Today’s Reading: Isa 5:1–6:13, Luke 1:67–2:21, Job 2:1–10
Today’s Theme: God Displayed
Today’s theme is God displayed. We will be looking at the various ways God is shown to and through us. God can be shown through fruit in our lives, judgement, glory, mercy, integrity and ultimately through the incarnation.
Isaiah 5:1–6:13
Fruit Displayed
What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? Isaiah 5:4 (ESV)
God wanted to see the fruit of His care, covenant and dwelling with His chosen people Israel. The fruit would be evidence of God being with His people and seeing the good fruit would bring God glory and pleasure (in a sense God would eat or be pleased by the fruit).
Jesus picks up the same theme when He speaks about His followers bearing good fruit that shows evidence of our changed natures.
Jesus sums this up well in Matthew 7:17–19 “So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Also see Matthew 12:33, Matthew 13:23, Luke 6:43 and Luke 13:6-9.
Paul speaks about fruit that comes from the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
We are called to display God by bearing good fruit today that others can come and taste and see through us that God is good which brings glory and pleasure to God.
Judgement Displayed
I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. Isaiah 5:6 (ESV)
This verse speaks about God’s judgement on His own people, the later verses speak about judgement on the wicked. God is displayed through His judgement on His people when we are wayward and on the ways of the wicked.
When the world sees God’s judgement it should show the fuller picture of God. He is not just a God of love, He is holy and actively brings judgement on the wicked.
You have a choice! You can display God through His judgement in your life which is not wise or you can use wisdom by displaying God through the proclamation of the gospel which includes the truth of God’s judgement.
We can depend on God the Holy Spirit to point to God by bringing conviction of judgement to come. Jesus said in John 16:8 “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:”
We are called to display God by speaking the truth about the coming judgement.
Glory Displayed
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Isaiah 6:1 (ESV)
When God takes it upon Himself to display Himself it is just awesome. Isaiah had one of the most amazing visual encounters with God.
God showed His great, majestic glory as the King throughout the Bible to others like Moses, Elijah, Daniel and John.
Like Isaiah the reality of God’s glory should cause us to walk in humility.
This glory was seen most clearly through Jesus.
Let’s pray God’s glorious presence will be seen and felt in our times of private and corporate worship.
Luke 1:67–2:21
Mercy Displayed
to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, Luke 1:72 (ESV)
God would show mercy to His people through His prophet John the Baptiser. He gives them the opportunity to repent and by fulfilling the promises He had made.
God’s mercy and goodness points us to God. It reveals God for who He is and God’s word declares the goodness of God should lead us to repentance.
When we show mercy we display God, when we forgive and show mercy we are most like God.
Jesus Displayed
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11 (ESV)
God is most clearly displayed through the incarnation of God the Son in the person of Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Jesus the God-Man displays God’s heart, ways and plan. John said in John 1:14–18 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth… For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”
Look to Jesus to see God’s greatest revelation. Show the world Jesus to show them God.
Job 2:1–10
Integrity Displayed
And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” Job 2:3 (ESV)
If we hold onto our integrity in the middle of suffering we display God in a way that the enemy can never counterfeit and cannot overcome.
This is the great mystery of the Gospel, that God is strong when we are weak. Let God be strong in the middle of your suffering so that He is displayed to all.
Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.
Additional resources
The Gospel Coalition on Luke 2