November 24 - December 28

Word to the City Daily Devotionals November 24 - December 28 Belongs to:

Worshipping at: 7745 Main Street Woodstock, GA 30188 Saturdays at 6:30pm Sundays at 9:35am and 11:15am www.coahumc.org As we learn how more about EVERY DAY FAITH this year, we encourage you to spend some time with your Bible as you complete each Daily Devotional. If you need a Bible, please contact Ed Archer at: ed@cityonahillumc.org. Various versions of the scriptures can also be found online at www.biblegateway.com. A summary of version abbreviations is available at the back of this booklet. Authors Devotions adapted from the Church of the Resurrection s sermon series by Rev. Adam Hamilton; all Scriptures come from the Common English Bible (CEB). Publisher Becky Williamson For the Christian, Christmas celebrates how the essence of God took on human flesh in the form of a child in Mary s womb. It s a well-known story perhaps too well known for our own good; perhaps we ve undervalued important details and gotten other aspects just plain wrong. Do we understand that it is a story of how the Creator of the universe came to earth and walked among us not as a conquering emperor living in the lap of luxury, but as a peasant, conceived out of wedlock, raised as the son of a carpenter in an obscure village on the proverbial other side of the tracks? In the weeks leading up to Christmas we re going to learn things we ve never learned before about this story, see pictures and videos of these places as they look now and we ll envision how they looked then. Come join us on the journey to the stable in Bethlehem, an experience of Christmas that could change the journey of your faith forever. Word to the City is a daily devotional from City on a Hill church based on Sunday s sermon. Have you missed a sermon in the series? You can listen to sermons from this and past series online at: http://www.cityonahillumc.org/#/sermons Experience The Journey Walking The Road to Bethlehem Beginning the Journey Together November 26 - December 1 Philippians 2:1-7 (MSG) Mary of Nazareth December 3-8 Luke 1:26-38 (ESV) Joseph of Bethlehem December 10-15 Matthew 1:18-24 (CEB) Elizabeth, Cousin of Mary December 17-22 Luke 1:39-45 (TNIV) The Road from Nazareth to Bethlehem - Arriving at the Manger December 24-29 Luke 2:1-5, 8-20 (NLT) 1

Beginning the Journey Together November 26 - December 1 Associated Scripture: Philippians 2:1-7 (MSG) Ruth 4:1-22 MONDAY 1 Meanwhile, Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. Just then, the redeemer about whom Boaz had spoken was passing by. He said, Sir, come over here and sit down. So he turned aside and sat down. 2 Then he took ten men from the town s elders and said, Sit down here. And they sat down. 3 Boaz said to the redeemer, Naomi, who has returned from the field of Moab, is selling the portion of the field that belonged to our brother Elimelech. 4 I thought that I should let you know and say, Buy it, in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you won t redeem it, tell me so that I may know. There isn t anyone to redeem it except you, and I m next in line after you. He replied, I will redeem it. 5 Then Boaz said, On the day when you buy the field from Naomi, you also buy Ruth the Moabite, the wife of the dead man, in order to preserve the dead man s name for his inheritance. 6 But the redeemer replied, Then I can t redeem it for myself, without risking damage to my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself. You can have my right of redemption, because I m unable to act as redeemer. 7 In Israel, in former times, this was the practice regarding redemption and exchange to confirm any such matter: a man would take off his sandal and give it to the other person. This was the process of making a transaction binding in Israel. 8 Then the redeemer said to Boaz, Buy it for yourself, and he took off his sandal. 9 Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, Today you are witnesses that I ve bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. 10 And also Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, I ve bought to be my wife, to preserve the dead man s name for his inheritance so that the name of the dead man might not be cut off from his brothers or from the gate of his hometown today you are witnesses. 11 Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, We are witnesses. May the LORD grant that the woman who is coming into your household be like Rachel and like Leah, both of whom built up the house of Israel. May you be fertile in Ephrathah and may you preserve a name in Bethlehem. 12 And may your household be like the household of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah through the children that the LORD will give you from this young woman. 13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. He was intimate 2 with her, the LORD let her become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi, May the LORD be blessed, who today hasn t left you without a redeemer. May his name be proclaimed in Israel. 15 He will restore your life and sustain you in your old age. Your daughter-in-law who loves you has given birth to him. She s better for you than seven sons. 16 Naomi took the child and held him to her breast, and she became his guardian. 17 The neighborhood women gave him a name, saying, A son has been born to Naomi. They called his name Obed.He became Jesse s father and David s grandfather. 18 These are the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron, 19 Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, 20 Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 21 Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, 22 Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David. Bethlehem, though fairly small, was famous in Israel s history (unlike Nazareth, an unknown village). Matthew 1:5 listed Ruth among Jesus ancestors. She was from Moab, the widow of an Israelite from Bethlehem. Boaz, a kinsman of her dead husband, redeemed her (along with her husband s property). They married and were King David s great-grandparents. Deuteronomy 23:3 said no Moabite could ever enter the assembly of the Lord. But Deuteronomy 25:5-10 said if a man died childless (as Ruth s husband did), his nearest relative should marry the widow and have an heir for the family. How do you think Boaz chose which command to follow? How did his love toward Ruth, even though she was a Moabite, show Jesus principle that people are more important than rules? Ruth and Naomi s society gave unmarried women no legal rights and few ways to support themselves. A redeemer changed their lives. In what ways did their story foreshadow the redeeming work of Jesus, Ruth s descendant, for all humanity? Devotions adapted from the Church of the Resurrection s sermon series by Rev. Adam Hamilton; all Scriptures come from the Common English Bible (CEB). 3

TUESDAY 1 Samuel 16:1-13 1 The LORD said to Samuel, How long are you going to grieve over Saul? I have rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and get going. I m sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem because I have found my next king among his sons. 2 How can I do that? Samuel asked. When Saul hears of it he ll kill me! Take a heifer with you, the LORD replied, and say, I have come to make a sacrifice to the LORD. 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will make clear to you what you should do. You will anoint for me the person I point out to you. 4 Samuel did what the LORD instructed. When he came to Bethlehem, the city elders came to meet him. They were shaking with fear. Do you come in peace? they asked. 5 Yes, Samuel answered. I ve come to make a sacrifice to the LORD. Now make yourselves holy, then come with me to the sacrifice. Samuel made Jesse and his sons holy and invited them to the sacrifice as well. 6 When they arrived, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, That must be the LORD s anointed right in front. 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, Have no regard for his appearance or stature, because I haven t selected him. God doesn t look at things like humans do. Humans see only what is visible to the eyes, but the LORD sees into the heart. 8 Next Jesse called for Abinadab, who presented himself to Samuel, but he said, The LORD hasn t chosen this one either. 9 So Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, No, the LORD hasn t chosen this one. 10 Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, The LORD hasn t picked any of these. 11 Then Samuel asked Jesse, Is that all of your boys? There is still the youngest one, Jesse answered, but he s out keeping the sheep. Send for him, Samuel told Jesse, because we can t proceed until he gets here. 12 So Jesse sent and brought him in. He was reddish brown, had beautiful eyes, and was good-looking. The LORD said, That s the one. Go anoint him. 13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him right there in front of his brothers. The LORD s spirit came over David from that point forward. Then Samuel left and went to Ramah. In Luke s Christmas story, on the night of Jesus birth the angel said, Unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior. Today we read about David and his city. God sent Samuel, the prophet, to Bethlehem to find one of Jesse s sons and anoint him as Israel s ruler. Little could Samuel (or David) envision how far into the future that story 4 would reach. In verses 6-7, Samuel looked at Jesse s oldest son and thought, This must be the one. But God said, The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. What factors do you look at when choosing friends, a place to work, a church to attend, or even a mission project to support? What would it mean for you to base your choices on the heart? Jesse, told to bring his sons to meet the prophet, left David home, and seemed hesitant to call him even when Samuel asked. Have you ever been an outcast, as David seemed to be here? How can God turn even unfair experiences to good purposes? 5

WEDNESDAY Micah 5:1-4 1 Now muster your troops, Daughter Troop! They have laid siege against us; with a rod they will strike the cheek of the judge of Israel. 2 As for you, Bethlehem of Ephrathah, though you are the least significant of Judah s forces, one who is to be a ruler in Israel on my behalf will come out from you. His origin is from remote times, from ancient days. 3 Therefore, he will give them up until the time when she who is in labor gives birth. The rest of his kin will return to the people of Israel. 4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. They will dwell secure, because he will surely become great throughout the earth; Micah was a prophet in Jerusalem about 700 years before Christ. (Jeremiah 26:8 mentioned him.) As the armies of the mighty Assyrian Empire threatened Jerusalem, Micah looked beyond the immediate danger. God would send a deliverer, he said. This divine ruler would be born in Bethlehem, but his greatness would reach to the ends of the earth. Okay, Bethlehem we know, but what s this Ephrathah? It means fruitful, and was the name of the district around Bethlehem. Like the gospel writers centuries later, Micah stressed God s ability to do big things in people and settings that seemed insignificant. When have you seen God do something big through something little? Micah said the coming ruler would shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD...And they will live securely. Early Christians, even when the Roman Empire imprisoned or killed them, still saw Jesus in this prophecy. How were they living securely? In what ways does security in Christ differ from the ways we usually define security? THURSDAY Luke 2:1-7 1 In those days Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax lists. 2 This first enrollment occurred when Quirinius governed Syria. 3 Everyone went to their own cities to be enrolled. 4 Since Joseph belonged to David s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David s city, called Bethlehem, in Judea. 5 He went to be enrolled together with Mary, who was promised to him in marriage and who was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guestroom. Caesar Augustus purpose was to collect more taxes for his far-flung empire. God bent Caesar s decree to divine purposes, using it to bring Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, a hard trip for pregnant Mary. There the baby Jesus was born, as Micah prophesied. Take part in Christmas Eve worship this year (go to www.coahcalendar.com for times). Honor the birth of the baby who would renew our world and us. The Christmas story shows God s Great Reversal. Augustus, a human who thought he was a God, forced Mary and Joseph to make a hard trip with just a decree. Jesus, God become human, spent his first night on earth in an animal shelter. Where do you see God s power in the Christmas story? How does that redefine power for us? That there was no room in the inn was symbolic of what was to happen to Jesus...He sought an entry to the over-crowded hearts of men; he could not find it...his search and his rejection go on. (William Barclay) Does your heart have room for Jesus? 6 7

FRIDAY Luke 2:8-20 8 Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. 9 The Lord s angel stood before them, the Lord s glory shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 The angel said, Don t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you wonderful, joyous news for all people.11 Your savior is born today in David s city. He is Christ the Lord. 12 This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger. 13 Suddenly a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with the angel praising God. They said, 14 Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors. 15 When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, Let s go right now to Bethlehem and see what s happened. Let s confirm what the Lord has revealed to us. 16 They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they reported what they had been told about this child. 18 Everyone who heard it was amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 Mary committed these things to memory and considered them carefully. 20 The shepherds returned home, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. Everything happened just as they had been told. We re used to the shepherds in manger scenes, Christmas pageants and paintings. Yet when Jesus was born, no one looked for shepherds. They were obscure (like Mary). Most priests shunned them because, caring for flocks, they couldn t keep the rituals holiness required. But God loved them. When Jesus grew up, he said, I am the good shepherd (John 10:11). The angel gave the child born in Bethlehem three titles. A Savior rescued people from danger. Messiah (a Hebrew term) meant anointed ruler. Lord was a word Greek-speaking Hebrews used to refer to God. How did each of these words capture some of the many facets of who Jesus was and what he did for us? Jerusalem was only a few miles from Bethlehem. Was God biased against the people of power and influence at that time? Why didn t the herald angels sing in the Temple courts, or at the high priest s luxurious house in Jerusalem? How can you keep your heart and your home open to God s presence this Christmas? SATURDAY John 7:37-52 37 On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted, All who are thirsty should come to me! 38 All who believe in me should drink! As the scriptures said concerning me, Rivers of living water will flow out from within him. 39 Jesus said this concerning the Spirit. Those who believed in him would soon receive the Spirit, but they hadn t experienced the Spirit yet since Jesus hadn t yet been glorified. 40 When some in the crowd heard these words, they said, This man is truly the prophet. 41 Others said, He s the Christ. But others said, The Christ can t come from Galilee, can he? 42 Didn t the scripture say that the Christ comes from David s family and from Bethlehem, David s village? 43 So the crowd was divided over Jesus. 44 Some wanted to arrest him, but no one grabbed him. 45 The guards returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked, Why didn t you bring him? 46 The guards answered, No one has ever spoken the way he does. 47 The Pharisees replied, Have you too been deceived? 48 Have any of the leaders believed in him? Has any Pharisee? 49 No, only this crowd, which doesn t know the Law. And they are under God s curse! 50 Nicodemus, who was one of them and had come to Jesus earlier, said, 51 Our Law doesn t judge someone without first hearing him and learning what he is doing, does it? 52 They answered him, You are not from Galilee too, are you? Look it up and you will see that the prophet doesn t come from Galilee. This isn t a usual Christmas Season reading. But Christmas is tucked away in it, almost as unseen as the first Christmas itself. Jesus enemies were arguing that he couldn t possibly be God s Messiah. They used his growing up in Galilee as proof: Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived? (verse 42) And, of course, he did if they had only paid attention. Pastor Roger Frederickson captured John s skill in telling this story: In their ignorance about the origin of Jesus, these people unknowingly speak the truth. John is a master of so arranging his material that mistakes or ignorance become a subtle means of underlining the truth. Has a claim of which you felt sure ever crumbled in the light of fuller information? Jesus, born in Bethlehem ( house of bread ) was the bread of life, the source of living water. How will you allow him to nourish your soul this Christmas? 8 9

Mary of Nazareth December 3-8 Associated Scripture: Luke 1:26-38 (ESV) MONDAY Luke 1:26-38 26 When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee, 27 to a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David s house. The virgin s name was Mary. 28 When the angel came to her, he said, Rejoice, favored one! The Lord is with you! 29 She was confused by these words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said, Don t be afraid, Mary. God is honoring you. 31 Look! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and he will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. 33 He will rule over Jacob s house forever, and there will be no end to his kingdom. 34 Then Mary said to the angel, How will this happen since I haven t had sexual relations with a man? 35 The angel replied, The Holy Spirit will come over you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the one who is to be born will be holy. He will be called God s Son. 36 Look, even in her old age, your relative Elizabeth has conceived a son. This woman who was labeled unable to conceive is now six months pregnant. 37 Nothing is impossible for God. 38 Then Mary said, I am the Lord s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said. Then the angel left her. The angel said to Mary, Greetings, you who are highly favored! But that didn t mean tinsel Scripture and bright lights, much less luxury and comfort. Mary s favored life brought her great challenges starting with explaining her pregnancy to her fiancee and (probably) her parents. Do you sometimes wish God s favor toward you meant only happiness and ease? How does Mary s life show the sacrifices God s favor may call for? What would you look for if you had to choose the Messiah s mother? Why would God choose Mary? One major sign lies in her reply to the angel: I am the Lord s servant... May your word to me be fulfilled. How can you respond to God as she did? Picture the smallest, least important backwater town you ve ever seen. Nazareth was that kind of place at the time of this story. Mary was probably no older than fourteen, given what we know of Israel s marriage customs then. We read this story with a sense of anticipation ( it s Christmas! ). But Mary had no reason at all to expect Gabriel s astounding news. 10 Devotions adapted from the Church of the Resurrection s sermon series by Rev. Adam Hamilton; all Scriptures come from the Common English Bible (CEB). 11

TUESDAY 2 Samuel 7:4-17 4 But that very night the LORD s word came to Nathan: 5 Go to my servant David and tell him: This is what the LORD says: You are not the one to build the temple for me to live in. 6 In fact, I haven t lived in a temple from the day I brought Israel out of Egypt until now. Instead, I have been traveling around in a tent and in a dwelling. 7 Throughout my traveling around with the Israelites, did I ever ask any of Israel s tribal leaders I appointed to shepherd my people: Why haven t you built me a cedar temple? 8 So then, say this to my servant David: This is what the LORD of heavenly forces says: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be leader over my people Israel. 9 I ve been with you wherever you ve gone, and I ve eliminated all your enemies before you. Now I will make your name great like the name of the greatest people on earth. 10 I m going to provide a place for my people Israel, and plant them so that they may live there and no longer be disturbed. Cruel people will no longer trouble them, as they had been earlier, 11 when I appointed leaders over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. And the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make a dynasty for you. 12 When the time comes for you to die and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your descendant one of your very own children to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He will build a temple for my name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. 14 I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me. Whenever he does wrong, I will discipline him with a human rod, with blows from human beings. 15 But I will never take my faithful love away from him like I took it away from Saul, whom I set aside in favor of you. 16 Your dynasty and your kingdom will be secured forever before me. Your throne will be established forever. 17 Nathan reported all of these words and this entire vision to David. Gabriel told Mary her son would receive the throne of his father David (Luke 1:32). For a devout Hebrew like Mary, that phrase brimmed with meaning. God had promised David that his house and kingdom would endure forever. To human eyes, that wasn t happening Rome ruled Israel. But the hope still lived. The Messiah, Israel believed, would be the promised son of David. No doubt David, Nathan the prophet and most Israelites thought God s pledge applied to Solomon, David s heir as king of Israel. Only later events forced people to ask: is the promise true? If so, how? Have you ever found that God takes a longer-range view of your life than you do? How do you develop patience and trust in God s promises? In verse 8, God reminded David that he was as unlikely a person as Mary would later be. I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. Are you open to the likelihood that God wants to work through you? 12 13

WEDNESDAY Jeremiah 23:1-6 1 Watch out, you shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, declares the LORD. 2 This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, proclaims about the shepherds who tend to my people: You are the ones who have scattered my flock and driven them away. You haven t attended to their needs, so I will take revenge on you for the terrible things you have done to them, declares the LORD. 3 I myself will gather the few remaining sheep from all the countries where I have driven them. I will bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will place over them shepherds who care for them. Then they will no longer be afraid or dread harm, nor will any be missing, declares the LORD. 5 The time is coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up a righteous descendant from David s line, and he will rule as a wise king. He will do what is just and right in the land. 6 During his lifetime, Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And his name will be The LORD Is Our Righteousness. By Jeremiah s day, David s kingdom was no more. The leaders had failed. The Assyrian Empire destroyed the breakaway northern tribes. The southern kingdom, Jeremiah s home, would soon be overrun by Babylon s army. The prophet said God would raise up a branch (a descendant) of David. He would be a Savior, a good shepherd to God s scattered people. Focus on the actions and qualities the prophet described in verses 5-6. In what ways do you believe Jesus fulfilled these words in the course of his earthly life? Are there parts of this passage that you see as awaiting fulfillment in the future, when God s reign is fully established over the earth? Verses 1-2 remind us that God cares deeply how we use our influence (whether over one person or thousands). What do you do, in whatever sphere you have influence, to be a shepherd who builds people up, rather than destroying and scattering them? How do you want God to help you grow so you can be the kind of shepherd God blesses? THURSDAY Daniel 8:15-18, 9:20-23 15 Now I, Daniel, needed help understanding the vision I saw. Suddenly standing in front of me was someone who looked like a man. 16 I then heard a human voice coming out of the center of the Ulai canal. It called out: Gabriel, help this person understand what he has seen. 17 Gabriel approached me, and I was terrified when he came. I fell with my face to the ground. Gabriel said to me, Know this, human one: the vision is for the end time. 18 As soon as he said this to me, I fell into a trance. My face was still on the ground. Then Gabriel touched me and set me up on my feet. 20 While I was still speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sins of my people Israel while I was still praying my prayer for help to the LORD my God about my God s holy mountain 21 while I was still speaking this prayer, the man Gabriel approached me at the time of the evening offering. This was the same Gabriel I had seen in my earlier vision. He was weary with exhaustion. 22 He explained as he spoke with me: Daniel, here s why I ve come: to give you insight and understanding. 23 When you began making your requests, a word went out, and I ve come to tell it to you because you are greatly treasured. So now understand this word and grasp the meaning of this vision! God, Luke reported matter-of-factly, entrusted the angel Gabriel with the crucial message to Mary. (Luke first named Gabriel in Luke 1:19, which we ll read later in the series.) But who was this divine messenger? Israelites knew. They d become familiar with his name in the visions of the Old Testament book of Daniel, where he also brought messages from God. What s your mental image of an angel? (If it s a plump infant with short wings, you re not alone. But that image is from medieval art, not the Bible.) What do these verses hint about the kind of being Gabriel is? Hebrews 1:14 asked, Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? How can you keep your heart and perceptions open to any angel messengers God may send you along your journey? Daniel says he met Gabriel while watching the vision and in prayer. Mary, as far as we know, was just going about her daily business when she met the angel. In what settings have you had your most vivid encounters with God s presence? 14 15

FRIDAY Isaiah 9:2-7 2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. On those living in a pitch-dark land, light has dawned. 3 You have made the nation great; you have increased its joy. They rejoiced before you as with joy at the harvest, as those who divide plunder rejoice. 4 As on the day of Midian, you ve shattered the yoke that burdened them, the staff on their shoulders, and the rod of their oppressor. 5 Because every boot of the thundering warriors, and every garment rolled in blood will be burned, fuel for the fire. 6 A child is born to us, a son is given to us, and authority will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be vast authority and endless peace for David s throne and for his kingdom, establishing and sustaining it with justice and righteousness now and forever. The zeal of the LORD of heavenly forces will do this. To us, said Isaiah s prophecy, a child is born, to us a son is given. His words had echoed through the centuries. Wonderful counselor, mighty God...He will reign on David s throne, forever. Imagine Mary s feelings as it dawned on her that the us in that famous prophecy now meant her. She was the one who would bear the long-promised child. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. Yet even after meeting Jesus, Paul would write, Now we see a dim reflection (1 Corinthians 13:12). In what ways has Jesus already lit up your dark world? In what ways are you waiting for the full glory of God s light? We sometimes miss verse 5 of Isaiah s message: Every warrior s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning. The child to be born, he said, would be called Prince of Peace. How can you more fully follow the Prince of Peace, and resolve conflicts in his way, in your day-to-day dealings with others? SATURDAY Isaiah 42:1-4 1 But here is my servant, the one I uphold; my chosen, who brings me delight. I ve put my spirit upon him; he will bring justice to the nations. 2 He won t cry out or shout aloud or make his voice heard in public. 3 He won t break a bruised reed; he won t extinguish a faint wick, but he will surely bring justice. 4 He won t be extinguished or broken until he has established justice in the land. The coastlands await his teaching. Isaiah said God s servant would do big things in quiet ways that might at first seem small to us. After Jesus grew up, his home town s reputation led Nathanael to ask, Nazareth! Can anything good come from there? (John 1:46). Yet in that tiny town, God found a teenager with no husband and no social status. Through her, God entered decisively into human history. God didn t shout but Jesus quietly changed the world in big, big ways. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. Does the way God goes about changing our broken world ever feel too slow or weak to you? Do you wonder at times why God doesn t simply write the divine laws in the clouds, or send a plague to wipe out all human traffickers or predatory loan sharks? In what quiet, loving, and effective ways can you join in God s movement to transform our world for the better? 16 17

Joseph of Bethlehem December 10-15 Associated Scripture: Matthew 1:18-24 (CEB) MONDAY Matthew 1:18-25 18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. When Mary his mother was engaged to Joseph, before they were married, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn t want to humiliate her, he decided to call off their engagement quietly. 20 As he was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph son of David, don t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child she carries was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you will call him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. 22 Now all of this took place so that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled: 23 Look! A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, And they will call him, Emmanuel. (Emmanuel means God with us. ) 24 When Joseph woke up, he did just as an angel from God commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he didn t have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. Joseph called him Jesus. The 2006 film The Nativity Story showed Mary washing Joseph s feet as he slept, worn out from the strain of their trip to Bethlehem. To the unborn Jesus she said, You will have a good and decent man to raise you. That s a fine summary of Matthew s portrait of Joseph. He obeyed God, and nurtured and protected his bride (pregnant, but not by him) and her child. Matthew identifies the child three ways. It s the story of the birth of the Messiah [God s anointed one] (verse 18), named Jesus [Greek for Joshua God saves ] because he will save his people from their sins (verse 21) and they will call him Immanuel (which means God with us ) (verse 23). Which of these three ways of identifying Jesus speaks most deeply to your heart this Advent season? Luke 1:38 showed Mary saying, I am the Lord s servant... May your word to me be fulfilled. Matthew 1:24 says Joseph did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him. What is God calling you to do or be this Advent season? Devotions adapted from the Church of the Resurrection s sermon series by Rev. Adam Hamilton; all Scriptures come from the Common English Bible (CEB). 18 TUESDAY Matthew 1:18-20, Deuteronomy 22:20-24 18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. When Mary his mother was engaged to Joseph, before they were married, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn t want to humiliate her, he decided to call off their engagement quietly. 20 As he was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph son of David, don t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child she carries was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 20 However, if the claim is true and proof of the young woman s virginity can t be produced, 21 then the city s elders will bring the young woman to the door of her father s house. The citizens of that city must stone her until she dies because she acted so sinfully in Israel by having extramarital sex while still in her father s house. Remove such evil from your community! 22 If a man is found having sex with a woman who is married to someone else, both of them must die the man who was having sex with the woman and the woman herself. Remove such evil from Israel! 23 If a young woman who is a virgin is engaged to one man and another man meets up with her in a town and has sex with her, 24 you must bring both of them to the city gates there and stone them until they die the young woman because she didn t call for help in the city, and the man because of the fact that he humiliated his neighbor s wife. Remove such evil from your community! In Israelite culture, a betrothal was as binding as marriage. Mary s pregnancy led some (like Joseph at first) to the obvious belief that she had slept with some other man. Some must have condemned her (and Jesus as illegitimate see John 8:41). It was even possible that she might be stoned to death (see John 8:3-5), as the law in Deuteronomy said. What would you have felt if you had been Joseph when Mary told you she was having a baby but by the Holy Spirit, not another man? Whatever Joseph felt, Matthew says he did not want to expose her to public disgrace. What do you learn about Joseph s inner qualities from his measured response ( he had in mind to divorce her quietly )? The Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels says Joseph was a devout Jewish man willing to give up what was often perceived to be a Jewish father s greatest privilege siring his first-born son in order to obey God s will. What cherished dream have you had to give up? How are you and God working to bend that loss to produce good results? 19

WEDNESDAY Matthew 1:1-17 1 A record of the ancestors of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham: 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez was the father of Hezron. Hezron was the father of Aram. 4 Aram was the father of Amminadab. Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. 5 Salmon was the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz was the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed was the father of Jesse. 6 Jesse was the father of David the king. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. 7 Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam was the father of Abijah. Abijah was the father of Asaph. 8 Asaph was the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was the father of Joram. Joram was the father of Uzziah. 9 Uzziah was the father of Jotham. Jotham was the father of Ahaz. Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh. Manasseh was the father of Amos. Amos was the father of Josiah. 11 Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers. This was at the time of the exile to Babylon. 12 After the exile to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel. 13 Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud. Abiud was the father of Eliakim. Eliakim was the father of Azor. 14 Azor was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Achim. Achim was the father of Eliud. 15 Eliud was the father of Eleazar. Eleazar was the father of Matthan. Matthan was the father of Jacob. 16 Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Christ. 17 So there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen generations from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen generations from the exile to Babylon to the Christ. The way Matthew started Jesus story feels strange, even boring to most of us. But family records were of critical importance in Jesus day. King Herod the Great, despised by most Jews because he was half Edomite, actually destroyed official registers so that no one else could prove a purer ancestry than his own! In verse 1, Matthew said three significant things about Jesus: he was the Messiah, the son of David, and the son of Abraham. The Hebrew word Messiah meant anointed one. ( Christ meant the same in Greek, by the way.) What do you believe made Jesus link to Abraham and King David so key for Matthew? In what ways does it matter to you that God kept his ancient promises? In an unusual move for his time, Matthew named five women (including Mary) in Jesus genealogy. Scholar R. E. Brown suggests that Matthew chose the other four because, like Mary, God used each of them although they faced obstacles, even scandal, in their lives. Does God still work through unlikely people? What is God doing through you? 20 21

THURSDAY Genesis 37:1-11, 39:6-10, 41:39-43 1 Jacob lived in the land of Canaan where his father was an immigrant. 2 This is the account of Jacob s descendants. Joseph was 17 years old and tended the flock with his brothers. While he was helping the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father s wives, Joseph told their father unflattering things about them. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he was born when Jacob was old. Jacob had made for him a long robe. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of his brothers, they hated him and couldn t even talk nicely to him. 5 Joseph had a dream and told it to his brothers, which made them hate him even more. 6 He said to them, Listen to this dream I had. 7 When we were binding stalks of grain in the field, my stalk got up and stood upright, while your stalks gathered around it and bowed down to my stalk. 8 His brothers said to him, Will you really be our king and rule over us? So they hated him even more because of the dreams he told them. 9 Then Joseph had another dream and described it to his brothers: I ve just dreamed again, and this time the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me. 10 When he described it to his father and brothers, his father scolded him and said to him, What kind of dreams have you dreamed? Am I and your mother and your brothers supposed to come and bow down to the ground in front of you? 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father took careful note of the matter. 6 So he handed over everything he had to Joseph and didn t pay attention to anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was wellbuilt and handsome. 7 Some time later, his master s wife became attracted to Joseph and said, Sleep with me. 8 He refused and said to his master s wife, With me here, my master doesn t pay attention to anything in his household; he s put everything he has under my supervision. 9 No one is greater than I am in this household, and he hasn t denied me anything except you, since you are his wife. How could I do this terrible thing and sin against God? 10 Every single day she tried to convince him, but he wouldn t agree to sleep with her or even to be with her. 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, Since God has made all this known to you, no one is as intelligent and wise as you are. 40 You will be in charge of my kingdom,and all my people will obey your command. Only as the enthroned king will I be greater than you. 41 Pharaoh said to Joseph, Know this: I ve given you authority over the entire land of Egypt. 42 Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph s hand, he dressed him in linen clothes, and he put a gold necklace around his neck. 43 He put 22 Joseph on the chariot of his second-in-command, and everyone in front of him cried out, Attention! So Pharaoh installed him over the entire land of Egypt. Joseph was named for a great man in Israel s history. The first Joseph was the patriarch Jacob s favorite son (born to Jacob s favorite wife, Rachel). His story filled Genesis chapters 37-50. Known for his integrity and faithfulness, he eventually became first minister of Egypt. In that role, he saved Egypt (and Jacob s family) from a great famine. And, like the later Joseph, he recognized God s messages to him in dreams. In Bible times, parents usually chose names that captured the character they hoped and prayed their child would develop. What traits from his great namesake in the Hebrew past could a humble working man like Joseph emulate and live into? Do you bear a name associated with some admirable person, either in your own family or from history? If so, what qualities does that name suggest to you? What qualities is God working into your character through the challenges and opportunities you face in life? In what ways do you want your name to be remembered? 23

FRIDAY Matthew 2:13-16, 19-21 13 When the magi had departed, an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, Get up. Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod will soon search for the child in order to kill him. 14 Joseph got up and, during the night, took the child and his mother to Egypt. 15 He stayed there until Herod died. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I have called my son out of Egypt. 16 When Herod knew the magi had fooled him, he grew very angry. He sent soldiers to kill all the male children in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding territory who were two years old and younger, according to the time that he had learned from the magi. 19 After King Herod died, an angel from the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 20 Get up, the angel said, and take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel. Those who were trying to kill the child are dead. 21 Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. Joseph did far more than stand by the manger while the shepherds worshipped the baby. Matthew said Joseph kept Mary and baby Jesus safe from Herod s murderous paranoia. Herod killed some of his own sons who were potential rivals for his throne. He certainly didn t flinch from murdering boys in Bethlehem to try to wipe out the promised Messiah. In Jesus day, the population of Alexandria, Egypt was probably about one-third Jewish. There were also other Jewish communities in Egypt. This made Egypt a safer refuge for Joseph, Mary and Jesus than it would be in today s conditions. What people or places have given you safety or comfort in times of trouble in your life? God used dreams to guide Joseph (as he did the Old Testament Joseph before him). Many Christians believe it makes sense that God can communicate directly with our brains, without the need for sounds or visual cues. When have you sensed an inner nudge from God? Are you open to receive God s direction, however it arrives? SATURDAY Luke 2:41-52 41 Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. 42 When he was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to their custom. 43 After the festival was over, they were returning home, but the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn t know it. 44 Supposing that he was among their band of travelers, they journeyed on for a full day while looking for him among their family and friends. 45 When they didn t find Jesus, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple. He was sitting among the teachers, listening to them and putting questions to them. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed by his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were shocked. His mother said, Child, why have you treated us like this? Listen! Your father and I have been worried. We ve been looking for you! 49 Jesus replied, Why were you looking for me? Didn t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father s house? 50 But they didn t understand what he said to them. 51 Jesus went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. His mother cherished every word in her heart. 52 Jesus matured in wisdom and years, and in favor with God and with people. This is the last time we see Joseph in Jesus story. When Jesus began his public ministry, 18 years later, Joseph was apparently no longer living. Here he and Mary were worried parents. And we sense the unique challenge Joseph faced. Mary said your father and I, meaning Joseph. Jesus, while valuing and obeying (verse 51) Joseph, said being in the Temple meant being in his Father s (God s) house. And Luke says Joseph and Mary struggled to understand. Jesus taught, Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy... everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock (Matthew 5:7, 7:24) How might we see the effect of merciful Joseph, a wise and careful carpenter, in Jesus teaching and life? Who has shaped your life for the better, through example and actions? Are there people who, given that chance, let you down and hurt you? Whose lives are you seeking to shape for the better? 24 25

Elizabeth, Cousin of Mary December 17-22 Associated Scripture: Luke 1:39-45 (TNIV) Luke 1:5-25 MONDAY 5 During the rule of King Herod of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron. 6 They were both righteous before God, blameless in their observance of all the Lord s commandments and regulations. 7 They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to become pregnant and they both were very old. 8 One day Zechariah was serving as a priest before God because his priestly division was on duty. 9 Following the customs of priestly service, he was chosen by lottery to go into the Lord s sanctuary and burn incense. 10 All the people who gathered to worship were praying outside during this hour of incense offering. 11 An angel from the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw the angel, he was startled and overcome with fear. 13 The angel said, Don t be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayers have been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to your son and you must name him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many people will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the Lord s eyes. He must not drink wine and liquor. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before his birth. 16 He will bring many Israelites back to the Lord their God.17 He will go forth before the Lord, equipped with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and he will turn the disobedient to righteous patterns of thinking. He will make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 18 Zechariah said to the angel, How can I be sure of this? My wife and I are very old. 19 The angel replied, I am Gabriel. I stand in God s presence. I was sent to speak to you and to bring this good news to you. 20 Know this: What I have spoken will come true at the proper time. But because you didn t believe, you will remain silent, unable to speak until the day when these things happen. 21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they wondered why he was in the sanctuary for such a long time. 22 When he came out, he was unable to speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he gestured to them and couldn t speak. 23 When he completed the days of his priestly service, he returned home. 24 Afterward, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant. She kept to herself for five months, saying, 25 This is the Lord s doing. He has shown his favor to me by removing my disgrace among other people. 26 Zechariah was one of perhaps 18,000 priests and Levites. To be chosen by lot to burn incense in the Temple was a privilege that might come only once in his lifetime. Like Abraham and Sarah, he and Elizabeth were elderly and childless. But Gabriel was God s messenger to bring them news of an astounding, unexpected change in their lives. In Luke 1:30, God s messenger said, Do not be afraid, Mary. Today we see that months before, he said, Do not be afraid, Zechariah (verse 13). In fact, do not be afraid is the most common command in the entire Bible. What scares you most right now? This Advent, in what part of life do you most need God s message Do not be afraid? Things I d like to remember from the sermon: Luke s story was no once upon a time tale. It was about real people and places (many of which are being discussed and being shown in worship each weekend). So he began In the time of Herod king of Judea. Does it help you to trust Luke s story that he gave many names and dates that people in his day could easily have verified? Why or why not? Devotions adapted from the Church of the Resurrection s sermon series by Rev. Adam Hamilton; all Scriptures come from the Common English Bible (CEB). 27