Isaya 28 - KBTP & GNTD

But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people

The story of Jesus is the ultimate glow-up, from a newborn in a manger to the Savior of the world. His journey isn’t just inspiring; it’s transformative for everyone who believes. Let’s unpack how Jesus’ humble beginnings and divine mission changed history forever, all rooted in Scripture.

1. A Humble Start

“And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them” (Luke 2:7).

Jesus’ story begins in the most unassuming way imaginable. Born in a small town and placed in a manger because there was no room for His family in the inn, His birth reflected humility and simplicity. The King of Kings arrived without the fanfare one might expect for royalty. Yet, this humble start sets the stage for a life that would redefine greatness, teaching us that our worth isn’t tied to our circumstances but to God’s purpose for our lives.

2. Announced to the Underdogs

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people’” (Luke 2:10).

Imagine being a shepherd on a quiet night, and suddenly, the sky lights up with angels announcing the birth of the Savior. The first people to hear about Jesus’ birth weren’t rulers or religious leaders but shepherds, ordinary, overlooked individuals. This choice reflects God’s heart for the marginalized and forgotten. By starting with the underdogs, God showed that His kingdom is for everyone, regardless of status or position.

3. Prophesied to Change the World

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

Centuries before Jesus’ birth, the prophet Isaiah foretold His arrival. This verse captures His divine mission: to bring peace, guidance, and hope to a broken world. Jesus wasn’t just another leader; He was the fulfillment of a promise, the embodiment of God’s love, and the answer to humanity’s deepest needs. His glow-up was written in the stars long before He took His first breath.

4. Growing in Wisdom and Favor

“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52).

Jesus’ childhood wasn’t skipped over in His story. He grew up like us, experiencing the challenges and joys of life. From His time in the temple as a young boy, astounding scholars with His understanding, to His later years preparing for His ministry, Jesus’ growth shows that even the Savior embraced the process of learning and maturing. This reminds us that growth, both spiritual and personal, is a vital part of God’s plan for our lives.

5. The Moment of Revelation

“Then a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased’” (Mark 1:11).

At His baptism, Jesus’ identity was publicly affirmed by God Himself. The heavens opened, and God declared His love for His Son, marking the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. This moment wasn’t just about Jesus, it was a revelation for the world, a confirmation that the Messiah had come to fulfill His divine mission. It was a turning point, transitioning Him from preparation to action.

6. Sacrificial Love for All

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Jesus’ glow-up wasn’t about personal gain or recognition. It was about love, sacrificial, selfless, and unconditional. His journey led to the cross, where He paid the ultimate price for our sins. This act of love redefined what it means to give, showing that true greatness lies in serving and sacrificing for others. Jesus’ death and resurrection opened the door for everyone to experience God’s grace.

7. Risen and Reigning

“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay” (Matthew 28:6).

The ultimate glow-up: Jesus conquered death. His resurrection wasn’t just a miracle; it was the fulfillment of His promise and the foundation of our faith. By rising from the grave, Jesus proved that He has power over sin and death, offering eternal life to all who believe. His reign as the risen Savior continues to transform lives today.

The Bottom Line

Jesus’ journey from the manger to the cross and beyond is a story of transformation, humility, and redemption. His life redefined greatness and brought hope to the world. As we reflect on His glow-up, let’s remember that His story isn’t just history, it’s an invitation to experience a glow-up of our own through faith in Him.

Kolomodziwa kwe Ifureimu

1 Yee mme wee tjapalala tjiala tje bushe tjinozwida, tje zwilaladzi zwe Ifureimi,

ne luba linotimbama le naka kukwe kunopenyelela,

liku misholo ye nkuku una mavu akakola wa ibabo banokuligwa nge nkumbi we zhambi!

2 Bonani, she banaye iye wakasima una masimba,

kufanana ne dutu lina tjivulamabgwe linokolomodza,

kufanana ne vula ye nkubila,

unowobaposela kutjena nge simba.

3 Tjiala tje mazwikudzo tje zwilaladzi zwe Ifureimi

tjowokanyangiwa nge makumbo

4 ne luba linotimbama le naka kukwe kunopenyelela,

liku misholo ye nkuku una mavu akakola

lowofanana ne phaya ya bidwa kutangila tjilimo.

Wayibona unoija tjinyolotjo koga edwa pa itjela.

5 Mu zhuba ilelo Yahwe Masimbawose banowobe tjiala tje gudzo

ne ngala dze kunaka ku malimbelimbe e bathu babo.

6 Banowobe meya ye kutambunuka

kuna unosumikilisa,

ne kube simba kuna unodziba ngwa pa nkoba.

Isaya ne balaladzi be balebesambeli be Juda

7 Aba naibo banodzungugwa nge nkumbi we zhambi,

be tshatsharikisiwa nge nkumbi wakabila.

Bapirisiti ne balebesambeli banodzembeledziwa nge nkumbi wakabila,

bakahwumanyiwa nge nkumbi,

banotshatsharikisiwa nge nkumbi wakabila,

bebe beleyanya mu mbono,

bebe beleyanya mu kusumikilisa.

8 Tafuli dzose dzizhele matho ne shambgwa,

akuna pabuyanana.

9 Ndiani wabangadiya kabe ne zibo,

ndiani wabangatjenesela ndayidzo kene?

Ndiibabo baletjedzisiwa kuthwisiwa zhamu,

ibabo bathwisiwa zhamu?

10 Ngoti ndayo inotobela ndayo, ndayo itobela ndayo,

tjilizanyo tjotobela tjilizanyo, tjilizanyo tjitobela tjilizanyo,

kutukununu pano, kutukununu apaje.

11 Banowolebeleka nge milomo inokakang'wa nge lulimi gupoga.

Ndzimu unowolebeleka ne bathu ibaba,

12 ibo wabakadwa ukati,

“Ogu ndigo bugalo gwe kunyaluluka,

nyalulusani bakanyala.”

Kunyaluluka ndiko ikoko,

ngono bakalamba kuteedza.

13 Ndizo dama la Yahwe lowozha ku bali

nge ndayo itobela ndayo, ndayo itobela ndayo,

tjilizanyo tjitobela tjilizanyo,

kutukununu pano, kutukununu apaje,

kuti bayende ngono bawile shule bavunikane,

babhatshigwe babhakhwe.

Thiwa ye Ziyoni

14 Ndizo wali, ihwani dama la Yahwe imwi badadi,

imwi munobusa bathu ibaba bamu Jerusalema.

15 Ngoti imwi makati, “Iswi takathama tjidumano ne lufu

ne ikumbu, iswi timu tjidumano.

Kowoti shamu yakabangalala itipalama,

aitowoti kutha

ngoti takathama manyepkhwa dizhilo ledu,

takabgwata kusi kwe manyepkhwa.”

16 Ndizo wali She Yahwe bakati,

“Bonani, ndobiga bgwe le thiwa mu Ziyoni,

bgwe lakalikwa lakanaka,

thiwa ye malebeswa ku ndzibo,

‘Iye unogalabgwe unobigamoyo.’

17 Thambunuko inowobe nsungo unotambunudza,

ndulamo ikabe nsungo unolizanyidza,

ngono tjivulamabgwe tjowokuba dizhilo le manyepkhwa,

ngono vula inowokulila mabgwatilo awo.”

18 Tjidumano tjenyu ne lufu tjowotshumugwa

ne kudumana kwenyu ne ikumbu akungabhatilile,

shamu yakabangalala inowoti ipinda

inomuloba.

19 Tjibaka tjayapinda koga inowomuloba,

inowopinda mangwanana ne mangwanana,

siku ne sikati.

Kuhwisisa ndayidzo iyeyi kowozhisa kutja.

20 Ngoti bulawo gufutshwanisa nthu aangatandabale mu guli,

ngubo naiyo ithetjanisa nthu aangazwifukidze ndiyo.

21 Ngoti Yahwe banowomilika sekwa bakamilika pezhugwi kwe Dombo le Perazimu,

banogwadza moyo semu nkuku we Gibiyoni

kuthama nshingo wabo, nshingo wabo unotjenamisa,

banowothama kuti kushingikale n'ja wabo, n'ja wabo unotjenamisa.

22 Ndizo ngwenu musidade,

misungo yenyu idwa isimisiwa,

ngoti ndahwa nge kwe kulobeswa kudwa kuna She Yahwe Masimbawose,

naiko kuli kulobeswa kwe shango yose.

23 Teyani zebe muhwe hwi langu,

hwililani muhwe ndebeleko yangu.

24 Apa nlimi unolima edzwala, unolima zhuba lose kene?

Apa unodwilila elima epkhwanya magwada kene?

25 Apa ha alizalizanya paanolima

aatodzwala mbewu ye dili, ebe edzwala ye kumini kene?

Ebe edzwala koroni nge dzizilana

ebe edzwala bhali pakailingisana

ne riye pakailingisana kene?

26 Wakadiyiwa zubuyanana,

Ndzimu uwe unon'diya.

27 Dili ayitoshokogwa nge tjileyi tje kushokola,

kene gundzwana le koloyi alinga kunguludziwe pezhugwi kwe kumini,

koga dili inopugwa nge lukondzwana,

kumini iyo inopugwa nge lukombo.

28 Mathunde e tjiwunga anogayiwa kuthama tjiwunga,

ndizo nthu aatoapulila tjose.

Nenguba epitsha makundzwana e koloyi iye pezhugwi kwayo,

mbizi dzidze adzitoakwiya.

29 Ikoku naikobo kodwa muna Yahwe Masimbawose,

ibo banotjenamisa mu butjenjedu gwabo,

butjenjedu gwabo aguna tjilizanyo.

A Warning to the Northern Kingdom

1 The kingdom of Israel is doomed! Its glory is fading like the crowns of flowers on the heads of its drunken leaders. Their proud heads are well perfumed, but there they lie, dead drunk. 2 The Lord has someone strong and powerful ready to attack them, someone who will come like a hailstorm, like a torrent of rain, like a rushing, overpowering flood, and will overwhelm the land. 3 The pride of those drunken leaders will be trampled underfoot. 4 The fading glory of those proud leaders will disappear like the first figs of the season, picked and eaten as soon as they are ripe.

5 A day is coming when the Lord Almighty will be like a glorious crown of flowers for his people who survive. 6 He will give a sense of justice to those who serve as judges, and courage to those who defend the city gates from attack.

Isaiah and the Drunken Prophets of Judah

7 Even the prophets and the priests are so drunk that they stagger. They have drunk so much wine and liquor that they stumble in confusion. The prophets are too drunk to understand the visions that God sends, and the priests are too drunk to decide the cases that are brought to them. 8 The tables where they sit are all covered with vomit, and not a clean spot is left.

9 They complain about me. They say, “Who does that man think he's teaching? Who needs his message? It's only good for babies that have just stopped nursing! 10 He is trying to teach us letter by letter, line by line, lesson by lesson.”

11 If you won't listen to me, then God will use foreigners speaking some strange-sounding language to teach you a lesson. 12 He offered rest and comfort to all of you, but you refused to listen to him. 13 That is why the Lord is going to teach you letter by letter, line by line, lesson by lesson. Then you will stumble with every step you take. You will be wounded, trapped, and taken prisoner.

A Cornerstone for Zion

14 Now you arrogant leaders who rule here in Jerusalem over this people, listen to what the Lord is saying. 15 You boast that you have made a treaty with death and reached an agreement with the world of the dead. You are certain that disaster will spare you when it comes, because you depend on lies and deceit to keep you safe. 16 This, now, is what the Sovereign Lord says: “I am placing in Zion a foundation that is firm and strong. In it I am putting a solid cornerstone on which are written the words, ‘Faith that is firm is also patient.’ 17 Justice will be the measuring line for the foundation, and honesty will be its plumb line.”

Hailstorms will sweep away all the lies you depend on, and floods will destroy your security. 18 The treaty you have made with death will be abolished, and your agreement with the world of the dead will be canceled. When disaster sweeps down, you will be overcome. 19 It will strike you again and again, morning after morning. You will have to bear it day and night. Each new message from God will bring new terror! 20 You will be like the person in the proverb, who tries to sleep in a bed too short to stretch out on, with a blanket too narrow to wrap himself in. 21 The Lord will fight as he did at Mount Perazim and in the valley of Gibeon, in order to do what he intends to do—strange as his actions may seem. He will complete his work, his mysterious work.

22 Don't laugh at the warning I am giving you! If you do, it will be even harder for you to escape. I have heard the Lord Almighty's decision to destroy the whole country.

God's Wisdom

23 Listen to what I am saying; pay attention to what I am telling you. 24 Farmers don't constantly plow their fields and keep getting them ready for planting. 25 Once they have prepared the soil, they plant the seeds of herbs such as dill and cumin. They plant rows of wheat and barley, and at the edges of their fields they plant other grain. 26 They know how to do their work, because God has taught them. 27 They never use a heavy club to beat out dill seeds or cumin seeds; instead they use light sticks of the proper size. 28 They do not ruin the wheat by threshing it endlessly, and they know how to thresh it by driving a cart over it without bruising the grains. 29 All this wisdom comes from the Lord Almighty. The plans God makes are wise, and they always succeed.