Prophet

Saturday – December 28

Advent Reading: Deuteronomy 18:15-19

Yet another “face” of Jesus appears  in this Scripture portion. Now He is identified as a Prophet. It even declares that this Prophet was mighty in deed and word. It goes even further and declares that this is so “before God and the people.” Taken all together this is quite a statement about the man known as Jesus.

The Jewish people have had a long history with prophets sent by God. There were even a few who called themselves “prophets” but were in fact false prophets. That is, they did not speak for God but for either their own ends or for pay spoke out to lift others up instead of a holy God. False prophets and prophets for hire were used by unscrupulous leaders or other power-hungry people. Several New Testament writers speak out about false prophets to warn the Jesus followers. Matthew does in chapters  7 & 24; Luke refers to them in chapter 6;  and Mark in chapter 13; Peter mentions them in 2 Peter 2; while John speaks out in 1 John 4.

However, our emphasis in this devotional, solely concerns Jesus Who was seen as a Prophet and, of course, as the Son of God He should know what a prophet is to be like. The people were apparently quick to pick up on His connection with the Almighty One and His fame spread among them.  Whenever He spoke it had the ring of truth in it. But it wasn’t just about the things He said and the truth of them but also His actions spoke just as powerfully. People were healed of various afflictions just about all over the land.  The lame and halt – walked. The blind – saw. The deaf – heard. The paralytic – leaped for joy. Bleeding – stopped. All through what we call the Gospels we read of the mighty acts of Jesus and hear of His powerful words to the multitudes. As is the case today, some didn’t know what to make of Him. Some questioned His actions in spite of the good that was done. There were those who said he did these things in the power of Beelzebub.

Moses declared in your Advent Reading from Deuteronomy for today that all the mighty acts done in the name of God Almighty would themselves speak of what God has done. This would be true even though some among them would say they had gotten all this by the might of their own arm. Moses wrote down in this chapter all the mighty things God did for them as witnesses against them. Did any of them cause the manna to come? Did any of them keep their clothes from wearing out during their wandering in the wilderness for forty years? These and many other truths did Moses write in this last book of what the Jews even then knew as The Pentateuch.

What truths and mighty acts have been done by God in Jesus’ name in your life? My wife and I are considering writing a joint biography of our spiritual journey. Every once in a while we remember the ways God has led each of us and also together as a couple. I think if we all think back, on our lives as believers we can all see those moments when it was definitely God Who led the way. Take time today to reflect on your spiritual journey, and if with your spouse or family, just how He intersected in your lives to lead you in the way He wanted you to go. May God richly bless you as you think on these things!