Wednesday, November 30

Matthew 22:36

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Reflection

Jesus was asked this question by someone who probably was trying to trick him into saying something that could be held against him.  If Jesus lifted up one of God’s commands over another he could be accused of not taking all of God’s Word seriously.  However, let’s put aside the motivation for the question and think about it from another perspective.  How many times do we look for that one thing that we can do that will please God and make us look good in his eyes?  When we do this it is an attempt to find that one thing that will set us free.  We need to learn that it is not what we do that will set us free it is who Jesus is in our lives that will set us free.  When Jesus is the companion that walks with us on a daily basis then we will be set free.

Do you know Jesus in such a way that it frees you from the weight of sin that holds you back?

Tuesday, November 29

Luke 4:20-21

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down.  The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Reflection

After Jesus read the scripture from Isaiah he made a very shocking statement.  He said, “Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”  Jesus was declaring that he was the promised Messiah.  Jesus was saying that it was through his life and ministry that all people would be given the possibility of being set free from all the things that hold them back.

Have we received Jesus as God’s chosen Messiah?  Do we have faith in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection for our full and complete salvation?  Have we been set free by Jesus’ forgiveness and his liberating grace in each of our lives?  Those are the questions we need to consider.

Monday, November 28

Luke 4:16-19

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom.  And he stood up to read.  The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him.  Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:  “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

November 27 - December 3

Jesus Sets Us Free

Luke 4:16-21

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom.  And he stood up to read.  The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him.  Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down.  The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” 

Matthew 22:36-40

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?”  Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

When we celebrate the coming of Christ during the time of Advent and Christmas we sometimes get focused on the cute side of the holiday.  What do I mean by that?  What I mean is that we reduce our focus to the birth of a little baby.  When we do this we can find ourselves standing back and imagining Jesus in the manger and we think, “Oh isn’t that sweet.”

If Christmas is just focused on the birth of a cute little baby then we have missed the point.  The coming of Jesus into this world is the pivot point of all of history.  Nothing would ever be the same again.  Jesus ushered in a new era.  Jesus was destined, through his life, death and resurrection to set us free from all the things that hold us back.  What holds us back?  Sin, self-centeredness and fear are just a few of the things that keep us from experiencing life in the fullness that God had always intended.  Through the grace and love of Jesus we have been set free from all of those things.  Our lives being changed and completely turned around that is what Christmas is really all about.

This week we are going to focus on the fact that Jesus’ Advent into our world has set us free.

Saturday, November 26

Colossians 1:19-22

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.  Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.  But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation…

Reflection

What is the result of the reconciliation that we have through Christ’s sacrificial death?  Since we are reconciled and made right in every way through Jesus then we become holy in the sight of God.  Can you imagine that?  Through faith in Jesus we are forgiven for our sin and made holy.  However, it is even more than that.  We are made holy and we are without blemish and we are free from accusation.  All of this because of Christ’s death and resurrection.

Reconciliation means more than right relationships with other people.  Reconciliation means that we have been made right in God’s eyes to the point that he sees nothing but the holiness of Jesus that resides in our lives through faith.

Take time to give thanks for Christ’s gift of reconciliation today.

Friday, November 25

Romans 5:9-11

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!  For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!  Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Reflection

The Apostle Paul tells us that at one time we were the enemies of God.  But that has all been changed through the coming of Jesus and the shedding of his blood on the cross.  We can rejoice in Jesus because we have received the gift of reconciliation. 

God loves us that much!  That is a reality that can’t be kept to ourselves.  We have been reconciled and saved but we are also sent.  We are sent to the people in our lives who haven’t received the good news of reconciling love that is given to us in Jesus.

Do you know anyone who needs to receive Christ’s reconciliation?  Have you shared the love of Jesus with them?

Thursday, November 24

Luke 2:17-18

When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

Reflection

When we experience the reconciliation that comes into our lives through Jesus Christ then we should respond in the same manner as the shepherds.  They went out and told everyone they could about the coming of the Savior who could change our lives and bring us back into relationship with God the Father. 

Do we share the good news of being reconciled in all things through Jesus?  When we receive Christ’s grace and love we can’t keep it to ourselves we need to tell others. 

Have you shared the good news of Christ’s reconciliation?

Wednesday, November 23

Luke 2:16

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

Reflection

When the shepherds heard the good news from the angels that a Savior had been born they went in search of the child.  Does God’s good news cause us to search for God’s grace so that we can be reconciled to God, to one another and to all of life?  God offers us, through Jesus, all kinds of avenues for reconciliation.  However, we sometimes have to go looking for them and sometimes we find God’s reconciling love in the most unexpected places. 

Are you searching for Christ’s reconciliation?  Does it sometimes come to you in surprising and unexpected ways?