Reading Plan:
Romans 1:1-7

Our Thoughts:
I love Paul. Not only is he one of the most important figures of our faith, but he’s also a master of run-on sentences. Take a look back at those seven verses you just read. How many periods did you see? That’s right, ONE.
It’s honestly impressive how he does that.
But after looking at the subject of this run-on sentence (which will be the subject of our time together this week), it makes sense why Paul’s sentence structure is obviously as excited as he is. He’s talking about Jesus! And that’s definitely something to be excited about.
But why, though? We know that Jesus is central, essential, to our faith, but how did a first-century rabbi from Nazareth become the centerpiece to the conversation that you and I are having today? Well, I’m glad you asked.
Paul opens up his letter to the Romans by answering this very question. Although I’d probably suggest that his sentence structure could use some editing, he nevertheless uses the opening verses to establish the purpose of his letter, and, even more so, the purpose of our lives.
Take a look at these first seven verses again. In it, we see the essence of who Jesus is and what He came to accomplish. Let’s spend the remainder of our time together breaking down this very, VERY long sentence:

• “which he promised beforehand through the prophets in the Holy Scriptures,”
  

• Jesus is everything that is promised in the Old Testament by the prophets. He is also a fulfillment of every major theme in the Old Testament: the temple, the sacrificial system, the kings, the priests, the ark, all of it. Read through the Old Testament again with the lens of Jesus. It will change everything for you.
  

• “concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God”
  

• Paul is making sure his readers know that the center of the gospel is not a set of teachings or a moral system. It’s a person-Jesus Christ. Here we see two things about Jesus: he was born into humanity through the lineage of David, and he is simultaneously, eternally existent with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. How do we know this? Through the very next phrase.
  

• “in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead,”
  

• If you don’t read anything else today, read through that again. We know that Jesus Christ, that first-century Jewish rabbi, is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords through the confirmation of His resurrection. We put our faith not only in the cross but also in the empty tomb!
  

Remember that today. The one we worship is not in a tomb but is sitting at the right hand of the Father. That gets me so excited, I probably need to stop now before my sentences start becoming run-ons, just like Paul.

More Questions:

• Who is Jesus to you? Is he just a rabbi from Nazareth, or is He the Lord of your life?
  

• Quiz time: how many Old Testament stories, examples, and systems can you think of that reflect Jesus? (Here’s a start: Noah’s Ark, King David, the ark of the covenant, the temple… now, go!)
  
• How would you describe Jesus to a friend who is asking questions about faith?
  
  

Prayer:
Jesus, thank you that you didn’t see fit to leave us where we are. Thank you for entering into the tapestry of human history, being born of a virgin, living a sinless life, dying on a cross, and being raised from the dead in victory. I put my faith in the cross and in the empty tomb. I put my faith, wholly, in YOU.

Author: Blake Houston