Feeding on Christ, Our Bread

Sorry about my absence of late. It seems to always happen when I take time off. I not only lose my blogging rhythm, but I also have to dig out from the time away. I'm still not caught up, but its time to jump back into the blogging game.

Last Sunday, we began our "Christ has Come" Christmas series on the I AMs in John's Gospel. We kicked things off with I AM the Bread of Life from John 6. We talked about the need for first time feeding and the need for continual feeding. My charge was to be intentional and take time to feed on Christ our Bread this week. I was just wondering. . . .

How's that going?

I myself, this morning, stumbled upon some choice morsels in Micah 7. . . .

(7:7) But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.
(7:8) Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; Though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me.
(7:9) I will bear the indignation of the LORD Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, And I will see His righteousness.

(7:18) Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love.
(7:19) He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea.

One of the questions I continually ask as I read and study the scriptures is, "How does this passage point us to Christ, the fulfillment of all the Scriptures?"

I saw here an apparent tension . . .

1. An acknowledgement of personal sin before the Lord (7:9) . . . sin that is deserving of and calls for justice.
   
   
2. The assurance that God is one who delights in unchanging love (7:18) who will one day demonstrate that love by by pleading our case and executing justice (7:8). He is a God who will demonstrate his compassion by treading our iniquities under his foot and casting our iniquities in the depth of the sea.

Why should this be? How would God do this? Where and through whom would God do this?

Surely Christ is the fulfillment of this passage. Christ is our bread provision for the solving of this Micah 7 tension. In Christ, we see God pleading our case by taking our judgement. He treads our iniquities, not by overlooking them, but by paying for them at the cross. He casts our sins into the depth of the sea by letting himelf be cast into the depths of death.

This was my Christ bread this morning that made my heart leap. What was yours?

Feel free to share a promise or insight or morsel. . . .