[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 293-Matthew 18-20; John 18 summary!]
Exodus 12-14 offers us one of the most amazing events in the entire Old Testament: the parting of the Red Sea. Yet before it happened, we read of Moses instructing the Israelites not once, but twice how the Passover was to be observed every year forever in Israel’s history. God’s deliverance of the people of Israel from slavery is an amazing “redemption” story. After all, redemption is freeing slaves by paying the cost of their freedom. The Passover foreshadows Jesus’ redemption of humanity through His death on the cross. Many have noted the Israelites were to put the blood of the Passover lambs over the tops of their doorframes and on the sides. If you “connect the dots” it forms a cross. Jesus told His disciples of the New Covenant He was about to establish through the shedding of His blood at a Passover celebration. The connection is obvious and intentional.
We read when the Israelites left Egypt, they numbered 600,000 men, and of course the men had wives and children, so the population of Israel had multiplied from 70 people when Jacob went into Egypt to about two million 430 years later! God’s promise to Abraham was being fulfilled, and it had taken place through many storms. The storms weren’t over, as we read in chapter 14. As the Israelites left Egypt God had Moses lead them by a circuitous route rather than the direct one, because He didn’t want them to face battle against the Philistines. God knew His people, and even though they looked like an army as the left Egypt, they were not battle tested. As we start to see even in chapter 14, the slaves were leaving Egypt, but the slave mentality of Egypt was still in them.
When Pharaoh changed his mind and sent soldiers to attack the Israelites, the Israelites were literally stuck in the middle. The Red Sea was on one side and the Egyptian army on the other. They cried out in panic to Moses, but Moses’ words of reassurance are some of the most incredible in the entire Bible. Even though you have already read them, let’s read them again together: 13But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. 14The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Exodus 14:13-14 (NLT) Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today…Just stay calm. How many times we need to hear and heed those words. Most of us are activists. We live by the old adage, “Don’t just stand there, do something!” Often this is good advice. But there are times when God says, “Don’t just do something. Stand there. I have this.” In the case of the Israelites, God delivered an amazing miracle, parted the Red Sea, saved the Israelites and destroyed the Egyptians. Wow! What an amazing God. In our case, God destroyed sin and death, and created a home for us with Him forever. Wow! What an amazing God
As we read Mark 2 again, we’re reminded how early in Jesus’ ministry the Jewish religious leaders came against Him. They couldn’t accept His power to forgive sin, or His choice of disciples, or His lack of observance of the religious rules. At every point, Jesus reminded them He was Lord – Lord over sin, over disease, over people’s destinies and over the Sabbath. I am so grateful Jesus has this, whatever the “this” may be in our lives right now!
Day 293-Matthew 18-20; John 18
Matthew 18 offers us several brief teachings from Jesus. First, He told the disciples the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven is the one who is like a child–childlike, not childish. Childlikeness means trusting, loving, filled with wonder. Childish means immature, short-tempered, and filled with self. Next, Jesus warned us not to be the ones who put temptation to sin in the way of one of His little ones. Next, Jesus tells the Parable of the Lost Sheep, and how it isn’t His Father’s will for even one person to perish. The chapter closes with Jesus telling us how important it is to forgive those who sin against us. After telling us of its importance, He offers a powerful parable about a servant who owed his master vast sums of money. The master showed compassion on the servant and forgave him. But then the servant went out and failed to forgive a fellow servant who owed him a small sum of money. When the other servants brought this servants action to the master, the master had the servant and his family thrown into prison! This shows us how important it is for us to forgive others as Jesus has forgiven us.
In Matthew 19 we read a similar account to that in Mark 10, where the Pharisees question Jesus about divorce. The next two aspects of the chapter are also the same. It was likely the same moment. Jesus asked the Pharisees what the Law of Moses said about divorce. They told Him the Law permitted it. Jesus told them that was only because of human hardness of heart, but from the beginning God’s intention was for a man and woman to be married for as long as they lived. That is still His intention for us! Next, Jesus is approached by some families with their children for Jesus to bless the children. The disciples attempted to stop them, but Jesus rebuked the disciples, laid his hand on the children and blessed them. Finally, we read of the rich young man who came to Jesus seeking eternal life. When the man had told Jesus he had followed the Law since his youth, Jesus told him to go sell all he had, give it to the poor, and he would have riches in heaven. Then he could come and follow him. The man went away said, because he couldn’t give up his wealth. The disciples were astonished, because they assumed worldly wealth was a sign of God’s favor. Often it is. In this case it was the prison that kept the young man from being free to serve Jesus.
In Matthew 20 Jesus tells the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard. As we know by now, the parable tells of a vineyard owner who went to the town throughout the day at various times and hired workers. He told the ones hired in the morning he would pay them a denarius, or a day’s wage. The rest he told he would pay fairly. As it turned out the master paid those who worked only one hour a denarius. When the ones who started first received their pay, they were upset, because they also received one denarius–the amount they had agreed would be their wage at the beginning of the day. They said the master was being unfair. He reminded them he had paid them fairly, and he had the right to be generous to the others if he desired. The point of the parable is no matter when in a person’s life he or she comes to the Lord for salvation, each one receives the same reward–salvation! Next, Jesus told the disciples of His impending death for a third time. This time, the mother of James and John came to Jesus and asked Him to put her sons in the positions of authority and power at His right and left when He came into His Kingdom. Jesus told her He didn’t have the right to make that commitment. It was up to His Father. The other ten disciples became upset when they heard of the request, so Jesus took the opportunity to remind them the greatest in God’s Kingdom is the one who serves the most. Finally, Jesus takes some time while the group is walking along to heal two blind men. This time Jesus tells them it would be done according to their faith, and their faith was enough, because they were healed.
As we return to John 18, we return to the account of Jesus’ betrayal, arrest, questioning before Annas and Caiaphas, the high priests, Peter’s denial of Jesus, and Jesus trial before Pilate. We have read the account in all four gospels, and what stands out to me in each account is Jesus’ calmness while everyone else is in a frenzy. He knew He was going to beaten and crucified, yet He answered calmly or remained silent. When the crowds jeered He stayed calm. He watched and listened as Peter denied Him, but in Luke’s gospel alone we’re told after the third denial Jesus turned to Peter and looked at Him. Imagine that: Jesus’ friend, follower, and confidante Peter, denied ever knowing Him, and Jesus looked calmly into His eyes. Only the Savior of the world could have responded in that way.