Devotion

QT 30/01/2024 Tuesday Matthew 26. God is still in control 神仍然掌权

QT 30/01/2024 Tuesday Matthew 26
http://www.esvbible.org/matt26

Jesus IS the Messiah for the Jews, and by extension, the world too. Matthew seeks to prove this to readers.

In Exodus, the passover lamb was slaughtered and its flesh eaten the night before the Israelites left Egypt (Exo 12:8). The blood of that lamb was put on the doorframes to avoid the first borns being struck down (Exo 12:7).

In Matt 26:2, Jesus is the Passover Lamb crucified. The breaking of bread refers to His bodily suffering on the cross (Matt 26:26). The drinking of the "fruit of the vine" (Matt 26:28)" points to the blood He is going to shed on the cross. Jesus is the effective fulfillment of the Jews' aspirations for freedom from bondage and sin.

Even in the last hours before the cross, Jesus was still in touch with lepers (Matt 26:6) and being honoured by an anonymous woman (Matt 26:7).

The disciples' abandoning of Him (Matt 26:31,56,69-75) fulfills the prophecy of Zechariah 13:7.

Even while Jesus was being arrested, God was in control (Matt 26:54). Indeed, "But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled" (Matt 26:56).

APPLICATION: When times are tough, those who align themselves with the Messiah whom Matthew points to are to note that God is sovereign. Indeed, there is no better security than to believe in the One who is going to come, the one who is "seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven" (Matt 26:64).

星期二 2024年1月30日今日读经：马太福音26章
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/Mat/26/

耶稣是犹太人的弥赛亚，这也延伸到全世界。马太为此证明给读者看。

在出埃及记里，逾越节的羔羊被宰杀，它的肉在以色列人离开埃及的前一晚被食(出12:8)。羔羊的血被涂抹在门柱和门楣上以致头生的孩子不会被杀害(出12:7)。

在太26:2,耶稣就是那被杀的逾越的羔羊。擘开饼指的就是耶稣的身体在十架上所承受的折磨(太26:26)。喝“葡萄酒”(太26:28)指向耶稣在十架上将流的血。犹太人渴望得到不被罪捆绑的自由，耶稣就是成全他们的那位。

就算是离十字架的最后几个小时，耶稣仍与患麻风病人(太26:6)接触并有不知名的妇人前来用香膏浇在祂的头上(太26:7)。

门徒对祂的背弃(太26:31,56,69-75)刚好应验了撒迦利亚13:7的经文。

就算耶稣被逮捕，神仍然掌管一切(太26:54)。确实，“但这整件事的发生，是要应验先知书上的话”(太26:56)。

应用：当处境艰难时，那些与马太所指向的弥赛亚同行的人必须清楚地知道神仍掌权。说实在的，再也没有比信靠那即将到来，那“坐在权能者的右边，驾着天上的云降临”的那位更安稳了(太26:64)。