Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Friday, February 1, 2013 Read – Isaiah 65 We conclude our look at the Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming Messianic Age today by reading Isaiah 65. This is a chapter that combines both words of hope and words of judgment. The chapter rises to the heights and plunges to the depths. The gospel of Luke has some of that same character to it. What a mystery it is that God’s own people often reject God! In the beginning of his gospel John wrote of Jesus, “He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become the children of God” (John 1:11-12). Luke tells his story in such a way that John’s words are illustrated by it. Luke has gone to great ends to tell us of faithful people who were looking for the coming of God – people like Zechariah and Elizabeth, Simeon and Anna, even Mary and Joseph. Luke will continue to tell us of people like that – Joseph of Arimathea who provided Jesus with a proper burial to name one. Luke’s claim is that there were those in Israel who received the Messiah! It is important for us to remember that since we are likely to just lump all those “bad Jewish people” into one lump. However, Luke also must tell us a story of the rejection of the Messiah by others. Back to Isaiah’s vision in chapter 65, we notice that Isaiah too spoke of “outsiders” who “found God” even though they were not looking for him and “insiders” to whom God had been reaching out all day long who refuse to receive him. This is Luke’s story – the “visitation of God” to his people, some of whom reject God’s visit and others who welcome it. Having listened to Isaiah we are ready to return to Luke and follow his story.