Seek First – Kingdom Focused Devotionals

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, and has raised up a horn of  salvation for us in the house of David His servant” (Lk. 1:68-69).

                The songs of Christmas are one of the most loved aspects of this great holiday.  We begin to hear them in public places the moment Thanksgiving has passed.  Luke includes several great songs.  Yesterday we looked at Mary’s song and today we will look at the song of Zacharias, the father of John. 

                John the Baptist has now been born and the nine month silence of Zacharias is lifted once he writes “His name is John” (Lk. 1:64).  He breaks into praise prompted by the Holy Spirit.  You will  notice  a connection between the name of Zacharias’ son and the contents of the hymn.  John means “God is merciful” and this hymn is filled with praise for God’s glorious acts of salvation which are the outworking of His mercy. 

                Zacharias begins by praising God for visiting man and accomplishing the redemption of His people by raising up a horn of salvation in the house of David.  The power of an animal is concentrated in his horn, God’s redeeming power will be concentrated in the Messiah-Redeemer from the house of David.  Zacharias first focuses on the birth of the Messiah before referencing the birth of his own son who will be called the prophet of the Most High and prepare the way of the Lord (76-77). 

                The redemption brought to man by the Messiah will result in salvation through the forgiveness of sins (1:77).  The reference to the Messiah as the “Sunrise” fulfills the words of Malachi (4:2) who declares—“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.”  The purpose of the divine visit?–“To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death “(79).  What a Savior!  Have you experienced His light?  If not call upon Him today.

Prayer:  Father, you are a merciful God.  Thank you salvation; the forgiveness of our sins.  Amen

  “My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior” (Lk. 1:46).

                The term “magnificat” comes from the opening words in the Latin translation.  Mary is moved by Elizabeth’s greeting affirming that the days of Messianic fulfillment had come.  She breaks forth into spontaneous praise that is almost wholly made up from Old Testament quotations.  Once again we are given a glimpse into the spiritual life of this humble servant whom God chose as the instrument though which His Son would enter human existence.  There can be little doubt that she had been immersed in Scripture from early childhood and had committed much to memory. 

                The hymn has regal majesty, focusing on the greatness of God.  Mary underscores both the holiness and the great might of God.  She calls Him “Mighty One” (1:49) and speaks of His “mighty deeds” (1:51).  While the hymn throughout focuses on the greatness of God, Mary speaks poignantly of the great reversal that has begun by the announced entrance of God in flesh into the life of mankind.  In God’s choice of humble persons like herself and Elizabeth, Mary sees the beginning of a revolution that turns man’s estimation of greatness upside down. 

                Mary speaks of the scattering of the proud, the bringing down of the rulers, the exalting of the humble and the filling of the hungry.  The birth of the King of kings in a lowly stable will demonstrate God’s great reversal.  We have witnessed this principle being fulfilled for twenty centuries, but they will find their perfect consummation when the Humble Servant is revealed as Conquering King. 

Prayer:  Thank you for filling the hungry with good things.  Make me hungry for You this Christmas.  Amen

“It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17a).

                This week we will look at the Christmas story from Luke’s vantage point.  You will see many similarities as well as several unique emphases.  Luke wants us to see the wonder of the beginning of the Messianic age.  After 400 years of prophetic silence, the prophetic gift is being restored and the day of promise is now at hand. 

                As you are reading these devotionals, I would strongly encourage you to read the entire context in Luke’s gospel.  In the first four verses of chapter one, Luke tells us that he is providing a carefully investigated report as provided by eyewitnesses.  For that reason, he intends to tell the story in consecutive order “so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught” (4).  The significance of this statement should not be overlooked.  Luke is writing at a time that eyewitnesses are still alive and thus his claim to provide the “exact truth” indicates the boldness with which he writes.  If any of his story was found to be false by those who have lived during the time of Christ, the entire Christian movement would be destroyed even before it began.  You can rely on the veracity of God’s Word. 

                Luke begins his Christmas narrative with the story of the birth of the forerunner of the Messiah.  Zacharias is a priest from the division of Abijah and he is married to Elizabeth, a priest’s daughter.  They are described as “righteous” and “blameless.”  This doesn’t mean that they were sinless; it means that they had served the Lord faithfully.  This fact would have made their childless state hard to understand.  Many persons during this time believed that God would bless His faithful with children. 

While Zacharias was going about his priestly duty an angel appeared to him, informing him that his prayer had been heard.  It is likely that the content of his prayer was related to the redemption of Israel.  But to his utter astonishment, this angelic assurance is followed by the announcement that his elderly wife Elizabeth was to have a son they would name John, “The Lord is merciful.”  The two messages are actually related. 

His birth will cause many to rejoice.  He will be great in the sight of the Lord and will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb (15).  The reference to total abstinence reminds us of those who took the Nazirite vow.  He will turn many Israelites back to God and will serve as the “forerunner” of the Messiah.  He is the one who will go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah to make ready a people for the Lord.  If you glance ahead to Luke 3:1-20 you can read more about his ministry. 

As great a man as John was, he made it clear that he was simply the messenger who was preparing people for the mightier one. 

Prayer:  Thank You for sending John to prepare your people for the coming Christ.  May my heart be prepared to celebrate the birth of the King.  Amen

“Greetings favored one!  The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:28)

                The angelic messenger is again dispatched, this time to the city of Nazareth.  He visits Mary who is a virgin engaged to Joseph, who is from the tribe of David.  The angel greets her as the “favored one” and explains the greeting with the assertion, “The Lord is with you.”  This does not suggest that Mary can confer favor, but that she has received favor from God.  God has shown her favor by selecting her to be the mother of His Son.  Mary, in her humility, is perplexed by the greeting but willing to hear the messenger.  For that reason she ponders concerning the full meaning of this greeting. 

                The angel clarifies by telling Mary that God has chosen her to conceive and bear a son that she should name Jesus.  “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David” (1:32).  “Son of the Most High” indicates the absolute uniqueness of Jesus’ divine sonship.  “Throne of David” refers to the absolute sovereignty promised in the Old Testament to the Messiah-king from the lineage of David (2 Sam. 7:14).  But this is no ordinary nor earthly king; for His kingdom will have no end (Lk. 1:33). 

                Mary believes that what the messenger has announced is truth but she can’t understand her role since she is still a virgin (1:34).  The angel’s message is beyond our human comprehension.  The Holy Spirit will come upon her and the power of the Most High will overshadow her with His power.  This does not suggest that Jesus becomes the Son of God through the miraculous conception.  He was and is eternally the Son of God.  God will, through this miraculous act, reveal Himself in human flesh and as such will be acknowledged as the Son of God. 

                The very idea is beyond human comprehension and thus the angel assures her—“For nothing will be impossible with God” (1:37).  Mary’s response is one of humble submission—“Behold the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word” (1:38).  May the humble response of Mary become the cry of our heart each day. 

Prayer: Father, behold your servant.  My answer to your Word today is “yes.”  Amen

“This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets; ‘He shall be called a Nazarene’” (Matt. 2:23).

                Herod died in 4 B.C. and Archelaus (Matt. 2: 22) succeeded his father in the southern part of the kingdom.  His character was soon demonstrated to be no better than his father’s.  He was actually deposed for misrule in A.D. 6.  Galilee was ruled by Archelaus’ half brother Herod Antipas.  The area under his rule proved to be a safer place to raise a child who was God’s anointed King. 

                We have already noted that the Messiah was expected to come from Bethlehem (Matt. 2:4) and the fact that Jesus’ was from Nazareth, an insignificant town with a partly Gentile population could prove to be an embarrassment.  You may recall that John draws attention to this concern as Jesus begins to call His first followers.  When Philip tells Nathanael that they had found the promised Messiah in Jesus of Nazareth, Nathanael responds, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth” (Jn. 1:46).

                We do have a bit of a puzzle here.  Nazareth is not mentioned in the Old Testament and there is no specific prophecy that says, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”  What then does Matthew mean?  First notice that Matthew breaks his normal pattern.  He does not refer to a single prophet but simply, “the prophets.”  Second it does not conclude with any “saying” but with the observation that “He shall be called a Nazarene.”  Thus Matthew is not referring to a particular prophet or text, but to the theme of prophetic expectation. 

                Matthew saw in the obscurity of Nazareth the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy that Messiah would be a humble and rejected King.  His humble birth and His insignificant hometown were incompatible with royal dignity.  He was indeed nothing more than a shoot from a cut-down stump (Is. 53:2).  Isn’t God incredible?  He clothed royal dignity in humble humanity. 

Prayer:  Father, may I truly understand the sacrifice of Christmas.  The One born in a lowly manger and from an insignificant town is truly the King of kings.  Amen.

“A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be comforted, because they were no more” (Matt. 2:18).

                We have already spoken of the ruthless nature of the paranoid King Herod.  It is not surprising that his fear of a potential rival to his throne led him to kill the male children in Bethlehem.  Dick France estimates that the population of Bethlehem would have been about 1,000 and thus estimates that the massacre would have included about twenty male children.  It is not surprising that this event is not mentioned by secular historians of the time, who would have viewed it as a minor incident of the time. 

                But this event is included by Matthew because he sees in it a fulfillment of a scriptural pattern.  Lest you misunderstand the point, this text does not in any way suggest that God or Scripture should be held accountable for the slaughter.  God is not the author of evil and thus does not cause evil to advance His own purposes.  In fact, Matthew uses the neutral saying, “then…was fulfilled” to indicate that a wrong or evil action was seen as fulfilling a prophecy.  God is sufficiently powerful that He can bring good out of evil.  All the schemes of the adversary and his pawns cannot thwart the divine purposes of God. 

                The quotation is slightly abbreviated from Jeremiah 31:15.  If you read it in its original context you will find that the following verses promise that Rachael’s children (captives taken into exile) will return providing hope for the future.  It seems likely that Matthew wants us to understand that Bethlehem’s mourning is temporary from which God will bring joy and redemption through Bethlehem’s Messiah. 

                Isn’t it good to know that your serve a God who turns bereavement into blessing?

Prayer:  Father, thank You for turning weeping into joy.  You are all-powerful.  Amen

“This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet; ‘Out of Egypt I called my Son’” (Matt. 2:15b).

                After the departure of the wise men, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and warns him to take Mary and the Child and to flee to Egypt.  The ruthlessness of Herod in his later years is well documented.  Three of his own sons were the victims of his paranoia.   We can see in this story not only the fulfillment of prophecy but God’s protection of His Son. 

                There is an underlying theme that is somewhat like a sub-plot in a novel.  Did you happen to notice the parallels between the childhood of Jesus and that of Moses?  Jesus as the greater Moses is a minor theme but would have been clear for Jewish readers who were familiar with non-biblical Jewish traditions about Moses.  According to tradition a “sacred scribe” foretold the birth of the delivered of Israel.  In response, Pharaoh orders the death of all young male children.  Moses’ father was told in a dream that his son would deliver Israel and thus he rescued him from the massacre.   A Jewish reader would have made the connection and have seen Jesus as a greater Moses and the anointed deliverer of God’s people. 

                Egypt as a place of refuge was natural; it had served thus for other Israelites in political trouble (1 Ki. 11:40, 2 Ki. 25:26 and Jere. 26:21).  In Egypt, Jesus was beyond the jurisdiction of Herod.  But we must not miss the detailed fulfillment of Scripture in the birth and childhood of Jesus.  For Matthew, Egypt was the place where Israel’s history as the people of God began.   Now God was preparing another delivered for a new people of God made up of all nations. 

Prayer:  Your sovereign care gives us the courage to face our uncertain future.  Amen

“After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshipped Him.  Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matt. 2:11).

                These earthly kings are not in Bethlehem to pay their respects to an equal, they have come to worship the One who is king of kings.  Their response of worship and the presentation of their gifts indicate that they understood His exalted status. 

                Their gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—were not only gifts fit for a king but they were intended to indicate the fulfillment of Old Testament passages such as Ps. 72:10ff. And Isa. 60:1ff.  Listen to Ps. 72:10-11.  “Let the kings of Tarshish and of the islands bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.  And let all kings bow down before him, all nations serve him.”  The Psalmist actually mentions gold in verse 15.  Isaiah 60:6 mentions the gold and frankincense.  The use of myrrh in the crucifixion and burial (Mk. 15:23 and Jn. 19:39) has led to the suggestion that the gift of myrrh symbolized Jesus’ suffering.  But myrrh in the Old Testament was a symbol of joy and festivity (Song 5:5). 

                Let’s don’t become so focused on the meaning of the individual gifts that we miss the significance of the worship and gift-giving of these pagan kings.  God’s desire is that all nations and all peoples have the privilege of knowing Him as their rightful King.  Christmas should remind us of the need to make Christ known to the nations. 

Prayer:  Father, may we declare the Good News of Christmas year round and around the world.  Amen

“And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; for out of you shall come forth a ruler who will shepherd my people, Israel” (Matt. 2:6).

                After the wise men departed, the monarch called together the chief priests and scribe to determine where the Messiah was to be born.  They immediately respond that He will be born in Bethlehem as the prophet predicted.  I have always found it tragic that the religious leaders who knew the prophecies were so spiritually blind that they failed to believe them when they were actually fulfilled. 

                The religious leaders quote Micah 5:2.  If you compare it with the Old Testament citation you will see several alterations.  The ancient name of the city is replaced by the current and thus more recognizable name.  Second, “land of Judah” is added to differentiate it from Bethlehem in Galilee and possibly to underline Jesus’ origin from the royal tribe.  Micah’s statement of Bethlehem’s insignificance is actually reversed by the addition of “by no means.”  The birth of the Christ in Bethlehem has altered everything.  Its significance is now determined by the One who has been born in a lowly manger. 

                The description of His ministry in terms of “shepherding” actually comes from 2 Samuel 5:2 which contains the description of David’s role as shepherd of Israel.  Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Matthew has quoted freely and knit these verses together to indicate that the birth that has transpired in Bethlehem has not only altered this insignificant city but it has altered all of history. 

Prayer:  Father, we are continually stunned that You chose the lowly to confound the mighty.  Thank you for sending your Son to be born in Bethlehem in a lowly stable.  Amen.

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” (Matt. 2:1-2a).

                The story of the wise men that came from the east is one that has been dramatized many times in Christmas plays of all shapes and sizes.  We must confess that we don’t know a great deal about these men.  The word “magi” means “wise men” and thus they are probably to be connected with a group of scholars who studied the stars.  God gave them a miraculous sign which led them to Jerusalem. 

                We are never actually told how many wise men came on this holy pilgrimage.  We have assumed it was three because of the mention of the three gifts.  It is clear that when their caravan arrived it was sufficiently large to throw the city into turmoil (2:3).  The most important aspect of the visit of the wise men is seen in their desire to worship the “king of the Jews.”  They did not come to pay homage to an equal but to worship the King.  We should not fail to notice that they were Gentiles and not Jews. 

                Jesus came not simply to be the Jewish Messiah but He came to be the Redeemer of all the earth.  We see here God’s concern for all the nations.  He is the rightful King of all the peoples and nations of the earth and He sent His Son to be King of all “wise men.”  Wise men are those who recognize Him as their rightful King.  Have you come to worship Him?  If so have you obeyed His command to disciple the nations (Matt. 28:19-20). 

Prayer:  I join the wise men in worshipping You the only true King.  Amen