4), the “true light that gives light to every man” (v. 9). Jesus Himself stated this truth in the plainest possible terms: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (v. 12).

As followers of Jesus, not only do we have the light of life, but we are now the light of the world to those walking in darkness around us (Matt. 5:14). And our light shines as a vibrant testimony to our Father in heaven (v. 16).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In our modern day, it’s hard to imagine walking around in complete darkness.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Philippians 2:5-8
He was . . . a man of sorrows . . . familiar with suffering. - Isaiah 53:3
TODAY IN THE WORD
During World War II, the U.S. Dorchestertransport was sailing off the coast of Greenland when it was torpedoed and began to sink. Realizing that there were not enough life preservers, four chaplains, also on board, removed their life jackets and handed them to four soldiers. In horror, the surviving soldiers watched the chaplains, arms linked and voices raised in prayer, drown in the icy waters.

It’s hard to grasp such self-sacrifice. The greatest act of self-sacrifice ever known was when the One whose eternal nature we are studying took on the “very nature” of a servant so that He might die in our place (Phil. 2:7–8). Understanding our Lord as the Suffering Servant will prepare us to begin our look at His incarnational names tomorrow.

Among Isaiah’s numerous messianic prophecies are four remarkable “Servant Songs” (Isa. 42:1–4; 49:1–7; 50:4–9; and 52:13–53:12). We will look only at the last one, but anyone who reads all four will be blessed. Contrary to the political messiah anticipated by many, the Servant Songs suggested a very different Redeemer. Let’s look at Isaiah 52:13–53:12 to discover the Servant’s mission and how Jesus fulfilled it.

In Isaiah 52:14, we read that the Servant’s appearance was disfigured and His form marred. Mark 15:17–19 describes the terrible beating Jesus received just prior to His crucifixion. Isaiah 53:1, 3 says that the Servant will be rejected; Mark’s gospel recounts the horrible insults and mockery Jesus received on the cross (15:31–32). Isaiah 53:7–8 says the Servant will be like a silent lamb led to slaughter. All four gospels affirm Jesus’ silence during the sham trial He endured (Matt. 26:63; Mark 15:5; Luke 23:9; John 19:9). Finally, Isaiah 53:12 says that the Servant will bear “the sin of many, and [make] intercession for the transgressors” 2 Corinthians 5:21 says that God made “him who had no sin to be sin for us.”
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Most of us don’t like being treated like a servant. Oswald Chambers wrote, “Towels and dishes
. . . all the ordinary sordid things of our lives, reveal more quickly than anything what we are made of.”

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: John 1:1-18; Revelation 19:13
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. - John 1:14
TODAY IN THE WORD
Madeleine L’Engle wrote, “When was the last time anybody said to you, 'I give you my word,’ and you knew that you could trust that word, absolutely? . . . Words of honor are broken casually today, as though they don’t matter. Small wonder then when God tells us, 'I give you my Word,’ few people take Him seriously.” Now consider Isaiah 40:8: “The word of our God stands forever.”

Prophets, such as Isaiah, often began with “Thus says the Lord!” because the Word of the Lord was considered an extension of Yahweh Himself--as if Yahweh were visibly present.

That’s why the word Wordso perfectly describes Jesus. John 1:1 contains three essential truths about our Lord--an entire theology course in one verse! First, the Word is eternal; at the very beginning of it all, Jesus already was. Second, the Word is always with God--there has never been a time when Jesus has not been with the Father. Finally, the Word is God--there can be no doubt about the divinity of Jesus.

What else do we learn about the Word in John 1? He is the source of all creation (v. 3; cf. Gen. 1:3). He is the light of humanity (v. 5)--in John’s gospel, light always means salvation, so this is another way of saying that Jesus is the source of all salvation. Even so, not everyone will recognize Him as such (v. 11). Only those who put their faith in Him will become God’s children (v. 12).

This very Word--eternal, active in creation, source of salvation--became flesh (v. 14)! Just as the “Word of the Lord” through prophets revealed the holy nature of God, so too Jesus is the perfect revelation of the Father’s nature (1:18).

The rest of John’s gospel shows exactly what the Word that became flesh looked like--how He lived, how He taught, how He healed, how He died for the world, and how He was glorified. It’s quite clear: if you want to see God, look carefully at the Word that became flesh.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We often say that you can know people by their actions. John’s gospel shows us what the eternal Word made flesh looked like.