The prophets of Israel had two modes: they were either fussing or they were consoling. They fussed even when things seemed to be going well because they could see the underlying rot. They consoled when things were terrible because they knew God’s mercy and fidelity. Prophets such as Ezekiel spoke of the “new” thing God was going to do: a new nation, a new land, a new king. Jesus comes as the answer to the prophecy but he fulfills it in ways Ezekiel would have never expected. He is the “one man who should die instead of the people” in the double entrendre of Caiaphas. The lesson: no matter what we are enduring we are promised God’s consolation — but it will come in unexpected ways.
APRIL82017
By Church Staff
