Scripture: Luke 1

The Lord Is with Us 

As we walk together into the Christmas season, let us push back the heightened stress or “bah humbug” we are usually tempted to embrace this time of year. 

Instead, this five-day reading plan is intended to help prepare our hearts to truly celebrate His birth. The first chapter of Luke is a powerful platform for the Christmas story. 

The birth of Jesus was of such significance it required an angelic announcement. This baby announcement required far more than a social media post or card in the mail. The Messiah’s birth meant a word from heaven: a star for the wise men, the heavenly hosts for the shepherds, and the angel Gabriel for Mary. Heaven declared to earth, in numerous ways, “The Son of God is coming to earth to save souls. And Mary, you are going to play a central part.” 

Obviously, to carry God’s Son in your womb is a heavy calling. Could anything be more overwhelming when you are promised in marriage to another and in a culture where pregnancy out of wedlock could be punishable by death? Mary is deeply troubled and afraid. So the angel brings greetings and lets her know God is on this journey with her. She is favored by God, filled with grace, no fear needed. This Greek word for “favored” is used only one other time in the New Testament in Ephesians 1:6 “to the praise of His glorious grace that He favored us with in the Beloved” (HCSB). In a way, God is saying to Mary, “You are secure. I’ve got you.” Ponder, yes, of course. Please ponder but don’t panic. God is with you in the womb and in the world. God is going to lead the entire journey. 

We soon see God will be with Mary and Joseph while riding the donkey, knocking on the door of the inn, in the stable, through the birth, in and out of Egypt, at the cross, and at the empty tomb. 

Don’t panic, but trust the Lord is with you, Mary. 

Now none of us are going to carry such a responsibility this Christmas season, but we need the Lord’s presence and guidance nonetheless. This season we will interact with family both distant and close, which is stress-inducing on its own aside from the constant feeling of having too much to do with too little time to do it. As we speak, the calendar is filling with school, church, and personal activities, school is wrapping up the semester, and work is frantic. All these things and more are purposeful parts of our lives, but they can be crushing if we believe we are walking through them alone. We need to know the Lord is with us. He is our power and strength. He is our guide and hope. He is the order in the chaos. The tasks are not too much for Him. He is with you. 

Mary found God faithful and so will we in this season. Let’s trust Him more deeply than the first eleven months of the year. His favor is upon His people through Jesus. Let’s follow Luke through the plan of God—from the dark night of His birth to the empty tomb of His resurrection, realizing both were for us. 

Prayer

Lord, remind me and show me that You are with me. I want to walk with You as I anticipate and celebrate your birth! May Christmas come alive like never before in my heart.

Scripture: Luke 5

Incredible! 

Luke 5 is an awe-inspiring chapter of incredible moments. 

• After an all-nighter when they haven’t had a bite, the disciples catch a miraculous load of fish at Jesus’ direction. 
• A leper is cleansed by just one touch from Jesus. 
• A paralyzed man is lowered through the roof to the Lord’s feet and healed. 
• Matthew, a despised tax collector, is called to follow the sinless Christ and does. 

All in a day’s work for the Son of God but mind-blowing for “run of the mill” humans like us. The activities were so marvelous, halfway through the chapter, Luke needed to insert a “hold on a minute” declaration to describe the scene: 

Then everyone was astounded, and they were giving glory to God. And they were filled with awe and said, “We have seen incredible things today” (Luke 5:26). 

Be on the lookout for the incredible, the magnificent, and the miraculous this Christmas! God is always up to breathtaking works. At every turn, God is working in awe-inspiring ways, and this year will not disappoint. 

We will see much of the tension present in our world in the first eleven months turn to calls for peace during this time. Unity will sneak to the front row between opposing views. Stories of generosity will emerge from red kettles outside grocery stores and from toy drives, Christmas dinners for the homeless, gifts to one another, and to the Lord’s work through the church. 

Amazingly gratitude, kindness, healing, and joy will move from the back of the mind to the tip of the tongue. Christmastime brings out the incredible. 

The goal throughout the season is to be more than spectators of the incredible. Let’s be participants. As Christians let’s be champions of kindness, love, care, truth, and gospel sharing—people in the formation of the incredible because we know the essence of Christmas awe. 

The Savior of the world, prophesied through the ages, was born. The Son of God—filled with love, compassion, and justice—took up the cross to wash us clean, dwell in our hearts, and guide our lives. Incredible! 

Even bigger and better than a net-breaking catch of fish, a dug-through roof, and miraculous healings, eternity Himself stepped into our world to provide the path to His world. 

Look for the incredible today. One place I enjoy being reminded of the incredible during this time of year is the rich lyrics of many Christmas songs. For example, see the incredible in the classic “O Holy Night” (Placide Cappeau, trans. John S. Dwight, “O Holy Night,” public domain.): 

Verse 1: Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. 

Verse 3: Truly He taught us to love one another; 
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother,
And in His name all oppression shall cease. 

See the incredible and be the incredible in someone’s life during the Christmas season! 

Prayer

Lord, you are at work all around me. Focus my eyes on the incredible today so I can give You the praise you deserve.

Scripture: Luke 10

Mary of Bethany or Martha of Busyness? 

Christmas is almost here! 

We respond conflicted, “How exciting. . . . Oh my, so much left to do. Yow! I need to cook . . . , buy . . . , attend . . . fix. . . .” 

Somehow, in this final stretch of celebrating the Prince of Peace, chaos so desperately wants to reign. 

Take a deep breath and know two things. First, it will all get done, and if it doesn’t, life will go on just fine. Second, losing our focus is losing our Christmas joy. The account of two sisters brings this perfectly into frame. 

But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand” (Luke 10:40). 

Martha’s not lacking in her hospitality, but she is distracted. 

This word in Greek means “to be drawn away.” Traction toward the goal has been lost. Literally, distraction ceases forward progress. The distractions have become central, while the Divine has become peripheral. The house needs to be cleaned and a meal prepared for Jesus. Therefore time can’t be spent with Jesus. 

Even though this took place in Bethany, not Bethlehem, it highlights a common Christmas mistake. Good things draw us away from what is best. More than errands and tasks, are we spending time with Jesus? More than singing carols, are we worshipping with our lives? More than feeling the warmth of hot chocolate on a snowy evening, are we recognizing that God is the one who fills us through the work of the Holy Spirit who dwells inside the believer? 

I’ll tell on myself as a pastor: more than preparing Christmas messages, am I moved by the message of Christmas? 

It is a temptation for all of us to scurry around and miss the point. Distractions abound, fighting for our time and attention and, most of all, our hearts. Yet the distracted is the one who pays the highest price. Here, Martha is too forceful in telling Jesus what to do and too snippy with her younger sister for my liking. As a result, written in the Scripture for generations to see, Jesus corrects Martha and encourages Mary’s decision to sit at His feet, enjoying His presence. This moment is far better than checking the boxes on the to-do list. It has eternal consequences while finishing tasks is temporal. 

Believe me, I know things need to be done. They multiply, and without putting first things first, the tasks may get completed, but your heart will be far from Him. This time of year is filled with tasks and engagements for all of us, but don’t miss Jesus at Christmas. The world is great at removing Jesus from anything Christmas, but the people of God must be different. For us, this isn’t a celebration of winter weather, cozy feelings, or 50 percent off sales. It is contemplation of God sending His Son to earth, followed by the celebration of Jesus coming to have a relationship with me! Contemplation, not distraction, leads to true celebration of Christmas. 

So yes, only a few short weeks to Christmas? That’s a few more weeks of sitting at the feet of Jesus, choosing to walk in His peace instead of frantic action. Don’t allow distractions to captivate your heart. Contemplate the Savior in the Gospel of Luke so you can celebrate Him rightly. Then you’ll hold a candle at church and sing “Silent Night” surrounded by friends and family, astounded that the Savior has come. 

Prayer

Jesus, I’m prone to distraction. Let me live these next two weeks focused on You so I’ll be ready to worship you wholeheartedly on Christmas morning.

Scripture: Luke 15

Party Like an Octogenerian! 

I wasn’t late according to the invitation, but the street filled with Oldsmobiles, Buicks, and a handful of Cadillacs told me a different story. Night was just beginning to fall as I searched for a parking spot. 

As their new thirty-something pastor, I was the guest of honor at the annual Christmas party for church members in their eighties, and I did not yet know the formal times listed didn’t actually matter. They started early and ended early. They knew how to party and be in bed by 8:30! The food was great, the laughs were loud, and the fellowship was warm. It seems like an odd combination: senior adults—and Baptist ones at that—partying hard! I had so much fun that I attended seven or eight years in a row. I learned to arrive at this house first as I made my Christmas party rounds. 

The reason they knew how to party is they knew who and what to celebrate. Long gone were the days of celebration revolving around music, popularity, or stiff drinks. This crew had been through a lot of life together: deaths, downturns, upswings, proud parenting, prodigal parenting, and a lot of Christmases. The latest fashion, coolest toy, or keeping up with the Joneses had no power over these grannies and grampses. As a result, they celebrated deep friendship, a strong church, and most importantly, the Savior born in a manger. 

In this merrymaking of wise men and women, the important things were in view. They had prayed and seen the Savior at work for decades and would see Him face-to-face sooner rather than later. This reality informed their smiles as they kindly asked, “Would you like a piece of pie, Pastor?” 

Luke 15 is also filled with important partying. The celebration gets louder and deeper with each discovery, producing celebration in heaven and on earth. 

“I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). 

See, the heavenly party is driven by repentance. When we realize our sin and turn to our Savior, the eternal purposes of Bethlehem are realized. Jesus didn’t come just to teach us or to become our life coach; He came to save us from the penalties of sin. He is the Savior of the world and desires to be the Savior of our souls—one heart at a time. 

Luke 15 includes three parables: Ten coins and one was lost. One hundred sheep and the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine for the one that’s lost. Then it gets personal, a lost son. A baby boy celebrated at birth, swaddled, rocked to sleep, fed thousands of meals at the dinner table, loved for years. And then he is lost, gone, running away from endless blessings by choice. A deeply loved part of the family and then a prodigal. 

But in due time, far in the distance along the horizon is his silhouette. This lost child has repented and returned! Let’s party! This is no coin or lamb but a person with a name, and he’s been found! 

As we attend Christmas parties, let’s celebrate the right and righteous things. Past the clothes, desserts, and décor, a Savior is born. This birth is for us so that we might see and know God; so that we might also repent and return to Him. In the chaos of the season, sometimes we lose sight of the gift Jesus is to us. We forget that He’s made a way for us to be right with God because He died on the cross for our sin and was raised victorious. He calls us to repentance and return to the Father who loves us, and it is a heavenly party when we do! 

My senior adult friends knew how to throw a Christmas party because they concentrated on the correct who and what of Christmas from the depths of their souls. Let’s focus on the same and party—at least until 8:30 p.m. Ha! 

Prayer

Father, give me the maturity to celebrate who and what really matters this Christmas.

Scripture: Luke 20

Eggs or Potatoes? 

Over the few days of this devotional, our trust in the Lord has grown. This season is not about the weather, the music, or wrapping paper but is rather about softened hearts preparing for the Baby who was born a King. As you read Luke 20, you experience the contrarian disposition of the religious leaders of Jesus’s day, often questioning Him not out of curiosity but in hopes of setting a successful trap. As you read their question below, picture the stern and defensive faces asking in a harsh tone: 

“Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority?” (Luke 20:2) 

You can sense the tension as they emphasize “these things.” These things like healing, teaching, caring for the least of these, and helping those in need. “These things,” they say as if they walked in on a disobedient toddler with a wagging finger. 

We need more of “these things” in the world, like a million times more! Yet these leaders are blinded from the truth and are prideful. They have had enough of this Jesus’ life-changing “things.” Their goal is to put this rebel born in Bethlehem back in line, but they don’t know who they are dealing with. He’s not just an upstart religious entrepreneur. He is the Creator of the universe, and He has ultimate authority over all. Even them. 

The heart of this confrontation is their questioning of His authority. As children would say, “Who made you the boss?” I wish this question was foreign to us and distant from our hearts, but unfortunately, the desire to be our own boss dwells deeply within us as well. Yet He is the boss, and He has the authority because all authority has been given to Him in heaven and on earth. He is the King and worthy of our worship. 

God is big enough to manage our questions, and we see Jesus answer so many questions during His ministry. The problem here is the intent of the question. It’s not really a question; it’s questioning. There’s a difference between a question and being questioned. There was a lack of trust in Jesus and a deep skepticism and disdain for Him by these leaders. A “Who do you think you are, mister?!” mindset. 

Trusting the Lord is a crucial Christmas and Christian principle, even more so when we don’t understand or agree with His instruction. Trust comes with a posture of humility in these moments rather than frustration or disdain because trust positions God as the rightful authority, the One who holds good and right plans for our lives and the world. 

The characters of Christmas lived this out as examples to us. Zechariah didn’t believe Gabriel’s prophecy for John’s birth, and he left the temple speechless for months as he learned to trust. Elizabeth, his wife, remained in seclusion for five months but believed God’s favor was on her. Mary pondered it all in her heart and declared she was God’s servant, willing to do as the angel said because she trusted God. Joseph needed a dream to set him straight, but when he awoke, he chose to walk faithfully, taking Mary as his wife and living under God’s authority. Mary and Joseph lived lives of submission to Him, whether it was an Egyptian escape, a donkey ride to Bethlehem, or the burial of their completely innocent, thirty-three-year-old beloved Son. 

Each one of these heroes in the nativity account trusted— instead of questioned—the authority of God. Pause to think this through: When their lives took a sharp turn, radically changing their plans and destiny, they didn’t question God’s authority. With prayerful and humble “Lord, increase my faith” moments (sans back talk or pushback), they processed and pondered, ultimately proceeding in obedience. 

Whose authority will our hearts follow today? Is there an area of your life that is off-limits to God? See, hot water makes an egg hard and a potato soft. Which will we be? I want to encourage us to soften our hearts this Christmas. Trust instead of questioning that God’s authority is for our good. He has a plan that is different from the ones we come up with on our own, but celebrate because it is a good plan—the best and eternally sovereign plan for you. 

Every day of our lives will offer hot-water opportunities to question God’s authority, and the days leading up to Christmas are no different. But don’t harden like an egg, pushing back against God’s good guidance. Instead, pray sincere “Lord, increase my faith” prayers. Live with a softened heart of trust even when you don’t fully understand. 

Prayer

Father, I know so little of what life will bring, and You know so much. Help me walk in faith trusting Your authority in my life.