Follow The RabbiSample

This old jetty is so well known on the surf coast of Australia, that if I showed this photo to a local, they’d know instantly that it’s the old Clifton Springs pier. That’s because people from a particular culture or place just “know” things relevant to them. People in New York know to steer clear of Times Square when they're in a hurry, in Atlanta they know traffic is terrible, and in London they know pedestrians are always crossing Abbey Road.  

I think it’s the same with the Bible. If I was to say; “Our father who art in Heaven”, most of you would know the next line, and who said it. And when you read the stories of Jesus, you find he often expected his audience to have this sort of understanding of the whole Bible.  For example, when he was on the cross and said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me”, it may seem like Jesus was just crying out to God, but Jewish believers know he was quoting Psalm 22 . And they know this was not a psalm of defeat—despite this opening line—but it’s actually a poem about God’s victory! They knew it actually predicted nations of people returning to the Lord!     

You see, even on the cross Jesus wanted us to know that God would be victorious, so he quoted a psalm of hope and resurrection. He recited a poem that ends with God being praised as King! Read it for yourself—Jesus wasn’t crying out in defeat … he was claiming victory!  

For reflection:

“He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light. — Daniel 2:22

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