Moses and Aaron were among His priests, and Samuel was among those who called on His name; they called upon the LORD and He answered them. He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; they kept His testimonies and the statute that He gave them; O LORD our God, You answered them; You were a forgiving God to them – and yet – an avenger of their evil deeds. Exalt the LORD our God and worship at His holy hill, for holy is the LORD our God. Psalm 99:6-9.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:1-3.

You call Me Teacher and LORD; and you are right, for so I am. John 13:13.

I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20.

And continuing our 351 Old Testament prophecies, promises of God, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we come to number 151: A priest after Melchizedek’s order. Psalm 110:4: The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” And, Hebrews 6:20: Where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Sometimes it strikes me so forcefully: what we cannot do, Jesus does for us. And in the doing of that, He became as one of us even to being born of a virgin after she trusted the message she received. Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The LORD is with you.” But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the LORD God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the LORD; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:26-38.

What we cannot do, Jesus does. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-2, 9-14.

Why would this even be? For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. John 3:16-17. He came to His own…the world. Us. He Himself will redeem His people from all their sins. What we cannot do – Jesus does.

***OUT OF THE DEPTHS – Out of the depths I cry to You, LORD. LORD, hear my voice; let Your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If You, LORD, kept a record of sins, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, so that we can serve You with reverence. I wait for the LORD – my whole being waits – and in His Word I put my hope. I wait for the LORD more than watchmen wait for the morning. Let me and my fellow believers put our hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and full redemption. He Himself will redeem His people from all their sins. Psalm 130:1-8. Adapted.***