Christmas 1
Devotional
Pause Before The Pulpit
Personal Reflections For Pastors On The Lectionary Readings
Luke 2:22-40
The two main characters of this text, Simeon and Anna, are fascinating people. Every now and then, a pastor is blessed to have one or two (and extremely blessed is the pastor and congregation who have more than that!) of these deeply spiritual and insightful members in their church.
I've often marveled at the prophetic words these two people shared with Mary and Joseph that day. They were words that amazed this young couple. But I've marveled even more at Simeon's and Anna's character and what it was that shaped them to be so deeply spiritual and insightful.
I want to encourage you to pray for, be quick to spot, and involve in your ministry, seniors of great faith, spiritual depth, and godly insight. They will provide you with much needed prayer support and have a stabilizing effect on your ministry and the congregation you serve.
Notice, first of all, the kind of man Simeon was. We are told by Luke that he was a righteous and devout man. His righteousness, no doubt, could be characterized by that which Abraham was known for -- a righteousness that came simply by believing God. Notice, I did not say "believing IN God," for a lot of people (then and now) believe IN God, but don't necessarily believe God. There is a difference and scripture makes that clear. One who believes IN God has head knowledge about God's existence, but someone who believes God, goes beyond believing in his existence to believing his very words. Simeon believed the words of God, and lived his life accordingly.
Oh how we need men and women in our churches who not only believe IN God, but also believe God's Word. The failure of church leaders (including some pastors) to believe and hold to God's Word has had a detrimental effect on the church. But we also need people who, like Simeon, are devout. In other words, they are sincere in their relationship with God through faith in Christ Jesus. They read their Bible and spend time in prayer. They regularly attend worship and Bible studies. They use the gifts God has given them to serve him in his church. Simeon was like this in his relationship with God and in his service in the temple.
But there is another important thing about Simeon that I want us to notice: his close relationship with the Holy Spirit. We read that the Holy Spirit rested on him, that something had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit, and that he was guided by the Spirit. One of the marks of a truly righteous and devout man or woman is their relationship with the Spirit of God. You can tell when the Holy Spirit rests upon someone. His fruits will be clearly seen in their words and lifestyle. They will share God's truths with others, for they allow the Holy Spirit to reveal his truths to them. And they are a people who are clearly guided by the Holy Spirit, for they tend to sin less than others and they generally make wise, Spirit-led decisions.
I'm also greatly impressed with Simeon's confidence. There is no indication in the text that he questioned whether this was the long awaited Christ Child. He just knew it and spoke confidently about it. "How could he do this?" we ask. He could do so, because of his intimate relationship with God. Simeon was so close with God; there was no doubt in his mind that this small child that Mary and Joseph held would be the Savior of the world. Much of the same could be said of Anna as well.
Could these things be said of us: that we are righteous and devout? Could it be said of us that the Holy Spirit clearly rests upon us and that he is guiding us? Could it be said of us that the truths we share and the pastoral care we give are truly a work of the Holy Spirit revealing these truths to us for our benefit and the benefit of others? I pray (and may you as well) that these truths will make themselves evident in our daily lives.
A Pastor's Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Please make me more like Simeon and Anna; a person who is so intimately connected with you that I am absolutely confident in speaking your word and with your authority. Lord, if it be your will, please give me more people in my congregation like them -- people who are righteous and devout, living by your Spirit. Thank you. Amen.
Galatians 4:4-7
Perhaps we've all been asked, by inquisitive minds: "Why was Jesus born when he was?" Well, this text has the answer: He was born in the fullness of time! Quite an answer, isn't it? If anything, it raises more questions! If it tells us anything, it is this: Jesus came to earth when the time was full (or just right) in God's eyes. It doesn't matter if it fit into the time frame of the Jewish people or of historians around the world. What matters, is that he came exactly when God planned it in fulfillment of his prophetic word.
With little more to be said on that, I want us to look at a wonderful truth contained in this text for each of us. I'm referring to the significance of being God's children versus being Satan's slaves.
Paul explained to the Galatian church that Jesus came to redeem us, so that we might receive adoption as children. In the Fall, in the Garden of Eden, Satan corrupted the innocent, pure, parent/child relationship God had with his newly created humanity. I liken it to the end result of a messy divorce with an ugly, child custody battle, which I've had the unfortunate experience of witnessing on more than one occasion. Perhaps many of you have as well. It grieves our hearts to watch what happens to the children when parents fight over them -- at times for no other apparent reason than to inflict pain on the other parent.
The devil never wanted us, because he thought he could love us more or take better care of us than God could. He wanted us under his control so he could inflict pain on God, and that is exactly what happened. God was grieved over what happened in the Garden of Eden and he has grieved over the sins of humanity ever since. Yet that is not the full extent of his pain. As a loving parent, he was faced with the painful situation of having to sacrifice one child in order to save the rest of them. In other words, God gave up his own Son, so that the rest of us could be redeemed (or bought back) into his loving family. What an incredibly moving story!
Christmas, therefore, is not only about Christ's birth, but also about our adoption! All who believe in Christ's death and resurrection, for the purpose of their redemption back into God's family, are no longer slaves, but children of God! Just as children in an orphanage are absolutely helpless when it comes to finding a family to love them, and are completely dependent on someone coming in the "fullness of time" to adopt them and make them a child in a family again, so too, we, who were orphaned by Satan's lies and deceptions, are absolutely helpless and unable to make ourselves a part of God's family on our own. We needed God to take the initiative; to do the "paperwork" which frees us from slavery and gives us identity once again as a child of God. And that is what happened. What a miracle! What a wonderful story for Christmas!
Not only have we been adopted, but we have been gifted, big time! We have been given all the rights and privileges of a natural-born child of God. Jesus is God's Son and one with the Father and the Spirit. We are God's children through faith in Jesus who then sends his Spirit into our hearts, opening the way for our relationship with the Father to be as intimate as it is between him and his Son. What a privilege that is! We are invited and enabled to call out to God, Abba, Father. We can call him "Daddy." Few things give adoptive parents more joy than when the child they adopted calls them "Daddy" and "Mommy." It gives God great joy to hear us do the same.
Better yet, Paul pointed out that we are not only children in an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Daddy, but also heirs of all that God has. Imagine the riches of God! Paul wrote to the Corinthians: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9). We can't even begin to imagine what we have already inherited by being a child of God! This truth is better than any gift we could ever receive at Christmas.
A Pastor's Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for sending your Son in just the right time for me and all of humanity. Thank you for redeeming me and adopting me as your child and making it possible for me to have an intimate, Father/child relationship with you. Thank you for the incredible inheritance that awaits me in heaven! For all of this I am deeply grateful! Amen.
The two main characters of this text, Simeon and Anna, are fascinating people. Every now and then, a pastor is blessed to have one or two (and extremely blessed is the pastor and congregation who have more than that!) of these deeply spiritual and insightful members in their church.
I've often marveled at the prophetic words these two people shared with Mary and Joseph that day. They were words that amazed this young couple. But I've marveled even more at Simeon's and Anna's character and what it was that shaped them to be so deeply spiritual and insightful.
I want to encourage you to pray for, be quick to spot, and involve in your ministry, seniors of great faith, spiritual depth, and godly insight. They will provide you with much needed prayer support and have a stabilizing effect on your ministry and the congregation you serve.
Notice, first of all, the kind of man Simeon was. We are told by Luke that he was a righteous and devout man. His righteousness, no doubt, could be characterized by that which Abraham was known for -- a righteousness that came simply by believing God. Notice, I did not say "believing IN God," for a lot of people (then and now) believe IN God, but don't necessarily believe God. There is a difference and scripture makes that clear. One who believes IN God has head knowledge about God's existence, but someone who believes God, goes beyond believing in his existence to believing his very words. Simeon believed the words of God, and lived his life accordingly.
Oh how we need men and women in our churches who not only believe IN God, but also believe God's Word. The failure of church leaders (including some pastors) to believe and hold to God's Word has had a detrimental effect on the church. But we also need people who, like Simeon, are devout. In other words, they are sincere in their relationship with God through faith in Christ Jesus. They read their Bible and spend time in prayer. They regularly attend worship and Bible studies. They use the gifts God has given them to serve him in his church. Simeon was like this in his relationship with God and in his service in the temple.
But there is another important thing about Simeon that I want us to notice: his close relationship with the Holy Spirit. We read that the Holy Spirit rested on him, that something had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit, and that he was guided by the Spirit. One of the marks of a truly righteous and devout man or woman is their relationship with the Spirit of God. You can tell when the Holy Spirit rests upon someone. His fruits will be clearly seen in their words and lifestyle. They will share God's truths with others, for they allow the Holy Spirit to reveal his truths to them. And they are a people who are clearly guided by the Holy Spirit, for they tend to sin less than others and they generally make wise, Spirit-led decisions.
I'm also greatly impressed with Simeon's confidence. There is no indication in the text that he questioned whether this was the long awaited Christ Child. He just knew it and spoke confidently about it. "How could he do this?" we ask. He could do so, because of his intimate relationship with God. Simeon was so close with God; there was no doubt in his mind that this small child that Mary and Joseph held would be the Savior of the world. Much of the same could be said of Anna as well.
Could these things be said of us: that we are righteous and devout? Could it be said of us that the Holy Spirit clearly rests upon us and that he is guiding us? Could it be said of us that the truths we share and the pastoral care we give are truly a work of the Holy Spirit revealing these truths to us for our benefit and the benefit of others? I pray (and may you as well) that these truths will make themselves evident in our daily lives.
A Pastor's Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Please make me more like Simeon and Anna; a person who is so intimately connected with you that I am absolutely confident in speaking your word and with your authority. Lord, if it be your will, please give me more people in my congregation like them -- people who are righteous and devout, living by your Spirit. Thank you. Amen.
Galatians 4:4-7
Perhaps we've all been asked, by inquisitive minds: "Why was Jesus born when he was?" Well, this text has the answer: He was born in the fullness of time! Quite an answer, isn't it? If anything, it raises more questions! If it tells us anything, it is this: Jesus came to earth when the time was full (or just right) in God's eyes. It doesn't matter if it fit into the time frame of the Jewish people or of historians around the world. What matters, is that he came exactly when God planned it in fulfillment of his prophetic word.
With little more to be said on that, I want us to look at a wonderful truth contained in this text for each of us. I'm referring to the significance of being God's children versus being Satan's slaves.
Paul explained to the Galatian church that Jesus came to redeem us, so that we might receive adoption as children. In the Fall, in the Garden of Eden, Satan corrupted the innocent, pure, parent/child relationship God had with his newly created humanity. I liken it to the end result of a messy divorce with an ugly, child custody battle, which I've had the unfortunate experience of witnessing on more than one occasion. Perhaps many of you have as well. It grieves our hearts to watch what happens to the children when parents fight over them -- at times for no other apparent reason than to inflict pain on the other parent.
The devil never wanted us, because he thought he could love us more or take better care of us than God could. He wanted us under his control so he could inflict pain on God, and that is exactly what happened. God was grieved over what happened in the Garden of Eden and he has grieved over the sins of humanity ever since. Yet that is not the full extent of his pain. As a loving parent, he was faced with the painful situation of having to sacrifice one child in order to save the rest of them. In other words, God gave up his own Son, so that the rest of us could be redeemed (or bought back) into his loving family. What an incredibly moving story!
Christmas, therefore, is not only about Christ's birth, but also about our adoption! All who believe in Christ's death and resurrection, for the purpose of their redemption back into God's family, are no longer slaves, but children of God! Just as children in an orphanage are absolutely helpless when it comes to finding a family to love them, and are completely dependent on someone coming in the "fullness of time" to adopt them and make them a child in a family again, so too, we, who were orphaned by Satan's lies and deceptions, are absolutely helpless and unable to make ourselves a part of God's family on our own. We needed God to take the initiative; to do the "paperwork" which frees us from slavery and gives us identity once again as a child of God. And that is what happened. What a miracle! What a wonderful story for Christmas!
Not only have we been adopted, but we have been gifted, big time! We have been given all the rights and privileges of a natural-born child of God. Jesus is God's Son and one with the Father and the Spirit. We are God's children through faith in Jesus who then sends his Spirit into our hearts, opening the way for our relationship with the Father to be as intimate as it is between him and his Son. What a privilege that is! We are invited and enabled to call out to God, Abba, Father. We can call him "Daddy." Few things give adoptive parents more joy than when the child they adopted calls them "Daddy" and "Mommy." It gives God great joy to hear us do the same.
Better yet, Paul pointed out that we are not only children in an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Daddy, but also heirs of all that God has. Imagine the riches of God! Paul wrote to the Corinthians: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9). We can't even begin to imagine what we have already inherited by being a child of God! This truth is better than any gift we could ever receive at Christmas.
A Pastor's Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for sending your Son in just the right time for me and all of humanity. Thank you for redeeming me and adopting me as your child and making it possible for me to have an intimate, Father/child relationship with you. Thank you for the incredible inheritance that awaits me in heaven! For all of this I am deeply grateful! Amen.
