This is The Living Word for Sunday, January 8, 2023
Isaiah 60:1-6 — The light of the world appears to the nations
Matthew 2:1-23 — Light in the sky signals a world-changing event
Ephesians 3:1-12 — God’s hidden purpose becomes our enlightenment
Theme: The revelation — Jesus is Lord for all who come to Him
• Read this week’s linked article and listen to this week’s podcast (also in video)
Psalm 72:1-2, 10-14
1-2 Endow the king with Your justice, O God, the royal son with Your righteousness. May He judge Your people in righteousness, Your afflicted ones with justice.
10-11 May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to Him.
May the kings of Sheba and Seba present Him gifts. May all kings bow down to Him and all nations serve Him.
12-13 For He will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death.
14 He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in His sight.
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Isaiah 60:1-6 — The light of the world appears to the nations
Many living in spiritual darkness are attracted to discover Jesus
60:1-3 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and His glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
“Darkness covers the earth… but the Lord… and His glory appears” — a picture of our world clouded by pervasive sin, but God’s glory in His people shines in the spiritual darkness as God always intended, Gen. 12:3.
4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip.
“All assemble and come” — words from Isaiah 49:13-22 about the gathering of the faithful after the exile, and looking ahead to the Gentile influx and the New Jerusalem.
5 Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.
6 Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the LORD.
“Riches of the nations will come… camels… bearing gold and incense…” — in caravans of wealthy pilgrims on a journey to worship the Lord. In partial fulfilment, one caravan of wealthy Gentiles did seek out the Lord a year after His birth, Matthew 2:1 and 11 (below).
Reflection
SUMMARY This picture is best understood detached from time and chronology. There is a reference to a caravan procession with gifts of gold and valuable aromatics, which points to the account in Matthew 2 (below) and future worshippers from the nations bringing gifts.
APPLICATION The good news, who Jesus is and how He can be known personally in new spiritual life, has circled the globe. Billions of worshippers (still many more to reach) have made their own personal journey to the light of Jesus and have offered all that they have, to put under His lordship.
QUESTION What did the original hearers understand by “nations” that will come? Why was it difficult for them, and why is it still difficult for us?
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Matthew 2:1-23 — Light in the sky signals a world-changing event
A caravan of spiritual sages from Persia make enquiries in Jerusalem
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.”
“Magi from the east” — probably Zoroastrian sages from Persia with an awareness of the Scriptures from Daniel’s time, Daniel 5:11.
3-6 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”
“Teachers of the law” — professional scholars knew the foretelling of the Messiah and His birthplace, yet made no move to visit nearby Bethlehem.
“Shepherd My people” — Matthew’s word for “rule” from “He will will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord”, Micah 5:4, referencing the whole prophecy.
7-8 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him.”
“I too may go and worship Him” — unspiritual Herod was threatened by the announcement of a “king of the Jews” and completely misunderstood who Jesus was.
9-10 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
“The star… went ahead of them” —not an astronomical phenomenon as the supernatural light moved, and to a position only six miles away.
11-12 On coming to the house, they saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
“Gold, frankincense and myrrh” — two extremely valuable aromatic commodities, like gold, which became God’s providence for the refugee family.
13-15 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and His mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill Him.” So he got up, took the child and His mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My son.”
“Fulfilled” — the second fulfilment Matthew mentions in this gospel for Jewish readers.
16-18 When Herod realised that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
“Rachel weeping” — Jeremiah had personified mourning mothers in exile as Rachel. In the small village of Bethlehem the number could have been 20.
19-20 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”
“An angel of the Lord appeared” — another way the Lord drew near at a time of need, giving clear revelation to Joseph. Herod died shortly after his overreaction; Jesus did not come for Herod’s throne but for his salvation.
21-23 So he got up, took the child and His mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.
“Archelaus” — a son of Herod the Great and like him, dismissed for his misrule by the Romans who appointed governors, of whom (later) Pilate was one.
“Nazarene” — a play on words recalling a number of prophecies, that the Messiah would be a nesir, branch, Isaiah 11:1, from a place of insignificance (like Nazareth), and despised, Isaiah 53:2-3.
Reflection
SUMMARY The three gifts seem to have been presented jointly — symbolic but also providential. Matthew’s story details the turbulent politics of the time and how they threatened Jesus and His birth parents — but also how God’s providential care and guidance went ahead of them.
APPLICATION This passage is rich in examples of God’s guidance. The sages are guided by the unusual light in the sky and warned in a dream; Joseph receives guidance three times in dreams; angels appear and speak. In the most difficult times, God shows Himself in saving acts.
QUESTION How much is salvation our choice and decision, and how much is God’s constant process?
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Ephesians 3:1-12 — God’s hidden purpose becomes our enlightenment
God’s progressive revelation uncovers the way His saving grace works
1-3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles — Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.
“The administration of God’s grace” — Paul’s aside explains his extraordinary mission. The former persecutor helps both Jewish and non-Jewish Christian believers see how they have been graciously accepted by God through Christ, and are able to accept each other.
4-6 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
“This mystery” — a truth formerly hidden now being revealed, that Jewish and Gentile believers have equal shares in the new covenant of salvation in Jesus.
7-9 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of His power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.
“To preach… and make plain [what] was kept hidden” — the truth plainly stated in the OT which few understood. God’s unrestricted blessing promised through Abraham offered salvation to both Jews and Gentiles.
• For further study, read Gen. 12:3, Isaiah 49:6, Gal. 3:28-29.
10-11 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
“His intent” — God’s plan was for His family of believers, united and reconciled, to demonstrate His kingdom rule against demonic rulers and authorities, to the applause of angels.
12 In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Reflection
SUMMARY This passage highlights how God’s grace and God’s eternal purpose do not follow the neat rules of human logic — God’s ways are higher. The word he uses for this is “mystery” in the sense of something formerly hidden now being revealed. The coming of God’s Son and the grace of salvation offered to all through Him had been foretold but was little understood. Jesus’s own teaching of it was considered heretical. Jewish believers in predominantly Gentile churches struggled with this new non-exclusive understanding.
APPLICATION Paul teaches that the church — believers experiencing new life in Christ — is the example and the explanation of God’s grace. What may be difficult to understand intellectually can be experienced by us, because it follows God’s logic rather than our own. Then we can make it plain to others. The Bible, itself a progressive revelation of God, helps reveal the mystery if we follow its story from OT, through Jesus’ teaching in the gospel accounts, to the NT narrative and letters reflecting the new life of the Holy Spirit.
QUESTION When believers drawn from different ethnic and social groups are united in prayer and praise, what is the effect in the heavenly realms?
PRAYER O God our loving Father, as we celebrate the revealing of Your Son Jesus and Your plan of salvation for the whole world, we pray for revival. We ask for a greater, deeper and more passionate revelation of who You are, and freedom to tell our story to encourage others.
May those around us be receiving their own revelation of the mystery of Christ’s birth and supreme role in the spiritual order — and inviting us to help them with their questions.
May this year be a spiritual awakening — near to home and further afield —Your glory widely seen and Your life received! Amen.
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