**Read Matthew 12:1-21 and Romans 9:27-33
I. Lord of the Sabbath
- Matthew 12:1-21; Jesus' popularity among the Jews was growing and because of this, the Pharisees and the Scribes were starting to get threatened so they looked for ways to get rid of Jesus, either by imprisonment or death. They accused Jesus of breaking the Law (Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy) when His disciples went to the fields and harvested for their food. They also tried to trick Him one more time by bringing a man with withered hand and then asking Jesus if it was legal to heal on the Sabbath. Jesus explained to the "religious leaders" that He is greater than the Law and because they have been too concerned of losing their control of the people, they have blinded themselves for not seeing who He really is. Jesus added, with the use of an analogy, that if any of God's people is in danger and cried our for help, He will not ignore them just because it is the Sabbath Day. God is still God during the Sabbath and will help out his people.
-In verses 15-21, another prophecy was again fulfilled through Jesus Christ. Do you know that Jesus fulfilled more than 300 prophecies? The probability of these is so outrageous that there is no doubt that He was the messiah that God had sent to save us. From being born in Bethlehem from a virgin, a descendant of David, preceded by a messenger who prepared His way (John the Baptist), entered Jerusalem riding a donkey, betrayed by one of his followers (Judas) for 30 silver coins, garments divided by casting lots, crucified with pierced hands and feet, bones will not be broken, Resurrection, and many more. These are prophecies that were written hundreds and hundreds of years ago before Jesus was born. Let us put this in a different perspective. A mathematician, Peter Stoner calculated the probability of 1 person fulfilling only 8 prophecies to 1 of 100,000,000,000,000,000 or 1 x 10^17. If we have 1 x 10^17 silver dollar coins, it will cover the whole state of Texas (268,800 sq miles) two feet deep. So what are the chances that if we mark one of the coins red and give a blindfolded man one change to pick a coin, that he will get that coin. If he does succeed, we will call this a miracle and that is what Jesus is. Of course, Jesus did not just fulfill 8 prophecies so let's see if one person fulfills a much larger number. For 48 prophecies, the probability jumps to 1 of 1 x 10^157. Peter Stoner shared that if we counted this much electrons at a rate of 250 per minute day and night, it will still take us 19 million years to finish. And that is just a mere 48 prophecies. What more if we have 100, 200, or 300+ prophecies. There is no man, past or present, that can fulfill half, a quarter or probably even 10 of the prophecies foretold. Jesus is definitely the son of God, the messiah, and the savior that God sent us to die for our sins. Now after reading this, do we still have doubts who Jesus Christ really is. The Bible is true and it is backed by history and archaeology. It is written by men inspired by God to share His message of love and salvation for all of us. Let us read it, believe in it, and live by it. Let us accept Jesus Christ as our savior, repent our sins, and follow His ways. Let us build a relationship with our Father and live to honor, worship, praise, and glorify His name.
II. Israel's Rock of Stumbling
- In Romans 9:27-33, Paul illustrated that God has chosen the Jews as his people. There were many of them just like the sand of the sea. But it doesn't mean that all of them will be saved but only the remnant or few will actually be saved. Jesus came to the earth to preach the "good news" but only a few accepted Him and most, including the Pharisees and the scholarly Scribes, completely rejected Him. Paul also reminded us that we can do all the religious practices, ceremonies, and traditions of this world, we can even say that "I am good anyways and does not commit sin, that's all that matters," but this does not matter, for it is not by following the Law that we will get you saved, but by seeking faith and relationship with God. It is only by grace that we will receive salvation.
- Depending on where we were raised and what religion we grew up on, we were probably those who pursued righteousness through our good deeds and by following the Law. We may think that if we go to church every Sunday, give offerings, and be nice to people, this will earn us a ticket to the gates of Heaven. But God does not want this. He instead wants faith in Him for if you have faith and loved Him, this will all be natural for you. When God send us the Holy Spirit, our hearts will be changed, and we will start living like Jesus and receive grace and righteousness from God.
III. Proverbs for Today/5:22-23
22 His own iniquities entrap the wicked man,
And he is caught in the cords of his sin.
23 He shall die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:
Exodus 5:22, Exodus 6-7, Psalms 23:1-6
