Luke
2:1-20 - God is in control!
Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Long before it happened, God had it planned
(1-7; Micah 5:2-3). As we approach Christ's Return, God still has His
plan. He is still in control. The birth of Christ is not merely an event
from the past. It is also a message for the future. We look back so
that we can move forward. We are fearful about many things. ‘What's the
world coming to?’, we ask. God turns our question on its head: ‘Christ is coming to the world’.
From His first coming, we look on to His Second Coming - He ‘will come
to all the people’ (10): ‘every eye will see Him’ (Revelation 1:7). His
Return invites us to ask another question: ‘when the Son of man comes,
will He find faith on earth?’ (18:8). For you, is it still ‘before Christ’? Let the ‘new age’ begin: Let Christ be ‘born this day’ (11) - in your heart!
2:21-52
- Jesus ‘fulfilled all righteousness’ (Matthew 3:15). His circumcision
and presentation to the Lord was ‘according to the law of Moses’
(21-24; Leviticus 12:1-8). Jesus’ obedience was always more than mere
conformity to ‘the written code’. He was walking ‘in the Spirit’. He was
filled with ‘the Spirit of the living God’ (2 Corinthians 3:3,6). His
obedience came ‘from the heart’ and His ‘praise’ came ‘not from men but
from God’ (Romans 6:17; 2:29). What joy there was for Simeon and Anna!
This was ‘salvation’, ‘redemption’ (30,38). As you journey through life,
don’t ‘lose Jesus’ (43-45). Keep close to Him! If you do ‘lose Him’,
where will you find Him again? - ‘In the temple’ (46). Have you lost
your way? Find your way back to ‘the sanctuary of God’ - and things will
start to fall into place again (Psalm 73:16-17)!
3:1-38
- John's message came from ‘God’ (2). He did not begin with love. He
preached about sin and divine judgment, warning his hearers to ‘flee
from the wrath to come’ (7). He called for ‘repentance’ (3,8). This
was not what people wanted to hear. Before we can rejoice in the Good
News concerning salvation, we must recognize our sin and our need of
salvation. John prepared the way for Jesus. ‘All have sinned’, ‘The
wages of sin is death’ - This is the ‘bad news; which prepares us to
receive, with joyful thanksgiving, ‘the Good News’: ‘the free gift of
God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Like
John, we are to point to Jesus, God’s ‘beloved Son’ : Before ‘Adam’
was, He is. Pray that the ‘Holy Spirit’ will bring people to Christ (22,38; 8:58).
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