
Before he was an apostle, Paul was a fearsome Pharisee! Believing that Christians were blaspheming God, he zealously imprisoned and killed them. How did such a fierce persecutor become a powerful preacher? Find out on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg.
From the Sermon

The True Israel
When Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph took Him to Egypt to protect Him from King Herod’s persecution. When Matthew records that event, he includes these words from Hosea, made over seven centuries before, and explains that they were in fact a prophecy that Jesus fulfilled (Matthew 2:13-15). But Hosea’s words weren’t referencing an individual, but rather a nation (“they were called … they went away… they kept sacrificing”). We may think, then, that here is a rather cavalier use of Scripture by Matthew.
But in truth Matthew knows exactly what he’s doing. He is deliberately identifying Jesus with Israel. As God had called His beloved people—His “son”—out of Egypt to worship Him in the promised land, so now, Matthew says, God was calling His one and only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus, out of Egypt and back to the promised land. Jesus, though, was different. Like the Israelites, He was tempted in the wilderness, but unlike the Israelites, He didn’t sin (Matthew 4:1-11; see also Exodus 32:1-6). Jesus is the true Israel, the true Son.
At the outset of His ministry, Jesus chose twelve disciples (Matthew 10:1-4). This was a significant number. By choosing twelve, Jesus made a statement. He, the true Israel, was calling to Himself people to be part of a new Israel. His twelve disciples, rather than the twelve tribes of Israel, were now its foundation. In that choice, the focus of God’s people was and is realigned. Since then, the true Israel is not found in what’s now called the Middle East, nor does it consist only of the biological descendants of Abraham. Instead, it comprises Abraham’s spiritual descendants, both Jew and Gentile. God’s children are those who follow Abraham’s example by placing their trust in God’s promises, which are fulfilled in Jesus.
The promise, says Paul, “depends on faith” and will always “rest on grace” (Romans 4:16). It doesn’t matter whether you are a Jew or a Gentile, rich or poor, male or female. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you have done. The same principle always applies: “If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:29). We are “all one in Christ” (v 28). The gospel is the same for all, for the ground is level at the foot of the cross. Religious and moral people are in need of the same salvation as someone who never attends church and has lived with no regard for any standard or creed. We have only one story to tell, but it is the only story we, or anyone, needs.
We are undeniably imperfect. We, like the first Israel, are prone to wander from our Father and to worship idols. But Jesus, the perfectly righteous one, the better and true Israel, died to bear our sins that we might come and cast ourselves upon His mercy. We have been gathered into His great company, into the framework of the true kingdom of Israel, not because of who we are or what we’ve done but because of who He is and what He’s done. Today, through faith in Christ Jesus, you are a child of God, as beloved as He was and is (Galatians 3:26).
How is God calling me to think differently?
How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?
What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?
The Temptation of Jesus
1sThen Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness tto be tempted by the devil. 2And after fasting uforty days and forty nights, he vwas hungry. 3And wthe tempter came and said to him, “If you are xthe Son of God, command ythese stones to become loaves of bread.” 4But he answered, z“It is written,
a“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5bThen the devil took him to cthe holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
d“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
7Jesus said to him, “Again eit is written, f‘You shall not gput the Lord your God to the test.’” 8hAgain, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, iSatan! For jit is written,
k“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and lhim only shall you serve.’”
11Then the devil left him, and behold, mangels came and were ministering to him.

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg, published by The Good Book Company, thegoodbook.com. Used by Truth For Life with permission. Copyright © 2021, 2022, The Good Book Company.

The Delay of Unanswered Prayers
I called him, but he gave no answer.
Prayer sometimes lingers, like a petitioner at the gate, until the King comes with the blessings that she seeks. The Lord, when He has given great faith, has been known to test it by long delays. He has allowed His servants’ voices to echo in their ears as if the heavens were brass. They have knocked at the golden gate, but it has remained immovable, as though it were rusted upon its hinges. Like Jeremiah, they have cried, “You have wrapped yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through.”1
In this manner true saints have continued to wait patiently without a reply, not because their prayers were not strong, nor because they were unaccepted, but because it so pleased Him who is a Sovereign and who gives according to His own pleasure. If it pleases Him to test our patience, shall He not do as He wishes with His children? Beggars must not be choosers either as to time, place, or form.
But we must be careful not to take delays in prayer for denials. God’s postdated checks will be punctually honored; we must not allow Satan to shake our confidence in the God of truth by pointing to our unanswered prayers. Unanswered petitions are not unheard. God keeps a file for our prayers—they are not blown away by the wind; they are treasured in the King's archives. This is a registry in the court of heaven in which every prayer is recorded.
Struggling believer, your Lord has as it were a tear-bottle in which the costly drops of your sacred grief are put away, and a book in which your holy groanings are numbered. By-and-by your case shall prevail. Can you not be content to wait a little? Will the Lord’s time not be better than yours? By-and-by He will comfortably appear, to your soul’s joy, and will cause you to put away the sackcloth and ashes of long waiting and put on the scarlet and fine linen of full fruition.
1) Lamentations 3:44

Devotional material is taken from Morning and Evening, written by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright © 2003, Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org. Used by Truth For Life with written permission.
Daily Bible Reading for March 29
The Tabernacle Erected
1The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2“On the hfirst day of the first month you shall ierect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall jscreen the ark with the veil. 4And kyou shall bring in the table and arrange it, and lyou shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5mAnd you shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 6nYou shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, 7oand place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8And you shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court.
9“Then you shall take the panointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it may become holy. 10You shall also anoint qthe altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, rso that the altar may become most holy. 11You shall also anoint the basin and its stand, and consecrate it. 12sThen you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water 13and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest. 14You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them, 15tand anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall admit them to a uperpetual priesthood throughout their generations.”
16This Moses did; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did. 17In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, vthe tabernacle was erected. 18Moses erected the tabernacle. He laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars. 19And he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 20He wtook the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on the ark. 21And he brought the ark into the tabernacle and xset up the veil of the screen, and screened ythe ark of the testimony, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 22zHe put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil, 23and arranged the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 24aHe put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle, 25band set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 26cHe put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil, 27and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 28dHe put in place the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 29eAnd he set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the fgrain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 30gHe set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing, 31with which Moses and hAaron and his sons iwashed their hands and their feet. 32When they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, as the Lord commanded Moses. 33jAnd he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So kMoses finished the work.
The Glory of the Lord
34Then lthe cloud covered the tent of meeting, and mthe glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36Throughout all their journeys, nwhenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. 37But oif the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. 38For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.
Jesus Delivered to Be Crucified
1Then Pilate took Jesus and qflogged him. 2rAnd the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. 3They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. 4Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that sI find no guilt in him.” 5So Jesus came out, wearing tthe crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, u“Behold the man!” 6When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, v“Take him yourselves and crucify him, for wI find no guilt in him.” 7The Jews1 answered him, “We have a law, and xaccording to that law he ought to die because yhe has made himself the Son of God.” 8When Pilate heard this statement, zhe was even more afraid. 9aHe entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, b“Where are you from?” But cJesus gave him no answer. 10So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” 11Jesus answered him, d“You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore ehe who delivered me over to you fhas the greater sin.”
12From then on gPilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. hEveryone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” 13So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on ithe judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic2 Gabbatha. 14Now it was jthe day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour.3 He said to the Jews, k“Behold your King!” 15They cried out, l“Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” 16mSo he ndelivered him over to them to be crucified.
The Crucifixion
So they took Jesus, 17and ohe went out, pbearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18qThere they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19Pilate ralso wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20Many of the Jews read this inscription, for sthe place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” 22Pilate answered, t“What I have written I have written.”
23uWhen the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic.4 But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” vThis was to fulfill the Scripture which says,
w“They divided my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.”
So the soldiers did these things, 25xbut standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother and ythe disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, z“Woman, behold, your son!” 27Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to ahis own home.
The Death of Jesus
28After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now bfinished, said (vto fulfill the Scripture), c“I thirst.” 29A jar full of sour wine stood there, dso they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, e“It is finished,” and he bowed his head and fgave up his spirit.
Jesus' Side Is Pierced
31Since it was gthe day of Preparation, and hso that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was ia high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other jwho had been crucified with him. 33But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out kblood and water. 35lHe who saw it has borne witness—mhis testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—nthat you also may believe. 36oFor these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: p“Not one of his bones qwill be broken.” 37And again another Scripture says, r“They will look on him whom they have pierced.”
Jesus Is Buried
38sAfter these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly tfor fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39uNicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus5 by night, came vbringing a mixture of wmyrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds6 in weight. 40So they took the body of Jesus and xbound it in ylinen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41Now in the place where he was crucified there was a zgarden, and ain the garden a new tomb bin which no one had yet been laid. 42So because of the Jewish cday of Preparation, dsince the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.
1The plans of the heart belong to man,
but lthe answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2mAll the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
but the Lord nweighs the spirit.1
3oCommit your work to the Lord,
and your plans will be established.
4pThe Lord has made everything for its purpose,
even qthe wicked for the day of trouble.
5Everyone who is arrogant in heart is ran abomination to the Lord;
sbe assured, he will not go unpunished.
6By tsteadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,
and by uthe fear of the Lord one vturns away from evil.
7When a man's ways please the Lord,
whe makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8xBetter is a little with righteousness
than great revenues with injustice.
9yThe heart of man plans his way,
but zthe Lord establishes his steps.
10aAn oracle is on the lips of a king;
his mouth does not sin in judgment.
11bA just balance and scales are the Lord's;
all the weights in the bag are his work.
12It is an abomination to kings to do evil,
for cthe throne is established by righteousness.
13dRighteous lips are the delight of a king,
and he loves him who speaks what is right.
14eA king's wrath is a messenger of death,
and a wise man will fappease it.
15gIn the light of a king's face there is life,
and his dfavor is like hthe clouds that bring the spring rain.
16iHow much better to get wisdom than jgold!
To get understanding is to be chosen rather than ksilver.
17The highway of the upright lturns aside from evil;
whoever guards his way preserves his life.
18mPride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.
19nIt is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor
than to odivide the spoil with the proud.
20Whoever gives thought to the word2 pwill discover good,
and blessed is he qwho trusts in the Lord.
21The wise of heart is called discerning,
and sweetness of speech rincreases persuasiveness.
22Good sense is sa fountain of life to him who has it,
but the instruction of fools is folly.
23tThe heart of the wise makes his speech judicious
and adds persuasiveness to his lips.
24uGracious words are like va honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul and whealth to the body.
25There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.3
26A worker's appetite works for him;
his xmouth urges him on.
27yA worthless man plots evil,
and his speech4 is like za scorching fire.
28aA dishonest man spreads strife,
and ba whisperer cseparates close friends.
29A man of violence dentices his neighbor
and leads him in a way that is not good.
30Whoever winks his eyes plans5 edishonest things;
he who fpurses his lips brings evil to pass.
31gGray hair is ha crown of glory;
it iis gained in a righteous life.
32jWhoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
33kThe lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is lfrom the Lord.
Righteousness Through Faith in Christ
1Finally, my brothers,1 krejoice in the Lord. lTo write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
2Look out for mthe dogs, look out for nthe evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3For owe are the circumcision, pwho worship qby the Spirit of God2 and rglory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4sthough I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5tcircumcised on the eighth day, uof the people of Israel, vof the tribe of Benjamin, ua Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, wa Pharisee; 6xas to zeal, ya persecutor of the church; zas to righteousness under the law,3 blameless. 7But awhatever gain I had, bI counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of cthe surpassing worth of dknowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I ehave suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having fa righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but gthat which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10hthat I may know him and ithe power of his resurrection, and jmay share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11that by any means possible I may kattain the resurrection from the dead.
Straining Toward the Goal
12Not that I have already lobtained this or mam already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: nforgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for othe prize of the upward pcall of God in Christ Jesus. 15Let those of us who are qmature think this way, and if in anything ryou think otherwise, sGod will reveal that also to you. 16Only tlet us hold true to what we have attained.
17Brothers, ujoin in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk vaccording to the example you have in us. 18For wmany, of whom I have often told you and now tell you xeven with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19yTheir end is destruction, ztheir god is their belly, and athey glory in their shame, with bminds set on earthly things. 20But cour citizenship is in heaven, and dfrom it we eawait a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will transform four lowly body gto be like his glorious body, hby the power that enables him even ito subject all things to himself.
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