12/17-12/23

Advent Week 3 Devotional: Good News of Great Joy

After hundreds of years of being enslaved in Egypt, when the Hebrew people were finally set free from their oppressors they began singing and praising the Lord. A psalmist described it this way, “he {God} brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing” (Psalm 105:43 NRSV). God’s deliverance of his people resulted in praising the Lord, our Deliverer. Our response to what God does for us, including delivering us from sin and death, should be joyful worship and adoration.

 

When the angel visited the shepherds on the night Jesus was born, the angel proclaimed, “I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11 NRSV). The angel reminds us that the story of Christmas is good news for all people. It is a gospel message of great joy for everyone! The source of hope, love, joy, and peace chose to be born among us and abide with us. Through our faith in Jesus and the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ we have an overflowing joy that can be seen when we worship God and tell others the good news, as well as when we give cheerfully and live generously. Don’t try to hide it, but instead let the joy of the Lord that is in you overflow into singing, proclaiming, giving, and generosity.

 

During the Advent season, we are reminded that God is the source of joy. This daily devotional for the third week of the season is designed to help us focus on the ”good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10 NRSV). The format is designed for you to use as much or little as you have time to use each day. Below is a guide for the daily use of this Advent devotional:

Each Day

• Read the brief hymn, confession, or message about Jesus from the New Testament verses

• Spend a few minutes letting the message about Jesus roll around in your mind as you quietly wait in the presence of the Lord
• Read The Bible verses for the day
• Answer the question(s) using a journal or notebook, or simply think about your responses

• Listen to an Advent Hymn or Song
• Pray using the written prayer and/or your own
• Live in Response to Jesus

 

Week #3 New Testament Testimony about Christ:

To set your heart and mind on the “good news of great joy” this week, each day read the verses below to begin your time set apart to be with, and encounter, the living God revealed in and through Jesus:

 

The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory,

the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth…

From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

The law indeed was given through Moses;

grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son,

who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known. – John 1:14-18 NRSV

 

Silence & Solitude:

You are encouraged to spend a few minutes quietly alone with God after reading the verses from John’s gospel. You may find it helpful to sit, kneel, lay down, or walk as the message about Jesus rolls around in your heart and mind.

 

READ the Daily Bible Verses:

Sunday – Luke 1:5-25 (The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold)

Monday – Luke 1:26-38 (The Birth of Jesus Foretold)

Tuesday – Luke 1:39-56 (Mary Visits Elizabeth)

Wednesday – Luke 1:57-80 (The Birth of John the Baptist)

Thursday – Luke 2:1-20 (The Birth of Jesus)

Friday – Luke 2:21-40 (Jesus Presented in the Temple)

Saturday – Isaiah 42:1-9 (A prophesy about Jesus, the Servant of the Lord)

*The Sabbath theme for the weekend is “delight.”

 

Daily Questions:

What do these Bible verses reveal about God or Jesus?

What do these verses reveal about hope, love, joy, or peace?

How should I respond to God’s good news in these verses?

Who needs to hear the Christmas story today, this week, or later this season?

How am I going to share it with them?

 

*At the end of the day ask yourself the following questions:

How did I experience the hope, love, joy, and/or peace of the Lord today?

How did I express Christ’s humility, compassion, forgiveness, or love to others today?

 

Listen to a Hymn:

You are encouraged to listen to the hymn for this week at least on a few days either using the links below for the YouTube videos, another streaming service, or using versions that are familiar to you that you have available:

“Joy to the World”

Phil Wickham’s live version from The Chosen set:

 

One for Israel Ministry version in Hebrew, Arabic, & English:

 

Pray:

You are invited to conclude your devotional time using this prayer, your own prayer, or a combination of both:

 

O Lord who became flesh and lived among us,

we rejoice in you and what you have done.

In Jesus the Christ you revealed the fullness of your grace and truth,

and made yourself known to us mortals.

You are our king, and we are the people of your kingdom.

Reign and rule in our hearts and lives.

Let your kingdom come and your will be done

throughout the earth as it is in heaven.

May you be honored and praised today and always,

as heaven, nature, and all creation sing praises to our King.

What a gift that you came to us in the past,

that your Spirit continues to be with us in the present,

and Christ will come again in the future.

In the fulness of your presence there is overflowing joy!

During this Advent season we are reminded again

that You are the source of hope, love, joy, and peace.

Help us to represent you, today, to the world you came to save

through living and embodying the virtues of Christ,

including humility, compassion, forgiveness, and love.

We rejoice and pray in you, God our Father, Jesus the Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

*If you do not have a Bible, consider downloading the YouVersion Bible App for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play for your smartphone or tablet. You can also use www.BibleGateway.com to look up and read various translations of Bible verses online.