Written by Reggie Kidd, a contemporary pastor, professor, and author. This is an excerpt from the book “Exile and Return.”
The Bible’s quintessential account of “exile and return” is Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. Matthew’s gospel portrays Jesus’s death and resurrection as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s vision of God “bringing justice to victory” through his Servant. God’s Servant will suffer in his people’s place to bear their iniquities and justify many. By his rising, Jesus, as God’s servant, will fortify “bruised reeds” and rekindle “smoldering wicks.” The victory of justice through Jesus’s exile into death and his return from the grave will be so complete that his victory will include Gentiles as well as Jews. For this reason, Jesus insists that people not trumpet his miracles and identity during his earthly ministry. He is not on a tour of self-promotion. Rather, his mission is one of “exile and return” that he might “bring justice to the Gentiles.
Prayer:
Written by Desmond Tutu (1931-2021), a South African social rights activist and retired Anglican bishop who actively opposed apartheid in the 1980s.
Goodness is stronger than evil.
Love is stronger than hate.
Light is stronger than darkness.
Life is stronger than death.
Victory is ours through Him who loves us.
Pathways Press.com 
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