Isaiah 7:10-8:8 - Here God promises to give the sign of Immanuel ("God with Us"). Notice the tone of finality at work here in the text. The Lord will give His people a final, conclusive sign in giving them the sign of Immanuel (something corroborated by the rest of Scripture - particularly Hebrews 1.1-2). Why are we so often not content to accept the fullness of God's revelation in Christ? Why, in our weaker moments, does Christ seem insufficient? How can we learn to rest in the sufficiency of Christ alone? What else are we looking for? As we enter into Advent, what comfort do we receive from knowing that Christ is God's final sign and full revelation of Himself?
1 Peter 3:1-22 - When we speak of becoming like Christ - we often think of moments of triumph and faithfulness on our part as we grow in our sanctification. But what does this passage tell us about the ways in which we are going to be like Christ? Our "Christ-likeness" is not only exhibited in our times of triumph but also in our unjust suffering. The Christian life is one of suffering (often just but sometimes unjust) as we are united with Christ in his crucifixion. The good news is that in our baptism, God has also connected us to Christ's resurrection. May this reality help us live faithful lives in the midst of both our triumphs and our suffering.
No comments:
Post a Comment