A Fountain for All Nations
«All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before him. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.»
«Howbeit one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and straightway there came out blood and water. And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.»
Promise and fulfilment
Psalm 22 foretells that from the endured suffering of God's Servant, a worldwide message will arise: to the very ends of the earth and for all generations yet unborn, it will be proclaimed that God has accomplished salvation.
As Christ dies upon the cross, his side is pierced; blood and water bear witness to his death and establish life-giving redemption for the whole world, so that to this day all nations may look upon the pierced One and be saved.
Let these verses remind you to take your own Bible in your hands, read them there again and, if you wish, continue a little further. Holding God's Word in your hands also gives you a precious moment away from the digital world.
Do not read the Bible in one long run, but passage by passage: one text, unhurried, asking the Holy Spirit for understanding. Whoever tries to swallow everything at once loses the overview. Whoever takes one passage each day will see the whole picture over time.
The connection
Out of the deepest humiliation, worldwide salvation springs forth. In the Spirit, David foresaw that the suffering of the Righteous One would not end in death, but would draw the nations to the Lord; at the cross, the soldier’s spear opens the fountain of grace that has flowed through every generation ever since.
Reflection
Yesterday you heard Jesus speak his final word from the cross: “It is finished.” Today you see how this finished work immediately begins to reach outwards. A soldier thrusts his spear into Jesus’ side to confirm his death—and at once blood and water flow out. What seems like the final, brutal gesture of defeat becomes the enduring symbol of inexhaustible life: cleansing from all guilt and living water for a parched world.
Even in his anguish, David knew that this suffering would not be in vain. He saw before him generations not yet born—people like you and me on this Wednesday morning. You belong to that “people that shall be born”, to whom it was to be proclaimed that he has done this. Your redemption was settled thousands of years ago, anchored deeply in the heart of God.
As you step into your tasks today, you do not do so as a solitary wanderer, but as part of an uncountable multitude of the redeemed from every tribe and nation. The grace that flowed from Christ’s pierced side reaches into your smallest cares. You draw your life from a spring that will never run dry.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you that your opened side has become the fountain of life for me. You poured yourself out completely, that I might live cleansed and comforted. Forgive me where my heart grows faint and forgets the boundless reach of your victory. Grant that I may draw from your peace today, and abide quietly in your love. Amen.
The thread
Following yesterday's cry, “It is finished”, today reveals the worldwide scope of the sacrifice on the cross, before we soon draw near to the quiet rest of the tomb.
Go forth in good courage today: you live from Christ’s inexhaustible fountain, which brings healing to all nations and all ages.
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