For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
Matt. 9
Why do you think Jesus forgave the paralytic first rather than just healing him? Describe the faith of his friends. Our physical world, including our lives and bodies, is a mere shadow of the spiritual realm. It is from this spiritual realm that Adam and Eve’s sin separated us. The resulting gap is the impassable chasm which Jesus came to bridge. The state of our physical bodies is not important. It is our heart – our spiritual connection – that needs healing. Jesus demonstrated this truth with this paralytic. He first addressed the man’s true need, then authenticated what He had done through the physical realm.
The truth of this physical / spiritual separation is also why our physical actions do not make us righteous. Nothing physical can bridge that spiritual gap. Jesus was complete – both physical and spiritual. Thus, He was able to do what we cannot. It is through faith in the promise that is Jesus that the Holy Spirit enters in to fill the gap. When the Holy Spirit indwells us, now our physical actions come from a spiritual place. They are done not to save us but because we have been saved. All of this is the new thing that Jesus, our bridegroom brought.
Is. 51-52
God calls them to reflect on their spiritual heritage (v. 1-2). Take a moment to reflect on yours. Who are “the rocks from which you were cut?” God said of Abraham, “When I called him he was only one man, and I blessed him and made him many.” (Is. 51:2b). That stood out to me for some reason, though I can’t really pin down why. Part of it is due to the meaning of Abraham’s names. I say names because when God called this one man, his name was Abram, which means, “exalted father”. Yet he was only one and not a father. While he was still only one and not a father, God made a covenant with him and changed his name to reflect the promise of that covenant. Abram, “exalted father”, became Abraham, “father of multitudes”.
God was faithful to that covenant promise. Thus He uses Abraham in this prophecy to substantiate His promise of restoration. But there is more to that link then mere faithfulness to a past promise. Though Abram turned out to be the exalted father of the Jewish nation, Abraham was yet to be the father of the multitudes from all nations that God would restore to Himself through the work of Jesus Christ, His new covenant promise. In this light, Abraham becomes the symbol of the something new that God would bring.
To put the whole chain of this thought together, we need to go back to Adam, whose name means, “man”. Adam, too, was one man whom God made many. However, all from the line of “man” are cursed because of the sin of this one. So God called Abram, again one man, to become the father of something new. Through Abraham’s line came the One man who would break the curse of Adam. This man’s name was Jesus, “God saves”. So through this one man those from the line of “man” who have faith in the promise become part of the line of the Father. And once again God blessed and made the one many. God is amazing!