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Today is not only the second day of a new year, personally it is a special day for me.  For the past 26 years, or 9495 days, I have been blessed by a faith-filled, loving, passionate, caring, serving, wife and friend, Christy.  Happy Anniversary!  The past 25 years have been filled with many joys, including our two amazing daughters, ministry adventures, laughter, blessings, challenges, hardships and successes…but her love is committed and constant.

I am extremely blessed to start 2024 and year 27 of marriage with her at my side.

While today is extra special for me personally, it also is a reminder of not just 26 years of love from an amazing spouse, but timeless love from our eternal Father.

Jeremiah mused in the midst of challenges: (Lamentations 3:22-24)

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

Every morning…every year…the Lord’s love is faithful. 

To wake up today and every day with the committed, caring, serving, eternal love of God firmly grounded in your heart is a blessing for each year.

2024 has 364 days left in it.  What will each contain?

Perhaps you have set some goals, some resolutions, or some things you want to accomplish in 2024.  Perhaps some of these things will come to fruition, others may not.  Things you never imagined would happen in 2024 may take place before the year is out.  Some you might categorize as amazing and some might be called devastating.

We don’t know.

But God does.  Each day of 2024 is in his hand and captured in his eternal plan for you.  He has amazing grace to work all things to work for our eternal good.  He has amazing love that walks with us even when we want to or do walk away from him.  He has amazing forgiveness to cover our sins in the blood of Jesus and has amazing faithfulness to stick with us, love us, forgive us and save us…even though we don’t deserve it.

I have truly been blessed by the 26 years of marriage to my wife.  I love her and thank God for her.  That blessing has only come because the Lord has filled and guided her heart with his faithful love and her willingness to show it to me…even when I don’t deserve it!

How much greater the love and faithfulness of God which is yours through faith in Jesus to go with you, guide you and bless you in the year ahead!

May each of the remaining days of 2024 be filled with his love in your heart!

Happy and blessed 2024 to all of you!

Apply: How does knowing the love, mercy and faithfulness of the Lord will go with you into 2024?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your faithful love which you give to us each and every morning.  May we share that same love with others and be blessed by those who show your love to us in the year ahead.  AMEN.

Psalm 51:1-2 

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

Do you make New Year’s resolutions?  Some do.  Some don’t.   But often even if one makes a resolution to start the year, perhaps by the end of the week, the resolution is shelved for another year.

New Year’s resolutions remind me how great my intentions are, but how feeble my commitment to carrying them out can be.

It’s hard to stay focused, stay committed, and work toward a goal.

The Scriptures are true (as they always are!): The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

How true.

As we enter a new year we are going to be combating the very true and honorable desires the Spirit of God plants in our hearts and minds to walk more closely with him, grow in his truth, and experience and share his love more.  This is a wonderful thing.  In fact if it’s not on your “resolution” list for 2024 yet, why not put it there.  Having intentional goals for our journey and growth in faith is a very positive exercise.  What we work at improves…even in our faithlife.

Even as we seek to grow in our faith and walk with our Savior, we are certain to fall, fail and feel like giving up.  At work inside each of us is our sinful nature that desires to spend the year doing things that do not come from the Spirit of God or are expressions of God’s love.  Sin is very real.  We will say things we shouldn’t.  Think things we wish we could erase.  Do things we regret. And realize that we truly sin and fall short of the glory of God.

I don’t say this to put a damper on a positive start to a New Year, but to remind you we need the words of King David as we go through  the year.  We will daily need the mercy of God to forgive our sins.  We will daily need the work of Jesus to stand in our place and blot out our transgressions.  We will need the love of God to still our troubled consciences with the assurance of his grace and mercy.

Every day of the year ahead, as it was in the year past will be a spiritual battle.  The Spirit is willing to engage with us every day…but so is our sinful nature.  As you go about your other goals and activities of the year, don’t neglect time with the Spirit of God to be ready to fight the very real spiritual battles of the year ahead.  And don’t forget the love, mercy and faithfulness of God to forgive you when you fail and strengthen you to fight again.

Apply: What spiritual battles do you anticipate in 2023?  How might you daily prepare yourself to engage in them?

Prayer: Lord thank you for your love and faithfulness that forgives and covers my sin.  Strengthen me to avoid sin and walk closely with you in 2024. AMEN

The detail of Luke’s account continues…

6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14           “Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Luke’s purpose for his whole Gospel is a detailed account to bring to his reader accurate information and detail so they may “know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”

Something that brings certainty is when someone says something and then what happens matches what was said.  At the end of these verses is the phrase, “which were just as they had been told.”  I’ve wondered at times if part of Luke’s investigation put him in touch with one of the shepherds that was there that night of Jesus’ birth.  With the detail Luke provides, it leads me to wonder.

The shepherds went to find Jesus based on the words of the angel.  If they couldn’t find Jesus, I would guess this account would never have made it in the pages of the Bible.  But they did!  Just as they had been told…not just in general, but in all the detail.

They were given the sign, “You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

They went to “…see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

They found “the baby, who was lying in the manger.”

They spread the word “concerning what had been TOLD them about this child.”

They returned “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been TOLD.”

When God speaks, we can trust his Word.  Christmas and Luke’s account are just one small example of the power, precision, and promise of God’s Word and the blessing, joy, and certainty it brings to our life of faith as we hear it, believe it, and live it!

Apply: What promises has God given to you that when you have acted on them you have experienced the very blessing God promised?

Prayer: Thank you Lord for the certainty of your Word.  Let this Christmas account of Luke help us to be like the shepherds to hear your word, believe your word, and live your word.  AMEN.

“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree…”

I would guess at some point we have heard the opening line to Luke’s Christmas account in Luke 2.

But before we get to the details of Luke 2, consider the opening words of Luke’s Gospel:

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:1-4)

I love these opening words of Luke because it seems like Luke was a bit of skeptic.  He was a missionary who traveled with the Apostle Paul and no doubt an avid follower of Jesus.  Here’s the interesting thing about the opening line.  There were MANY who tried or did write an account of Jesus’ life based on the information that was handed down from the Apostles.  But Luke did his own investigation.  Perhaps his background in detail as a doctor is why God chose him to take previous accounts, investigate their authenticity, and then write an orderly account of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Why?

“So that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”

Luke wants to affirm and reaffirm the truth of Jesus, the events of his life, the content of his teaching, and the saving mission he was on.

Luke is written to all the skeptics who wish they could investigate everything for themselves.  Luke does and God’s Spirit provides it to us for our certainty as well.

So what does that say of Luke’s record of the birth of Jesus? Accurate, detailed, and written so we may have certainty in our faith as well.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register.

Luke sets the birth of Jesus in the context of the Roman empire.  Perhaps we wish there was a little more detail like “Jesus was born on December 25” (Which he most likely wasn’t.) But the names Luke mentioned are verifiable people of history.  Their mention sets the birth of Jesus in a historical context.  It is real.  It happened.  It is not a fantasy story fabricated by Luke.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  (Luke 2:1-5)

Joseph was a faithful follower of the Lord.  Certainly the dream which clarified who the child was Mary would be giving birth to helped.  However, to take your pregnant fiancée on a 90 mile journey over rugged terrain to some might seem like an act of craziness, but to us we see a heart of faith that God was working…even through a government mandate which made them leave Nazareth for Bethlehem…and maybe not return for more than a year.  Remember they had to flee to Egypt after his birth due to the evil heart of King Herod.

Luke’s detail give certainty that this baby born in Bethlehem was the one God spoke of.  He was to be a descendent of David…just like Mary and Joseph were.

Details are important.  Imagine if all we had was, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John’s Gospel…for Friday!)  While we trust this is the Word of God, it is a bit vague and a lacks concreteness.  In all his detail, Luke gives the historical setting, the specific actions and the reasons why Joseph and Mary did what they did.

Everything a curious mind would want to know…God provides through the inspired pen of Luke!

Apply: What details stand out to you about Luke’s account? (Read Luke 2:1-20 for tomorrow’s devotion.)

Prayer: Lord, thank you for using Luke’s inquiring and detailed mind to record accurately the birth of your Son.  Through his detail we too can have certainty that Jesus was born to be OUR Savior too! AMEN.

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Mark 1:1)

You would expect Mark to go on with some account of the birth of Jesus…but he doesn’t.  There are no details of the census.  No insight to the “Word becoming flesh.”  No relating of the dreams that calmed Joseph’s fears or any mention of shepherds.

The next verse gets into the work of John the Baptist, then Jesus’ baptism and temptation and Mark’s moving forward with the narrative, teaching and miracles of Jesus’ public ministry.

So why doesn’t Mark begin the “gospel about Jesus” with his birth?  Really why doesn’t Peter begin with the birth of Jesus? (Strong evidence points to the source of Mark’s gospel as the account of the Apostle Peter.)

Perhaps the best explanation is he was focused on the life and ministry of Jesus.  As one blog post wrote in defense of its absence (read it in its entirety here: https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/why-doesnt-mark-say-anything-about-jesus-birth/):

• Silence doesn’t mean denial
• Brevity doesn’t mean ignorance
• Absence doesn’t mean it’s not assumed

These are all good points, but what about this opening verse assumes the reality of his birth as Matthew and Luke relate it?

1. The message of Mark is the gospel…the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ.

Mark uses the same word the angels did in Luke 2:10-11 “10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you GOOD NEWS of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

What the angels announced the shepherds was fully going to play out in the Gospel of Mark.  He wanted his readers to know that over everything he was going to recount and share about the life of Jesus had one purpose: Share the Good News about Jesus!

2. The person about whom Mark is writing is JESUS CHRIST

Names stick.  Mark doesn’t start another account about another person, but identifies the focus of his message as Jesus Christ.  This was the very name given to the baby born in the manger by Joseph:

Matthew 1:21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” …

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

The Christ was the “anointed one.”  The whole of the Old Testament narrative and prophecy was to bring “the Christ” into the world.  God hadn’t forgotten.  Mark recognizes God’s faithfulness in the title for Jesus, “the Christ.”  Mary knew that God was using her to fulfill his promises to his people as she sang, “

Luke 1:54             He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful

55           to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.”

3. Mark identifies Jesus as the SON OF GOD.

The angel said to Joseph:

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.”

The angel speaking to Mary said:

Luke 1:32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

While Mark adds no new details to the birth of Jesus, he affirms all that was revealed at the birth of Jesus in his opening words.  He assumes the reality, affirms the truth, and then advances the GOOD NEWS God’s Spirit gave to him regarding the events and teaching of Jesus, the one whose birth we celebrate at Christmas.

Mark doesn’t say much, but he packs a ton of truth about Christmas in his opening verse!

Apply: What insight of Mark’s opening verse stands out to you in light of the truth of Christmas?

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the continuity between all the authors of the Bible.  While some you gave details and others you allowed authors to omit, through them all you communicated clearly your plan of love to save all of us from the consequence of our sins!