Unignorabl e A JOU R N EY T H R O UG H LUK E ’ S G O SPEL
BY C ARLY PRUC H
I n t roduc t io n: Advent is a season of waiting. A season of longing and hope. As with everything regarding following Jesus, holding onto hope is a communal effort. We want to hold onto the truth we know of Jesus - together. So, this Advent we’re going to spend our days collectively reading about the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as told in the Gospel of Luke. This Christmas season, come to Jesus as you are, harried and exhausted, or excited and exuberant. All are welcome at the table of God, where the lowly are exalted. We all come to him on the same terms—humble and admitting our need of him, repenting and asking for the forgiveness found in Jesus’ blood, shed on our behalf. This Christmas, we join with John the Baptist and cry out, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!”
Praye r: “Lord Jesus, Master of both light and darkness, send your Holy Spirit upon our preparation for Christmas. We who have so much to do seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day. We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us. We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of your Kingdom. We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of your presence. We are your people, walking in darkness yet seeking the Light. To you, we say, come Lord Jesus.” –Henri Nouwen
(All scriptures quoted within are from the Christian Standard Version.)
day 1
Re ad Luke 1 I recently heard New Testament scholar and professor Dr. Scot McKnight say, “In Luke, the church finds itself when men and women are together proclaiming who Jesus is.” It’s here in the very first chapter of Luke. An angel visited Zechariah in the temple where one might expect an angel to appear. This angel had good news for the priest. He and his thus-far barren wife were going to have a son, over whom many would rejoice. His son would begin the reconciling work of turning the Israelites’ (and the world’s) hearts back to God. And Zechariah wondered how this could possibly be since all they’d known so far was barrenness. The angel’s response shows us what was in Zechariah’s heart— disbelief. “Now listen. You will become silent and unable to speak…because you did not believe my words…” (Luke 1:20). Contrast that visit in the holy city of Jerusalem to what happened next. An angel visited Mary in Nazareth. Maybe all we need to know about Nazareth is in the question voiced by Nathaniel in John 1:46 when he asked, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Suffice it to say, it is not a place of pride and honor. Yet this angel’s visit to a woman of humble circumstances lies in direct contrast to the visit in the most holy place. Just like Zechariah, Mary was also promised a son. Her son, however, would not just prepare the way for the Lord. He would BE the Lord. Mary’s circumstances also made this promised son impossible, and she also questioned the angel as to how this could possibly be. Yet the angel’s response to her shows us her question must not have come from a place of disbelief. In fact, when she visited her cousin Elizabeth, the conversation between these two women tells us what was in Mary’s heart—belief. Elizabeth, being filled with the Holy Spirit (she is the first person in the New Testament to be filled with the Holy Spirit!) said to Mary, “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!” Zechariah and Mary were both visited and promised sons through miraculous means. Zechariah the priest apparently didn’t believe and was silenced, forced into months of listening while in his 1
wife’s barren womb grew a son who would prepare the way for the coming King. Mary did believe, and with her voice sang a mighty song of praise to God that reminds us that everything is upside down in God’s Kingdom, and in her lowly and humble virgin womb rested the King of kings.
Praye r: Lord, this Christmas, may we not ignore the upside-down way of your Kingdom. You have scattered the proud because of the thoughts of their (our) hearts; you have toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. You have satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. Jesus, let us be people who believe you and ultimately follow you into lives that truly reflect your Kingdom and not one of our own making.
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day 2
Re ad Luke 2 “Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger because there was no guest room available for them” (Luke 2:7). There is a whole world of hope wrapped up tightly in that one sentence. God himself took on flesh as a vulnerable human infant, without so much as a bed. The King of kings now lay helpless where the animals would feed. Mary must have been reminded of her own words sung at the beginning of her pregnancy, “…he has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly” (Luke 1:52). In choosing to come this way, to this family, in this place, God was making Jesus’ birth unignorable. In the quiet of the night, there is another visitation from an angel. This time the angel appeared not to a priest, nor a humble young woman, but to shepherds. The angel announced news of great joy for all the people. “Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord…you will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11-12). This savior wasn’t lying in a palace in the most important city to the Jews. These shepherds surely wouldn’t have been welcome there. This baby King was lying in a feeding trough in an animal shelter. The King’s birthplace was the perfect place to exalt the lowly. The shepherds knew they would be welcomed at this King’s bedside and went straight away to worship him. Mary and Joseph were Torah-observant Jews, so they brought their newborn son to the temple at the appropriate time to be circumcised and to offer the appropriate sacrifice. We know from their choice of sacrificial animal that they were poor. God has made it impossible to ignore that he truly exalts the lowly. At the temple, they encountered Simeon and Anna. Simeon, an old man filled with the Holy Spirit, saw and knew that this newborn baby was the one for whom he and all of Israel had been waiting. He cradled this brand-new infant in his old and worn hands. Imagine looking into the face of God in a perfectly smooth newborn baby and knowing your aged eyes have finally seen 3
salvation in the flesh. Anna, also well along in years, is described as a prophetess, which means she has spoken the word of God to the people of Israel. She joined Simeon and worshipped God in this infant King. She spoke about God to “all who were looking forward to the redemption of Israel” (Luke 2:38). Just as the shepherds did, Anna and Simeon met Jesus as a newborn baby and worshipped him and praised God to all who were listening.
Praye r: Lord, this Christmas when we encounter you, tune our hearts to sing your praise. Teach us to instinctively worship you and praise your name to all around us who are looking forward to the redemption of the world. We join with the shepherds, Anna, and Simeon in looking to you for the redemption of the world. Open our eyes to the lowly whom you have exalted. Help us not ignore what you are doing in our lives and those around us.
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day 3
Re ad Luke 3 Jesus’ cousin John must be one of the most interesting characters in the Bible. We know he was miraculously born to Zechariah and Elizabeth in their old age, but then we’re left with, “The child grew up and became spiritually strong, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel” (Luke 1:80). He lived in the wilderness. The wilderness can be a terrifying place. Remember Hagar who fled into the wilderness to escape the mistreatment from Sarah (Genesis 16, 21)? She and Ishmael nearly died. Yet it was in the wilderness that she met God. He met with her and opened her eyes to the water they desperately needed. He promised that they would not only survive but would also become a great people, just as the people descended from Isaac would be. In the wilderness, Hagar tangibly experienced God’s presence, his provision, and his protection. Remember the wandering wilderness generation? They were freed from slavery yet destined to wander the wilderness for 40 years as judgment for not trusting God (Num. 14:34-35). Yet in the wilderness, they also met God in all his terrifying glory (Ex. 19). This God was not like the gods they’d been used to in Egypt. In 40 years of wandering in the desert, they, like Hagar, experienced God’s presence, his provision (manna, water, etc.), and his protection. We know nothing of what John experienced in the wilderness. But we do know that God has a history of meeting his people there, where they are most vulnerable and afraid. John is described as spiritually strong, so I wonder what he came to know of God as he wandered in the wilderness. When he began his ministry, he was preaching a new thing. “He went into all the vicinity of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3). Historically, non-Jews who wished to convert to Judaism were immersed in 5
When he began his ministry, he was preaching a new thing. “He went into all the vicinity of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3). Historically, non-Jews who wished to convert to Judaism were immersed in water as a baptism into the faith. So, for John “to tell Jewish people that they had to be baptized or repent the same way nonJews did would have been offensive…John told them that they had to come to God the same way non-Jews did. A key point to John’s baptism is that everyone must come to God on the same terms.” 1 John’s time in the wilderness prepared him for the ministry that would make everyone question what they already knew. A ministry that would welcome all who would believe the one to whom John was pointing.
Praye r: Lord, let us never forget that if we find ourselves in the wilderness, you are there. When it seems like all is lost, strengthen us in you, reminding us of your presence, your provision, and your protection. Remind us that no matter how we’re coming into this Christmas season, we come to you on the same terms, and you are faithful to meet us here.
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day 4
Re ad Luke 4 When Jesus stood to read in the synagogue, he chose to read from Isaiah 62:1-2: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, Because he has anointed me To preach good news to the poor. He has sent me To proclaim release to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free the oppressed, To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” “He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down” (Luke 4:18-20a). And everyone just stared, waiting for him to speak more. Word had spread about this Jesus, the supposed son of Joseph. But a voice from heaven had proclaimed Jesus to be his son, so whose son was he really? He had done great things, but here he was in his hometown. They’d known his family. They’d known him growing up. But what were they supposed to make of him now? He was claiming that this passage was fulfilled as he sat among them. We can never ignore the words that Jesus said, especially when he revealed the truth of who he was. What did he say he’d come to do? Preach good news to the poor. Proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind. To set free the oppressed. To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
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Jesus’ ministry was not one of mere words and information. It was centered upon redemption and restoration, particularly for the poor, the marginalized, and the oppressed. In addition to celebrating his birth, are we actively thinking about the actual things Jesus did and the words he said as we enter the Christmas season?
Praye r: Jesus, give us the same spirit and mind as you. Turn our hearts towards those among whom you would dwell if you were here today. Mark us as your followers by our love not for ourselves, but for others, especially those who are alone, hungry, and scared. We want people to know us and be able to say, “They are people who bring good news to the poor. They help release captives and even the broken find healing among them.” May this be the year of the Lord’s favor where we would not just honor you with our lips, but our lives would be full of the fruit of your ministry. Let us not ignore what you did and help us go and do likewise.
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day 5
Re ad Luke 5 The author of Hebrews calls Jesus our great high priest (Heb. 4:14-16). According to Leviticus 10, the priests were to be set apart for service to God in several ways. In addition to offering sacrifices on behalf of themselves and the people, they were to listen to God, to distinguish between the holy and the common, the clean and the unclean, and they were to teach the law to the people of Israel (Lev. 10:8-10). The priests’ job was to protect the sacred space of God’s presence from uncleanness. They also helped enforce the boundaries to keep people safe from trespassing into God’s sacred space in an unclean state. Surprisingly for someone considered a priest, let alone a great high priest as Hebrews claims, Jesus didn’t spend his ministry offering sacrifices in the temple. He spent his ministry living outside the protected boundaries of that sacred space, touching and healing the sick. He brought the sacred space of himself to those who needed him; those who were ceremonially unclean and unable to even draw near to others for fear of making others unclean as well. A priest could not touch those whom Jesus touched and then safely reenter the temple without ritual washing and cleansing. Yet Jesus does on numerous occasions. Luke recounts a man with a skin condition that would render him ceremonially unclean meeting Jesus and asking for healing. “Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be made clean’” (Luke 5:13). There were so many laws deeming this man untouchable, and Jesus intentionally touched him. Instead of the uncleanness contaminating Jesus, the power of God flowed into this man, and his leprosy was healed. 2 A traditional priest could merely declare him clean or unclean. Jesus made him clean, thereby restoring him to his community. He was showing himself to be a priest unlike any anyone had ever seen.
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Upon his death, the curtain protecting the most holy place from any intruder was torn in two (Matt. 27:50-51). Any fear of God we might have after reading about the power and danger of approaching the sacred space is rendered null and void with the priesthood of Jesus.
Praye r: Jesus, you make it safe for us to enter your sacred space. We are no longer in danger of trespassing into God’s presence. You brought your presence here to earth and touched the unclean. Help us not ignore your actions, even if they might seem small or insignificant to us; a mere touch communicated volumes about who you were and what you came to do. Thank you for touching that man with leprosy. Thank you for being our great high priest and for making us clean. Thank you for not walking away from those who need you most. Thank you for not walking away from us.
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day 6
Re ad Luke 6 Author and former pastor, Skye Jethani, has a series of books called “What if Jesus was serious about…” and in each he dives into a topic like prayer, the church, or heaven. As I read Jesus’ sermon delivered to his crowd of disciples (yes, more than 12), I had to ask myself, “What if Jesus was serious about all of this?” Verses 20-49 are all delivered as one “sermon” to his disciples, those who had gathered to follow him and learn from his teaching. (If you remember Mary’s song after she visited Elizabeth, this sermon sounds strikingly similar.) As we read each line, what if we added “what if Jesus was serious about this?” What if Jesus was serious when he said, “Blessed are you who are poor, because the kingdom of God is yours?” Or what about, “Blessed are you who are now hungry, because you will be filled?” Or, “Blessed are you who weep now, because you will laugh.” Or what if he was serious when he said, “Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you?” I grew up always being worried about making sure my faith wasn’t legalistic. I didn’t want to be a pharisee, after all. But we can’t ignore what Jesus is saying here about the fruit that comes from a person’s life. According to Jesus, fruit is evidence of what is in our hearts. Our actions don’t save us, but they do reveal whether we think Jesus was serious when he said, “Love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High” (Luke 6:35). As children of God, are we merciful? Are we generous? Do we love our enemies as Christ has loved us? Are we living lives that lead to humility? Jesus says we should be able to tell based on the fruit from our lives. What if he was serious? Today we usually say someone is blessed when they are well provided for, having comfort, joy, and contentment. But Jesus said the blessed are those who are poor, hungry, weeping, 11
and excluded. His word of woe is reserved for those our culture would call blessed. What if he was serious?
Praye r: Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, help us take you seriously. We want to be people who call you Lord and do the things you say. We want to be people who hear your words and act on them. We want our foundation as your people to be laid on firm rock, able to withstand the worst the world can throw at us. Remind us when we are in the wilderness, feeling deserted and alone, that you have called us blessed. Help us take you seriously and not long for the riches and comforts of the world, but for your Kingdom that exalts the lowly and topples the proud. We don’t want to be people who honor you with our lips but have hearts that are far from you.
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day 7
Re ad Luke 7 The two stories we encounter right after Jesus finished his sermon recall the two different types of people Jesus preached about in 6:20-22 and 6:24-26. The centurion was a wealthy Roman soldier, a cultural enemy of Israel. And yet he had obviously been a friend to the Jews. The Jewish elders that he sent to request help from Jesus told him, “He is worthy for you to grant this because he loves our nation and has built us a synagogue” (Luke 7:4-5). They thought this centurion was worthy of Jesus’ help, but the centurion stopped Jesus from coming into his house. He showed he understood the true spiritual authority Jesus possessed and knew Jesus could heal his servant even from a distance. It would have been inappropriate for a Jewish teacher to enter a Gentile’s house, and even though it seemed Jesus was ready to do so, the centurion stopped him. So, Jesus healed his servant from a distance. This story sits right next to a story about a woman who had lost her only son. She was highly vulnerable in her culture as a widow with no son to care for her. Very soon she might be a living embodiment of 6:20-22: poor, hungry, and mourning for all she had lost. Unlike the centurion, she didn’t ask Jesus for anything. She was leading her son’s funeral procession outside the city gate so his dead body could be properly taken care of, and Jesus met her in her grief. Despite the law against touching dead bodies (Num. 19:11-13), and even though he had just proved he could heal someone with merely a word, Jesus reached out and touched this woman’s dead son. But the contamination of death didn’t pass to Jesus. Jesus’ divine life flowed into the dead man, and he sat up and spoke. And then, “Jesus gave him to his mother” (Luke 7:15). The young man was raised to life, but it’s a miraculous gift for his mother to have him restored to her. Her son would be her means of provision and protection, and Jesus just ensured that she would be taken care of. Together, these stories remind us that Jesus is the hope for both the rich and the poor, the comfortable and the hungry, the Jew 13
and the Gentile. No one is self-sufficient. In our distress, we all come to Jesus on our knees, crying out for help. And he is there, ready to redeem and restore. When John the Baptist sent messengers to ask Jesus if he really was the one they’d been waiting for, Jesus replied, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news, and blessed is the one who isn’t offended by me” (Luke 7:22). Jesus was truly the one they’d all been waiting for (Remember Luke 5:18-21?). As we read about his ministry and look forward to celebrating Jesus’ birth, is this the Jesus we are waiting for?
Praye r: Jesus, you are our one hope in life and death. Remind us daily that all we need is you. None of us is self-sufficient. Forgive us when we think we are. If we ever forget how much we’ve been forgiven, join our hearts with the woman who washed your feet in her tears of worship and repentance so that we would love you even more. Our many sins have been forgiven, help us love you genuinely and love others generously.
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day 8
Re ad Luke 8 “But the seed in the good ground—these are the ones who, having heard the word with an honest and good heart, hold on to it and by enduring, produce fruit” (Luke 8:15). Jesus had already broached the subject of fruit from his followers’ lives in Luke 6:43-45. Here he spoke about fruit again but did so through an agrarian parable. The word of God comes to all, yet not all will respond the same. Some will have it stolen from them by the devil, some will hear and receive but won’t be able to sustain their faith when life gets hard. Then there are those who, “when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life, and produce no mature fruit” (Luke 8:14). Jesus had already said, “Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your comfort. Woe to you who are now full, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are now laughing, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all people speak well of you, for this is the way their ancestors used to treat the false prophets.” And now he’s saying that “worries, riches, and pleasures of life” have the capacity to choke the word of God out of someone, making it impossible for them to bear mature fruit. I don’t know about you, but this gives me pause when I find myself wishing we had just a little bit bigger house, or a little bit more money, or a little bit more, more, and more. Does the Kingdom of God have anything to do with these things? “But the seed in the good ground—these are the ones who, having heard the word with an honest and good heart, hold on to it and by enduring, produce fruit” (Luke 8:15, emphasis mine). “Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience” (Ralph Waldo Emerson). The thing about agrarian parables is that they remind us of the speed at which nature moves. Mature fruit comes slowly through seasons of rest, preparation, tilling, planting, caring, and after much toil and hardship, finally comes the harvest. 15
Mature fruit never springs up overnight. A good harvest takes a toll on the farmer and their family. It’s never an accident, and it’s never fast. Maybe the same is true for followers of Jesus. Mature fruit must be the reward of enduring a lifetime of seasons, of holding onto the good news of Jesus in the middle of the coming wind and waves, of trusting that Jesus is the one to whom you can turn when your illness, or addiction, or loneliness threatens to overwhelm you. Hold on to the word of God we have in Jesus, and by enduring, you too will produce fruit. When we hear and do the word of God (produce fruit) we become Jesus’ family. We are his brothers and sisters, united with his mother and brothers who share his blood.
Praye r: Jesus, when the riches and worries of this world threaten to choke out the good news in our hearts, remind us to hold on to the hope we have in you. When the wind and waves of life threaten to take us down, remind us that you are the one who commands the very forces of nature, both literally and figuratively. Help us endure when we feel faint, barren, and dry. Make our hearts and church a fertile place for the Kingdom of God to grow and become a light to our city, state, nation, and world.
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day 9
Re ad Luke 9 The call to follow Jesus is not one to take lightly. As much as we want to soften it to make it appropriate for the littlest of ears among us, when Jesus said, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me,” it would have been a gruesome proposal. Israel was occupied by Rome, and the Romans had perfected the torturous death upon a cross. If you walked the roads after a crucifixion, you were sure to see dead, flayed bodies left up as reminders to never disobey the Roman Empire lest you wind up with the same fate. “To ‘take the cross’ was to carry the horizontal beam (the patibulum) of the cross out to the site of execution, usually past a jeering mob. In rhetorically strong terms, Jesus describes what all true disciples must be ready for: if they follow him, they must be ready to face literal scorn on the road to eventual martyrdom, for they must follow the cross.” 3 Jesus did not paint a lovely, feelgood picture of what it meant to follow him. He had just told them it was necessary that he suffer many things and be rejected by the religious leaders, be killed, and be raised on the third day. This was not a man vying for political power. This was a man with a very different agenda, with a very different idea of what it means to live well in this world. This was God in flesh, ready to lay his life down as the perfect sacrifice for sins. When the disciples argued over who would be the greatest among them, Jesus reminded them yet again that everything is upside down in his Kingdom. There are no struggles for power in God’s Kingdom, only the call to follow Jesus into death. If we ever find ourselves constructing hierarchies, who tends to end up on the bottom? The “least of these” are who God considers the greatest in his Kingdom. If we find ourselves saying we want to follow Jesus, but coming up with reasons why we cannot live like he is calling us to live, maybe we need to reevaluate what we think it means to follow Jesus. We should not be surprised that following Jesus is hard in a world that encourages us to live for ourselves and our own interests. 17
Praye r: Lord Jesus, we want to follow you. Don’t let us be like those who say they wanted to follow you but came up with excuses as to why they couldn’t. This Christmas, do a new thing in our hearts. Show us where we may be vying for power, hoping to be the greatest, when you’ve really called us to be the least. You’ve called us to deny ourselves, and that’s a hard thing. Let it be said of us that we follow Jesus, and Jesus alone.
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day 10
Re ad Luke 10 “‘Know this for certain: The Kingdom of God has come near’” (Luke 10:11b). When granted authority, Jesus’ followers entered towns and the sick were healed and demons were cast out. This is all just as Jesus had said it would be when he read from Isaiah (Luke 4:18-21). This is the Kingdom of God. The work of evil is undone, the hurting are healed, the oppressed are set free, and those who were once enemies are called to love one another. When the scribe asked Jesus who his neighbor was that he should love as himself, Jesus told him a story. He illustrated that the true neighbor was one who showed mercy, even though they were adversaries. For his audience at the time, the rivalries between Jews and Samaritans illustrated his point nicely. Who would Jesus choose to use as the main characters if he were to make this same point today? Republicans and Democrats? Immigrants and those who hold anti-immigration political views? Any others come to mind? Who are you tempted to imagine in the role of the ‘hero’ in your version? Between the Levite, the priest, and the Samaritan, “’Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ ‘The one who showed mercy to him,’ he said. Then Jesus told him, ‘Go and do the same’” (Luke 10:36-37). The Samaritan showed mercy to someone who would have been his cultural enemy. Loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength will lead us to love our neighbor as ourselves, and we might be surprised at who our “neighbor” ends up being. Finally, Jesus commended Mary for sitting at his feet. The act of sitting at a Rabbi’s feet indicated Mary was a disciple, learning all she could so that she could go and do likewise. “Despite the cultural importance of hospitality (the food preparation for guests was normally incumbent on the matron of the house), Mary’s role as a disciple of Jesus is more important than anything else she could do.”4 And Jesus assured Martha that Mary had made the right choice, and it would not be taken from her. 19
May we be like the disciple Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus this Christmas, recognizing our need to learn from Jesus so we can go and do likewise.
Praye r: Lord, we want to love our neighbors as ourselves. We want to truly be your disciples who love and show mercy even on our enemies because we’ve sat at your feet enough to know how you would call us to think and act. Will you give us opportunities to show mercy and love to neighbors we might not have considered before because they are unlike us?
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day 11
Re ad Luke 11 Lord, teach us to pray… “He said to them, ‘Whenever you pray, say Father, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us. And do not bring us into temptation.’” (Luke 11:2-4) Calling God our Father should shock us because it puts us on equal footing with Jesus who calls God Father. And if we have the same Father as Jesus, we are his brothers and sisters. We do not deserve that equality, yet Jesus repeatedly grants it to us. In Hebrews, it says, “For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters” (Heb. 2:11). Most parents here on earth know how to give their children good things, and Luke says, “How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” After Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension his followers gathered, waited, and prayed, and they were given the Holy Spirit at Pentecost! This is no small matter. The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity, God’s Spirit sent to dwell within his children still on earth. This is good news! We are God’s children, and we have the Holy Spirit to help us live as his children on earth until we are united with him again. Let us never ignore that truth!
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Praye r: Lord, we join with your followers in asking you to teach us to pray. Teach us to come to you humbly and persistently. We ask you for our daily necessities. And for those who don’t have their daily bread, would you use us to provide it for them? Jesus, protect our hearts from pride and greed, two things that would keep us from truly seeking your Kingdom. Thank you for the incredibly good news that we are your children! Help us live in that truth through the power of the Holy Spirit.
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day 12
Re ad Luke 12 No one wants to think about not being greedy at Christmas time, right? And yet here we are, halfway to Christmas Eve, and we’re reading about greed. Jesus used the parable of the rich man to remind listeners how pointless a life of greed is, heaping up wealth and thinking that they’d get to live a life of luxury and ease. But the wealthy man in this parable didn’t get to live his long life of luxury. He died. What good are storehouses of wealth to you when you are dead? But greed often stems from anxiety. When we are anxious about how we’re going to eat or pay for the next thing, we are more likely to hoard our resources for ourselves. What if Jesus was serious when he said, “Don’t strive for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious... But seek his kingdom, and these things will be provided for you. Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money bags for yourselves that won’t grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys” (Luke 12:29-34). Treasure on earth is so fragile. Housing and stock markets crash. Savings accounts are depleted in unexpected emergencies. Thieves steal. Money withers and fades faster than the grass in the field. But the way of Jesus’ kingdom is generosity, the antithesis of greed and anxiety. When we are busy storing up treasure in heaven, our hearts are more in tune with the way of Jesus. The answer this Christmas is not more things, more presents, more trips, more luxury. The answer is more generosity. More kindness. More faithfulness. More humility. More JESUS.
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Praye r: Jesus, we cannot serve both God and money, and we know that money will never love us in return. You have loved us so much that you gave your life. Help us be as generous with our lives as you were with yours. Remind us every hour that our hope lies not in our stores of wealth here on this earth, but in you and your Kingdom. Give us our daily bread and then help us be satisfied. Help us resist the anxious thoughts that tempt us to hoard and store up treasures for ourselves. Remind us that our resources are all yours in the first place.
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day 13
Re ad Luke 13 The belief that calamity comes to those who deserve it is a common one in our culture and it appears in Jesus’ ministry as well. We don’t know much about the historical events that Jesus referenced in 13:1-5, but his point is evident. Much like John’s baptism of repentance reminded his followers that everyone comes to God in the same way, here Jesus made the same point. No one suffers tragedy because they deserve it. But without repentance, all will perish. The only way into God’s Kingdom is through repentance. The Kingdom of God being compared to a mustard seed or leaven in bread illustrates how something so small and unexpected can multiply into something much larger. What started with a poor man and his group of mismatched disciples (both men and women) would grow into a religion that would touch the world. Christmas is a reminder that nearly everyone cannot ignore Jesus for at least one month a year. Each year at this time we all listen to Christmas music, and it never fails to strike me as astonishing that even those who don’t believe in Jesus will sing songs that celebrate his birth. It’s the one time of year when every knee does bow down, even if only figuratively, and all do confess that Jesus is Lord (Phil. 2:10-11). If only celebrating Christmas was the key to entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Many Jews thought their ethnic background would be their ticket into God’s Kingdom, and I get the sense that many in our culture believe that their attendance in church or even political affiliation is what will guarantee their spot in paradise. But Jesus made it clear that there was only one way into the banquet in the Kingdom of God. It’s open and available to all, but it does require a choice to be made.
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Praye r: Jesus, you are merciful to provide a way for all to enter your Kingdom. May our lives be marked by repentance as we wait for you to return and fully restore all things. When we’re tempted to believe that what we’ve done on this earth should be enough to earn a spot at your table, remind us that there is only one way to be seated with you, and it’s through you. We repent of our lives of self-importance and self-centeredness. We repent of our political idolatry and ignoring your call to care for the poor and outcast. Remind us of the way of your Kingdom. Help us walk in your ways.
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day 14
Re ad Luke 14 Great crowds were following Jesus by this point. People were healed wherever he went. Thousands had been fed from mere fragments of food. I’m sure if Jesus were here today and did the things he was doing then, much the same would be true. We’d all want to see the miracles. But would we want to see Jesus? Are we still honoring Jesus for his miracles, but ignoring all he said about what life with him would be like? His mother Mary sang of a Kingdom where God has “scattered the proud and toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty” (Luke 1:51-53). And Jesus said he would preach good news to the poor, release the captives, and heal the blind. In his teaching at this sabbath dinner, he emphasized choosing humility and generosity. “…when you host a banquet, invite those who are poor, maimed, lame, or blind. And you will be blessed because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (Luke 14:13-14). Following Jesus in his day was costly because it meant certain death (and this is still the case in many places in the world). But following Jesus today can be costly in a world that says the key to success is fulfilling your own self-interests. No matter the current cultural climate, the way of the Kingdom of God is always others oriented. We must resist the urge to store up treasures for ourselves on earth, focusing on climbing the social, economic, and political ladders of power. Jesus did none of those things. And he called all his disciples to very carefully count the cost of following him.
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Praye r: Lord Jesus, give us hearts that are willing to follow you, no matter the cost. Let us be people who are generous with all, to all, never expecting anything in return. We want to be people of your Kingdom, seated with you at the banquet. Remind us to daily take up our cross, deny ourselves, and follow you into a life of humility and unreserved generosity to those whom you call us to see and serve. We don’t deserve your mercy, help us be merciful toward others.
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day 15
Re ad Luke 15 “This man welcomes the sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:3). The Pharisees and the scribes may have had legitimate reasons to object to the presence of those with less-than-desirable moral character at their dinners. Proverbs 1:10 says, “My son, if sinners entice you, don’t be persuaded.” Proverbs 13:20 says, “The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm.” And Proverbs 14:7 says, “Stay away from a foolish person; you will gain no knowledge from his speech.” They may have been taking these proverbs to heart and attempting to strictly avoid anyone whom they deemed a foolish person, much like they would have avoided a ceremonially unclean person. But just as Jesus’ divine power flowed out of him and healed the sick and unclean without their uncleanness affecting him, his moral goodness appeared to seep out of him and transform those around him. He told three parables to show how not only does God accept the repentant sinner, but God actively sought out the sinners who were far from him. The main characters in his parables are three people with whom the religious elite likely would not have identified. A shepherd (unclean), a woman, and a father who is too generous with his disrespectful son. And yet, Jesus identifies himself as all three in his effort to remind the Pharisees and scribes what God is like toward those who need him the most. The parable of the lost son is famous for good reason. The mercy shown here is unmatched. The father’s generosity with the youngest son who repents and returns is justifiably celebrated. But this generosity costs someone something great in this story. With the youngest son’s inheritance squandered, all that was left would belong to the eldest son upon their father’s death. So, his father’s generosity upon his younger brother’s return cost this older brother greatly, and he felt it and was deeply unhappy with it.
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If we are the prodigal son in this story, Jesus is our older brother, who willingly suffers the cost of our sin towards the Father. However, the cost is not a monetary inheritance. The cost was his life. Unlike the older brother in this parable, Jesus willingly suffered the cost on our behalf so that we could be restored into the family of God. How great is his mercy toward us!
Praye r: Jesus, you not only accept those who come to you in repentance, but you actively seek out all who are lost. And we were once lost, but you sought us out and paid the price for our sin so that we might be counted as your brothers and sisters. Give us hearts toward others like you have had toward us, full of mercy, compassion, and love. Help us to not sit safely in our churches and avoid those we think might be too sinful for our company.
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day 16
Re ad Luke 16 “If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead” (Luke 16:31). How often do we long for God to prove himself to us through some miraculous means? We wish we could just see something that would make us believe that he is real. During his life on earth, Jesus spoke at length about the need for repentance, and to not hope in treasure and wealth on this earth. Everyone is urgently invited to enter this Kingdom that does not operate the way the world does. In Luke 13:30, Jesus said that some who are first will be last, and some who are last shall be first. The story he tells at the end of 16 illustrates this. The rich man isn’t even given a name, but honor is given to the poor man by naming him Lazarus. The rich man lived his life of luxury on earth, without caring about the plight of the poor, sick man at his door. Lazarus lay unsheltered outside the rich man’s gate, frail and hungry. Two men living vastly opposite lives on earth are given vastly opposite rewards in their after-lives. Lazarus was hungry, and God made him full. Lazarus lived out Luke 6:20-21. He was last on earth yet was comforted in eternity. In contrast, the rich man ate and drank and lived a “blessed” life on earth, but he experienced all the woe warned about in Luke 6:24-25. The story ended with the rich man begging Abraham to send a miracle to warn his family against this ending. But Abraham’s warning to the rich man is a warning to us all. If they didn’t listen to Moses and the Prophets (shorthand for the Old Testament), they wouldn’t be persuaded if someone rose from the dead. In their scriptures, they had all they needed to know, believe, and repent. Little did his listeners know that very soon they would encounter someone who was raised from the dead. Then it would be up to them to decide if they would repent and believe God’s message of the Kingdom when it was proclaimed to them by the risen Lord. 31
Praye r: Jesus, you have given us all we need to know you and follow you. And you did rise from the dead! We need your help sometimes to remember that what we need is not more signs and miracles; we need more of you.
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day 17
Re ad Luke 17 “The Kingdom of God is in your midst” (Luke 17:21). Just as we would have, the Pharisees wanted to know when the Kingdom of God would come. The Jewish world had been under Roman occupation during Caesar Augustus’ rule. Hailed for his “Pax Romana” (Roman Peace), Augustus brought about that “peace” through military force. Instilling total fear in his subjects through torturous executions was his way of bringing peace to his empire. To be Roman during that time would have been comfortable and somewhat pleasant as one who benefitted from Roman rule. But to be Jewish under Roman occupation would have been horrific, to say the least. We can’t fault the people during Jesus’ time for longing for a reprieve from their political oppression. Living life during that time would have caused anyone to cry out, “How long, oh Lord?” So, when the Pharisees asked Jesus when they could expect the Kingdom of God to come, his answer may not have been what they were expecting. I imagine him saying, “It’s already here as I stand among you.” They knew he could do miracles, but would this humble man be able to overthrow the entire Roman Empire? If not now, when? The Kingdom of God is in your midst. And in this Kingdom, the poor are provided for. The sick find healing. The captives are freed. Jews and Gentiles and men and women together proclaim the goodness of God. All are invited in, but the least of these are given places of honor at the banquet of the true King. This King rules with love, not fear. He is the true King, who lays down his life for his friends. To long for a political kingdom wasn’t unimaginable in their circumstances, but it missed the mark for who Jesus was and what he came to do. Now, as we find ourselves constantly in political battles, maybe this Christmas we can ask ourselves what the true Kingdom of God looks like here and now. When the disciples asked him to increase their faith, Jesus essentially told them, “Faith grows as one uses it as a servant.” 5 33
Praye r: Jesus, increase our faith. Make us servants in your Kingdom. Our hope is not in political power—but in you. This Christmas, show us how to walk faithfully as your children in this world. Help us not ignore what you keep repeating in Luke—our treasure is in you, not in earthly goods. Our power is in becoming powerless to depend on you for all things. You brought true peace, not peace fortified through fear. You are the King, and we worship you.
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day 18
Re ad Luke 18 Widows, tax collectors, and children. None of these were considered people of great honor in their culture, yet Jesus told parables about two of them and then physically welcomed the children to his side, giving them the place of honor in his presence. Jesus had just finished telling them about the coming Kingdom, and now he was reminding them to pray (and illustrating how). Their situation likely seemed dire considering their political climate, but Jesus reminds them to continue to go to God for help, not to trust in themselves. The persistent widow was granted justice because of her persistence in going to the one who can give her that justice. Her faith is not in her persistence, but her faith was in the one who could restore her situation. This faith kept her going back again and again until justice was done. “Will not God grant justice to his elect who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay helping them” (Luke 18:7)? Based on the way Luke wrote and continually highlighted the way non-Jews were also included in God’s people, we know that God cares about justice for all people, not just the chosen Israelites. He cares about justice particularly for those who tend to find themselves at the bottom of the social hierarchies in the religious and societal spheres. Widows, tax collectors, and children, to name a few. A tax collector was not considered fit company for those who were religiously righteous. They were thought to be in league with Rome and often stole money for themselves from the already dwindling moneybags of the Jewish people. But the tax collector in Jesus’ parable is shown praying in humble repentance, contrasted with the Pharisee who was praying about himself and his own righteousness. A repentant tax collector’s prayer was more fitting for someone in God’s kingdom than that of a pious religious person who was trusting in themselves for their righteousness. (Perhaps this particular parable was a foretaste of a coming interaction that Jesus would soon have with a real-life tax collector.) 35
After sharing these parables and yet another reminder that our hope is in God and not our earthly treasures, Luke writes that there was a blind man who persistently cried out for help to the one who could restore his sight. This blind man is a living embodiment of the persistent widow, refusing to be quiet when the one who could heal him passed by. His cries caught Jesus’ attention and Jesus restored this man’s sight. His eyes were opened, and the first thing he saw was the face of God. I wonder if his thoughts were the same as Simeon’s when he looked into the infant Jesus’ face. “My eyes have seen your salvation. You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples—a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:30-32).
Praye r: Lord, open our eyes. We want to see you just like this blind man and Simeon all those years before. Remind us that humble prayers of persistence to you are not wasted. You can restore all things and make all things new and right. Help us never trust in our own righteousness.
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day 19
Re ad Luke 19 Just like the blind man was a living embodiment of Jesus’ parable of the persistent widow, Zacchaeus was a living embodiment of the repentant tax collector from Jesus’ second parable. Here was a wealthy man who met Jesus and, unlike the rich young man from 18:18-30, Zacchaeus committed to giving away half of his money to the poor and promised to pay back fourfold anything he had extorted. Meeting Jesus transformed his life. “’Today, salvation has come to this house,’ Jesus told him, ‘because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost’” (Luke 19:9-10). Truly, truly, “What is impossible with man is possible with God” (Luke 18:27). After riding into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey accompanied by hails of hallelujah and adoration from his disciples for all they had seen and heard when they were with him, Jesus wept over Jerusalem. This holy city was to be full of people blessing the world with their presence, and they were about to kill him. He wept in love, like a parent over a wayward child or sibling. He wept “because you did not recognize the time when God visited you” (Luke 19:44). I had a dream once that I knew Jesus was living on earth right now. I was here in Lincoln, but I somehow knew he was somewhere in the Middle East. And as I was praying to him in my dream, I heard him say, “No one knows I’m here. No one recognizes me.” What if Jesus were to visit now? Would we recognize him? Finally, Jesus went to the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers who were extorting the sojourners and the poor. People who would have been in the same situation as his poor, sojourning pare parents all thse years before when they brought an infant Jesus to the temple. The poor and travelors should not be kept out because of the love of money. The temple was a place where people were supposed to be able to draw near to the presence of God, but it had become a place where many had succumbed to a life of greed. 37
From then on, “The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people were looking for a way to kill him, but they could not find a way to do it because all the people were captivated by what they heard” (Luke 19:47-48). May we also be captivated by what we read about Jesus this Christmas.
Praye r: Lord Jesus, once again we ask you to open our eyes to you. Don’t ever let us succumb to lives of complacency and greed so that we can no longer see you. Isaiah said you were despised and rejected, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. You were like someone people turned away from. You were despised and we didn’t value you. Lord, don’t let us turn away from you and all you are calling us to do and be.
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day 20
R e ad Luke 20 Luke 20 is full of people questioning Jesus and trying to trap him. Not just any people; each group was full of highly religious people trying to catch him in a slip-up. The temptation, at least for me, is to read these and think, well I’m glad I’m not like those religious elite who didn’t believe Jesus was who he said he was. But they questioned Jesus because they knew their Scriptures. The Scribes’ job was to copy the Old Testament Scriptures over and over and over and over. The chief priests administered the sacrifices in the temple according to God’s law. The Pharisees spent their days interpreting God’s law. They attempted to find answers to modern problems according to their interpretations of the Old Testament combined with Jewish oral tradition. They did not always take the Torah literally but used their reasoning and judgment to attempt to follow God in situations that were not spoken of in the Law. 6 The Sadducees were a religiously conservative group made up of high priests, wealthy aristocrats, and merchants. They based everything they believed and followed on the Torah alone (the first five books of what we know as the Old Testament), and they followed everything literally. 7 They also were known to compromise with the Roman government and therefore were not well-liked by most of the Jewish population. All the religious elite spent their days considering the word of God. All three groups were surprised, and maybe alarmed, at the presence of this poor, itinerant teacher who touched the dead and unclean and spent time with women, tax collectors, and sinners. Jesus’ miracles had garnered him a lot of attention from the more general population, and the religious leaders’ knowledge of the Torah and Old Testament made them question who this man said he was. But when he told the parable of the vineyard owner, the religious elite knew without a doubt that he had told this against them. They were the ones tasked with tending and caring for the vineyard on behalf of the owner. Yet they continued to kill the messengers and eventually would kill the son. 39
Their knowledge of the scriptures caused them to miss the one to whom the scriptures pointed. John recorded Jesus saying, “You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, and yet they testify about me. But you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life” (John 5:39). May we never know so much about the Bible that we miss the true Word of God—Jesus himself.
Praye r: Lord, keep our hearts from judging anyone but ourselves. We want to know your word, but we want to know it because it testifies of you. Let our time spent with you in your word increase our love for you and for others.
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day 21
Re ad Luke 21 (start with 20:45 and continue through the rest of 21)
Jesus predicted that the Temple would be destroyed. To modern readers, this might not feel like that big of a deal. For instance, if our church building were destroyed, we’d likely just build another one or find another place to gather. But to the Jewish faithful, the Temple was the place where God’s presence had once dwelled. There was no other like it. It was where sins were atoned for and one could draw near to the actual presence of God, protected by the boundaries of the temple curtain and atoned for by the blood of animals. And about 40 years after he said these things, his predictions came true. Rome massacred Jerusalem and all who were visiting to celebrate Passover, and the Temple was burned and destroyed. During his final days on earth, Jesus assured his followers of all these things and prepared them for the coming days of hardship and heartache. He prepared them for a faith that no longer needed sacrifices because he was about to offer himself as the great and ultimate sacrifice. His people would now be where his Spirit would dwell. Either shortly before the fall of the Temple or shortly after, the author of Hebrews wrote, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus—he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)—and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:19-25).
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Jesus told his disciples that they would gain their lives by their endurance. The author of Hebrews emphasizes much the same. Their lives after being with Jesus were anything but “blessed” as the world would see them, but Jesus encouraged them to endure and hold fast. And we can find the same encouragement, “Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
Praye r: Jesus, keep our eyes on you. Help us keep our eyes open to the evil around us—despite the grief and heavy burden it may cause— so that we can continue to be lights in the darkness. We pray for our brothers and sisters enduring hardship caused by war right now, like what your followers experienced after your death. We ask you to be their source of comfort and light. Help them to endure and hold onto you. This Christmas, when we sing Peace on Earth, we ask for your peace to overcome the desires of evil. We ask for no more lives to be lost. Come, Lord Jesus, come.
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day 22
R e ad Luke 2 2 Jesus and his followers were in town to celebrate the Passover, a time of remembrance and holy gratitude for when God delivered the Israelites from Egyptian oppression. The angel of death had spared anyone with sacrificed lamb’s blood on their doorways. They stayed awake all night keeping vigil until it was time to flee into the wilderness so they could worship their God. Each sense was employed as they ate and recalled God’s presence, provision, and protection all those generations before. This year as they ate it with Jesus, his followers experienced God’s presence with them in that room. They were about to experience the way that God had ordained to provide his protection and provision for them through the death of Jesus. But Jesus changed the script on this meal. “He took the bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me’” (Luke 22:19). No longer would this bread and wine be a reminder of the blood shed by the lamb in Egypt. It would be a reminder of the blood about to be shed by the Perfect Lamb of God. Faced with the accusation that one would betray him, the disciples prove themselves to be utterly human. They moved very quickly from arguing about who could be the betrayer to attempting to prove their greatness. I wonder if Jesus sighed deeply as many parents do when their children go from a peaceful moment to self-centered greed at breakneck speed. Jesus had told them and shown them time and time again that the way of his Kingdom was not like that of the world. No one can prove their greatness except by becoming the least. Jesus was about to show them what he meant. He didn’t expect them to be powerful. He expected them to be servants. Jesus was about to die an incredibly shameful death on behalf of not just them, but the entire world. The way of the cross is the way of utter self-sacrifice, even unto death.
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When he was arrested and brought before the chief priests, the scribes, and their judicial system called the Sanhedrin, they asked him two important questions: “Are you the Messiah?” And “Are you, then, the Son of God?” We cannot ignore how Jesus answered those questions. His answer might feel vague to us as modern readers, but it was very clear to those deciding his fate. His answer was affirmatively yes. He was indeed the Messiah and the Son of God.
Praye r: Jesus, you are our Savior and the Son of God. You are the one who truly is the greatest, and you laid your life down on our behalf. Forgive us for attempting to prove ourselves great on this earth. Remind us daily that to follow you is to truly be a servant. And help our frail hearts when we might forget who you are and what you called your followers to do and to be.
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day 23
R e ad Luke 2 3 It feels a little strange to be reading about the death of the person whose birthday you are about to celebrate in a matter of days. And yet here we are because we cannot celebrate the birth of Jesus without remembering why his birthday is so important in our world. There are many different responses to Jesus in this chapter alone. The religious leaders vehemently demanded violence toward Jesus. Pilate continued to find no fault in Jesus but never went so far as to refuse the angry mob of leaders. Herod treated Jesus with amusement, hoping for a magic show. The women followed Jesus, mourning openly. The soldiers and one of the criminals mocked him mercilessly. But the other criminal responded with repentance, even as they drew their last breaths. When the end had come, the whole land went dark and the curtain in the sanctuary that provided the boundary into the most holy place in the temple was torn in two. As Jesus breathed his last, the Roman Centurian responded with the truth. “This man really was righteous!” While everyone else went home, “all who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things” (Luke 23:49). Jesus was not alone in his death. Many of his followers had fled, including Peter who denied ever knowing him, but these followers, including the women, stayed with Jesus until the end. When we think about Jesus and all the different ways people responded to him, we need to ask ourselves how we have responded to him. Have we linked arms with Peter at times and denied ever knowing Jesus, either with our words or our actions? Have we joined with Pilate, finding nothing wrong with Jesus, but unable to resist the loud voices that decry him? Or do we find ourselves numbered among the followers who stayed with him until the end? 45
Praye r: Jesus, we must all come to the place where we reckon with who you are. Illuminate our hearts so we can see how we’ve responded to you in our lives. Here we are just days before the entire world celebrates your birthday, whether they respond like the women or like Herod. Give us the strength to endure this life with you. Give us the courage to take up our crosses and follow you. May we be true and humble representatives of you and your Kingdom, day after day.
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day 24
R e ad Luke 24 And today is the day we read about why we still celebrate Jesus’ birthday, roughly 2000 years later. If Jesus had died and stayed dead, he would have faded into obscurity with all the many others who were crucified by Roman execution. But he didn’t stay dead. The women found the tomb empty when they arrived early in the morning to prepare his body. It was empty! When he met with the disciples on the road, he showed them how the Scriptures (the Old Testament) had been pointing to him and this way of redemption all along. He did much the same when he appeared to the rest of the disciples. “He told them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms (shorthand for saying the whole Old Testament) must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. He also said to them, ‘This is what is written: The Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:44-47). Repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations. The author of Hebrews says, “The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. For after he says: This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, the Lord says, I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their minds, and I will never again remember their sins and their lawless acts. Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin” (Hebrews 10:15-18). Now where there is forgiveness of these (sins), there is no longer an offering for sin. Jesus paid it all. Praise the Lord, for Christ the Lord has risen today!
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Praye r: Jesus, praise the Lord indeed. We owe you our lives. Help us to celebrate this Christmas full of faith and gratitude, treasuring up all these things in our hearts just like Mary did at your birth. We now wait for your return as God’s children, full of the Holy Spirit and enabled to do all the good works you have prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). Give us eyes to see and ears to hear all the ways we might live our lives now as true followers of you.
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E ndno t e s 1 Craig Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary New Testament, 2nd ed. (Westmont , IL: IVP Academic, 2014), 129. 2 Matthew Thiessen, Jesus and the Forces of Death: The Gospels’ Portrayal of Ritual Impurity Within First-Century Judaism (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2021), 91. 3 Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary, 203. 4 Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary, 208. 5 Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary, 225. 6 “Mizrahi Jew,” Encyclopædia Britannica, October 13, 2023, accessed November 14, 2023, https://www.britannica.com/ topic/Oriental-Jews. 7 “Sadducee,” Encyclopædia Britannica, n.d., accessed November 14, 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/ Sadducee.