The Messiah Mystery: A Lent StudyПримерок

The Messiah Mystery: Introduction Have you ever tried to solve a mystery? Some of the most fascinating detective stories are full of twists and turns that leave you surprised and hungry for more. Did you know that God’s story in the Bible is actually a series of clues? It’s true.  And these clues slowly reveal and then solve one of the most mind-boggling mysteries of all time. You see, with God nothing is random. Every detail is ordered with purpose. So His clues aren’t haphazard or left behind accidentally. They are purposeful and perfectly orchestrated. In the Old Testament, written hundreds and even thousands of years before Jesus was born, God used the lives of real people to tell the world who Jesus would be.  The events in these lives were living clues.  God was carefully, brilliantly giving the world directions to find Jesus.  Like a long, red ribbon that we can follow through the years, these signs lead us to God’s Son.  The clues seem to say, Here’s what He will look like.  Here’s what He will do.  Watch for Him.  Pay attention.  The Messiah is coming. You may not know that the story of Jesus started at the very beginning of the Bible.  We don’t learn Christ’s name until Gabriel visits Mary.  Yet the entire Bible—in fact, all of human history—is like an arrow pointing to Jesus.  And the Bible says that Jesus points to God. For centuries God’s people, the Church, have used the time before Easter, known as Lent, to prepare their hearts and minds to fully commemorate the death and Resurrection of our Savior.  They don’t want to miss out on celebrating with every part of themselves God’s masterful plan through Jesus. This year as you move through the season of Lent, this devotional will help you prepare your heart to celebrate the greatest mystery—Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior of the World. And even though we know today that Jesus is the answer to all of God’s clues about the coming Messiah, He is also a mystery that keeps revealing Himself.  There’s always more to discover, more to worship, more to love.  Plus, Jesus is coming back!  There’s more mystery to come. If you’d like to read more from Barbara Rainey, sign up for the EverThineHome blog.