[The following devotional was written by Wildwood Community Church Student Pastor Jonathan Holmes and is a part of our 2014 Advent Devotional Guide. We will be posting a devotional each day on this blog between November 30 – December 31, 2014.]
Jesus Lenses by Jonathan Holmes
Read: Luke 24:13-27
Two very distraught disciples were on their way to Emmaus as they discussed all of the things that happened with Jesus. This is post-crucifixion and they are distraught because they chose to leave everything behind and follow Jesus, who they believed was the Messiah that came to rescue them. All of that blew up in their faces when the Messiah died!
Why were the disciples so distraught about Jesus’ death? They did not “believe all that the prophets have spoken (v. 25)!” They saw the coming Messiah as the Conquering King, but not the Suffering Servant. They focused on the glory (crown), but not the cross (suffering).
How does Jesus respond? Starting with Moses Jesus shows them how all of Scripture points to Him. Jesus gives a new way to read all of Scripture. We read the Old Testament through Jesus lenses – we read the Bible in light of Jesus’ life. Our Jesus’ lenses don’t just stop there though. We don’t simply put on our Jesus’ lenses to read our Bibles and take them off to live our lives, rather we live all of life in light of Jesus, the coming Messiah.
Over the next few days, we will look at some of the Old Testament promise of Jesus’ birth and read them with our Jesus’ lenses on.
Questions
- How would your life look different if you lived with Jesus’ lenses on?
- What would you see differently?
- What would you notice that went unnoticed before?
Advent Prayers
- Take time confessing to God areas of your life that haven’t been radically affected by Jesus’ life.
- Ask God to give you the strength and faith to walk in light of Jesus this week.