This coming Shabbat is an important day on the Jewish calendar called Tisha B'av (9th of Av). Av is a month on the Jewish calendar and it is the 9th day. Throughout Jewish history this has become a notorious day because, according to Jewish tradition, both Temples (one in 586 B.C.E, the second in 70 C.E.) were destroyed on this same day. It is also the day that the 12 spies returned from spying out the promised land and ten of the spies gave an "evil report" to Moses and the children of Israel.
In modern history the 9th of Av was the day the first crusades were declared by Pope Urban II in 1095 which led to thousands of Jewish people slaughtered in the name of Christ. It was also the last day Jewish people could leave Spain during the spanish inquisitions of 1492 or face certain death.
I believe, as we will discuss over the next 8 weeks that Yeshua was immersed by his cousin John in the Jordan river on the 9th of Av. It starts what is a 40 day fast for Yeshua as he travels into the wilderness faces HaSatan and returns to his hometown of Nazareth and declares to the world that he is the one we have been waiting for.
This Shabbat, on the 9th of Av, I will begin the new sermon series, "Mashiach: The One We've Been Waiting For" and we will talk about all the awesome things Adonai has revealed through His son Yeshua and all that our Messiah fulfilled in these important weeks leading up the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot in September.
I am expectant that God will do awesome things in our congregation and our lives as we take time to focus on the visible image of the invisible God, Yeshua. After all, he is the one we've been waiting for!
want to listen to the series? it begins Saturday, July 28th, 2012. Click here to listen.
