Introduction
Hello church and welcome back to our Advent Journey! May this time you’ve set aside to spend in God’s word provide a reminder of the Joy available to us in Jesus.
Let’s begin with a brief pause to settle our thoughts and make room for God to light our path with His word.
Let’s begin with a brief pause to settle our thoughts and make room for God to light our path with His word.
Opening Prayer
All Sufficient Jesus, thank you for the invitation to draw near to You. Please open our hearts to receive Your word and the joy You have for us today. As these passages become more familiar, help us to see and understand new and wonderful things found therein. Refresh us with Your presence oh Lord.
Today's Scripture - Luke 2:8-20 with 1 Peter 1:3-12
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
…..
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
…..
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
God's word to us, a lamp for our feet, a light on our path. Thanks be to God.
Reflection
The angels announce something they do not fully understand and something they are unable to experience! They announce a Savior – which as David Guzak puts it; “is exactly the need of mankind. We don’t need another advisor, a reformer, or a committee,”
It truly is a Savior that we need!
We would love to better understand angels, we might even wish we could be visited by one, terrifying though it may be. And yet, we have something that they long to know! We have salvation and intimate relationship with the King of the Universe through Jesus Christ who in His great mercy has given us new birth into a living hope!
The coming of Jesus and the salvation He would bring is the most remarkable, mind-boggling, baffling, amazing, preposterous, fantastical, story and plan of the Creating and Sustaining God. It’s inconceivable! We struggle to grasp the majesty and magnitude of the birth of a babe in a manger who is Immanuel, God with us! The birth of Jesus – who will save His people from their sins!
Unlike the angels who long to look into this, we get to experience new birth into a living hope, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. We get to be shielded by God’s power as we journey through this time between our salvation and meeting Jesus face to face.
The road is long, narrow, and bumpy. We face many dangers toils and snares. But there is nowhere we can go and nothing we can do to be removed from the keeping power of Jesus once we have put our trust in Him. He is mighty to save and He intercedes on our behalf.
It truly is a Savior that we need!
We would love to better understand angels, we might even wish we could be visited by one, terrifying though it may be. And yet, we have something that they long to know! We have salvation and intimate relationship with the King of the Universe through Jesus Christ who in His great mercy has given us new birth into a living hope!
The coming of Jesus and the salvation He would bring is the most remarkable, mind-boggling, baffling, amazing, preposterous, fantastical, story and plan of the Creating and Sustaining God. It’s inconceivable! We struggle to grasp the majesty and magnitude of the birth of a babe in a manger who is Immanuel, God with us! The birth of Jesus – who will save His people from their sins!
Unlike the angels who long to look into this, we get to experience new birth into a living hope, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. We get to be shielded by God’s power as we journey through this time between our salvation and meeting Jesus face to face.
The road is long, narrow, and bumpy. We face many dangers toils and snares. But there is nowhere we can go and nothing we can do to be removed from the keeping power of Jesus once we have put our trust in Him. He is mighty to save and He intercedes on our behalf.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.
Closing Prayer
As you go about your day, carry this short prayer with you:
Lord Jesus, may Your glory fill the earth!
In my doubting, help my heart to remember that You are strong enough to save.
In my doubting, help my heart to remember that You are strong enough to save.
Take a few moments now to pray to God who keeps us secure.
Thank you for joining us today. We will be back again on Friday for our last week in Advent, readings on Jesus’ birth and character as our own source of praise! Until then, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.
