Editor's note: Enjoy this devotion adapted from Transformed by the Messiah by Rabbi Jason Sobel.
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Whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies. So in all things may God be glorified through Messiah Yeshua — all glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen. — 1 Peter 4:11 TLV
Just as we each have our own unique fingerprints and DNA, our calling or “purpose” stories will be different. But there is no doubt:
You and I have a unique calling from God.
What constitutes a calling from God? We will examine the concept of a calling, how it transforms our lives, and what we find about it in God’s Word. But it’s as author and theologian Os Guinness writes: “Nothing, absolutely nothing, is more powerful, more intimate, and more important than to listen to the call of God our Creator, and to realign yourself to the very purpose of life and the universe by following his call wherever your life leads.”[i] Calling and purpose — the stuff dreams are made of!
Laying Down His Life
Jesus had a clear calling on His earthly life. He would teach, heal, open the way to His Father, and eventually suffer and be crucified to take on the penalty for our sin. Through His resurrection He would redeem all who receive Him as Savior and Lord. No greater love exists than a person laying down their life for their friends (John 15:13). That’s ultimately what the Messiah, our King, did for us — and what we are to do for others.
The Messiah’s ministry as a wise teacher began around age thirty, which is also when He was anointed as King by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16–17). Kingship in that culture was connected to learning and teaching. In Deuteronomy 17:18–19 we read that the king was to write for himself a copy of the law, the Torah, keep it with him, and learn from it all his life. What did King Solomon ask from God? He asked for a mind of understanding (1 Kings 3:9).
Ideally, the king of Israel was a teacher and a lifelong learner; he was the ultimate judge, arbiter, and adjudicator of all matters of Torah. We find this wisdom in action in the life of Solomon when two women disputed who was the real mother of a baby (1 Kings 3:16–28). When they brought the case to Solomon, he said to cut the baby in half and give a half to each woman. He was testing the women to find out who the child’s mother was. The true birth mother was the one who was willing to give the baby away rather than having it cut in half. Such a decision took God’s wisdom, which comes from His Word. Proverbs 3:18 tells us wisdom is a tree of life for those who grab hold of it. It is the wisdom of God.
We see this gift of wisdom prophetically concerning the Messiah, of whom Isaiah 11:2 says,
The Ruach of ADONAI will rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and insight, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of ADONAI.
Isaiah 11:3 goes on to refer to the Messiah as a judge. In the same way the two women stood before the throne of Solomon, each of us will stand before the Messiah and give account for our lives. He will judge with wisdom and insight. Isaiah 11:4 says,
With righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the poor of the land.
Not to Be Served, but to Serve
So much of the Messiah’s ministry was focused on proclaiming liberty and justice. He cares about the poor. He cares about those who are disenfranchised, the least in perceived value and worth, the most mistreated. When He judges, He does so not only with wisdom but with care and compassion.
When Jesus healed the leper, or the woman with the issue of blood, or the Gentile centurion’s servant, these were the poor and the despised. They were people no one wanted to associate with, those who struggled or were reviled because of their illness or their social status. But Jesus came caring for them and proclaiming the good news, healing them and feeding them and teaching them. This was His fulfilling the messianic prophecy of Isaiah 11.
Jesus was also to be a teacher of Israel — the ultimate Teacher of Israel. And He was prophesied to be a teacher of the Gentiles (Isaiah 11:10 NKJV). It should be no surprise that we see Jesus engaging the centurion or healing the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman. In the book of Acts we see the gospel being taught to all — going to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth (Isaiah 2:3). This is exactly what the Torah and the Prophets spoke about, even though many Jewish religious leaders of the day couldn’t wrap their minds around that idea.
The Messiah’s role and calling was as a King and Teacher, exhibiting wisdom and learning. Can you see how this might relate to you and your life?
- You may not be a king or a teacher, but you can follow the call of God to keep His Word with you, to read and study it so that it can transform you into His living, working hands and feet.
You can incorporate His wisdom into your decisions and actions, live a life of caring and sharing what we you learning, and develop a generous spirit that takes action to bless others in Jesus’ name and for His glory wherever He leads.
Lord God, by Your grace, help me to learn more fully who You are as the Servant-Savior, and lead me to walk in my royal identity as part of a royal priesthood, a child of the King. Amen.
Watch the Video
[i] Os Guinness, The Call: Finding and Fulfilling God’s Purpose for Your Life (W Publishing, 2018), vii.
Adapted with permission from Transformed by the Messiah by Rabbi Jason Sobel.
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Your Turn
Let’s stop and pray for wisdom from our Messiah as we read God’s Word, memorize it, and let it transform our lives. He will change us as we walk with Him! ~ Devotionals Daily