Advent Reading: Rom. 15:8-9 (underlined below)

Promise Made | After the exiles returned to Jerusalem, God sent two prophets – Haggai (to encourage them to rebuild the temple) and Zechariah (to encourage them to prepare for entering the temple through repentance and renewal). Yet, the exiles were discouraged because squatters who had settled in their land were opposing them. Thus, God called Zechariah to rekindle their hope in the Messiah [1] – prophesying that he would be betrayed by a friend for thirty pieces of silver that would be cast on the temple floor and given to a potter: “The Lord said to me, ‘Throw it to the potter’ – the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to the potter” [2].

Promise Kept | Judas handed Jesus over to the chief priests for the negotiated sum of thirty pieces of silver [3]. Yet, when he saw Jesus being prepared for death, “he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’ They said, ‘What is that to us? See to it yourself.’ And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed … But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, ‘It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.’ So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers” [4].

Promise Meant | Jesus was priced at thirty pieces of silver because, under Jewish law, that was the price of a slave [5]. Jesus was a slave [6]. To whom? Israel. As Paul wrote, “Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy” [7]. Jesus was a servant of Israel to satisfy the law for them and, thereby, show mercy to the Gentiles as well – for no one could satisfy the law except Christ alone [8].

Prayer | Lord, You are Lord and King over all. Yet, Jesus became a slave to serve us by living a sinless life and then offering himself as a sacrifice [9]. Help us, therefore, to offer ourselves as living sacrifices as we serve one another in the light of your life and love. Amen.

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This blog aims to show how various personalities and minds approach the Word and, through it, come to know God. Therefore, each posting on this blog will be anchored to a particular verse or a passage of the Bible and how that verse or passage has impacted the author’s life or thinking. In addition, there will be many authors from various cities all over the country, so that a diversity of writing styles and life approaches can be represented. Through this, we hope that you will be inspired to “play” in the Word and find joy in coming to know God through it. [Note: If you would like to be a contributing author, please send a writing sample of no more than 350 words.]

Stay tuned: daily postings will begin in September.

843 acres is the size of Central Park – an area that constitutes less than 6% of the entire island of Manhattan. Despite its small bite out of the Big Apple, however, the Park has a huge impact on the lives of New Yorkers. As soon as the winter weather gives even the slightest spring smile, New Yorkers crowd the Park – to run the loop, get painted faces, stroll with baby carriages, toss footballs, and have picnics. After spending winters trapped inside matchbox apartments and having no private backyards in which to play, New Yorkers come alive every spring in the vast expanse of Central Park.

[caption: the Bethesda Water Fountain on the 72nd street traverse in Central Park]

Similarly, the Word is life-restoring for Christians. Confronted with uncertain and confusing circumstances in our lives, we get trapped inside small-minded thinking. The Word, however, sets us free. Despite its small size, the Bible’s impact on our lives far exceeds that of any other book on our shelves. In it, we can run about in joy, explore meaningful truths, and delight in God’s promises. Although our circumstances can seem claustrophobic, the Word breathes new life into those who abide in it.

Thus, as the Park is to the City, so the Word is to Life.