David Bahn – Reflections

When God speaks, things happen. There is light. Dry ground appears. Waters team with fish and sea creatures. Plants and flowers come into bud. God’s word is powerful and causes things to happen.

Matthew 13:31-35

[Jesus] told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. ³²Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.”

³³He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

³⁴Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. ³⁵So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”

Jesus was not living simply a life of obedience to God, or even speaking for God. He was living the fulfillment of God’s word and promise. The psalmist (Psalm 78:2) had recorded this promise of God. Now it was happening full force.

One of the interesting things about prophecy is that not always is the fulfillment clear – either to the person who was God’s mouthpiece, or to the people who heard the promise. But Matthew helps us see that Jesus’ act of teaching the people in parables is a fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus did what the Psalmist only hinted at. And the people of Jesus’ day heard and saw things that had been hidden from the time of creation.

Jesus, though just 3o years of age, was the fulfillment of God’s promise 1000 years before. But more than that, he was the manifestation of God the Son, hidden since the creation of the world. Who would have thought it! This is God’s Son, God’s Salvation, God’s Promise in the flesh.

When Jesus lived, taught, prayed, suffered, died, rose, and ascended he was doing what God had intended since the time of creation. And his teaching, prayer, miracles, and life itself brought to perfection all that God intended for man to be from the creation of the world: Perfect faith in God, perfect love for God and neighbor, perfect obedience, perfect righteousness, and most important of all, a perfection of God’s grace and love lavished on all who believe in him.

I am thankful that God’s word is powerful and effective. I am even more thankful that his ultimate word (Hebrews 1:1-2) is Jesus my Lord and Salvation.