Nougat 14

There is a sense in which the prophesied first Advent of the Messiah also pointed to His return. Many of the prophecies spoke to the impact of His total reign, which has not yet come to pass. As we reflect however, let us also ask ourselves whether Y’shua embodied what was said of Him. Additionally, we must discern whether He lived up to His names. What about the view of Jesus as a righteous seed? Consider Today’s Holy Nougat

Jeremiah 23:5-6 AFV

[5] “Behold, the days come,” says the Lord, “that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall do justice and righteousness in the earth. [6] In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely. And this is His name by which He shall be called, THE Lord OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

YHWH Tsidkenu 1

God’s Righteousness, or the Lord: Our Righteousness, is there a difference? Before answering my own question, I wish to revisit a segment of the Nougat, which states that the righteous branch of David’s lineage shall ‘_reign and prosper, and shall do justice and righteousness in the earth_’. We note that the Jesus Who lived, breathed, and physically walked among us did not reign in the typical manner of kings and rulers. Some would argue that His royal subjects and courtiers then were more like a ragtag group of loyal hopefuls who did not always see him as their sovereign.

Yet, at the point of His crucifixion, we are reminded that Pontius Pilate had the epitah placed atop His cross, ‘_King of the Jews_’. [see John 19:21 – Pilate’s sign “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,” offended Jewish leaders. Also Matthew 27:37, Mark 15:2, Luke 23:38, and John 19:19]. It was His crime, it was His status.

As a crime, it was the fact of being a Messiah who would save the Jews from the tyranny of Rome. Y’shua, in that moment was an enemy of the totalitarian Pax Romana.

If we consider Jesus to be YHWH Tsidkenu, God’s Righteousness, then we must immediately recognise that in spaces where God’s justice and righteousness are not practiced, Y’shua will always be an enemy of the state, regardless of who is in control. For righteousness, Tsidkenu, is rooted in the very same terms that speak to justice and human rights today. God’s righteousness is more than the *10 Commandments*. It is also about the way we live with others, like the rich young ruler who obeyed all the Law and prophets discovered [see Matthew 19:16-22, Mark 10:17-22, and Luke 18:18-23]. It also includes how we relate to those in need, to the outcast and forsaken.

Self-Check

How is God’s Righteousness evident in our daily lives? Can people easily recognise us as His descendants by our use of His righteousness?

Application

It is true that we cannot make ourselves righteous. Despite our knowledge of Good and Evil, human tendency leans towards selfishness. Hence, Jeremiah 17:9 plainly states that humanity’s heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. As God’s Righteousness Y’shua came to be the exemplar. He was, and is sinless. But, in His love for us, Christ became our scapegoat (read more about the ritual in Leviticus 16; then consider the details of Jesus’ crucifixion to see the application). He took on our sin, so that in His name we might become _God’s Righteousness_ (see 2 Corinthians 5:21).

And that’s why it remains hard for Him to be king over the nations. Not many leaders are prepared to hand the reins over to God for Christ to reign with righteousness, no matter the public stance on human rights. In that wise, Jeremiah’s prophecy speaks to Christ’s return as well as His first Advent.

The question then before us is, Will we permit him to reign supreme in righteousness in our hearts?

Point to Ponder

What if *our* Christmas gift to God this year was to allow God free rein to reign in righteousness and justice through us?

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May all we seek be found in Christ