On Metaphors and the Messiah

On Metaphors and the Messiah

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. Hebrews 1:1-4

I have said here in this space that one of my discoveries over my years in ministry is that pastors and Bible teachers tend to spend our devotional time preparing for the next sermon, talk, article, lesson, or whatever we are doing.  Output. The Lord told me that I needed input. A while back, I tried to develop the habit of doing something for my morning time that had nothing to do with preaching, teaching, or writing–it needed to be between me and God. Most of the time, I try to read through the Bible or work through a devotion. This year, I am reading through the New Testament using the ESV Daily Devotional New Testament  At the risk of violating that conviction and “producing” something, I wanted to journal something I am seeing, a connection the devotional author is making. The reading plan is currently in John and Hebrews. 

John’s gospel is more the “why” gospel than the “what” gospel. His metaphors of new birth, living water, and bread are presented in conversations, events, and miracles. The lamb of God. The woman at the well. The nighttime conversation with Nicodemus. The feeding of the 5000. All of these have parallels in the ministry and leadership of Moses. Passover. Water from the rock. New life through exodus. Bread from heaven. Yet, as the writer of Hebrews points out, these were temporary and ultimately unsatisfying. The Israelites of Moses’ time were like us sometimes. “God thanks for the miracles, but what have You done for me lately?” The main message of Hebrews is the superiority and simplicity of Jesus as our only hope. Superior to Moses, angels, Old Testament, animal sacrifice, good works, and human effort. Simple because we are saved in Christ alone. By faith alone. In grace alone. 

Father, return me to the simple declaration of John the Baptist who saw Jesus and exclaimed, “behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29). Once and for all, despite my persistent sin and in the presence of my human pride–Jesus is all. In all. Through all. In spite of all. In the face of evil, arrogance, cruelty from human to human, and the worst of what this world produces. Return me to the superiority and simplicity of the gospel. Mediate with me on this amazing and inspiring thought from the writer of Hebrews:

6 But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? 7 You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor 8 and put everything under their feet.” In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. 9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2:6-9