Do you have your to-do list done?
This week’s devotions are based on the Week 3 “A Savior Born for You! (WATCH HERE)
‘Tis the season for lists.
A list of all the people for whom you want to buy presents.
A list of all the people to whom you want to send Christmas cards.
A list of all the things you need to pack for your Christmas travel.
A list of all the items you need to buy at the grocery store for Christmas cookies.
A list to keep track of all the lists.
I’m not good at lists and even if I have one, I often forget something that’s even been written on the list! Oftentimes the lists are too long and something has to be eliminated as “not important enough to do.” Or a list can be so long, you are paralyzed to even start the list.
As we reflect on the first verses of Isaiah 61 this week, verses 2-3 have quite a list. The “Servant” of whom Isaiah spoke said he was anointed and sent to preach good news. OK, that’s not too hard. What’s the news and I will share it. One item on the list…no problem. But the list doesn’t stop there. The Spirit of God had more for the “Servant” (Jesus) to do. Here’s the list:
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
Perhaps if you would make it a list:
Jesus’ “To-do” list:
- Bind up the broken hearted
- Proclaim freedom for the captives
- Release prisoners from darkness
- Proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
- Carry out a day of vengeance for our God.
- Comfort all who mourn
- Provide for those who grieve
- Replace ashes with a crown of beauty
- Replace mourning with the oil of gladness
- Cloth people with a garment of praise instead of despair.
How would you do with a list like this? A bit overwhelming, right? Yet Jesus was willing to tackle this lengthy and important to-do list for each of us. We know he understood this was his responsibility as he read these words and identified himself as the fulfillment of them (See Luke 4 or yesterday’s devotion). While each task has its unique nuance, the reality of all of them is bringing the freedom, forgiveness, and certainty of our sins being forgiven and our relationship with God restored. From the moment of his conception, to his birth, to his ministry, to his trial, to his crucifixion, to his resurrection, to his ascension, Jesus was accomplishing all that his Father sent him to do.
I can imagine an interaction with the Father and the Spirit when he returned to heaven. “Did you get everything done on the list we gave you?” With certainty, Jesus answers, “Yes. Yes I did.”
Apply: Which “task” on Jesus’ list are you most grateful that he accomplished?
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for willingly taking on the to-do list the Father gave you so that I might enjoy all the blessings that come from your list being completed. AMEN.
Are you ready for good news?
This week’s devotions are based on the Week 3 “A Savior Born for You! (WATCH HERE)
Isaiah 61: The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
About this time of year one might expect to find articles in magazines like “Time” or “Newsweek” that claim to portray the “real Jesus.” While I don’t read many of these articles, the ones I have read in the past get some things right, but often miss the key parts of who Jesus is as true God and man and his true purpose of coming to the world to complete the work and payment for sin. Narratives often focus on the “movement” of Christ, or the “example” Christ brought or the “moral teaching” he promoted.
What the prophet Isaiah spoke of very clearly 700 years before Jesus was born was a key purpose for which Jesus was set apart for a special purpose…”preach good news to the poor.” When Jesus was guest preaching in Nazareth early in his ministry, he quoted these verses from Isaiah 61 and said this:
Luke 4:20 Then [Jesus] rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
The challenge in Nazareth is that not all were poor in spirit. They were looking for Jesus to perform a miracle but were not receptive to the “good news” he was bringing for those who recognized their spiritual need for his work as Messiah.
The good news of Christmas will move right past us if we don’t realize the deep need we have for Jesus and his mission to the world to do the work of saving the world. The good news wasn’t about a new political order or ruler. The good news wasn’t about a new moral code. The good news wasn’t about a new social order or dynamic. The good news were words that the soul that was deprived of any ability to save oneself needed. The Pharisees weren’t looking for good news. The miracle watchers weren’t looking for good news, but the tax-collectors broken by their guilt of cheating and stealing did. The adulterous woman who agonized over her immorality was. The demon-possessed that longed for freedom yearned for good news. The list goes on.
I pray you too are among the “poor” to whom Jesus’ message of good news brings true rejoicing this Christmas. Poor isn’t in wealth, but in realizing that I am helpless and hopeless without the One anointed to not just proclaim good news, but to be the essential reality behind that good news!
Those to whom Jesus came and proclaimed this good news and received it by faith, receive this blessing:
Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The result of the good news landing on the hearts of those depleted of personal ambition to perform their way into heaven, is the security that the soul desires that Jesus is the very one who came to not just be the Savior but let the world know that he IS the Savior!
Luke 2:8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
Apply: Take time this week to pause in your Christmas celebration to reflect on how good the good news is that Jesus was anointed to accomplish the work of being your Savior!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for giving up your throne in heaven to bring to reality the good news of which Isaiah prophesied and you fulfilled. AMEN.
Who are you excited to see?
This week’s devotions are based on the Week 2 “A Savior Born for You! (WATCH HERE)
1 Peter 1:8 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, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Warning: A little bit of downer on Santa Claus coming…
There are a lot of children around the world waiting today. They are counting down the days until Christmas morning. Perhaps there are calendars in their room when there wasn’t one before, or figures on the kitchen table marking “days until Christmas.” When you ask them what makes them so excited about Christmas, they respond, “Santa is coming!”
Ugg.
Around Christmas decorations one often sees the word “Believe” in various forms from wall-hangings to lit up decorations. People use the word around Christmas, but when you ask them in what they are to believe, they respond with, “Santa Claus,” “The hope of the season,” Or “You just have to believe in the season.”
Ugg.
What compounds the challenge is the word “Believe” next to the photo op with Santa. Kids can see Santa at the store, but if they try to stay up at night on Christmas Eve to see Santa, Santa won’t come. Confusing.
When you look at the passage above from 1 Peter 1:8, you could almost use this to teach Santa Claus to Kids. Joy comes as you believe Santa will bring you presents at Christmas. So you wait with joy and anticipation until he comes.
However, verse 9 changes our perspective off of Santa to the Manger.
The goal of the faith Peter describes is not presents on Christmas morning, but the Present that God gave to you and the world in the manger of Bethlehem. The goal of faith is the salvation of our soul and there is only one who can and does bring that to you at Christmas, Jesus Christ.
So a disclaimer. Santa can be a fun component of our cultural observance of Christmas, but let’s not the story of Santa overshadow the reality of our Savior. How can we help our children to have a greater sense of joy in waiting for Christmas than just the presents they get to open? How can we use our earthly gifts to remind them of the heavenly Gift that was wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger? How can we help them understand the joy of Christmas is the reality that we get to spend an eternity with Christ?
You can’t physically sit on Jesus’ lap and tell him what you want for Christmas or in life, but you can have a relationship with Jesus and let him know at anytime whatever is on your heart or mind. Although you can’t see him, you love him. Although we can’t see him, what he did for us brings a deeper and more lasting joy than any physical gift we can receive this Christmas. So let this week remaining until Christmas not just be filled with busy preparations, but be filled with opportunities to fill your soul with joy as you await the opportunity to celebrate God’s greatest gift to you which gives you the greatest reality you could hope for, the salvation of your soul.
Apply: How can you use the time remaining until Christmas to instill anticipation and joy in your family for the day to celebrate Jesus’ birthday?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the joy you give when we remember the gift you gave that assures us heaven is ours forever. AMEN.
Do you need a fresh start?
This week’s devotions are based on the Week 2 “A Savior Born for You! (WATCH HERE)
Everyone likes a new start. With New Year’s Day just a few weeks away, perhaps it’s that time of year that you mentally and perhaps physically reset and feel like with a new calendar year, you have a new set of days, weeks, and months to do life differently than you did in the previous year. New things can energize us. A new job renews our joy of going to work. A new car feels less heavy than the old one that needs repair. A new friendship is invigorating to have new perspectives in your life.
When people came out to see John the Baptist, they were perhaps initially intrigued by his person and appearance. He was a bit quirky, wearing camel skins for clothes and eating locust and wild honey…not necessarily mainstream for even the time. Yet in their curiosity of his presence in the wilderness, was the opportunity for God’s Spirit to use John to change hearts and lives. He used his message of repentance to call them to change. He used the gift of baptism to remove the stain of guilt and sin and then used the call to produce fruits of repentance as the invitation to live differently than they had in the past.
People looked for direction to no longer live the way they were, but to honor the new life of forgiveness they have been given.
Luke 3:9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.
11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”
12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.
14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”
When the Spirit of God takes hold of our hearts, we begin to believe, think and live differently. We no longer allow the selfish, sinful nature to compel us to live for our self-pleasure, but we live to love God and love the people around us.
The Apostle Paul put it this way: 2 Corinthians 5:14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
Like anything new, it may take some getting used to, but in this case the new life in Jesus underneath the reality of his love, grace and forgiveness is much greater and more enjoyable than living for self and taking advantage of people.
Enjoy living today in the new life that God’s Spirit has and is working in you!
Apply: What one thing in your life is the Spirit of God guiding you to change to conform more to the likeness of Jesus and producing the fruits of faith?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving me a new start to live for you! AMEN!
Get cleaned up!
This week’s devotions are based on the Week 2 “A Savior Born for You! (WATCH HERE)
Washed!
Acts 16:29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.
After a long day working in the yard, a hard fought athletic event, or just a few days without and you are ready for a shower. There is a refreshing feeling that we all enjoy when we get cleaned up after getting sweaty and dirty and water washes that all away.
Taking a shower is also part of getting ready to head out on a date, or welcome guests into our home. Usually, when we have friends over for dinner, we don’t greet them as we were when we finished cleaning up the yard, but rather after we have showered and cleaned up. We are “presentable.”
Baptism is part of our preparation for the coming of Jesus. We don’t want to meet him with the sweat and dirt of our sin, but rather with the clean, fresh reality of our sins and guilt being removed by the waters of baptism.
The Apostle Paul in the passage above had the privilege of bringing this cleansing to the prison guard who was ready to end his life. Paul and Silas were in the stocks of the prison when an earthquake made it possible for all the prisoners to escape. The jailor, instead of waiting for his superior to take his life for losing prisoners, was about to take his own life. Fortunately the words of Paul stopped him and Paul got to witness about Jesus to him. As a result, the wounds of Paul and Silas were washed, but Paul got to wash the wound of sin away from the jailor and his whole household (which would include his children). He was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God–he and his whole family.
Imagine the refreshment to his heart when he moved from suicidal to being saved, from being overwhelmed with guilt and hopelessness to being forgiven and filled with hope.
This is the same refreshment we can enjoy as we await for Jesus to return. Satan loves to fill our hearts with guilt and hopelessness. It’s easy to allow this voice to take hold of our mind and heart. It’s easy to allow it to remove our joy and peace and fill us with stress and anxiety. That’s the time to remember our baptism.
In our baptism we are fully assured that all our sins are forgiven, washed away. We are assured that we are a child of God and promised eternal life. Sure, we will struggle with sin and we never want to give up that struggle, but we can always have hope and joy in our baptism because we are fully washed.
Titus 3:4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Enjoy the refreshing reality of your baptism and the joy it brings as you wait for Jesus’ return!
Apply: What feeling do you get when you are done with a shower? How does you baptism do the same thing for you spiritually?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the washing you gave me in my baptism. Help me to always live int the joy and refreshment it brings! AMEN.