Passage
Matthew 21:33-46 (ESV)
Praise the Lord Your God
1 Chronicles 29:10-30
Key Verse: 29:20
How Marvelous It Is!
Date: Sep. 30, 2015
Daily Bread
Key Verse: 21:42
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
First, the rebellious Jewish elders (33-41). As the time for him to be glorified drew near, Jesus' exchanges with the Jewish elders became sharper and sharper. Their time was just about up, after which they would be judged severely. In 70 AD, Jerusalem was totally destroyed, including the temple. God was about to establish a new order.
Second, how marvelous it is! (42-45) Like the stone that "became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth" (Da 2:35), Jesus is both the corner and the capstone, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Whether by active opposition or passive apathy, those who reject him to the last will be totally ruined.
Third, the kingdom given to others (43). When we lose our "first love", the Lord disciplines us so that we are not lost with the world. But as with the Jewish elders and the nation of Israel, if we break faith, and fail to preach the Gospel, the Lord himself will remove our "lampstand", just as happened in Ephesus (Rev 2:5).
Prayer: Lord, grant that we may remain faithful throughout our lives, preaching the gospel fully, both with and without words. For Jesus' sake we pray. Amen.
One Word: "If we endure, we will also reign with him" (2Ti 2
