In The Beginning Was...

 

John 1:1-18

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

 

 

The first eighteen verses of John’s Gospel are breathtaking in their simplicity and power. Did you notice how John’s language is simple, almost childlike? Look at the basic words John uses:

· Word · God · Life
· Light · Darkness · World
· Witness · Blood · Son
· Father · Etc.

In fact, John’s Greek vocabulary is so simple that, as a first-year Greek student in seminary, I was given John’s prologue to translate on my final exam!

But it is precisely John’s simple language that makes his prologue one of the most influential paragraphs in all human history—the power of the prologue is the way John joins the words together to convey in very simple language the most important event in the history of the universe: the Incarnation, whereby the God who made everything became an ordinary human. Each word is like a little LEGO block, and when each block is connected and you stand back and look at the finished structure, there is profundity and beauty to the whole.

As we will see, all the major themes of the entire Gospel are first mentioned in the prologue, and, like a master weaver, John will weave them together as he tells the story of Jesus. Pay attention to these words as the reappear throughout the rest of the book.


We are going to take our time working through the prologue over the next several weeks. Today, on the first day of the year, I’d recommend turning off everything and just sitting and reading these eighteen verses. Of all the things John could have said, why does he begin his Gospel in this way? Is there anything that jumps out at you? Train your eyes to look for reoccurrences of some of the key words from the prologue—light, life, witness, blood, etc.—when they later appear in the narrative.

JANUARY CHALLENGE:
I am going to memorize John 1:1–18 (the prologue) in the month of January. I’ll add one verse at a time, culminating in knowing all eighteen verses on Friday, January 24. Who’s with me?

 

Introduction To The Gospel Of John

 

TOMORROW, we begin our journey thought the Gospel of John. TODAY, I’ve written some background info to help you get the most out of your reading.

 

WHO WROTE THE GOSPEL OF JOHN?

From its earliest days, the church has always attributed the Fourth Gospel to “John.” John was a popular Jewish name in the time of Jesus; there are at least five distinct Johns that are specifically referenced in the New Testament:

· John the Baptist;
· John, the father of the Apostle Peter;
· John the Apostle, brother of James, son of Zebedee;
· John Mark (often just called Mark);
· John, a member of the high priest’s family;

In addition, the author of the Book of Revelation (Revelation 1:4) identifies himself as “John.” So, which of these Johns—if any—wrotethe Gospel of John? Unlike the letters of Paul, e.g., nowhere in the text of the Fourth Gospel does it say “this book was written by John.” The reason the church has always called the Fourth Gospel “John’s Gospel” is because “The Gospel According to John” was scrawled as a title atop even the most ancient manuscripts, thereby attributing the Gospel to John. (The other three Gospels are attributed the exact same way—“According to Matthew,” “According to Mark,” “According to Luke.”) Who wrote the Gospel of John? Opinions differ and complete certainty is impossible—our best way forward, therefore, is to read the text itself and see what we can conclude about the author with the information he has provided us.

JOHN HAS WRITTEN HIMSELF INTO THE GOSPEL AT KEY POINTs

John never identifies himself by the name “John” in his Gospel—rather, he calls himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Why does he do this? The Gospel of John is a brilliant work of art, and John has slyly written himself into the story at key points to remind his readers that he was an eyewitness to some of the most crucial events he relates, most importantly at the Crucifixion itself. For example, John is apparently the only male disciple who was an eyewitness of the Crucifixion:

(Starting in chapter 13, John calls himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Chapter 13 is when the narrative has permanently moved to take place in Jerusalem. This detail makes it seem reasonable to conclude that John lived in Jerusalem and not in Galilee.)

25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

THE DEATH OF JESUS

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

JESUS' SIDE IS PIERCED

31 Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.” [John 19:25–37]

By calling himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved” John is making it clear he was in the perfect position to tell the story of the Gospel, but by not specifically naming himself, he ensures that the focus of the story is on Jesus, not on the one telling Jesus’s story.

THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS DEFINITELY KNEW JOHN’S IDENTITY

John is anonymous in the Gospel, but his identity was clearly known in the church community to which he belonged. At the very end of the Gospel, we read this fascinating detail about how the rumor grew that John wouldn’t die before the Second Coming:

20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” 23 So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?” 24 This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. [John 21:20–24]

What v. 24 tells us is that the reason the Gospel was treasured was because it came from an eyewitness that everyone knew and trusted. The Gospel of John seems to have come from the city of Ephesus, one of the largest cities of the ancient world and a strategically important center for Christianity in Asia (modern-day Turkey). Whoever John was, the church in Ephesus knew him and trusted him as a disciple of Jesus and eyewitness of the Gospel events.

HOW TO READ THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

The Gospel of John is the work of a lifetime. John has spent decades considering the meaning of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and his Gospel is the mature reflection of an old, wise man. John’s Gospel is different from Matthew, Mark, and Luke, in that John relates fewer events and incidents in the life of Jesus, but he spends more time with them. One might say that John has chosen to focus on quality over quantity.

John is also a true artist in that he prefers to show instead of tell. What I mean is that John arranges his narrative to lead the reader to the truth, but he rarely comes out and specifically states his point—he is much more subtle than that.

HOW JOHN’S GOSPEL WORKS: EXAMPLE #1

In chapter 1, Andrew and an unnamed disciple (John, but because he has not yet met Jesus in the narrative, he just leaves himself anonymous) hear John the Baptist describe Jesus as “the Lamb of God.”

35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. [John 1:35–40]

For the next nineteen chapters, we will read about what Jesus said and did as John works his Gospel to its shocking climax—the Crucifixion of the Son of God. At the cross, John is the only male disciple present when the soldiers take Jesus’s body down from the cross:

31 Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” [John 19:31–36]

That little scriptural reference “not one of his bones will be broken” is a quotation from the Book of Exodus, specifically the place where the Israelites are given instructions about how to prepare the Passover lamb:

It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones. [Exodus 12:46]

So, when John makes sure to tell us that none of Jesus’s bones were broken and then quotes from the Book of Exodus, what is he telling us? Namely that Jesus is the ultimate Lamb of God, the ultimate sacrifice! Note that John tells us that without telling us. What John heard John the Baptist say way back in chapter 1 now finally has its payoff in chapter 19.

HOW JOHN’S GOSPEL WORKS: EXAMPLE #2

Every single word and detail in John’s Gospel is deliberately chosen. John delights in laying a trail of breadcrumbs for attentive readers to follow. For example, consider the way he tells the story of Peter’s betrayal of Christ:

15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, 16 but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. 17 The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man's disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18 Now the servant and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself. [John 18:15–18]

Note that small little detail I’ve highlighted in v.18: “charcoal fire.” Peter famously denies Jesus three times in total on the night of Jesus’s arrest. It’s a heartbreaking scene.

Then, after the Resurrection, Jesus meets with Peter on the beach. The story is recounted in John chapter 21:

21 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and 7 now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. 9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

JESUS AND PETER

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.” [John 21:1–19]

Peter denies Jesus three times, and after the Resurrection, Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” The scene on the beach is beautiful—you can imagine that poignant moment when Peter realizes that his denial is both known by Jesus and forgiven by Jesus. And to make sure that we make the connection between the threefold denial and the threefold question, John includes that little connecting detail that would have been easy for him to leave out: “a charcoal fire.” John is expecting us to catch details like that, which means we need to really pay attention!

HOW WE ARE GOING TO READ JOHN’S GOSPEL

John is a master artist who wants to show rather than tell. John has written his Gospel with the expectation that we will read and reread it over and over and over, paying close attention to every word and detail and finding the connections between them. It is a Gospel that rewards repeated readings with more and more insight into who Jesus is and the meaning of His life, death, and resurrection. Accordingly, we are going to take our time and slowly work our way through this magnificent work over the next several months, bringing our focused attention on what John has given us, namely one of the most breathtakingly profound, subtle, and beautiful literary products in the history of the world.

But this is no ordinary work of literature. In fact, John forthrightly tells us in his conclusion that he has had an agenda in writing his Gospel:

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. [John 20:30–31]

In writing this commentary, I have the same agenda: to help you believe in Jesus, the Light of the World.

 

Cosmic Christmas

 

John 1:1-14

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

 

John unfolds the great mystery of the Incarnation.

Matthew and Luke start with the events leading up to the birth of Christ, but John starts before the beginning: with the pre-existent Word.

I’m grateful for the particularity and earthiness of the infancy narratives in Matthew and Luke, but I’m also grateful for John’s beautiful prologue that sets the Incarnation in a cosmic context.

And I love his beautiful reminder:

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Be encouraged. Christmas means Hope!

Merry Christmas. 

 

The Grace Of God Is A Person

 

Titus 2:11-14

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

 

 

The grace of God has appeared, saving all.

Titus is one of our New Testament letters, written by the Apostle Paul to a man named Titus. Like most of the New Testament letters, it predates the Gospels and comes from the earliest days of the church.

What I find fascinating is Paul’s simple statement: “for the grace of God has appeared.”

The grace of God is Jesus Christ!

QUESTION FOR THE DAY:

What does it mean for the world that the grace of God is a person?

 

The Magi

 

Matthew 2:1-11

2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

 

 

The wise men follow a star to find the child Jesus, the King of the Jews.

Just as the prophets had foretold, the Messiah was born in Bethlehem and representatives of the nations came bearing tribute:

• Micah 5:2–5 says that the Messiah will come from Bethlehem;
• Isaiah 60:1–6 says that the nations will come to honor God’s people.

And this is exactly what happened in its own surprising way.

God is endlessly surprising and always faithful.

Be encouraged today!

 

Christmas War

 

Luke 2:8-16

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.

 

 

The shepherds go to see the Savior of the world, lying in a manger.

The meaning of the entire Christmas story changes when you understand that the word “hosts” is just an old-fashioned way of saying “armies.”

Christmas is about WAR—war with spiritual weapons.

We wage spiritual war through prayer, silence, and love.

How can you fight back through prayer today?

 

Census At Bethlehem

 

Luke 2:1-7

2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

 

 

Against a backdrop of emperors and taxes, Jesus is born.

Caesar had no idea that God was using his census as a way to move Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, thereby ensuring that the Messiah was born in David’s city.

What current events, happenings, or occurrences might God be using for His purposes in our time?

 

Joseph The Righteous

 

Matthew 1:18-25

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us).
24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

 

 

The righteousness of Joseph.

Joseph finds out Mary is pregnant before he hears from the angel. Thanks be to God Joseph decided to act mercifully toward Mary.

To whom can you show mercy—unmerited favor—today?

 

Strong In Spirit

 

Luke 1:57-80

57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him. 67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us[a] from on high
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

 

 

The birth of John the Baptist.

I like that last sentence:
“And the child grew and became strong in spirit.”

Sounds like something for which we each should be aiming in the year ahead:
Spiritual Strength.

 

You Have No Idea What's Hanging On Your Obedience

 

Luke 1:26-56

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 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 father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 

35 And the angel answered 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 called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

46 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” 

56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home. 

 

 

The angel Gabriel announces to the virgin Mary that she will give birth to God’s promised Son whose kingdom shall never end. 

You have absolutely no idea what’s hanging on your obedience. Like Mary, obedience opens up opportunities that cannot come any other way. 

What call to obedience are you resisting? What might be waiting on the other side? 

 

What's The Longest You Have Ever Waited For Something?

 

Luke 1:5-25

5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah,[a] of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” 

 

 

The birth of John the Baptism is foretold.

What’s the longest you’ve ever waited for something?

I think this story is one of the sweetest ones in the scripture—this old, faithful couple, waiting all these years for a child, only to be surprised by the angelic message that the Lord is answering their prayers.

So poignant. Are you waiting for something? Don’t lose heart. Keep hanging on.

 

Why Was Jesus Born In Bethlehem?

 

Micah 5:2-5a

2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return
to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth.
5 And he shall be their peace.

 

 

The King will be born in Bethlehem.

Why was Jesus born in Bethlehem?

The above passage from Micah is what the scholars reference when the Magi show up in Herod’s palace asking to see the King of the Jews. Herod asks for expert opinion, and the scholars tell him that the Bible says that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem, the city of David.

Of course, Luke tells us that the reason Jesus was born in Bethlehem is because Caesar made a decree for a census, causing Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem to be counted.

So, why was Jesus born in Bethlehem?

Was it because the Bible foretold that’s where it would take place, or was it because Caesar wanted a census?

Yes.

God is always at work, even when we can’t understand it at the time. God is always at work, and He is using our free choices to realize is divine purposes.

God works all things for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose [Romans 8:28].

 

John The Baptist Foretold

 

Isaiah 40:3-5

3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

 

 

A voice crying in the wilderness: “Prepare for the King’s arrival!”

When John the Baptist came on the scene, people remembered these words of Isaiah and saw John as the one going before Jesus to prepare the way.

How can you be like John, today, and point someone toward Christ?

 

Frankincense Foretold in the Old Testament

 

Isaiah 60:1-6

I was reading through this passage a few years ago and I was SHOCKED when I got to the last sentence. Keep in mind this was written centuries before Jesus.

60 Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
3 And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.
4 Lift up your eyes all around, and see;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from afar,
and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.
5 Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and exult,
because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
6 A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall bring good news, the praises of the Lord.

 

 

All the nations will come to honor God’s covenant people.

THOUGHT FOR DAY

Isaiah foretold what would happen! I just can’t get over this passage—I’m not sure I ever before paid attention to verse 6—foreigners who come bringing gold and frankincense. That’s exactly what happened! Tell someone about this cool connection today.

(Why didn’t Isaiah mention myrrh? This is because God is always adding something new and unexpected, like a jazz artist riffing on a familiar theme, but also creating something new. When myrrh was given by the Magi to the Holy Family, it signified the death that Jesus was to die.)

 

Peaceable Kingdom

 

Isaiah 11:1-9

11 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,
and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
9 They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.

 

 

The King is coming and will usher in a reign of justice for the poor and peace for all of God’s creation.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY :
How can you be a peacemaker today?

P.S. “The stump of Jesse” is the idea that the Messiah will come from David’s family. (Jesse was David’s father.) In 586 BC, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and deposed David’s descendants from the throne—in the image that Isaiah uses, it is as if the “family tree” of David is cut down. Nevertheless, the line of David continued for the centuries and ultimately resulted in Jesus.

 

The Land Of Deep Darkness

 

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

 

 

The prophet announces the birth of a King to a people in darkness.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY :
My favorite part is the last verse:
“The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”
What the Lord promises will come to pass.

Don’t be afraid today!

 

Family Is How We Fight

 

Genesis 12:1-3

12 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

 

 

The Lord’s plan to save all of creation begins with one man’s family.

The Lord’s plan to save all of creation begins with one man’s family.
Despairing about the state of the world?
Worried about the future?

FAMILY IS HOW WE FIGHT.

Strong families are needed to raise strong children. The next generation is our hope. Remember, God’s entire plan depended on one man’s family. From Abraham’s family comes Jesus, so many centuries later, but at just the right time.

QUESTION FOR REFLECTION :
What can you do this weekend to build up and build for the next generation?

 

My Favorite Image Of Christmas

 

Genesis 3:8-19

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”


14 The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
16 To the woman he said,
“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be contrary to your husband,
but he shall rule over you.”
17 And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”

 

 

The Lord announces in the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve’s punishment for their rebellion and that the seed of woman shall bruise the serpent’s head.

REFLECTION :
Go back and look at that picture of Mary consoling Eve again. Keep it in front of your mind this Advent season—maybe save it as the wallpaper on your phone? It’s worth going back to over and over again. Praise God for His promise to undue all the wrongs and to renew all things.

 

Creation by Separation

 

Genesis 1:3-19

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

 

 

Once you see the pattern, you’ll never forget it:

God creates through separation.

Each division brings order and complexity to Creation.

• light from dark;
• day from night;
• water from water;
• land from sea;
• plant from dirt;
• sun from sky;
• etc.

One quick thought:

God brings order out of chaos; He does it at Creation, Jesus does it in His healing ministry—order to chaotic minds and bodies—and the Holy Spirit is doing the same thing today.

QUESTION FOR THE DAY :

Where do you need God to bring order out of chaos this advent season?

 

The Beginning [Advent Reading Plan Begins TODAY]

 
 

Today is the first day of our Advent reading plan. My goal is to trace the whole story of salvation, starting from the beginning, because the entire Bible tells a unified story that leads to Jesus, and we rarely take time to see it. We’ll have a very short Scripture reading each weekday leading up to Christmas, and I’ll write a brief thought to go with it. Christmas is great, and preparing for it makes it even better. Let’s do this.

 

 

Genesis 1:1-2

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

 

 

The Lord, like a master artist, brings beauty and purpose out of nothingness.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

A great prayer to pray during Advent 2024:

“Lord, can you make something beautiful out of all this?”