that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
—Isaiah 53:7-9
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
—John 7:37-38
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
—1 Peter 1:3
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
—1 Peter 2:4-5
The sculptures on Mount Rushmore have sometimes been described as carved from "living rock". What?
The phrase "living rock" may seem strange on first hearing. It means rock that is still in its original location, where it occurs naturally, rather than being quarried and transported elsewhere. It means rock that has not been disconnected from its source.
We are likely more familiar with the phrase "living water", due to its use in the teachings of Jesus. But it has other uses that refer to water that is freely flowing, rather than sitting in a stagnant pond or puddle. It means water that has not been disconnected from its source.
The opposite of being connected and in the right place is to be "cut off", a phrase which occurs throughout the Torah as the penalty of extreme, willful sin for which “that person shall be cut off” from the people of Israel.
Isaiah's prophecy of the Suffering Servant described one who was “cut off” for the transgression of others. It was fulfilled as Jesus hung on the cross, crying out to the Father, “Why have you forsaken me?”
Jesus taught His disciples, “I am the vine; you are the branches.” Only the branches that remain connected to the source of life remain alive and produce fruit. The Vinedresser cuts off the branches that do not produce fruit. And Paul reminded the gentile readers of his letter to the believers in Rome that the gentile disciples had been grafted in. And that includes us.
Peter's letter takes us back to “living stone”, a phrase that he first uses to describe Jesus as the bedrock and cornerstone of faith, then going on to apply it to all those who are connected to Him and being “built up” into a new temple not made with hands. And that includes us.
Living
Save us, O Lord our God,
and gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
—Psalm 106:47
Let not your heart envy sinners,
but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.
Surely there is a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.
—Proverbs 23:17-18
By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
—Isaiah 53:7-9
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
—John 7:37-38
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
—1 Peter 1:3
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
—1 Peter 2:4-5
The sculptures on Mount Rushmore have sometimes been described as carved from "living rock". What?
The phrase "living rock" may seem strange on first hearing. It means rock that is still in its original location, where it occurs naturally, rather than being quarried and transported elsewhere. It means rock that has not been disconnected from its source.
We are likely more familiar with the phrase "living water", due to its use in the teachings of Jesus. But it has other uses that refer to water that is freely flowing, rather than sitting in a stagnant pond or puddle. It means water that has not been disconnected from its source.
The opposite of being connected and in the right place is to be "cut off", a phrase which occurs throughout the Torah as the penalty of extreme, willful sin for which “that person shall be cut off” from the people of Israel.
Isaiah's prophecy of the Suffering Servant described one who was “cut off” for the transgression of others. It was fulfilled as Jesus hung on the cross, crying out to the Father, “Why have you forsaken me?”
Jesus taught His disciples, “I am the vine; you are the branches.” Only the branches that remain connected to the source of life remain alive and produce fruit. The Vinedresser cuts off the branches that do not produce fruit. And Paul reminded the gentile readers of his letter to the believers in Rome that the gentile disciples had been grafted in. And that includes us.
Peter's letter takes us back to “living stone”, a phrase that he first uses to describe Jesus as the bedrock and cornerstone of faith, then going on to apply it to all those who are connected to Him and being “built up” into a new temple not made with hands. And that includes us.
As long as we remain connected to the source.