Matthew

Today, I read Matthew for the 20th time. Scholars, both religious and secular, often note that Matthew takes special care to show how the Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in both the coming of John the Baptist as well as Christ's birth, ministry, death and resurrection. 

The more I read it, I became more tuned in to the longing of the prophets - think the book of Hebrews, particularly chapter 11. 

Women received their dead — they were raised to life again. Some men were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection, and others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us. (Hebrews 11:35-40 HCSB)

In Matthew, as in Genesis, I saw how life happened exactly as God said it would. But I also saw how intensely faithful ordinary people like Joseph and Elizabeth  really were, and how they believed God. All the prophets did their job and longed for people to praise Messiah when He came. 

With that, here's my Haiku

The prophets told us 

Messiah would come - He did. 

Christ died, and he lives.