11/12/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
Psalm 16 is one of the Psalms which reminds us that the Old Testament is all about Jesus. We can start reading at the beginning and think it’s about David or maybe even partly about us. But when we get to verse ten and we find that the apostle Peter quotes it while speaking of Jesus in Acts chapter two, we have to think through our interpretation again. It’s about Jesus, the one who is not abandoned in death and who doesn’t see decay. It’s about the one who lived a life of dependence on the Father, who died, and who rose from the dead. He’s the one who leads his people along the path of life. He’s the one seated at the right hand of the Father, making prayers for his people. He’s the one who always finds his pleasure and fulfillment in the Father.
This is all excellent news, because the Christian hopes and trusts only in God. We look to Jesus as the one who will be able to raise the dead in the last day. He’s the one who brings us to the Father. He’s the one who truly delights in all God’s word and will, and who gives that delight to his people. He’s the one who has rejected all the religions of this world to give us his life, ransoming all who believe from sin, death, and destruction.
At the same time, much of the time, we can rightly say the Lord has been good to us. As in verse six, I can say that my boundary lines are pleasant and that I have a beautiful inheritance. Yes, in Christ I have promises for the future. But also, as with so very many others, I can say there are opportunities for good in my life. Even in hard times, I can always imagine someone in worse circumstances. We can consider the many bad things that haven’t happened to us in any given day. We can know that the Lord who made heaven and earth cares for his people and that he is the one who can protect us from all final harm. And we can, by faith, confess the truth of Jesus’ words in John 11:25-26. “The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (NIV). This is great news indeed.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
Psalm 16 is one of the Psalms which reminds us that the Old Testament is all about Jesus. We can start reading at the beginning and think it’s about David or maybe even partly about us. But when we get to verse ten and we find that the apostle Peter quotes it while speaking of Jesus in Acts chapter two, we have to think through our interpretation again. It’s about Jesus, the one who is not abandoned in death and who doesn’t see decay. It’s about the one who lived a life of dependence on the Father, who died, and who rose from the dead. He’s the one who leads his people along the path of life. He’s the one seated at the right hand of the Father, making prayers for his people. He’s the one who always finds his pleasure and fulfillment in the Father.
This is all excellent news, because the Christian hopes and trusts only in God. We look to Jesus as the one who will be able to raise the dead in the last day. He’s the one who brings us to the Father. He’s the one who truly delights in all God’s word and will, and who gives that delight to his people. He’s the one who has rejected all the religions of this world to give us his life, ransoming all who believe from sin, death, and destruction.
At the same time, much of the time, we can rightly say the Lord has been good to us. As in verse six, I can say that my boundary lines are pleasant and that I have a beautiful inheritance. Yes, in Christ I have promises for the future. But also, as with so very many others, I can say there are opportunities for good in my life. Even in hard times, I can always imagine someone in worse circumstances. We can consider the many bad things that haven’t happened to us in any given day. We can know that the Lord who made heaven and earth cares for his people and that he is the one who can protect us from all final harm. And we can, by faith, confess the truth of Jesus’ words in John 11:25-26. “The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (NIV). This is great news indeed.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
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