Daily bread

Daily Bread, Tuesday March 5, 2024
Luke 1. 67-79
THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, 68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people 69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71 that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; 72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us 74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High ; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
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Elizabeth and Zechariah's prayer is answered, so they give birth to John the Baptist. Jesus establishes in him the Gospel to be the greatest prophet among the people of Israel.
1. The fulfillment of God’s promise (v. 68):
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people”
John the Baptist came before Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah promised to the Jews since the time of Babylonian captivity. The birth of John the Baptist signifies the completion of God’s promise because it also announces to the Jews the birth of Jesus.
Zechariah feels the fulfillment of God’s promise and expresses gratitude to God in this today’s devotional. So, everyone who feels the accomplishment of God’s promises is called to express gratitude to God. Let’s learn every day to be thankful to God because we enjoy the benefits of the fulfillment of God’s words through Jesus Christ.
2. God listens to his servant's prayer
Elisabeth and Zechariah prayed to God for a child and waited patiently for many years. It was only in their advanced age that God answered their prayer, blessing them with a son. Although they anticipated a child, they were delighted to receive a son. What enjoyable is to see Zechariah's unwavering service to God, even during the years of delayed answers to their prayer. He persevered in his ministry, maintaining confidence while awaiting the fulfillment of their prayer.
The announcement of the birth of John the Baptist serves as evidence that those who earnestly serve God will receive answers to their prayers in God's perfect timing. Whether prayers are answered or not, it is crucial to remain steadfast in serving God.
3. The grace for the Jews (v. 77)
“to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins”
John the Baptist's mission is to guide the Jews on the righteous path, preparing them to honorably receive the Lord, Jesus Christ. John's role is crucial as he makes them ready to welcome the Savior. Having John among the Jews is a significant grace because he serves as a mentor, preparing them to encounter Jesus. When they eventually meet Jesus, redemption follows.
John’s presence as guide and instructor facilitated numerous encounters between Jews and Jesus, allowing them to win the benefits of salvation. Similarly, Malagasy people can enjoy the benefits of the church leading them towards the Lord Jesus for redemption. This represents a grace for the nation, as the church becomes a platform facilitating the encounters with Jesus Christ.

Barinarivo Rajosoa Mpitandrina

Daily Bread - Tuesday, February 6, 2024
Matthew 19:16-19
Keep the commandments to have eternal life.
16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ESV
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There was this rich man, a respected one in his community, he may be a legal expert, many also mentioned that he is a leader of the synagogue, he came to Jesus to ask some questions. He wanted to know what good actions he needed to take to inherit eternal life. Here are the messages that we need to retain when we read this passage:
1. People without eternal life feel unfulfilled.
V. 16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”
This man seemed being satisfied as he possessed authority and wealth. However, even though he has everything, he still felt incomplete, he felt that something was still missing. He was unsure that he truly has eternal life. He deeply searched for a response as he sensed a profound emptiness, that’s the reason he came to see Jesus.
Approaching Jesus to fulfill his emptiness is an important step this man had taken.
Today’s devotional by Matthew’s gospel emphasizes that only Jesus can provide eternal life stressing that through Jesus we can get what is lacking in life and experience true fulfillment.
This man teaches us that:
- we may have everything, but still feel unhappy when we don’t have the everlasting life.
- the most important thing to do is to come to Jesus as He is the right way to gain the eternal life.
2. Eternal life has a close connection with obeying God’s commandments.
(v.17) « If you would enter life, keep the commandments. »
This man thought about something else when he reached Jesus. Jesus teaches that eternal life has a connection with a communion and obedience to God’s words. This is not something new, this man would enjoy eternal life through the easiest way. It doesn’t require difficult ways since we have entered into a relationship with God through His words. God’s laws were given to all of us and living in obedience can guarantee us to inherit the eternal life. But we need to remember that for whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.
Fortunately, God grants eternal life to all who believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When a person believes in Christ as Lord, they acknowledge Him as God and submit themselves to Christ’s rightful authority over their life. This means their life revolves around living in obedience to Jesus by obeying His commands: by honoring the father and mother, not murder, not commit adultery, and love the neighbor as oneself.

Barinarivo Rajosoa Mpitandrina