Jesus of Nazareth: The One Who Changed Everything

Scripture

Our verse for today comes from Acts 6:14, “For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.”

Background

There is a scene in The Princess Bride where the hero Westley has a battle of wits with Vizzini, the man who has kidnapped his beloved princess Buttercup, to determine whether she will be set free or not. In it, Vizzini rattles off a dizzying series of blathering conclusions that supposedly will explain how he knows which goblet of wine is poisoned and which is not. Westley, ever poker-faced and stoic, assures Vizzini that his attempts to garner clues as to the truth will be for naught. But Vizzini hollers back that Westley had already given away where the poison was and, after choosing a goblet and drinking, he laughs hysterically in victory until his breath stops and he keels over dead. What he did not know was that he was doomed from the start, for over the past few years Westley had developed an immunity to the poison and had in fact poisoned both goblets. It’s not a stretch to say one can look rather foolish making claims and protesting about something when the fact of the matter has already been and done and is in direct contradiction to what they are declaring. If you’ve suffered this predicament, you know the awkwardness and feeling of embarrassment.

Application

The accusers of Stephen, and those who supported their lies, didn’t realize how right they were when they talked about the changes that Jesus would effect. But when they claimed that Jesus was going to change the customs of Moses, they did not understand that Jesus had already changed much more than that. His entrance alone into this world changed literally everything. All that had been promised about the Messiah in Scripture now became fact. Every facet of life that had been warped and perverted so much that its original design was impossible to see was now given a makeover and restored back to its original design. The purposes of life and man were once again made clear. The God who walked with His original family in the garden walked again with His people, this time as one of them. Yes, Jesus of Nazareth was going to destroy things and change things, and He did it in perfect fulfillment of every jot and tittle of His Father’s words. Of that there is no contradiction, and there is nothing embarrassing or awkward about it.

Charge

As we seek Him today, let the truth about what Jesus has done give you confidence in what Jesus is going to do.

Editor Comment: This devotional reminds us that Jesus' transforming work did not end at the cross; it continues today, giving us confidence to trust what He is still doing in our lives.