Twenty-Five Readings for Advent 2017

Introduction/Instructions

Joanna and Amanda suggested this project, and it is just roughed out now. Advent Sunday
readings focus on the Promise of the coming One. The daily readings focus in the theme of
Expectation, which includes some measure of disappointment until the true Messiah arrives.

I’ve tried to relate the readings to the birth of babies, seeing this in light of the promise that the
Redeemer is coming according to God’s promise of grace. With each we will pose the question,
“Is this the Promised One?” Of course, until Jesus, the answer is, “No,” and yet each birth in
some way foreshadows the coming of Jesus.

Although I will include the Scripture readings in order to highlight a perspective for each day;
however, it is up to you to supply the story—I’m just trying to provide a prompt for you to
elaborate as age appropriate. And I will attempt to keep it short and simple.

Thematic Question: Is this the One?

· Who will restore all creation to glory?
· Who will destroy sin and death?
· Who will fulfill all God’s good promises?

1. Adam & Eve and God’s Great Promise: Gen. 3:15

2. Cain & Abel: Is one of these the One? Gen. 4: 1-2, 8-10
3. THE PROMISE EXPANDED: Isaiah 9:1-7
4. Seth: The Next One? Gen. 4:25-26
5. Isaac: A Son at Last! Gen. 17:15-21
6. Esau & Jacob: Which One? Gen. 25:21-27
7. Two Sons of Jacob: One of these? Gen. 29:31-35a
8. Joseph a Lifesaver: Gen. 30:22-24
9. Moses the Rescue Baby: Ex. 2:1-10
10. PROMISE: Coming and Coming Again: Isaiah 25:1-9
11. Samson: Strong to Save: Jud. 13:2-3, 24-25
12. Samuel and Answered Prayer: 1 Sam. 1:1-2, 10-11, 20
13. David: Wonderfully Made: Ps. 139:13-16
14. Isaiah and his Children: 8:17-19
15. Hosea: Hope from a Troubled Family: 11:1-4, 8-9
16. Jeremiah the Weeping Prophet: 1:4-10
17. PROMISE: A Virgin Birth: Isaiah 7:14; 42:1-9
18. “Elijah” & Families Restored: Malachi 3:1 & 5:5-6
19. Zachariah & Elizabeth’s Baby: Lk. 1:5-7, 11-14
20. Mary and a Surprise Visit: Lk. 1:26-33
21. Two Surprise Babies: Lk. 1:39-45
22. What will this Child be? Lk. 1:57-66
23. What will Joseph think? Mt. 1:18-25
24. PROMISE FULFILLED: Glory to God! Lk. 2:1-20
25. PROMISE FULFILLED: Born to You this Day: Galatians 4:4-5
DECEMBER 1
Adam & Eve and God’s Great Promise
Genesis 3:15

I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring[a] and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”

I remember a Christmas in Portugal where we all decorating the tree together. While we
were hanging the ornaments on the tree, a certain four-year-old (and you know who you are)
accidentally leaned on a fragile ornament that crushed into pieces under his little hand. I still
remember his expression of shock and disbelief--the lovely ornament was so smashed. And
then he looked at his hand as the blood started to flow. No crying he made, but he did look
shocked. Not only was the glass broken beyond repair, but it hurt and was bloody. Now what?

Adam and Eve had a great life in Paradise--that is, until they disobeyed God, figuring
they knew better than He. They ate the forbidden fruit, and what to their wondering eyes should
appear--but that they had no clothes! All that beautiful creation was now broken and polluted
beyond anything they could do to fix it. And as they discovered more of how it felt, it got worse
and worse--pain, arguing, confusion, fear, doubt, more pain and eventually death.

But God wasn’t going to let His creation and people be destroyed forever, and He made
the most wonderful promise ever--that He would send a child to mankind. This child would fight
with sin and death and destroy them. This Promise is what gave hope--someday the Savior
would come. And when Eve got pregnant with her first child, they wondered and hoped, maybe
this would be the One God promised to save us all from the misery of our sinful and destructive
rebellion. They were hopeful, and tomorrow we will find out if their child would be the Promised
One.
DECEMBER 2
Cain & Abel: One of these the One?
Gen. 4: 1-2, 8-10

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten [a]
a man with the help of the Lord.” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a
keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.

8
Cain spoke to Abel his brother. [d] And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against

his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your
brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” 10 And the Lord said,
“What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.

Imagine what it was like to see the very first human baby. Adam and Eve were created
already grown up, though I’m sure they had seen lots of baby animals. Cain was probably a
super cute little baby, and every day brought new joy to his adoring parents—not just because
he was adorable, but because God had promised that a child of theirs would one day destroy
the power of evil. Could this baby be the One?

While Cain was still little, another son was born. And baby Abel was just as cute as his
brother, but also uniquely himself. Maybe he would turn out to be the One. The brothers grew
up together, probably playing well together sometimes, but also with their times of quarreling
and sibling rivalry. Cain loved gardening and turned out some great fruit. Abel loved animals
and had some prize-winning sheep. One day they each brought offerings to the Lord, but the
attitude of their hearts was very different. Cain had a bad attitude, and God didn’t accept an
offering given that way. Abel had a humble heart, offering the Lord the best of what he had, and
God accepted that offering. Cain became insanely jealous and beat his brother to death.

Can you imagine anything worse for Adam and Eve? Both sons were now lost to them.
Cain lived, but God sent him away. And Abel, the one with a heart for God, was murdered, and
by his own brother. Obviously, Cain was not the One. He caused more evil than before. And
now Abel couldn’t be the One, because he was dead.

Not so fast. No, Abel wasn’t the Promised Redeemer, but he was very much like the One
to come in several respects: He loved and served God with all his heart; he was a man with
whom God was pleased. He died—not because he was bad—but because he was good and
faithful. He was the first martyr, the first hint that the One still to come would somehow give his
life to expose and destroy the power of death.

With both sons gone, now what was there to keep hope alive for Adam and Eve?
DECEMBER 3
PROMISE
Isaiah 9:1-7
But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the

land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea,
the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.[b]
2 [c]
The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light;

those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
3
You have multiplied the nation;

you have increased its joy;

they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
4
For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5
For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon[d] his shoulder,
and his name shall be called[e]
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Today is the First Sunday of Advent. When our kids were little, we had a plain, rustic
board with 4 candle holes drilled into the corners, then one in the middle. We’d light a red
corner candle each Sunday night before bedtime, leaving the white one in the middle for
Christmas Day. Usually, we’d read a passage like this, enjoy hot cocoa, sing a Christmas carol
or two, and then pray, thanking God for the promise of Jesus.

This Christmas season, we’ve started looking at Bible babies in the Old Testament, just
like believing parents looked expectantly to God to bring the baby He promised would come to
crush the snake-head of the devil and set us all free from the curse of death. Of course, you
already know that none of those Old Testament babies would be the One, because—well, let’s
wait and see. Let’s pretend that we are Old Testament people. With each child born turning out
not to be the One promised, they needed to keep listening to God’s promise. That’s what faith
is—trusting the promise of God.

As you listened to the reading of that promise in Isaiah, what are some things we are
promised about the One who will be born to a daughter of Eve? [Make up your own list before
reading mine below—and you can add to mine too.]
· He will bring light to dark places so people can come to know God.
· He will bring an increase of joy and gladness—like we’ve never before experienced.
· He will bring about justice for the oppressed—no more murdering, slavery, cruelty.
· He will rule over all.
· He will be One with God—fully God and fully human.
· He will bring peace.
· His kingdom will last forever—death will be gone, and eternal life will reign.

For Old Testament people, this was all promise. For us, it all comes true in Jesus. He
has come and fit all the promises and predictions of the Old Testament. Today we worship Him
as our Lord and King, even as we celebrate His coming. [Songs: O come, O come Emmanuel;
O worship the King; His name is wonderful; Come, Thou long-expected Jesus.]
DECEMBER 4
Seth: The Next One?
Genesis 4:25-26

25
And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she

said, “God has appointed[a] for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.”
26
To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began
to call upon the name of the Lord.

Seth was a name we considered for one of our babies, if it had been a boy. It is a good
name. You may not have ever thought of Seth as shedding particular light on Advent; however,
he is mentioned in a couple of genealogical lists, particularly in Luke 3. We know practically
nothing about him, but he too, was a baby who grew up to point us toward the greater One to
come.

Remember from Saturday, how sad and disappointed Adam and Eve were to lose their
first two sons? Sadly, neither was the promised One. But God gave them another son, when
Adam and Eve were 130 years old! Just for perspective on their long lives, Adam lived another
800 years after Seth was born. Speaking of years, Seth had his son Enosh when he was 105
years old; he lived to 912, and then he died (Gen. 5). Get that? He died--and he was probably
pretty worn out by then. Could Seth had been the promised One? His long life is impressive,
but it wasn’t eternal life. No, he wasn’t the One.

However, look again. Eve called him Seth, a name with the idea of God-appointed, or a
foundation. Though eventually dying, Seth was part of God’s promise, building toward the day
when his promised descendant would come and be the One. Interestingly, the Bible tells us that
during the times of Seth’s son Enosh, people began to call upon the name of the Lord. This is
probably the first reference to the church, the people looking to God and trusting His promise to
deliver them. And what is the foundation of that faith? Continuing to rely on the promise of
God, and the One He sends to rescue us from sin and death.
DECEMBER 5

Isaac: A Son At Last

Genesis 17:15-21

15
And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but
16
Sarah[a] shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover, I will give[b] you a son by her. I will
17
bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” Then
Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is
18
a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” And Abraham said
19
to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear
you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac.[c] I will establish my covenant with him as an
20
everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I
have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve
21
princes, and I will make him into a great nation. But I will establish my covenant with Isaac,
whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.”

I wish I could tell you that after Seth, things got better and better, but sadly that was not
the case. It seemed that people like Cain would take over the world, but God got hold of one
man named Abraham and specifically promised to bring blessing to the world through one of his
descendants. One problem—and a big problem. Abraham and his wife were never able to
have children, and now they were way too old. But God promised, and He can do impossible
things. Right?

Well, Abraham and his wife were hopeful, but nothing happened—nothing, except that
from being too old, they just got older. What had been impossible was now unimaginable. No
son, no blessing, no One to destroy the power of sin and death. Understandably, Abraham
began to give up hope and tried to come up with some other ways to get children—by adopting
a servant, or by taking a second wife. But God pulled him aside one starry night, and reminded
Abraham of His promise: Can you count those stars? Well, that’s how many descendants you
will have. Impossible? Nothing is impossible with God, and Abraham was willing to believe
God.

Time marched on—still no baby. Again God reminded Abraham what He was going to
do, and Abraham just laughed, “No way a 100-year-old man and a 90-year-old wife will have a
baby!” And when Sarah, Abraham’s wife heard what God told her husband, she too
laughed—no, not a happy laugh but a sarcastic laugh “No way that’s going to happen!” God
heard her laughter and said, “You just wait. By this time next year you will see.” And sure
enough, within the year Sarah got pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy. Now they were
laughing for real, for joy; and they called the little boy Isaac, which means “he laughs.”
 The birth of Isaac was a miracle of joy. Certainly, God was keeping His promise to send
a Savior. As we shall see, Isaac was not that Savior, but he was a step toward the coming of
that One. Isaac’s birth was humanly impossible, but through this human family God kept alive
the hope and joy that would be full when God sent His Son Jesus.
DECEMBER 6
Esau & Jacob: Which One?
Genesis 25:21-27

21
And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his
prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she
said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?”[a] So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the
Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb,

and two peoples from within you[b] shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other,
the older shall serve the younger.”

24
When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The

first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his
brother came out with his hand holding Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob.[c] Isaac was
sixty years old when she bore them.

27
When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a
quiet man, dwelling in tents.

It is amazing to see how many women in the Bible couldn’t have children—until the Lord
did something special for them. We enjoy the love story of how Isaac and Rebekah got married,
but sometimes we forget that she was not able to have any children. That is, until Isaac prayed
to God for her, and God granted that request with, not one child, but twins. It sounds like even
while in the womb, those two babies were already wrestling. Admittedly, they must have been
jammed into pretty tight quarters, but I bet Rebekah wasn’t too surprised when the Lord told her
it wasn’t just two babies, but two nations in her!

When it came time to be born, Esau came first, with Jacob literally grasping his heel as
he came into this world. From day one, it was clear that these twins were not identical. Esau
was hairy and red, while Jacob was smooth skinned. Esau grew up to be a hunter who loved
being out in the fields, and Jacob seemed more like a mama's boy, enjoying hanging around the
tent. Jacob was technically number two, but for a quiet person, he turned out to be very
competitive and aggressive, often sneakily so.

Adding to the very different and competitive temperaments of the twins, Isaac and
Rebekah complicated family life by having favorites. Isaac loved Esau, the outdoorsman, but
Rebekah preferred the quiet homebody, Jacob. Could one of these turn out to be the “son of
Eve” God was sending to destroy sin and death? Esau would seem like a good candidate with
his superior skills with weapons in the field. Jacob would seem a poor choice, especially
because he turned out to be conniving and underhanded.
 It is a good thing God didn’t leave it up to the parents to choose which one would
become the ancestor of the coming Messiah. And God didn’t choose on the basis of what you
would expect. He didn’t choose the older one, the outdoorsman, but instead He promised that
the (slightly) younger Jacob would be the next one through whom the Redeemer would one day
come.

As we continue our countdown toward Christmas Day, Jacob and Esau can show us a
little bit of what the Coming One would be like. His birth would require supernatural
intervention. The Child would be chosen and sent by God Himself and not left up to humans to
select. The Messiah would not be recognized by His sturdy looks or by His ambitious efforts.
People would think He was no one important, even despising and abusing Him. And that
Descendant of Jacob would destroy the power of sin and death.
DECEMBER 7
Two Sons of Jacob
Genesis 29:31-35a; 30:22-24

31
When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 And
Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben,[a] for she said, “Because the
Lord has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.” 33 She conceived again
and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this
son also.” And she called his name Simeon. [b] 34 Again she conceived and bore a son, and said,
“Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.”
Therefore his name was called Levi.[c] 35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said,
“This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah.

God chose Jacob to continue the family through which the promised Savior would come.
But he gave Jacob a total of 12 sons. Which one of them would God chose to carry on the
family of the promise? We could tell stories about all of the brothers, but today we will talk about
two of Leah’s sons who stand out with special significance as we look toward the birth of Jesus.
What do Reuben and Judah show us about the Coming One?

Reuben: As the first-born, Reuben was expected to become the leader for all the family.
He was the one Jacob and everyone else would expect to represent the family with honor and
responsibility. In our culture today, we don’t necessarily expect more of the first-born children,
or do we? In our immediate family (5 couples, 17 individuals) there are 7 who are the first-born,
and soon to be 8. Arguably, parents expect the first one to be the perfect child, and we
first-born children do the rest the favor of teaching our parents a little about reality—that we are
sinners desperately in need of the grace of God. I suppose you could say that Reuben did an
excellent job of setting the bar of responsibility, honor, and goodness quite low. He did not set a
good example for his siblings. To the contrary, despite some good moments, he is remembered
in the Bible for bringing shame to the family. What does Reuben have to do with the Coming
One? Jesus came as the first-born who was everything Reuben was not. He is God born into
humanity. He was without sin and yet took the punishment of our shame. He is the First-Born of
a new creation, a redeemed humanity that fulfills God’s promise to destroy the shame and
power of sin and death.

Judah: Number 4 son was born to the unloved woman Leah. And he brought great joy to
his mother, causing her to praise God for giving her this son. Later in the story of Jacob’s sons,
Judah is the one who offers to give up his freedom in exchange for the freedom of his baby
brother Benjamin, just like Jesus actually gave His live to set us free. And God promised that
Judah’s descendant would rule forever. The prophecy given was that the scepter shall not
depart from Judah (Gen. 49:10). One of Judah’s sons would someday come and be King of
Kings forever.

Reuben and Judah, two sons of Jacob. Though neither was the Coming One, each
points to the infinitely perfect Jesus who is first-born like Reuben and the eternal self-giving
leader like Judah.
DECEMBER 8
Joseph a Lifesaver
Genesis 30:22-24
22
Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. 23 She
conceived and bore a son and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” 24 And she called his
name Joseph,[a] saying, “May the Lord add to me another son!”

Joseph: The eleventh of the sons of Jacob, Joseph in a unique way points toward the
baby who would one day be born in Bethlehem. Joseph was the next-to-last in that chaotic
family of Jacob. What took so long for him to come? His mother Rachel was much loved by
Jacob, but like so many other women in the line of Jesus, she was unable to have children.
Unable that is, until God heard her prayers and opened her womb, just like He had with Sarah
and Rebekah. Joseph was not destined to be the Promised One, the savior of all mankind.
However, he had a very important role that foreshadows what Jesus would do for us all.

Joseph’s story is well-known. He was probably something of a spoiled brat. His father
doted on him and spoiled him by giving him more than any of the other brothers. Sometimes we
know what it is like to feel jealous when our brother or sister gets presents that seem better than
ours. Joseph not only got special treatment from his father, he also acted uppity, or at least so it
seemed to his brothers. Do you remember his dreams about his brothers and parents bowing
down to him? He probably shouldn’t have shared those dreams with the family because they
just thought that he was full of himself.

Things got worse. Joseph had specific ideas about the right way to do things, and he
was critical of his brothers and full of (good) suggestions as to how they could do better. Adding
to that annoyance, he was also something of a tattle-tale as he would recount to his father all
the bad things that his brothers were doing. You know they loved that!

One day when all the brothers were in the field, they ganged up on Joseph (10 to 1), and
sold him to some slave-traders. Joseph was carried off to Egypt, but even as a slave, the Lord
was with him. He was unfairly charged of cheating on his master, and then thrown in prison.
Even in prison he rose to positions of leadership. He was so wise that everyone valued his
ideas. Eventually, he became the second-in-command for all of Egypt, and under his wise
leadership the whole country, including Joseph’s own father and brothers, was saved from a
horrible famine.

Joseph was not destined to be the Coming Savior, but God used him to save his
brothers, including Judah, into whose family Jesus would one day be born. Joseph gives us a
glimpse of what Jesus would suffer and do for us. Joseph was hated by his brothers (like Jesus
was hated by Jewish leaders), he was sold into slavery (like Judas betrayed Jesus), he was
imprisoned in Egypt (like Jesus in the grave), but he rose from slavery (like Jesus rose from the
dead), and delivered his people from dying of hunger (as Jesus has delivered us from sin and
death).
DECEMBER 9
Moses: Rescue Baby
Exodus 2:1-10

2 Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. 2 The woman
conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three
months. 3 When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes[a]
and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by
the river bank. 4 And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. 5 Now the
daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside
the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. 6
When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him
and said, “This is one of the Hebrews' children.” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter,
“Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 And
Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child's mother. 9 And
Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you
your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she
brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,”
she said, “I drew him out of the water.”[b]

This has to be one of the very best Old Testament birth stories. Hundreds of years had
passed since the days of Joseph, and the Egyptians no longer honored the sons of Jacob.
They had in face made them to Pharaoh, forced to work themselves to death on his building
projects. But the more Pharaoh persecuted them, the more they increased. The wicked
Pharaoh commanded that all the boy babies were to be killed, so the Israelites would not get
even more numerous. Happily, the Israelite women didn’t obey, and they hid their babies as
long as they could; but once they got louder, they would surely get caught.

One mother decided to do something drastic and not simply hide her baby. Instead, she
made a basket lined with pitch so it would float. She put her baby in the basket and set it afloat
near where the Egyptian princess came with her maidens to swim. You know what happened
next. No way those women could keep their hands off the “fine” little baby. And the princess
took the baby for her own, little knowing that in rescuing him, she was contributing to the
rescuing of all his people from slavery. She called him Moses, “drawn from the waters.”

Could Moses be the “son of Eve” that God promised would one day be the savior of all
mankind? If you know his story, he came close—maybe more than anyone else, Moses showed
what God’s deliverance would be like. Under God’s mighty hand, Moses grew up to lead the
people of Israel out of their slavery in Egypt. The Lord gave the Ten Commandments through
Moses and spoke so closely with Moses that his face glowed with the light of God.

As important as Moses was, God promised that a prophet even greater than Moses was
still to come. This One too would be born under the rule of a wicked king who tried to kill him as
a tiny baby. He would be rescued and grow up to lead His people out of bondage to sin and
death. He would speak with the Father face-to-face and light up the world with life and joy. He
would proclaim the perfect law of God. He would lead His people, not only out of bondage, but
all the way to the Promised Land, their home forever.
DECEMBER 10
The Promise: Coming and Coming Again
Isaiah 25:1-9

O Lord, you are my God;

I will exalt you; I will praise your name,
for you have done wonderful things,
plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
2
For you have made the city a heap,
the fortified city a ruin;
the foreigners' palace is a city no more;
it will never be rebuilt.
3
Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
4
For you have been a stronghold to the poor,
a stronghold to the needy in his distress,
a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat;
for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall,
5
like heat in a dry place.
You subdue the noise of the foreigners;
as heat by the shade of a cloud,
so the song of the ruthless is put down.
6
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
7
And he will swallow up on this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
8
He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
9
It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

Adam, Abel, Seth, Isaac, Jacob, Reuben, Judah, Joseph, Moses: Each of them in
some way gave hints of what the Promised One would be, but none was the Messiah.
How did people of faith keep their hopes alive? God kept telling them more details about
that promise. As we hear those details, we know that Jesus has come and defeated sin
and death on the cross. He ascended to heaven to get a new home ready for when He
comes again to take us there. On this 2nd Sunday of Advent, let’s think about some of the
things that will happen when the Promised One comes again.

First of all, when God’s plan is fulfilled, all creation will erupt in joy. Think of the
angels singing on the night Jesus was born. There is so much misery and unhappiness
in the world today. Children in Africa dying of hunger, families everywhere being broken
up, sickness, violence, war, and injustice. When Jesus comes, He comes to bring justice
and be a defense for the helpless. No matter how bad things may look to us, we have
confidence that Jesus will destroy all evil.

Second, the Lord will bring us to a lovely banquet with all kinds of delicious things
to eat and drink. And this is not just about the food, but about the fun we can have with
all the family of God gathered together, celebrating and rejoicing in the abundance. That
celebration will be better than all our Christmas mornings put together.

Third, He will swallow up death for all time and wipe away all the tears of sadness.
I can’t imagine what that will be like, since there’s always someone crying here. Right
now, you can probably think of people who are hurting and sad, even though it is
Christmas time. God promised Adam that a “son of Eve” would destroy death and
sadness.

As we celebrate Jesus’ birth at Christmas, the really big deal is that He perfectly
carried out God’s Plan to rescue all His fallen creation. The Old Testament faithful waited
patiently, and when Jesus was born they could well have used the very words of Isaiah in
their celebration, “Behold, this is our God for who we have waited that He might save us.
. . Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.” We can rejoice that He came at Christmas
and also that He is coming again to take our joy to even higher levels.

Songs: Angels we have heard on high; He brought me to the banqueting table; Once in
royal David’s city; Joy to the world; Thank You Lord, Away in a manger; etc.
DECEMBER 11
Samson: Strong to Save
Judges 13:1-6; 24-25

13 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord gave
them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
2
There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. And
his wife was barren and had no children. 3 And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman
and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive
and bear a son. 4 Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing
unclean, 5 for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for
the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the
hand of the Philistines.”
24
And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the young man grew, and the
Lord blessed him.

What do you think of when you hear the name Samson? Big muscles? Girl-crazy?
Wild? Long hair? Can’t keep a secret? All these are true, but is there anything about him that
makes us think of Jesus? Could Samson have been the Promised One? Hardly! But however
messed up was his life, Samson in some significant ways did point God’s people toward the
coming Savior.

What are some things about Samson’s birth that remind us of Jesus? Can you think of
some? (1) His mother was humanly unable to have children apart from a miracle. Jesus’ mother
as a virgin couldn’t have children apart from a miracle. (2) An angel announced Samson’s birth
to his incredulous mother. An angel announced the birth of Jesus to an amazed Mary. (3) Both
babies were sent with a mission from God to bring deliverance to His people.

There are some significant differences between these two babies also, but one in
particular stands out. Samson was sent to “begin to save Israel from the hands of the
Philistines.” Jesus was sent to complete the deliverance of all God’s people from the biggest
enemies of all: Satan, sin, and death. Samson with his great strength and character weakness,
nonetheless killed lots of the enemy Philistines. Jesus, by His perfect life and sacrifice saved all
who believe in Him forever.
DECEMBER 12
Samuel and Answered Prayer
1 Samuel 1:1-2; 10-11; 20

1 There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name
was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. 2 He
had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And
Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. [. . .]

10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. 11 And she vowed a
vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and
remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him
to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.” [. . .]

20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she
said, “I have asked for him from the LORD.”

You probably know the story of Samuel as a little boy serving the priest Eli in the temple.
One night God called him, and he kept thinking it was Eli. Finally, they figured out that it must be
the Lord, and when the Lord called again, Samuel answered, “Speak Lord, for your servant is
listening.”

Did you remember that the story of his birth was amazing too? He was born into a
difficult family situation. His mother was one of two wives; the other wife had children, but
Hannah had none. It broke her heart that she didn’t have children. And the other wife mocked
her and bragged about her fine kids.

Although Hannah was miserable—and this went on for a good while—she cried and
prayed to the Lord. She was in fact so distressed in her praying, that Eli thought she was drunk.
But Hannah prayed with all her heart, promising the Lord that if He gave her a son, she would
give him back to the Lord, to serve in the temple. God heard that prayer, and within the year
Hannah was cuddling a little baby boy she named Samuel (meaning the Lord hears our
prayers).

A few years later, while he was still a little boy, maybe 3-5 years old (probably when he
was at least potty-trained), Hannah kept her promise to dedicate him to the Lord’s service. It
must have been heart-breaking for her to leave him there, only to see him occasionally. Samuel
grew up to be a very important prophet and judge for all of Israel. Though he wasn’t the coming
Savior, he moved the plan of God several big steps toward the day Jesus would be born.

How did Samuel’s birth foreshadow the future birth of Jesus? His was a miracle birth. He
came as an answer to much pleading prayer. He was dedicated to the mission of God from
birth. He was recognized by God’s priests (Eli and Simeon). His mission involved heart-breaking
pain to a mother’s heart. Samuel anointed the first kings of Israel, but Jesus came as the King of
Kings.
DECEMBER 13
David: Wonderfully Made
Psalm 139:13-16

For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[a]
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

Wait a minute. We’ve been looking at babies who carried on the hope of a coming
Messiah. Do we know anything at all about David’s birth? Not really. We know he was a son of
Jesse, number 7 of 8 sons. His great grandmother has a whole book of the Bible named after
her—you know who that is. And of course we know that David was a direct ancestor of Jesus,
but do we know anything at all about his birth?

Maybe this is a stretch, but since David wrote Ps. 139, let’s include him in our list
because he talks about when he was an unborn baby. Who made you? Who made David?
David praises God for “weaving” him in his mother’s womb. Have you ever watched a weaver
at work? Or maybe you watched you mom or grandmother knitting something. Back and forth
the knitting needles click, and a piece of string or yarn soon becomes a sweater or a stuffed
animal. You know how our family is expecting a new daughter, granddaughter, niece, and
cousin early next year. For the past several months God has been forming and shaping that
little girl. David never saw a sonogram picture of himself before he was born, but he knew it
was God who had wonderfully formed him. God’s work is wonderful, and He has a purpose for
each of His children—a plan formed from before the world was made. He promised that that a
“son of woman” would come to save all God’s people, and David reminds us how, even in
Mary’s womb, God the Father was preparing a body for His Son, a body that would be able to
die for our sins and destroy death forever.

[One could do a whole Advent series just from David. Maybe next year.]
DECEMBER 14
Isaiah and his Children
Isaiah 8:17-19

17
I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18
Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the
Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums
and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should
they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?

Ever since the Garden of Eden, people of faith looked for God to keep His promise to
send a Redeemer. As we have seen, even though they knew they could trust God to keep His
promise, no one knew when that baby would be born. Still some 800 years before the
Redeemer came, we find the prophet Isaiah, not only proclaiming marvelous prophecies about
what the Coming One would be like, but also believing that he (Isaiah) and his children were
“signs and portents” of the true God who was fully orchestrating His glorious plan of redemption.

As we count down the days toward Christmas—you are counting them, are you
not?—we pay special attention to the children. There are special decorations, delicious
Christmas baking of cookies and all sorts of goodies, pondering Christmas lists and wishes,
telling stories about Jesus’ birth, wrapping presents, singing Christmas carols, and lots and lots
of excitement. Obviously, Christmas is not just for kids, but children too, can have an important
part in celebrating Jesus.

We don’t know much about Isaiah’s family, except that his children were certainly part of
his ministry. He realized that they were an important way God was keeping alive the promise of
a very special Child to come. Isaiah even used his children as examples in his sermons.
Imagine that!

One time while speaking God’s word to a frightened and doubting King Ahaz, Isaiah told Ahaz
that the enemies threatening Israel at that time would be defeated—that they’d be gone—by the
time Isaiah’s baby was weaned. And to further carry home God’s Word, the child was named
[take a deep breath before trying to say this]: Maher-shalal-hash-baz. Translated, it means,
“swift-is-the-booty-speedy-is-the-prey,” indicating that God would chase away and destroy those
enemies.

Although I hope that my soon-to-come granddaughter has an easier name than that, I
am super grateful for the children God has given us, their godly marriages, and all the
grandchildren. You all carry on the message of hope in Jesus who both came at Christmas and
is coming again. I think Jesus was including us in the phrase taken from Isaiah and used of
Jesus and us as He says, “Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given Me” (Hebrews
2:13).
DECEMBER 15
Hosea: Hope from a Troubled Family
Hosea 11:1-4; 8-9

11 When Israel was a child, I loved him,

and out of Egypt I called my son.
2
The more they were called,
the more they went away;
they kept sacrificing to the Baals
and burning offerings to idols.
3
Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk;
I took them up by their arms,
but they did not know that I healed them.
4
I led them with cords of kindness,[a]
with the bands of love,
and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws,
and I bent down to them and fed them.
How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, O Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?
How can I treat you like Zeboiim?
My heart recoils within me;
my compassion grows warm and tender.
9
I will not execute my burning anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim;
for I am God and not a man,
the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come in wrath.

Another OT prophet who by his family pointed toward Jesus, Hosea had the unhappy
task of showing Israel how God felt about their sin. Hosea was a prophet to the northern
kingdom, the ten tribes that broke off from Judah and worshiped golden calves and all sorts of
idols. None of their kings served the Lord. This was the kingdom characterized by the rule of
Ahab and Jezebel, to which God sent prophets repeatedly with a Gospel message calling them
to repent.

Hosea and his wife had 3 children, and like Isaiah’s children, they were given names to
represent God’s message to Israel. One was called Jezreel (the place of a major battle of
destruction), or Judgment to indicate judgment that was coming. The second and third were
called No-Compassion and Not-My-People, meaning that God would not show mercy to them in
the day of judgment and that He would no longer claim them as His own. Those children had
harsh names, but those names fit the sadness of their family. Though Hosea loved his wife
Gomer, she abandoned him for other men, leaving him and the children. Hosea’s deep grief
and the children’s misery were pale reflections of God’s grief at the faithless idolatry of Israel.
They were His children, and He loved them, but they rejected Him.

God weeps over His rebellious children, “I held Israel as infants. I carried them in my
arms, taught them to walk, healed their hurts and fed them. But they rejected Me. They
abandoned Me for other lovers and gods.” Perhaps no other prophecy so powerfully shows the
pain and grief God feels over our sinful rejection of Him. You’d think this is where He say, “I’m
done with you!”

Amazingly, what He says goes beyond anything we could expect. “How can I give you
up, O Ephraim. My compassion grows warm and tender. I will not destroy you. I will not come
in wrath.” Later He reminds them of the promise that He will destroy death and its sting. And
He tells Hosea to go rescue his runaway wife (which he does) and rename the children from
Judgment to Justice, from No-Compassion to Compassion, and from Not-My-People to My
People.

Neither Hosea nor his children were the One to come. Yet they had a part in showing us
the ugliness of sin and rejection of God’s love. Through those children from a broken home,
God gave us a concrete expression of His grace and faithfulness to keep His promise to send
Jesus.
DECEMBER 16
Jeremiah: The Weeping Prophet
Jeremiah 1:4-10

4
Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
6
Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” 7 But
the Lord said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
8
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
declares the Lord.”
9
Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me,
“Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
10
See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”

By now it is pretty obvious that no one but Jesus Himself could ever be everything that
God promised Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:15. Nonetheless, each child God sent to His people
helped keep hope alive that one day, the Promised One would come and make everything right.
To be sure, some of the children were a disappointment, like Cain, Ishmael, Esau, and Samson;
yet even they show us something of God’s love and grace.

Jeremiah was born in a dark time for the people of Judah. Remember the sad part in
Robin Hood where it is dark and rainy in Nottingham, when the sheriff takes the church alms
and puts Friar Tuck in jail? Well, that’s what it was like in Jeremiah’s day, and it is not surprising
to find lots of tears and lamenting in his prophecy.

Jeremiah was young when God called him, explaining that before he was born, God
already had a special mission for him. While in the womb and before he knew it, Jeremiah had
a calling. God had created and formed him to be a prophet, appointed to speak God’s words to
nations. When I read that, I get a sense of excitement in the unfolding drama of God’s promise,
the best story ever. But Jeremiah didn’t feel excitement. Instead, he felt dread. He was not
thrilled. Listen to how he answered God’s call: “Thanks, but no thanks! I’m way too young for
that. Besides, I don’t even know how to speak.” Excuses! If God forms you in the womb, don’t
you think He might be able to do whatever He wants to do through you? It’s pretty scary to
make excuses to God.

The LORD, however, was surprisingly gentle with young Jeremiah. “Don’t worry,
Jeremiah, I will be with you. You can’t do this by yourself, but I will be with your mouth and will
get you through this mission.” God then touched his mouth and gave him words to speak,
words of both warning and hope. Known as the weeping prophet because the hard truth was
often heartbreaking, Jeremiah foreshadows Jesus’ coming: appointed from birth for God’s
redemptive mission, preaching a message of Judgment and warning, weeping over the sins of
Jerusalem, bringing the Good News of God’s faithfulness, bringing light to our gloom and
darkness.
DECEMBER 17
PROMISE: A Virgin Birth
Isaiah 7:14; 42:1-9

14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a
son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Behold my servant, whom I uphold,

my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2
He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
3
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4
He will not grow faint or be discouraged[a]
till he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his law.
5
Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
6
“I am the Lord; I have called you[b] in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations,
7
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8
I am the Lord; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
9
Behold, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth
I tell you of them.”

On this third Sunday of Advent, we look again as the Lord narrows the focus on the
promised Redeemer. As we saw a on Thursday, Isaiah was sent with messages from God to
King Ahaz of Judah. Ahaz had a hard time believing the good word from God, that Ahaz’s
enemies would be gone in a few short years.

“Go ahead,” Isaiah told him, “ask God for a sign.” Ahaz haughtily replied, “I don’t want to bother
God.” Isaiah insisted, “Since you don’t want to believe God, He will Himself give you a sign. A
virgin will have a son and call His name Immanuel (meaning “God with us”). And before that
child knows how to choose good over evil, your enemies will be history.”
 On the surface, Isaiah was telling Ahaz that a young woman would have a baby and in a
few short years the promise about Ahaz’s current enemies would be fulfilled. However, looking
back we can see more, namely that a virgin or unmarried woman would miraculously give birth
to a baby who would in fact be God with us, God in the flesh. Did Isaiah realize Jesus would be
born of a virgin? Maybe he didn’t fully understand; however, the Holy Spirit did know and
intended that we should one day look back and see how God planned and foretold the miracle
of Jesus’ birth.

Though he may not have fully understood just how exact were his prophecies, Isaiah in
chapter 42 gives us even more. Not only will God’s Servant come by a miracle birth to a virgin,
He will be formed in the womb fully human and by the Spirit, fully God. He will come according
to God’s promise and with a specific mission to bring forth justice, to complete the battle for our
deliverance, to open the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf, and to heal all our infirmities.
The Light of the world will shine into our darkness, and He alone will receive all the glory and
praise from His redeemed creation.

As we’ve noted several times, Immanuel (God with us) has come, which is what we are
celebrating at Christmas. Jesus has come, completed His mission at the cross, and risen to
return to heaven until He comes back to take us to be with Him. As we wait for His return, we
have even more reason to hope and wait confidently for Him. How’s that? Because every
promise was fulfilled in Jesus’ first coming, because He died to forgive our sins, because He
conquered death, because God is faithful—all these give us great reason to celebrate and await
Him with joy and courage.
DECEMBER 18
“Elijah” & Families Restored
Malachi 3:1 & 5:5-6

3 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom
you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you
delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.

5
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord
comes.
6
And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers,
lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

Only 1 week until Christmas so It is time now to turn toward the New Testament, but let’s
first get a last word from the final book of the Old Testament. From Adam on, we’ve known that
God will send a son of Eve to deliver us from sin, misery, and death. Though each baby might
have been the coming One, none was; and yet the hope stayed alive. Malachi leaves us with a
strong reminder that the Lord is going to send a “Messenger to prepare the way for Me.” In
other words, the Promised Savior is about to arrive. Another word for messenger is angel, or
one who brings the word of God. The Messenger is not the One, but he will get people ready to
receive the One. Malachi calls this Messenger Elijah.

Obviously, this messenger will be a prophet like Elijah, and frankly Elijah was a pretty
scary prophet. He had a strong message, warning people to get ready for the Lord, who is both
just and loving. He will rescue His people but will certainly destroy the wicked. And the critical
battle will center on the Messiah. We can imagine this Elijah-like prophet with a threatening
message, “Get ready to receive the Lord, or else beware His anger. Do you already know who
that prophet was who came just before Jesus? We will learn more about him this week.

Please don’t just think of the Elijah-prophet only as warning of judgment. Why do you
think he will call on people to receive the Lord when He appears? Malachi tells us that he is
coming to “restore the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their
fathers.” Sin has spoiled whole families. Children are often disobedient, and parents
sometimes get exasperated with their children. Sometimes moms and dads argue and quarrel.
The Elijah-messenger will point people to the Lord who will come to put our families back
together, to bring joy and peace—peace because our sin will be destroyed and our love for God
and one another rekindled.
DECEMBER 19
Zachariah & Elizabeth’s Baby
Luke 1:5-7; 11-14

5
In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah,[a] of the division of
Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they
were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of
the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in
years.

11
And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of
3
incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the
angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife
Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and
gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. . .

“Advanced in years” and “they had no child.” Not again! How many times have we
heard this story? From Adam & Eve losing two children, to Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Samson’s
mother, Hannah, and more I’ve likely forgotten to mention—women unable to bear children,
miraculously having babies by the power of God. What in the world is God doing? What is He
showing us? [What do you think?]

God made the promise to destroy death through a man born of woman, so life has to go
on until He comes. But life can’t go on unless God makes it possible. Ordinary life depends on
the providential care of God, and especially that the Child of the Promise won’t come because
of any human ability. Humanity is helplessly dependent on the power and grace of God; if He
doesn’t act, sin and death will never be destroyed. No matter what people believed, God kept
the promise alive through men, women, and children willing to trust God to keep His promise,
people like Zechariah and Elizabeth.

Why do you suppose that Zechariah was so afraid when he saw the angel? Remember
that he was performing a service of worship that involved going into the presence of God. The
appearance of the angel was frightening—don’t imagine little naked baby-angels, but rather
powerful warrior angels in dazzling light. We would be just as frightened. But the angel told him
to relax because he wasn’t bringing a message of trouble but instead some really good news of
joy and gladness: they were going to have a baby! The angel was very specific, that the baby
was to be named John, and that he had a mission from God to turn back many people to the
Lord. If you remember yesterday’s Advent reading, you now know who that Elijah-messenger is
going to be. And you also know what he is going to do.

At Trinity church I used to pick a hymn that apparently no one else liked too much. It
was sung to a rhythm of solemn marching feet, marching steadily forward as God is working His
purpose out. That’s how I feel about the Good News the angel announced to Zechariah. God is
surely fulfilling that long-awaited promise, and the pace is picking up. The excitement is
building.
DECEMBER 20
Mary: A Surprise Visit
Luke 1:26-33

26
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27 a]
to a virgin betrothed[ to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the
virgin's name was Mary.28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is
b]
with you!”[ 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of
greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found
favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call
his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord
God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob
forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Something awesome is about to take place. Gabriel is one of the highest ranking of
God’s angel messengers, sent by God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth. Nazareth? The
prophets said there was something special about Bethlehem in Judea, but Galilee? That’s off
up north, past Samaria and not a very Jewish part of the country. Besides, who is this Mary?
She’s not even married, even if she is engaged. Why is Gabriel going to her? And what kind of
greeting is that, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you?” Could she be the promised
One?

Mary was “greatly troubled” at this greeting? What’s this all about? It doesn’t sound like
a threat, though the angel was certainly frightening in appearance. Gabriel spoke soothingly,
assuring her that she had found favor with God. “Mary, something good is going to happen.
You’re going to have a baby, and you will call Him Jesus; He will be the Son of the Most High
and establish the throne of David forever.” Good? How could that be a good thing for an
unmarried woman to have a baby? Gabriel explained, “The Holy Spirit will cause this to
happen, and this Child will be called the Son of God.” Frankly, I’m pretty sure that Mary could
not understand this. No woman had ever had a baby without having also a human father. But
the angel had an answer to that. “Nothing is impossible with God!”

Remember all the babies born to people of faith since Adam and Eve. For hundreds
upon hundreds of years, each generation waited for the “impossible” promise of God. Here it is.
The time is coming within a year. The impossible will happen. Though Mary couldn’t have
understood all the details, she accepted the word of the angel with a most beautiful response:
“Here I am, a lowly servant to the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.”

Prayer: O Holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us we pray. Cast out our sin and enter in; be
born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell. O come to us, abide
with us, our Lord Emmanuel.
DECEMBER 21
Two Surprise Babies
Luke 1:39-45

39
In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and
she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the
greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42
and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of
your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44
For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for
a]
joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be[ a fulfillment of what was spoken to
her from the Lord.”

After the angel Gabriel brought the amazing news to Mary that she was going to have a
baby, he also told her that her relative Elizabeth was also pregnant, even though she was way
past the age to have children. Mary knew about Elizabeth and how sad she and Zechariah
were never having children; she also knew they were both too old to be having a baby. Mary’s
baby was not the only impossible surprise baby. Zechariah and Elizabeth’s baby was also a
surprise no one would ever have expected.

Mary rushed off to visit her relative in the hill country of Judea. The trip from Nazareth to
Judea was a significantly difficult undertaking for newly pregnant Mary. Can you think of some
good reasons why she might want to get out of Nazareth and into the hills with Elizabeth? Mary
believed the angel—that she was pregnant, and that without having a husband. But who would
ever believe that? Unless, perhaps someone else who was miraculously pregnant—surely
Elizabeth would understand how “nothing is impossible with God.” Also, it might have been nice
to stay with understanding friends during those first three uncomfortable months.

Arrivals are happy. When I was in college in the States and my family living in interior
Brazil, I used to dream of how much fun it would be to simply show up at home when no one
had a clue I was coming. How happy they would be! Which is more fun visiting family at
Christmas—arriving or departing? I hope you said arriving, because it is hard to say good bye.
Departures are sad. But arrivals are exciting: “Who will see Grammy’s tree first?” “Who can get
out of the car for the first hugs?” And everyone stands around hugging and saying things like,
“You/We finally made it!” “I’ve been looking forward to this all day long.” “My, how you’ve
grown.” Etc.

But Mary’s arrival at Elizabeth’s was the best ever. When she heard Mary’s greeting,
Elizabeth went to praising God and blessing Mary. Why? Because as soon as Elizabeth heard
Mary, her baby jumped for joy. Just for perspective, Mary’s baby wasn’t showing or probably at
all observable. But at 6 months, Elizabeth already had a clear baby bump, and probably now
and then she could feel her baby kicking, swimming, hiccupping, and so on. And when Mary
arrived with her still-invisible baby, Elizabeth’s baby leaped for joy. One unborn baby already
filled with the Holy Spirit and recognizing the other greater unborn baby.

Both of these babies are special. Will one of these surprise babies turn out to be the
promised Savior? If so, which one do you suppose it will be?
DECEMBER 22
What will this child be?
Luke 1:57-66

57 58
Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and
59
relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And
on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah
60 61
after his father, but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” And they said to
62
her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” And they made signs to his father,
63
inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His
64
name is John.” And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his
65
tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all
66
these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, and all who heard them
laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was
with him.

The days were finally completed for Elizabeth’s baby to be born. Everyone was super
excited. When it was time to name him, the friends and relatives wanted to name him Zechariah
Jr. Everyone knew this was a special birth—certainly the Lord must want the family name to go
on. But Elizabeth stopped them, “No, he shall be called John.” You’d think they would have left
it alone at that, but they insisted that John wasn’t a name used in their family.

Remember that since seeing the angel, Zechariah had not been able to speak. So they
made signs—how do you think they asked him with signs? Anyway, he asked for a tablet and
wrote out authoritatively, “His name is John.” This just didn’t make sense to the people, but you
no doubt remember this is what the angel said to name him. And as soon as Zechariah wrote
out that name, his mouth was opened, and he began blessing and praising God. Obviously,
something miraculous was happening, and the neighbors knew it. They were not just amazed,
but they were fearful. What’s going on here? Who is this child? Clearly God was doing
something amazing. What would this child be?

What do you think, is this the promised Messiah? On Monday, we heard about an
“Elijah” coming to prepare for the Coming One, and that’s what John will be. We are getting
very close to Christmas; John is very important, but remember there’s still Mary’s baby to come.
DECEMBER 23
What will Joseph think?
Matthew 1:18-25

18 a]
Now the birth of Jesus Christ[ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been
b]
betrothed[ to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy
Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved
to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your
wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you
shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord
commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he
called his name Jesus.

When Mary was three months pregnant, it is possible that only Elizabeth and Zechariah
knew she was having a baby. But it would become increasingly obvious, and Joseph would
certainly notice and begin to wonder. He knew he wasn’t the father of her baby. It was one
thing for Mr. & Mrs. Zechariah to believe—they had experienced the angelic word and the
miraculous conception. Did you notice that Joseph (and others) knew Mary was pregnant
before the angel came to him? Can you imagine how his heart must have been broken to find
out that Mary was going to have a baby before they were married? What would it take to
convince Joseph that Mary’s baby really was a miracle from God?

The angel came to Joseph in a dream, and Joseph had no doubts that it was a message
from God. He might have shrugged it off, saying it was just a dream. But the experience was
real enough to him that he believed God’s word, and when he woke up, he wasted no time in
marrying Mary. We really don’t know much about Joseph, but we are told that he was a “just” or
fair man and didn’t want to do anything to bring shame to Mary. It wasn’t his own reputation he
worried about, but hers. It is significant that the angel quoted the prophecy about a virgin
bearing a child. I’m sure that Scripture prophecy was familiar to Joseph, and God had said it
hundreds of years before. The child promised back in the garden of Eden is coming at last.
The name Jesus means “God saves.” Everything the angel said, fit and fulfilled the prophecies.
And Joseph believed and obeyed.

As we’ve followed the story from Adam to the time of Mary and Joseph, we’ve seen
several babies who carried the hope forward. Many children came who became heroes of the
faith. Many were born also who became villains opposed to the promise of God. But the story
is about to reach its climax. Mary’s baby is coming soon, and He will be unlike any baby before
or since. Coming very soon is the long-awaited “descendant of the woman,” coming to bring
victory over sin and death.
DECEMBER 24
Glory to God!
Luke 2:1-20

2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
2 a]
This was the first registration when[ Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be
registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of
Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the
b]
house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,[ who was with child. 6
And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her
firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was
c]
no place for them in the inn.[

8
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock
by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around
them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I
bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in
the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a
baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the
angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14
“Glory to God in the highest,
d]
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”[

15
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let
us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known
to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a
manger.17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them
concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But
Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

This is the Fourth Sunday of Advent. We celebrate Jesus’ birth tomorrow, but the
message of His birth went out on Christmas Eve, traditionally at midnight. The Child of the
promise had come at last. Everything worked out for Joseph and Mary to be in Bethlehem, and
because there was no room in the inn, they stayed in a stable. The baby was born sometime in
the night and laid in a manger for a crib, just as the angel said.

As familiar as the story is to us, we mustn’t miss how amazing it was. A multitude of the
heavenly armies of angels singing—not some squeaky, ephemeral (or ghostly) sounding
singing, but the robust and reverberating sound of warrior-angels shouting, “Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace among those with who he is pleased.” The shepherds must have
been awestruck, seeing the night sky light up with the dazzling sight and sound of thousands of
angels. We are told that they were filled with great fear. It was not only the amazing sound and
appearance of the angels, but the shepherd heard the message distinctly, “Good News of great
joy,” of a Savior who is the Messiah. And they heard the details about how to find the baby,
going right away to see for themselves this wonder. Mary “treasured” all these things in her
heart. This Child was truly the fulfillment of all God’s promises of a Savior to come.

One way we can celebrate this night of all nights is through songs about the Child born
in Bethlehem, the chorus of angels, and the worship of the shepherds: O little town of
Bethlehem; Silent night; Angels we have heard on high; Away in a manger; etc.
DECEMBER 25
Born to you this day!
Galatians 4:5

4
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under
the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

We’ve been counting the days to Christmas for 25 days, and Christmas Day has come at
last. We’ve thought about lots of babies who weren’t the Messiah but nonetheless kept the
hope alive. God brought Jesus at just the right time; the timing was perfect. But wonderful as
was the birth of Jesus, that was not the end of the story. In some ways, it was more like the
beginning of something new. The baby Jesus still needed to grow to be a man, to teach some
disciples, to die on a cruel cross, and to destroy death by rising from the dead. But His birth is
the beginning of that final victory.

Our family has typically celebrated Christmas all day long. Since we were usually in
Portugal or Poland, far away from all our relatives, we didn’t have to go anywhere and could
stay home all day. Consequently, we were content to take forever opening presents one by one,
taking turns, gushing over each one’s gift, and usually unwrapping as (annoyingly) slowly as we
could—anything to stretch out the experience. Sometimes we had to interrupt presents for
dinner, or else eat a late dinner. It was all very fun. Even if there were occasional tears and
disappointments, it was all part of the excitement and sugar of the experience. But I’m not sure
we were very worshipful. We felt plenty of love, thanksgiving, joy, fulness—all good things
reminding us of the blessings of Jesus. But it was often hard to be “spiritual” and really direct
our love and joy toward Jesus.

No matter how big we make Christmas or even how “spiritual,” it is pale in comparison to
the reality of an eternity free from sin and death, being forever in the light of God’s presence.
Receiving the adoption as sons into Jesus’ forever family is more wonderful than anything we
can imagine. Maybe a good way to keep that big picture in perspective would be to say with
Mary,

My soul magnifies the Lord,

47
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.