Isaiah 35:1–10 Isaiah offers a beautifully poetic picture of hope for the future for the exiled people of Judea. They’ve lost everything and, while wandering without a sense of place or future, he assures them that, looking ahead, God will come to their rescue and no more harm will come to them. They will have everything they need and won’t know want anymore.
Psalm 146:5–10 This is another poem of hope for the Israelites (also plenty familiar with exile and suffering), assuring them that they worship a God of provision and protection, particularly for the marginalized. Their future is secure.
James 5:7–10 James calls on Jesus’s adherents to be patient, like a farmer is patient with his crops, trusting that they will come again. He offers them the example of the prophets, who spoke of amazing things not yet realized, but who waited in faithful steadfastness for these visions to be fulfilled. Finally, he offers them a gentle warning not to get cranky as they wait, taking out their impatience on each other.
Matthew 11:2–11 John the Baptist hears about Jesus and his ministry from prison. He sends word to ask if Jesus is the Messiah John has been speaking of who was coming. Jesus questions people who come to see him to determine if he is who they hear he is. He says that the evidence of his works should be all they need. Then he tells those around him that John is not just a prophet but is himself a fulfilment of the ancient prophecy about the coming of a “way-maker” for the Anointed One.
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