Monday, December 22
Luke 1:1-25
Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I, too, decided, as one having a grasp of everything from the start, to write a well-ordered account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may have a firm grasp of the words in which you have been instructed.
In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was descended from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. But they had no children because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.
Once when he was serving as priest before God during his section’s turn of duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to offer incense. Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified, and fear overwhelmed him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I know that this will happen? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.” The angel replied, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.”
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering at his delay in the sanctuary. When he did come out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak. When his time of service was ended, he returned to his home.
After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, “This is what the Lord has done for me in this time, when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.”
This week we have the opportunity to read the first two chapters of Luke’s gospel.
Luke wanted to write an orderly account of the gospel so that Theophilus would know the truth of what happened. Luke was a historian who wanted to place the birth of John and Jesus in a historical context. We can see this as Luke shared the long details of when Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and the ancestry of Zechariah and Elizabeth.
If you read the story carefully you’ll see how God surprised Zechariah. However Zechariah wasn’t open to being surprised. Even though an angel of God appeared in front of him to tell him what was going to happen, he still couldn’t believe.
It’s not surprising that Zechariah had a hard time believing that his wife, Elizabeth, would become pregnant. Both of them were old.
It seems a bit harsh that Zechariah was made mute because he was not able to accept that this surprise would happen. Do you think this was a harsh action by Gabriel?
An even more important question is “Are you open to surprises?” Please share.
Tuesday, December 23
Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Mary’s response was quite different than Zechariah. The message that the angel, Gabriel, shared was not any more surprising, but Mary was willing to accept it. She couldn’t understand how the words of Gabriel would happen—she knew how babies were conceived. Even though the message was unbelievable she was willing to believe.
As you prepare to celebrate Christmas this Saturday, take some time to reflect on the unbelievable message of Jesus’ entrance into the world. If you can, share this story with someone today. Talk about how Mary was willing to believe the unbelievable.
Sometimes faith is believing even when the evidence is contrary to what we think is going to happen.
What are your thoughts about this? Please share.
Wednesday, December 24
Luke 1:39-80
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
Mary’s Song of Praise
And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant.
Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name;
indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the aid of his child Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
The Birth of John the Baptist
Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, “No; he is to be called John.” They said to her, “None of your relatives has this name.” Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And all of them were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. Fear came over all their neighbors, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. All who heard them pondered them and said, “What then will this child become?” For indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah’s Prophecy
Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a mighty savior for us
in the house of his child David,
as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors
and has remembered his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness
in his presence all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
Because of the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.
Quite a lot happened in these 41 verses! Mary went to visit Elizabeth. John was born. Both Mary and Zechariah shared a song of Praise for God.
The song of praise that Mary shared was called the Magnificat based on how she was magnifying the Lord. The song of praise that Zechariah shared is called the Benedictus based on the first word of his words.
Praising God is a beautiful expression of faith. When we are praising God, we acknowledge specific qualities or actions of God. We then fill in the blank, “We praise you, God for _____.”
Take some time to write down specific qualities or actions of God that are very important to you. Then spend time praising God today.
What are some specific praises to God that are meaningful to you? Please share.
Thursday, December 25
Luke 2:1-20
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room.
The Shepherds and the Angels
Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.
Merry Christmas!
The story of Jesus’ birth speaks for itself. Within the story we can see the markings of Luke the historian. At the start of the story Luke wanted the hearer of the story to know who the political leaders were. He was placing the story into a context.
The angels first words to the shepherds are worth remembering. “Do not be afraid …” Often when an angel appeared to a human these were the first words out of the angel’s mouth.
We live in a world that encourages us to be afraid. Open the newspaper and we read headlines that tug at our fears. Turn on the television and we see stories that can make us afraid. At times our leaders will appeal to our fears.
God does not appeal to our fears or want to have us be afraid. The words of the angels confirm this fact. Even though the shepherds were surprised that they came across these heavenly creatures, they need not be afraid. God did not send Jesus into the world, so we would be afraid. God sent Jesus into the world, so we would not be afraid. Do not be afraid!
What does this mean to you? Please share
Friday, December 26
Luke 2:21-40
When the eighth day came, it was time to circumcise the child, and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Jesus Is Presented in the Temple
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word,
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.”
And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul, too.”
There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
The Return to Nazareth
When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him.
Again God was orchestrating the connection of people in the story. God had shared with Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. What a privilege it must have been for Simeon to receive this message!
Simeon knew his call because God had told it to him. When he saw baby Jesus, he took it in his arms. This might have seemed a bit forward, but to Simeon it was very natural. How could he not take Jesus in his arms and give praise to God. The promise of God had been kept! The baby was the illustration of the promise.
Anna has a wonderful part in this story. She was a deep woman of faith who never left the temple. Because of her faith she could see that this baby was the Messiah. She was ready to praise God and to speak about the child to anyone who was ready to hear.
Our faith practices can prepare us to welcome Jesus—just like Anna did. Over the next week you will have the opportunity to welcome Jesus into the world like Anna. Prepare your heart to have an encounter with Jesus as Anna did.
What are your thoughts about this story? Please share.
Saturday, December 27
Luke 2:41-52
Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents were unaware of this. Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously looking for you.” He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them, and his mother treasured all these things in her heart.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years and in divine and human favor.
This is the only story about Jesus as a boy, and it only appears in Luke. By going to the Passover celebration, we learn that Joseph and Mary were committed to the rituals of their faith. In the Passover the Jews remembered their liberation from Egypt.
As a twelve-year-old Jesus was beginning to assert his independence from Joseph and Mary. Most parents can understand this. Luke ended the chapter by saying that Jesus increased in wisdom and in divine and human favor. He was growing up to be an adult who would change the world!
In this Christmas week think about the wisdom and divine favor that God has given you. Through Jesus and the presence of the Spirit you are equipped to face the challenges of the world. Today is the day to give praise to God for these beautiful gifts!
