Ezekiel 20:12-21 (ESV)

Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them. But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not walk in my statutes but rejected my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned.

“Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make a full end of them. But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands, because they rejected my rules and did not walk in my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. Nevertheless, my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or make a full end of them in the wilderness.

“And I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor keep their rules, nor defile yourselves with their idols. I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules, and keep my Sabbaths holy that they may be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.’ But the children rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes and were not careful to obey my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; they profaned my Sabbaths.

“Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness.”

Explanation:

Ezekiel 20 is a reminder from God of how He graciously dealt with His rebellious people, Israel. He provided commandments that would bring them life, yet they still continually walked against His ways. In our verses today, God emphasizes the importance of His Sabbath: “I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.” To “sanctify” means to set apart. The Sabbath set Israel apart from the rest of the world, as an example of their trust in God. It was a sign to the world that God was the creator whose ways were good, a sign that His plan and His provision were enough, and that He alone provided a rest without fear.

Today, our trust in Him, that Sabbath rest found in Jesus, still makes us stand out from the “work and worry” culture of our day. The Sabbath is made for man, for good, for rest, but it is also God’s purposeful way of showing the world that His people can trust in Him for all things, always, because He is our creator, provider, and sustainer…He is enough.

Application:

1. The first example of the Sabbath is in the creation account of Genesis. God set the example of rest from His good work. God reiterates rest in the wilderness of Exodus 16, when He provides manna for the Israelites for six days, but on the seventh day they were not to work to collect it. Keeping the Sabbath was Israel’s way of showing they had faith in God’s provision, that what He gave them was enough. Do you have a struggle or worry that keeps you from resting fully in Jesus’s provision? Be honest with Him about it, and ask for His help in trusting Him.

2. “Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations as a covenant forever” (Exodus 31:16). Our Sabbath, our finding rest in the Lord, was to continue as a “perpetual covenant.” God designed us to always find true rest in Him alone. Spend some time in prayer. Ask God to show you how to trust His rest.

Prayer Prompt:

Jesus, we thank You that You are the God of provision. That You are the God of rest. That You are worthy of all our trust. Thank You that You have set the example of the fullest life for us, a life of trust and rest in You. Help us to honor You perpetually, with our hearts, our time, our faithfulness. Make our lives an example of the rest You offer, and draw a weary and worn out world back to You through our example. May all the glory and honor go to You alone. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Devo Plus:

“And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.” (Deuteronomy 5:15, ESV)

These verses show the Sabbath is not only a sign of creating (Genesis 1), but also a sign of redemption. It is a reminder that God created us, and He desires to save us.

Does anyone else think that God has such a good sense of humor? Maybe this is just in my life, but I think it’s hilarious how God brings things to my attention sometimes. Maybe He knows that humor is the best way to get my attention. Anyway, when I looked at the topic I needed to write about, and saw that it was rest and taking a Sabbath, I thought, “Ha! God, You got me!”

Long story short, this is something I have been struggling with the last few months. God has been challenging me to have a PURPOSED day of rest. By purposed, I mean picking a day, realizing what I need to do to feel rested and re-energized, spending quality time with God, and making it a weekly routine. Routine is the part I struggle with. My weeks don’t always look the same, and it can be hard to create a routine when that is the case. I think most people trick themselves into thinking that this command from God to rest and take a Sabbath isn’t a command but an option. That is not the case, my friends. This is a command from God, and we are disobeying Him when we don’t make it a priority. Just like all things that God calls us to do, it is for our good, and He knows exactly what we need.

I want to obey God in all areas of my life. Let’s be purposed this month to begin to create a routine of rest in our lives. I challenge you (and myself) to pick a day that works for you, and be purposed in spending quality time with God and also doing things that you enjoy and fill you up. For me, that is spending time with my husband, not having an agenda for the day, and connecting relationally with my close friends. A Sabbath will look different for everyone. I love you all, and I am praying that we will start 2020 off keeping this commandment of God and feeling rested.

I am the Lord your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God. Ezekiel 20:19-20 (NIV)

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

Hebrews 4:9-11 (NIV)

Mark 2:23-28 (ESV)

One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So, the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

Explanation:

God commanded us to have a Sabbath. God values that His children are getting the rest they need to sustainably live the life He has laid out for them. Rest is essential, as I am sure you have discovered in your life. Without rest, we lack the capacity to do much of anything, let alone love God and love others well, as we have also been commanded to do. Rest is necessary, and it is commanded by God that we set aside one day each week to rest from our work. But after that, it can get kind of foggy regarding the details of what it actually looks like to rest. On one hand, you can have the Pharisee approach, as in today’s reading, where the Sabbath becomes a day of religious parameters that honestly creates more unrest in us than rest. We can also take the flip response of ignoring it altogether and convince ourselves that it is not important. Or we can take the Jesus approach, which provides for us a new perspective about the Sabbath day.

When we start putting religious parameters on the Sabbath, as the Pharisees did, it starts to lose its purpose. Essentially, they made their definition of a relationship with God something that was unattainable and oppressive. That is far from rest. Furthermore, we know it is important because in the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), we see Jesus still taking a Sabbath with His disciples. However, Jesus reminds us all in today’s reading that the Sabbath was made for man to what? Yes, rest. True rest comes in being spiritually connected with God, who can take care of any need you have, and also in taking a break from what you consider to be “work.” This will most likely look different for all of us, but we have to establish with God what that looks like. For Jesus and His disciples, plucking heads of grain must not have been “work” for them. Simply put, they were hungry and needed something to eat. Seek God, and let Him help you discover what true Sabbath rest looks like for you.

Application:

1. How have you wrestled with what your Sabbath day looks like?

2. What does true rest look like for you?

3. How are you going to start to apply the command of God to take a Sabbath rest this week?

Prayer Prompt:

Jesus, we need rest, both in You and our work. Thank You, Father God, for recognizing our need for rest and giving us a day to refresh. Holy Spirit, would You guide me if I ever make the Sabbath anything besides what you created it for?

Devo Plus:

Locate the story of David that Jesus references in today’s reading, and write down how it applies to what Jesus is teaching us in Mark.

Deuteronomy 5:12-15 (ESV)

“‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

Explanation:

On the surface, God’s command for Sabbath seems like an odd command: make sure you take time to stop doing things and just rest. But God’s desire for man sits at the heart of Sabbath, and in today’s passage, we see God reminding Israel that it was vital they practiced sabbath. First and foremost, God wanted them to remember that He was the one who rescued them from Egypt. It was by His mighty hand and His outstretched arm that Israel was rescued…not by the work of their own hands, or by their own strength. So, Sabbath was to remind them of their dependence on God.

But it was also to show that they were more than just what they produced. In Egypt, their lives depended on how hard they worked and how much they produced. God knew that in the land He was going to give them, the slaves would soon become the masters, and it would be tempting to base their value and worth of themselves and each other on what they produced. God gives them the Sabbath to remind them that they are His people because He chose them to be. Everything they have is because He so graciously gives it. They can trust Him for their value, worth, and daily provision.

Application:

1. What is one thing that stands out to you in today’s passage?

2. What is the hardest part about taking a day off to rest for you?

3. How would your life look different if you trusted God for everything you needed?

Prayer Prompts:

Ask God to help you trust Him to provide for all of your needs.

Ask God to give you the grace to practice Sabbath.

Ask God to speak to you today about what a rhythm of rest looks like for you.

Devo Plus:

Listen to The Bible Project Podcast on rest: The Restless Craving For Rest

Genesis 2:1-3 (NLT)

So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.

Explanation:

God, who can create more universes than we can count, who can create enough power inside one atom to wipe out an island, cannot possibly grow tired. He never sleeps. This passage relating to God resting means creation was complete. In verse three, God finishes creation by instituting His Sabbath, a day of rest. Later, in Exodus 20, He would include it in His covenant with Israel.

It is interesting that “It is completed” was the phrase God used at the completion of creation and on the cross at the completion of redemption (John 19:30). He is to be trusted with His power to complete. As surely as God created the heavens and the earth, He completed your salvation. What rest that offers us, to trust that the work He began in us, He will complete (Philippians 1:6).

By the time Jesus walked the earth, the Jews had so twisted the meaning of the Sabbath that it was a sin to carry a loaf of bread on the Sabbath. Because of the completion of redemption on the cross, we don’t rest on a special day, but in a person…Jesus. For us, Sabbath is not a ritual rest, but a real and lasting rest.

Application:

1. Why do you think God modeled this idea of ceasing (resting)?

2. Is rest a priority for you?

3. How do you define rest?

4. What are some things you do to find rest?

Prayer Prompts:

Jesus, I come into Your presence so aware of my human frailty, and yet overwhelmed by Your love for me. As my Creator, You know the areas of my heart that long to rest and feel complete. I ask for Your divine touch, so I can physically feel what I spiritually know. Create peace where there is confusion. Create love where there is resentment. Create confidence where there is fear. Create freedom where there is bondage. Create hope where there is despair.

I thank You that there is no human experience I might walk through where Your love cannot reach me. If I climb the highest mountain, You are there; if I find myself in the darkest valley of my life, You are there. Teach me today to trust You more. Help me to rest in the love that asks nothing more than simple trust.

Devo Plus:

Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27, NLT)

The Lord of the Sabbath is an expression describing Jesus which appears in three Gospels:

Matthew 12:1-8, Mark 2:23-28 and Luke 6:1-5.

Luke 2:21-40 (ESV)

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

Explanation:

In this passage, we are given the account of what happens after the manger. Jesus is given His name, which means “God saves.” He is also circumcised, a sign of the covenant relationship with God and His people. He is then taken to the temple to be set apart in a special relationship with God. Forty days after the birth of a Jewish son, the mother was to bring the child, along with a sacrifice, to the temple. This was to signify that the child belonged to God and was set apart to live for God.

When Jesus is presented to Simeon, Simeon knows something is different. He can sense the Spirit of God in Jesus. Anna the prophetess is also there. She too can tell there is something different, that the presence of God is there through the person of Jesus. She doesn’t want to leave; she just wants to soak in His presence.

Long before His ministry ever happened, others could sense that Jesus was different. He was the long-awaited Messiah, and He had come to set His people free. And Jesus continues to save people and set them free.

Application:

1. What stands out to you after reading this story?

2. How was Jesus different, even from birth?

3. How do you think Simeon and Anna knew there was something different about Jesus?

Prayer Starter:

Take time today to thank God for His plan…that Jesus came into the world and immediately brought peace. Thank Him for sending His Son into the world to walk with us, die for us, and to set us free.

Devo Plus:

Read this story again in other translations to help you better understand its significance.

Matthew 2:1-12 (ESV)

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

Explanation:

The wise men, as seen from their title in scripture, were learned men. Most likely, they were what we would refer to as astrologers. Their wisdom would have also included knowledge of the prophesies told of a Savior or Messiah who was to arise within the Jewish nation. When word got out that this Messiah was finally born, the wise men made it point to find Him, so they could worship Him. No one knew when the promised Messiah was to be born, so when they discovered that God had chosen then to be that time, they must have been overwhelmingly excited to meet Him. Their excitement must have grown even greater when God gave them a star that would help them navigate to where Jesus was. They must have felt so special and privileged for God to care to communicate in a way that was familiar to them. This was such a momentous occasion that they couldn’t help but worship and bless Him with gifts. The scriptures do not tell us exactly what they perceived Jesus would become, but they understood they were in the presence of someone great.

Isn’t this what worship truly is for all of us? Worship is most often driven by this realization…that we are in the presence of something much greater than us. More so, we realize that we are very fortunate to experience this in our lives. We get to come before God and lay down our lives, surrender our treasures to Him, and relish the power of that moment. It is our desperate desire that drives us into worship. There is even an anticipation and excitement to see how God can move, even if we are unsure of what that will look like.

Unfortunately, sometimes we have a “King Herod” that gets in our way, and tries to distort our purpose and passion for worshiping Jesus. This can be our everyday lives and the busyness that comes with it, our troubles, fears, anxieties, and even our sins. My friends, these are things we must ask God to help us break through. We must, like the wise men, make it our deepest desire to seek out Christ. It is for this reason that Jesus came in the first place. Jesus came to the world to save the world. To save us. Don’t neglect this opportunity. Go to Him, seek Him out, worship Him...and what you will find is a Savior who loves you and delights in walking with you on this earth.

Application:

1. How did God first guide you to find Christ in your life?

2. What happened when you met Christ?

3. Why do you worship Christ?

4. How has worship been a blessing to you?

Prayer Prompt:

Jesus, thank You for guiding me to come to You. I am honored to be able to be in Your presence at all times. Would you please keep my heart drawn to You, and if I ever stray, would please You lead me back? I love to worship You.

Devo Plus:

Today, set aside 20-30 minutes of your day, turn on some worship music, settle into the presence of God, and worship Him.

Luke 2:8-20 (NLT)

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

Explanation:

“That night!” I love how this passage starts. THAT night, the night God became man, and the trajectory of all our lives changed. The Jews (including these Jewish shepherds) were under harsh Roman rule, and believed a Messiah would come and fix their oppression through political means. Instead, God’s plan was to send a humble Messiah who would provide an eternal solution, by fixing their lives from the inside out. How do you start lower key than a birth in a stable? The first people besides Mary and Joseph to be told were the shepherds, and God did THAT in a dramatic way. He pulled out all the bells and whistles of an announcement, offering an initial announcement from an angel, followed by the radiance of the Lord, and then the whole sky was filled with angels. It was very convincing and their instructions very detailed. Go to Him!

Application:

1. After their encounter with the angel’s message, followed by their obedience, Jesus was revealed to them. Obedience comes before blessing.

2. After their encounter with Jesus, they were so impacted that they went and told “everyone.” When we have great news to share, we tend to be very effusive! Encounters with Jesus come before desire to share.

3. These shepherds were tending sheep, which surely some would be selected as sacrificial lambs in temple sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins. On that night, they were invited to meet the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. From His first few hours of life until now, Jesus reveals Himself to those who will come. Coming to Jesus comes before revelation.

Prayer Prompt:

Whether we are lowly as shepherds or as powerful as kings, our hearts are all in need of You, Jesus. Fill us with Your peace and Your power as our hearts kneel before You in gratitude for Your birth. We long for the same joy the shepherds left Your presence with, and

we ask for a fresh revelation of You! Amen.

Devo Plus:

Jesus, the Lamb of God

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”

Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.” (John 1:29-34, NLT)

Said the night wind to the little lamb

Do you see what I see

Way up in the sky little lamb

Do you see what I see

A star, a star

Dancing in the night

With a tail as big as a kite

With a tail as big as a kite

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy

Do you hear what I hear

Ringing through the sky shepherd boy

Do you hear what I hear

A song, a song

High above the trees

With a voice as big as the sea

With a voice as big as the sea

Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king

Do you know what I know

In your palace wall mighty king

Do you know what I know

A child, a child

Shivers in the cold

Let us bring him silver and gold

Let us bring him silver and gold

Said the king to the people everywhere

Listen to what I say

Pray for peace people everywhere

Listen to what I say

The child, the child

Sleeping in the night

He will bring us goodness and light

He will bring us goodness and light

~Noel Regney, song writer

“Do You Hear What I Hear?” has seemed like a simple Christmas song, but this year it has spoken to me differently than ever before. This song points to the intentionality, design, and plan of God from the beginning. It walks us through God speaking through creation, by each design that is meant to work perfectly together, and ultimately proclaim His physical presence now on Earth. He wants to proclaim to all of His creation that He is here for us and with us.

What I love about this song is the reminder that no matter our status in society, we all play a part in proclaiming Jesus. Nature and animals, rich and poor, servant and authority, all equally are impacted by the arrival of Jesus. When we each proclaim and celebrate Jesus the way we were designed, we impact everything around us. To me, this song is another example of 1 Corinthians 12:12-20: For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

If we don’t all work together to proclaim Jesus, other parts of God’s design suffer. But the beauty of all creation humbly coming before Christ and proclaiming His glory to all… exactly where we are and how we were designed…can and will change the spirit of Christmas around you. Merry Christmas!

Luke 2:1-7 (NIV)

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Explanation:

Luke writes about the birth of Jesus. Mary and Joseph traveled 90 miles (up to a seven-day trip) to Bethlehem for the census. When they arrived at Bethlehem, she went into labor, but they couldn’t find an inn to have their baby. They found a stable to have the baby in, and Jesus was wrapped in clothes and placed in a manger. After His birth, nearby shepherds (told by an angel) came to visit and celebrate the Messiah’s birth.

Jesus being born meant the fulfillment of the long covenant story of God and Israel, and bigger than that, the story of God and the whole world. Jesus was the messianic king who brought God's reign and blessing on earth. Luke shows how His kingdom brought restoration and reversal of people’s whole life circumstances. Jesus’s upside-down kingdom means God's love equals a reversal of our value system. God is the highest…not us, not money, not power. With radical generosity, servant leadership, peacemaking, forgiveness, and deep piety that rejects religious hypocrisy, we can achieve what Jesus wanted for us all along.

Jesus’s birth has changed everything for mankind. We can finally be in a righteous (right standing) relationship with God. Jesus was the sacrifice and atonement for our sins. He is here for all of humanity, to save all the sons of Adam. So, grace and forgiveness can be granted to you every day if you follow His example and accept Him in your life.

Application:

1. How has Jesus’s birth/death affected your life?

2. Do you turn to God for your needs?

3. Have you accepted Jesus into your life?

4. How would you describe the health of your relationship with Jesus? Are you working toward trusting Him with your everyday life?

Prayer Prompt:

Dear Lord, thank You for the sacrifice of Your Son, so we could finally be in a righteous relationship with You. Help me understand Jesus’s way for me, and give me the strength to follow His amazing example. It's in Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.

Devo Plus:

For a different perspective of the birth of Jesus, look at Matthew 1:18-2:23.