Week of 12.18.2022 | Day Four
God broke through the despairing silence to prepare His people for the advent their hearts had been longing for since the garden, when sin began its attack on God’s perfect kingdom. Shortly after God spoke to Zechariah about the birth of John, God spoke to a young girl in Nazareth, preparing her for the unimaginable role she would have in bringing forth the long awaited Messiah, the Promised King! God’s promised hope for the broken world was being fulfilled! Through humble means unlikely for such an anticipated King, God would send forth His Son to be a Servant to His People, doing for them what they could never do for themselves. The kingdom of God had come! The Perfect King would live to die, crushing the curse of sin. But death has no power in God’s kingdom and He would raise to fulfill the promise of ruling for eternity. Once again God’s people could be at peace with Him! Joy to the world, the Lord has come, let earth receive her King!
As we rejoice over the fulfillment of the first Advent, with the birth of Jesus, we recognize that God’s promise has not been completely fulfilled. Our hearts wait with renewed longing for the second Advent, when we will once and for eternity rejoice in the glorious completion of His promise! On that day our King will make all things new. We will inherit the greatest treasure, as His sons and daughters, in His Kingdom, under His rule and blessing, just as He designed it to be!
Read
Luke 1:26-38; Galatians 4:4-7
Luke 1:26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 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 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.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant[f] of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Galatians 4:4 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. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Discuss
What stood out to you about this section?
What does this teach us about God?
What does this teach us about man?
How should we respond to what we read?
Pray
Lead your family in a time of prayer.
Consider the ACTS model (Adoration- Adore or praise God, Confession- Confess sin, Thanksgiving- Thank God, and Supplication- Ask God to supply our needs)