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But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and
 the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men,
and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1 Corinthians 1:23-25

A really wise chess master will sometimes make a move that seems stupid to his opponent because it results in the loss of a bishop or knight. Then, a few moves later, the chess master executes “checkmate,” thanks to the board position he gained from the sacrifice. That’s what is happening in these verses.

It doesn’t make sense that the sinless Son of God should be sacrificed on a Roman cross. It seemed that Satan and the God-haters of the world had won, and all were pleased and proud of how it played out. Christ is still rejected by the majority of the Jewish people to this day, and some intellectuals still laugh at the ludicrousness of the gospel.

The bottom line is that the celestial chess game was never between God and mankind; it was between God and the devil. When Satan and his angels rebelled against God, Satan seduced the human race to join his cause. Planet Earth became the last piece of turf Lucifer had in the whole universe. If God had just destroyed everything, the Creator would have, in fact, lost the game. God’s plans would have been thwarted, and the creation He made in His image would have been cut off from fellowship forever.

Human history is full of wars, plagues, and natural disasters. Chaos seems to dominate, and the devil seems to be the undisputed god of this world. Everything, however, changes in the end-game. Christ came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). He not only restores mankind to the relationship they had before the fall, but He also brings them into the family of God. Very smart move, and Satan never saw it coming, because he was matched up against Jesus Christ, the Wisdom of God.

August 12

 

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men,
the Man Christ Jesus,
1 Timothy 2:5

A mediator is only effective when both sides have confidence in their go-between. Divergent sides with no common ground cannot be brought together unless there is someone standing with one foot firmly in each camp. That person must be able to take seriously the interests of both.

Job had many problems, but he was afflicted most of all by his loss of fellowship with the living God. Feeling frustrated and rejected, he cried out to his maker, “Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both” (Job 9:33). Job longed for a mediator who could get things settled.

Holy God and sinful man – a great gulf separated the two. The vast expanse was uncrossable, so a cross was provided. The Creator took on His creature’s form and bridged heaven and earth at the moment of the incarnation. Christ Jesus, having both the divine and human natures, became the true Mediator Between God and Men.

God
Holy Omnipotent
All-seeing Ruling Judging
Jesus Christ Savior Lord
Feeling Searching Thirsting
Living Breathing
Man
                        – R. Khol

August 14

Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly,
I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
John 8:58

Talk about a conversation-stopper. The Pharisees were shocked. They couldn’t believe their ears. Jesus of Nazareth had just called Himself “I AM.” Just moments before, He had said that He was older than Abraham. Now, in effect, He was saying that He was the God of Abraham. They immediately picked up stones to throw at Him (John 8:59).

This was no inside joke or subtle allusion. Jesus had blatantly applied one of the most powerful names of God to Himself. They knew the scripture: “God declared to Moses ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.'” (Exodus 3:14).

The Jewish leaders didn’t believe the Lord. They refused to have Him rule over them, and thus, they were guilty of the crime of rejecting the Living God.

When Jesus calls Himself the great I AM, He calls all humanity to respond to His claim. To reject or ignore the deity of Christ is to choose not to believe the Master. Believing Him is to praise, worship, and honor Him as the everlasting God.

By the Spirit all pervading,
Hosts unnumbered round the Lamb,
Crowned with light and joy unfading,
Hail Him as the great “I AM.”
                                J.N. Darby (1800-1882)

August 15

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God,
God abides in him, and he in God.
1 John 4:15*

The title is a statement of faith, the distinguishing creed of all true believers. Peter admitted to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Martha, Nathaniel, the Roman centurion, and the Ethiopian eunuch also acknowledged the same. In fact, no one can have true faith in Christ without reaching this conclusion.

Phony Christians might employ the phrase in one way or another, but they don’t understand it, or at least they refuse to accept its true meaning. That is because the title is a declaration of the deity of Christ, and that is something counterfeit converts don’t wish to accept.    

In Bible times, the phrase “son of…” clearly meant “being one with”, as in the “sons of the prophets” or “sons of the singers.” When Jesus declared, “I am the Son of God,” the Jewish leaders were immediately offended and ready to stone Him for blasphemy. To them, by saying God was His father, He was making Himself equal to God (John 5:18).

To call Jesus the Son of God is the same as acknowledging Him as God, the Son. It concedes that He has power and authority to judge and punish sinful man. Calling on the Lord by this title implies submission and obedience to His will. It concludes that no surrogate savior could ever redeem God’s lost creation. Only God Himself in human form could be capable of bringing complete salvation.

*Matthew 27:54; John 1:49, 11:27, 10:36; Acts 8:37; Daniel 3:25; plus 38 other references.

August 17

“I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.”
Daniel 7:13,14**

The husband was an American and his wife Canadian. The child was both. He wasn’t a little of each, but 100% a citizen of both countries.

Jesus Christ is the God-Man. Conceived through the Holy Spirit, He is all that the Almighty ever was or is. Born of a woman, He is fully human and is a credit to His race. Not half God and half man, the Lord Jesus combines deity and humanity without diluting either.

As Son of God, Christ is of the family of God and the possessor of God’s nature. As Son of Man, the Lord couldn’t have been more human. There wasn’t an emotion or experience that He couldn’t feel.

Of the two titles, it was Son of Man that He chose to use the most. It was such a special title that, with only one exception in the New Testament, it always comes from the Lord’s own mouth. The term is powerful and most often refers to a time when the God-Man will reign forever over the human race. However, the Savior made it very clear that the Son of Man had to be lifted up, suffer, and die for His creation before this would be possible.

Son of Man, His incarnation
Opened first the tale of grace;
Son of Man, in new creation
Leader of a chosen race!
Well may glory, well may glory,
Give to Him the honored place!
                                      – Thomas Kelly

* The favorite title of Christ for Himself.
**see also Mark 14:62; Matthew 20:28; John 3:14; Acts 7:56 plus 80 other New Testament references

August 18

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.”
John 15:1

The Old Testament repeatedly refers to Israel as a vine. After taking it out of Egypt and transplanting it in Canaan, God labored to enable His tender plant to grow (Psalm 80:8,9). However, the experience was disappointing. Instead of something worthwhile, the vine produced only wild grapes (Isaiah 5:2). The seed was good. God started with only the best, but somehow it degenerated into an alien plant that had to be rejected (Jeremiah 2:21).        

Today, not everyone will understand the depth of meaning in this imagery, but it was clear to the people in Bible times who were very familiar with vineyards. They knew that grape production was a labor-intensive industry and a worthless harvest after years of effort would be more than a little disappointing.        

For centuries, God nurtured and cared for Israel. He called the nation His, giving it not only His blessing and protection, but also His law, His prophets, and many works of wonder. Yet for all this expense of concern, Israel’s fruit was bitter and useless to the owner. Every new effort to produce a crop of faithfulness resulted in new regrets. Finally, it came time to uproot and cast off the wild hybrid vine and replace it with something true and productive.   

Jesus is the True Vine, and the Father will never be disappointed in Him. He is the perfect fulfillment of the plans and purposes of God.   

When Israel sought life through law-keeping and ceremony, they found none there. They became withered and worthless. However, Christ Himself is the True Vine. He is the source of life and grace so that all those who abide in Him can expect to live a life that is fruitful and productive.

August 19

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and
I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
John 15:5

Dismal! That’s the best way to describe a vineyard in the late fall. Contorted log-like trunks about six to eight feet long extend from the cold, barren ground, stripped of limb, leaf, and presumably even of life. It’s hard to believe that this place was fruitful just a few months before. Only a very few would even expect that those chunks of weathered wood could produce abundantly again.

Each of those naked stumps is a vine, and within them is the promise of next year’s harvest. In the spring, the empty field turns green with life. The vine sends out branches, and then leaves. The clusters of fruit that form are not so much a reflection of the quality of the branches as they are a tribute to the productivity of the vine.

When Jesus said that He was the vine, His disciples understood that He claimed to be the source of fruitfulness to those abiding in Him. Christ did not have material wealth, comfort, or a large following while He was on this earth, so spiritual fruit can’t be construed as meaning these things. Rather, the character that people saw in Him is what He offers.

The Lord Jesus told his followers: “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love” (John 15:9). “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11). “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you” (John 14:27). When a believer is very close to Christ, the fruit of the spirit simply grows in his life like grapes on the vine (Galatians 5:22-23).

August 20

Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
1 Peter 1:18-19

The Passover lamb was special, the most perfect of the flock. First, it was examined for flaws in health and appearance. Then, it had to be set apart for an additional four days inside the family’s own home for even more careful scrutiny. Only the very best could be offered to God.        

After the animal had passed the tests of wholesomeness, it was chosen to die. Its white wool was stained red with blood, and its perfect little body was roasted in the fire.

There was no benefit gained as long as the little creature was alive and well. However, when the spotless lamb was bruised and abused, it became a substitute for the sinner it was sacrificed to redeem. God’s design for the Passover feast wasn’t to create a mindless ritual, but rather serve as a clear illustration of His provision of redemption.     

Peter declares Christ to be the Lamb without blemish and without spot. His nature and character were sinless. Even the politician who signed His death sentence declared, “I have found no fault in this Man” (Luke 23:14).

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). As the spotless Lamb, He could blot out sin for the whole human race. By becoming sin for us, He was the perfect substitute who truly redeemed.

August 24

She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua, [which means ‘Adonai saves,’] because he will save his people from their sins.
Matthew 1:21 CJB

Although I have no memory of it, shortly after I was born, my legal name became Richard Khol.  I know that because my birth certificate says so, although through the years I’ve been given other names.  As a kid, everyone called me Rickey, and my baby brother called me “Racoo.” When I got to High School, I went by “Rick,” and that’s who I consider myself to be.

My name in South America was “Don Ricardo.”  That’s not who I was, but it worked for Spanish speakers, and I was all right with it. While there, I became close with an Ecuadorian pastor who expressed his friendship by always addressing me as “Rrrreek.” He didn’t pronounce it right, but at least he tried, and I appreciated it.

When Christ was born in Bethlehem, His legal name was probably “Yehoshua,” which we pronounce today as “Joshua.” In Hebrew, it means “God-saves” and was a common name in the first century. This four-syllable word was shortened to three in the name “Yeshua,” which translates “Salvation.”

English speakers are usually clueless to both the meaning and pronunciation of the Lord’s name. When the New Testament was written in Greek, the Savior’s name, Yeshua, was transliterated to “ee-ay-soos”, since there weren’t equivalent letters in both languages. Then, in the 5th century, the New Testament was translated into Latin, and for a thousand years His personal name was “IESVS.”  

The Tyndale, Geneva, and early King James versions all used the Latin spelling of the name. It wasn’t until 1630 that the “J” was added and pronounced “Yeh”. Later, the “Yeh” sound was finally dropped and the “Jeh” sound substituted.

The English name “Jesus” then, is a transliteration of the Latin, which is a transliteration of the Greek, which is a transliteration of the Hebrew.

O Lord Yeshua, please have patience with us!  We’ll get your name right in heaven!

August 25

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily.”
Isaiah 28:16

The surest way to prove that an Old Testament title is a name of Christ is to see it quoted in the New Testament referring to the Savior. Peter paraphrases this verse calling Christ “a chief cornerstone, elect, precious” (1 Peter 2:6). Now the job is to figure out what it means.

Something precious is of great value such as precious metals or precious jewels. A precious cornerstone would be very costly and certainly would set itself apart from the ordinary stones around it.

When the Washington Monument was completed in 1884 a 3,300 pound marble capstone crowned the top. On top of this was a nine inch apex made of 100 ounces of pure aluminum. At the time, aluminum was worth more than silver and the tiny pyramid cost the government $225.00. That might not sound like an extravagant amount, but a worker on the monument earned $1 a day for ten hours of work. The little ornament was worth almost as much as a working man’s salary for a year.

Before being placed on Washington’s tallest monument, the apex was displayed in the window of Tiffany’s in New York City, as the crown jewel of the nation’s capital. The rare, rust-proof metal that composed it made it architecturally unique; it was a precious cornerstone.

Christ has always had a special and singular position for the redemption of the human race. He fit into God’s plan at the right time and place and was worth more than a hundred galaxies. The Lord, the Precious Cornerstone is the pinnacle of God’s glory and will remain exalted for mankind and angels to praise for all eternity.

August 26