DECEMBER 2016 Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms. Luke 24:44 SEEING JESUS IN THE MINOR PROPHETS A devotional from TIW_Dec2016_4C_ic.indd 1 9/14/16 7:09 PM TODAY WITH DR. PAUL NYQUIST President of Moody Global Ministries Our Prince of Peace Peace is something of God. He offers us calm, even in the we all desire, but storm. “In peace I will both lie down and it is rarely seen in sleep, for You alone, O Lord, make me the world around to dwell in safety” (Ps. 4:8). us. If I were to ask you to choose one The biblical meaning of peace never word to describe implies that our lives will be tranquil; 2016, I am pretty sure you would not rather, that as we dwell in Him, we will say peaceful. We have seen too much be made whole or complete. Jesus, terror, a wearying amount of violence, the promised Messiah, was God’s gift and conflict both within our nation and of peace to us that first Christmas. across the globe. “His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, If so many people desire peace, why is Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6). Through it not easily achieved? Evangelist D. L. Him, we can know God and experience Moody observed, “A great many people peace within our own hearts. are trying to make peace, but that has already been done. God has not left it One of the Minor Prophets, Micah, for us to do; all we have to do is enter referred to the coming Messiah: “This into it.” One will be our peace” (Micah 5:5). This month’s devotional will walk through Moody was right. The only way to the Minor Prophets, some of the least truly experience peace is through a studied and appreciated books in the relationship with God. His peace is not Old Testament. And in these books, we a quality to achieve, but a gift. Peace will learn more about Jesus, God’s Son. is also part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, a byproduct of a growing, fruitful He is our peace. Through Christ alone, relationship with our Father (Gal. 5:22). we can experience peace in our relationship with God and with others. God’s peace is also not dependent It is His gift to us. Jesus said, “Peace, I on our circumstances. Whether we leave with you. My peace I give to you; experience disruption in our personal not as the world gives do I give you. Do life or in the world around us, we can not let your heart be troubled, nor let it know peace. Peace is not the absence be fearful” (John 14:27). May you dwell of trouble; it is the certain presence in His peace this Advent. n (800) 356-6639 TIW_Dec2016_4C_ic.indd 2 9/14/16 7:09 PM THEOLOGY MATTERS by Dr. John Koessler Jesus in the Old Testament hroughout the centuries, some Promise, Joseph took Jesus and fled have claimed that Jesus is to Egypt until Herod’s death. According Tentirely absent from the Old to Matthew, this “fulfilled” what the Testament. But Jesus Himself criticized prophet said in Hosea 11:1: “Out of Egypt the religious leaders of His day for I called my son” (Matt. 2:15). failing to pay heed to the testimony of the Hebrew Scriptures about Him: “You Some were looking for a miracle study the Scriptures diligently because that would prove that Jesus was the you think that in them you have eternal Messiah. He told them that the only life. These are the very Scriptures that sign they would be given was the sign testify about me, yet you refuse to come of Jonah: “For as Jonah was three days to me to have life” (John 5:39–40). and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three The Old Testament witness about Christ days and three nights in the heart of takes several forms. First, it includes the earth” (Matt. 12:40). explicit predictions that describe the nature of Christ’s ministry, suffering, and A third category of passages describes resurrection. These predictions are not the Old Testament appearances of Jesus limited to the prophets; they can also be Christ before His birth in Bethlehem. On found in the Psalms. Psalm 22 provides these occasions, He appeared as the a clear description of Christ’s suffering. Angel of Jehovah. This mysterious being Psalm 16 promised that Israel’s Messiah is spoken of as God (cf. Gen 12:7; 16:7, 13; would not be abandoned to the grave 17:1; 19:1). As the Angel of Jehovah, Jesus or see decay but would be exalted to appeared temporarily in human form. In the Father’s right hand. the Incarnation, Jesus made humanity a permanent part of His nature: the good Second, some Old Testament passages news that “in Christ all the fullness of the seem to foreshadow events in Jesus’ Deity lives in bodily form” (Col. 2:9). This life. These passages offer a kind of is what we celebrate at Christmas! n double vision by way of analogy, describing historical events that point FOR FURTHER STUDY beyond themselves to particular To learn more, read The Scriptures incidents in the life of Christ. Just as Testify about Me: Jesus and the Gospel the people of Israel went down to in the Old Testament, edited by D. A. Egypt and later returned to the Land of Carson (Crossway). TODAYINTHEWORD.COM TIW_Dec2016_4C_ic.indd 3 9/14/16 7:09 PM FROM THE EDITORS by Bruce Everhart My Christmas List When I was a young boy, I remember devotional. We are promised that God’s writing out my Christmas wish list. It was Word does not return void. Instead, God a big deal figuring out which items to says it “will accomplish what I desire include. Should I ask for an Erector set, and achieve the purpose for which I a clock radio, or a BB gun? sent it” (Isa. 55:11). As an adult, my Christmas list looks Our Family in Christ—Whether your different. The things I appreciate earthly family is present with you, you most cannot be wrapped and placed can be assured that you are part of a underneath the tree. And, as we enter family of believers that spans the globe. this season of celebrating our Lord’s “But we ought always to thank God for birth, I am reminded of how much I have you, brothers and sisters loved by the been given. God has blessed us with Lord” (2 Thess. 2:13). extraordinary gifts. Join me in thanking God for these gifts: Thank you for being a part of our Today in the Word family during 2016! I hope Salvation—God has given us the your life has been enriched by this time ultimate gift of salvation through His spent in God’s Word, that you have Son, Jesus Christ. “For it is by grace you not only learned more about Scripture have been saved, through faith—and but have taken the next step in your this is not from yourselves, it is the gift personal faith journey. of God” (Eph. 2:8). While Christmas often focuses on the birth of our Savior, Your financial support of this ministry we are mindful of what happened next. is helping many others grow in faith In His crucifixion and resurrection, as well! Jim, one of our readers, says Jesus paid the penalty for our sin and he is thankful for Today in the Word’s secured our salvation. daily provision of God’s Word. “It is an essential component of my daily diet— His Word—What a privilege to be able it provides joy and sustenance.” to read and study God’s Word. I find it such an encouragement to know that We look forward to another great year thousands of you are opening the Bible of devotionals in 2017 as we grow with me each day as you follow along together in God’s Word. n with our monthly Today in the Word (800) 356-6639 TIW_Dec2016_4C_ic.indd 4 9/14/16 7:09 PM VOLUME 29 • ISSUE 12 EXECUTIVE EDITOR Bruce Everhart MANAGING EDITOR Heather Moffitt SENIOR EDITOR Elena Mafter Seeing Jesus in the Minor Prophets CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Jamie Janosz The prophets in ancient Israel proclaimed the coming John Koessler WRITER Messiah, but the people didn’t want to hear them and Bryan Stewart told the prophets to be quiet (Amos 2:12). For the next ART DIRECTOR 400 years, the prophets were silent. The silence was Lynn Gabalec GRAPHIC DESIGNERS unbroken until the powerful New Testament prophet, Larry Bohlin, Dana Chen John the Baptist, and the coming of the promised BUSINESS MANAGER Messiah in the flesh. Even then, Jesus’ disciples were Paul B. Currie CIRCULATION MANAGER slow to understand who He was. In Luke 24, the Helen Moline resurrected Jesus joined the two of them unrecognized, MOODY GLOBAL MINISTRIES as they went to the village of Emmaus. The Lord noted PRESIDENT they were “slow to believe all that the prophets have J. Paul Nyquist spoken!” (Luke 24:25) and gave the much-needed Bible PROVOST Junias Venugopal study: “He explained to them what was said in all the EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Scriptures concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). Steven Mogck SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Greg R. Thornton This month, let’s imagine we have joined these CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER two on their way to Emmaus, as we learn what the Ken Heulitt Minor Prophets said about Jesus Christ.