Good evening/morning sisters and brothers,
This is a familiar reading for many of us from Palm Sunday, but we're reading it here because we're reading basically straight through Matthew. Matthew sees Jesus as the fulfillment of prophetic promises about the Messiah. The funny thing about this passage is that Matthew has Jesus riding two animals, which is difficult to imagine. The sad thing about this passage is that within a week the crowd's joyful welcome of Jesus will turn to abandonment, leading to the cross. Even knowing about how the story goes, we can enjoy this moment when people recognize who Jesus really is. Of course, Jesus knew the cross was ahead of him all the way to Jerusalem, and followed that path for our sake. His love for us truly is amazing.
God bless,
Sam
Matthew 21: 1-11
When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” 4This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, 5“Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
6The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 10When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” 11The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Showing posts with label Matthew. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matthew. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Sunday, December 26, 2010
flight to Egypt
Good morning brothers and sisters,
Our reading from Isaiah this morning reminds us of how God has cared for Israel in the past. It hasn't just been prophets leading Israel; God has redeemed and led them throughout history. Our reading from Matthew picks up after the wise men leave the stable. Herod had asked them to tell him where the child was, but the wise men didn't do that. Herod is jealous of the prophesies about Jesus, so he seeks to kill him. This passage tells that story and also related the different events to prophetic promises about the Messiah. This pattern is a hallmark of Matthew's Gospel: "This happened to fulfill what was written..." God keeps Jesus safe until the right time, and God continues to guide and care for us today.
God bless,
Sam
Isaiah 63:7-9
7I will recount the gracious deeds of the LORD, the praiseworthy acts of the LORD, because of all that the LORD has done for us, and the great favor to the house of Israel that he has shown them according to his mercy, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. 8For he said, "Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely"; and he became their savior 9in all their distress. It was no messenger or angel but his presence that saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
* Sunday
Matthew 2:13-23
13Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." 14Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son."
16When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. 17Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 18"A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."
19When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20"Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead." 21Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. 23There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be called a Nazorean."
Our reading from Isaiah this morning reminds us of how God has cared for Israel in the past. It hasn't just been prophets leading Israel; God has redeemed and led them throughout history. Our reading from Matthew picks up after the wise men leave the stable. Herod had asked them to tell him where the child was, but the wise men didn't do that. Herod is jealous of the prophesies about Jesus, so he seeks to kill him. This passage tells that story and also related the different events to prophetic promises about the Messiah. This pattern is a hallmark of Matthew's Gospel: "This happened to fulfill what was written..." God keeps Jesus safe until the right time, and God continues to guide and care for us today.
God bless,
Sam
Isaiah 63:7-9
7I will recount the gracious deeds of the LORD, the praiseworthy acts of the LORD, because of all that the LORD has done for us, and the great favor to the house of Israel that he has shown them according to his mercy, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. 8For he said, "Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely"; and he became their savior 9in all their distress. It was no messenger or angel but his presence that saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
* Sunday
Matthew 2:13-23
13Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." 14Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son."
16When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. 17Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 18"A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."
19When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20"Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead." 21Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. 23There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be called a Nazorean."
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