Today we are reading Luke 2. In this chapter we read about the birth of Jesus. ”And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.“
‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Luke’s account of Jesus birth skips over a lot of details. Why do you think the account is so superficial? What does Luke emphasize instead? What is missing? How do Luke’s emphases inform our own celebration of Jesus’ birth? What do you emphasize at Christmas time? May God help you keep the main thing, the main thing! Pastor Tim

Today we are reading Luke 1. In this chapter we are reading about the birth of John the Baptist. ”Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and 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 after his father, but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all 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.“ ‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭57‬-‭66‬ ‭ESV‬‬ The birth of John the Baptist was surrounded by amazing events. Gabriel appeared to Zechariah. Elizabeth became pregnant in her old age. John was filled with the Holy Spirit in his mother’s womb. Mary visited Elizabeth. Everyone in the family were spiritually very strong. Why such a big deal about John? What do these details tell you about Jesus? How do you have a job similar to John the Baptist? May God use you in a mighty way to prepare the way for Jesus! Pastor Tim

Today we are reading Matthew 28. In this chapter we read about the resurrection of Jesus! ”Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”“ ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭1‬-‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬ The first to see Jesus after His resurrection was Mary Magdalene. This was the opposite of what they expected! In our grief God promises the opposite of what we see. We have seen our loved-one pass from this life to eternal life—sort of. We only see them leave. Imagine if we could see them arrive in Heaven! May God comfort you in your time of loss with a beautiful vision of Heaven! Pastor Tim

Today we are reading Matthew 27. In this chapter we read about Jesus crucifixion and death. ”Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭27‬:‭45‬-‭50‬ ‭ESV‬‬ The death of Jesus seems unremarkable at first glance. People often die in a more dramatic fashion. And yet, if we were there, I’m sure we would think differently. Two facts remain dominant: First, the irony of the King of Kings dying in such a humiliating manner. Second, In His death, Jesus paid for the sins of all people of all time. Only Jesus’ death would have been an acceptable payment. I don’t believe we will fully comprehend this gift until we reach Heaven. May you be filled with child-like wonder at your Savior’s love! Pastor Tim

Today we are reading Matthew 26. In this chapter we read about the night when Jesus was betrayed. ”When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”“ Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬ This day in Christianity has been the focus of an enormous amount of scrutiny. How could the chief priests plot murder? How could Judas turn against Jesus? How could Peter deny Jesus? Why did Jesus change the Passover to the Lord’s Supper? As tragic and awful as all these events are we have to remember this was God’s plan. The various characters were simply the human means for preparing the sacrifice God made for our sin. The disciples didn’t get it at the time and it is still confusing to us. As we experience Holy Week again this year, may God impress upon you His dying love! Pastor Tim

Today we are reading Matthew 25. In this chapter we read about the Sheep and the Goats. ”“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’“
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭31‬-‭40‬ ‭NIV‬‬ Can you think of a time that you were in need and someone came to help you? Who was it that God sent? How did you feel when they showed up? Now flip the script. When did God send you to help someone in need? How did they respond? What did it feel like to be used by Jesus? May you find great joy in being used by the Master. Pastor Tim

Today we are reading Matthew 24. In this chapter we read about the destruction of the End Times. ”Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”“ Matthew‬ ‭24‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬ I have twice been to Jerusalem and seen the destruction of the Temple complex which occurred in 70AD. Two thousand years of history has taken place since then but you can still see the giant stones of Herod’s Temple and marvel. Yet, the most magnificent creations of mankind are temporary and insignificant compared to God’s eternal works. Nothing can destroy God kingdom. No one can threaten or harm Heaven. Our inheritance is secure. How does this impact the things you protect and pursue in this life? What priorities do you need to rearrange? May the joy of Heaven make you feel safe and secure. Pastor Tim

Today we are reading Matthew 23. In this chapter we read about the Seven Woes. ”Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.“
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23‬:‭1‬-‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬ In these verses Jesus rebukes the religious leaders of his time. If Jesus were to rebuke us today, what would He say? Do we seek preferential treatment? Do we preach things we ourselves do not do? Do we burden people with unnecessary rules? Are we self absorbed? Do we exalt ourselves? “The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.“ We are not called to conduct our ministry in the manners of the corporate world. We are called to be like Jesus. May the Holy Spirit guide you in all your ways. Pastor Tim

Today we are reading Matthew 22. In this chapter we read about Jesus being tested regarding taxes. ”Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.“
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭15‬-‭22‬ ‭ESV‬‬ As I read this passage the thought occurs to me that Jesus is saying, He is the image of God. In this case, what should you “render” unto Jesus? What things are exempt? As you consider this, what needs to change in the way you look at things? May you always render unto God what is His! Pastor Tim

Today we are reading Matthew 21. In this chapter we read about the Parable of the Two Sons. ”“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.“ ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭21‬:‭28‬-‭32‬ ‭ESV‬‬ This parable seems so familiar—like we have seen such behavior! We have experienced the love of Jesus and so we are compelled to obey Him. Yet, we often do not. Which son are you? Are you all talk and no action? Do you say “no” at first and then reconsider? May you always be guided by the Holy Spirit. Pastor Tim