Thursday 21st May | Lee Kirkby
Readings
Reflection
Today’s readings profoundly tell us that Jesus is the one who came to save and the one who deserves to be praised.
Psalm 110 is one of the most referenced psalms in the New Testament. This suggests that it is indeed a significant portion of scripture. Why is that?
The psalm foretells the coming messiah who we now know to be fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus himself referenced this psalm when responding to the religious leaders who couldn't answer when asked who they thought the messiah was. They knew he would be a descendant of David but not God himself! Little did they know, they were looking at the Messiah face to face.
David was a great king of Israel. But Psalm 110 tells us the Messiah will be even greater than David. Jesus is The King of all Kings. Jesus is Lord. The one who will 'Sit in the place of honour at my (God's) right hand' - verse 1. This psalm leads us to ask the most important question any of us can ever begin to wonder - who is this man Jesus?
As it says in Isaiah 52:10 "The Lord has demonstrated his holy power before the eyes of all nations. All the ends of the earth will see the victory of our God."
Will we be like the religious leaders who didn't recognise the messiah. Or will we choose to witnesses? People who tell the story of who Jesus is and what he has done?
Prophet Isaiah tells of the suffering servant, the one whose face will be disfigured, and his appearance unrecognisable as a man. We know, Jesus was beaten, tortured, died a horrible death so that we can be made clean, restored and brought back into a close relationship with God.
The world more than ever needs to know Jesus as the only one who can truly save us. We learn of the priest Melchizedek in two of the passages today. A priest officiated regular sacrifices to offer the forgiveness of sins - but this was only temporary and had to be repeated. Jesus is our high priest whose sacrifice for us is final. Nothing can substitute what Jesus has done for you and me to be saved.
That's why our only response can be to worship him. Why not thank your Messiah Jesus and sing or exclaim boldly the words of Psalm 150 - a hymn of praise.
“Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord!”
Prayers
Spend some time in thanksgiving for all the ways that God has shown you his goodness, and remembering his holiness and his sovereignty.
Lord, you have given so much to me. Give me one thing more - a heart for praising you.
Amen.
Collect
Grant, we pray, almighty God,
That as we believe your only-begotten
Son our Lord Jesus Christ
To have ascended into the heavens,
So we in heart and mind may also ascend
And with him continually dwell;
Who is alive and reigns with you,
In the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, now and for ever.
Amen.
