Matthew 4:1-11

“And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry” (v2). Jesus was led by the Spirit into a time of testing and temptation (v1). While most people would have prepared by resting or eating to build up strength, Jesus fasted. Physically weak but spiritually fortified, Jesus saw through the devil’s lies about power, self-importance, and shortcuts to glory. He knew that true satisfaction and joy came from obeying the Father. “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only you shall serve” (v10).

Jesus resisted temptation and remained faithful, and by faith we are united with Him. Through Him, the Spirit helps us as we learn to live by “every word that comes from the mouth of God” (vv4).

Psalm 3

“Lord, how many are my foes! ... many are saying of my soul, ‘There is no salvation for him in God’” (v1-2). The psalmist faced terrible attacks from his enemies (v6). Some were physical threats, and others were accusations that God was not with him or on his side. But the psalmist knew that his troubles did not mean God was punishing him. He clung to the Lord who was his “shield”, and God answered his cries for help and lifted him up (v3,4).

“I lay down and slept, I woke again, for the Lord sustained me” (v5). The Lord’s faithful love for us remains true, even in the middle of distress and uncertainty. Because He is our refuge, we can rest.

Genesis 9

“And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply ...” (v1). God did not simply rescue Noah’s family from the flood; when it was over, He blessed them. He reissued the command to “be fruitful and multiply”, and the rainbow became a sign of His continuing mercy (v13). On this earth, He commanded humans to respect all life (v4), especially human life (v5-6). Humans would only flourish when they followed God’s ways, as Noah’s sons immediately discovered (v22-27).

The rainbow is a sign of God’s commitment to His creation - “the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh” (16). His desire is for us to know Him, follow His ways, and experience blessing.

Genesis 8

“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease” (v22). When the flood waters receded, God told Noah and his family to “go out” with all the animals and to “be fruitful and multiply on the earth” (v17). Noah’s family had a real future, and so did the entire earth. Even though God knew that humanity had a bent toward sin (v21), He re-covenanted with Noah’s family to allow life to continue. God, the creator of life, called on people again to embrace life.

“Then Noah built an altar to the Lord” (v20). God’s desire is that we embrace life – even on our difficult earth – not on our own terms, but in fellowship with Him.

Genesis 7

“Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals ...” (v1-2). The all-pervasive evil on the earth had reached a breaking point, and the consequences were catastrophic. Yet, the Lord preserved life, and He told Noah to protect an abundance of “clean animals” used for holy sacrifice. This was a sign that God’s desire was for men and women to one day worship Him again.

“And the Lord shut him in” (v16). God’s desire is to rescue, not condemn us, so that we can know Him. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Genesis 6

“The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (v5). The beautiful, good world God created had become completely polluted through sin. Humanity’s constant violence, evil, and suffering “grieved” God, and He decided to wipe the earth clean (v6, 11). He chose not to eradicate humanity completely but instead to restart the population with Noah, who was “righteous, blameless in his generation” (v9).

“But I will establish my covenant with you ...” (v18). God’s covenant with Noah, like later covenants, was based on His own initiative of mercy. We can count on His powerful kindness, which calls to flee the destructiveness of sin and receive His redemption.

Genesis 5

“Out of the ground that the Lord has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands” (v29). Humanity was enduring the broken relationships and grinding, hard labor that resulted from Adam and Eve’s tragic attempt to be like gods. But God was not absent. Noah, whose name in Hebrew sounds like ‘rest’ or ‘relief’, symbolized hope for his parents, and Enoch walked closely with God (v21-23).

“When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God” (v1). Generation after generation, humans suffered the consequences of using our God-given potential in sinful ways. But Jesus, the New Adam, broke the curse so that we could walk in freedom and fellowship with our Creator.

Matthew 3

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (v2). John, following the Old Testament prophetic tradition, called Israel to repentance. He urged them to turn from sin and open their hearts and lives to God’s righteousness, revealed in the Messiah Jesus. John warned the Pharisees and Sadducees (v7,9) that being Abraham’s descendants was not enough. The Messiah’s kingdom was for those willing to leave behind their pride and self-justification in order to embrace God’s salvation.

“This is my beloved Son” (v17). God calls us to leave behind the sin and emptiness of self-idolatry, so that we can receive His beloved Son. Under the Messiah’s good rule, we find the life of peace and joy we desire.

Psalm 2

“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?” (v3). This psalm reminds us that the raging of humanity against God will ultimately fail. The “kings of the earth” (the rebellious, the winners, the arrogant) have no power to block God’s plan, which is to redeem the world through the Son: “You are my Son, today I have begotten you” (v7). In Acts, when the authorities threatened the church, believers quoted this psalm and remained confident that the Holy Spirit’s power was greater (Acts 4).

“Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage ...” (v8). Through wars, disasters, and troubled times, God continues His work of redemption. Nothing can stop Jesus’ powerful, transforming love, in our lives and far beyond.

Genesis 4

“And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door ...” (7). In this sin- darkened world, the new reality was that humans struggled against many temptations. Cain fell immediately into competition and envied his brother Abel, leading to murder (8). He could not “rule over” his own impulses, emotions, and desires, and his lack of control harmed his brother (7). Cain faced terrible consequences – banishment, estrangement – yet God also showed him extraordinary mercy (15).

“At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord” (26). Perfect fellowship with God and others had been broken, and sin “crouched at the door”, yet there was hope. Mercifully, God provides a way to deal with sin and calls us back to Himself.

Genesis 3

“What is this that you have done?” (13). The rebellious actions of the first humans brought a darkness into the world that was not God’s intention. Because they wanted to be like God, rather than serve Him, they soon faced the consequences: work and child-bearing poisoned by trouble, broken relationships, and, worst of all, separation from intimacy with God (8, 14-19). However, rather than turning away from this mess, God came looking for them. “Where are you?” (9), God asked.

“And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them” (21). God did not leave us alone with our rebellion and cursed world. His first action was to cover us, giving us mercy and hope for the future.

Genesis 2

“You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat ...” (16-17). God gave humans a world teeming with plants and animals, rivers (10), and minerals (12). He even gave them access to the “tree of life” (9). The only thing God prohibited was the tree of “the knowledge of good and evil”. Determining good and evil was for God alone; humans, with all their God-given gifts, are still creatures.

“Then the Lord formed the man ... and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (7). Joy is found in recognizing that we are creatures. The Creator who gave us life wants us to lean fully on Him for everything.

Genesis 1

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (1:27). The creation story displays God’s character and explains that humans are made in His image. By His own will, God created a world of abundance: “let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures” (20). He created a world of joyful life and growth: “Be fruitful and multiply ...” (22). Above all, God made a world intended to reflect His character of goodness and blessing.

“And God blessed them” (28). Bearing the image of God means we were created to be a people of abundant, joyful life, creativity and growth, and most of all, people ready to bless others.

Matthew 2

“Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?” (v2). The wise men sought Jesus eagerly, but Herod’s response was murderous fury. From the time of Christ’s birth, there were those who rejected Him and sought to destroy Him, and those who welcomed His arrival. Matthew records King Herod’s response when he heard of Jesus (v1-3), sought to destroy Him but failed (v4-15), and gave vent to his hatred and anger by having all the male babies in Bethlehem under two years of age slaughtered (v16-23).

“They rejoiced exceedingly with great joy ... and worshipped him” (10). Nothing matters more than our response to Jesus. No matter what chaos or crisis are swirling, God calls us to personally welcome and worship His Son.

Matthew 1

“The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (v1). The author of Matthew, the first New Testament book, begins his account with a genealogy that roots Jesus in history. The most critical element of faith in Christ is that it is grounded not in feelings, religious fads, or charismatic individuals, but in reality. Jesus was God in flesh. His birth, life and teachings, His death on the cross, and His resurrection are real history, substantiated, witnessed.

“And you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (v21). We are the beneficiaries of something real, God’s act of salvation through Jesus Christ, but only if we believe.

Psalm 1

“He is like a tree planted by streams of water ... he prospers” (v3). The psalmist declares that there are only two possible life paths: to “prosper” (v3) or to “perish” (v6). The wise person commits wholly to God and His ways, delighting in God’s law, day and night (v2). The foolish person dismisses God and His ways and instead takes his cues from the wicked, the sinner and scoffer (v2).

Many voices claim to tell us how to find the good life. But the only way to experience true, abundant life – regardless of our financial situation or physical circumstances – is to put our roots down into God’s living water (v3). When we connect firmly to Him, we experience a life of fruitfulness and flourishing (v3).

Malachi 3-4

“But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears?” (3:2). Malachi cautioned those who thought that ancestry or residence in Judah gave them permission to sin. God’s judgment, like a refiner’s fire, was coming against “sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers ... those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless. and deprive the foreigners among you of justice” (3:5). God called out to them to change their ways (3:6).

“Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace ...” (4:1-2). Malachi warned that a life of unrepentant sin would lead to terrible consequences. But for those who desire God’s ways, “the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays” (4:1-2).

Malachi 1-2

“I have loved you,” says the Lord. “But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’” (1:2). Amid the slow work of rebuilding their small nation, Judah’s returned exiles wondered about God’s love. God reassured them of His faithfulness, yet through Malachi explained that His covenant of love was also a calling to an obedient life. God was “wearied” by their empty words. Their self-centered tears could not cover up their unacceptable sacrifices, partnerships with idol worshipers, or their adultery (2:11-16).

“My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace ...” (2:5). God’s mighty acts of salvation for us are meant to turn us away from sin and toward a life of faithfulness to His ways.

Zechariah 13-14

“On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity” (1). Zechariah’s prophecies encouraged the returned exiles that ruined Jerusalem still had a future. New Testament authors recognized that these promises of God’s salvation were accomplished through the Messiah. The “Shepherd” was indeed struck (and pierced, 12:10), and the sheep scattered (13:7), and yet through Jesus’ suffering, men and women are redeemed (John 19:37, Matt 26:31).

“On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem ...” (14:8). God fulfilled His promise to rescue His people, and we trust that the story is not over. One day, “the Lord will be King over the whole earth” (14:9).

Revelation 22

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life ...” (1). The promises of Eden are resurrected in the New City, just as we are. The freely-offered “water of life” becomes a river flowing from the Lamb’s throne through the city, and the tree of life (lost due to sin) reappears, available to all (2). The sadness and scars of the old world are not ignored: “the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (3).

“Let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life” (17). Our life of faith in Jesus has just begun. His resurrection power will fully do its work in us and the world when He returns to make all things new.