Luke 2:1-20

Good morning, RTB’ers!

I mentioned a few days ago that we were reading a Scripture passage with which we were quite familiar. I daresay that for many (or most) of us, there is no passage in all of Scripture with which we are more familiar than today’s reading. Jesus’ birth is recounted for us each Christmas; at St. Andrew’s we even have a children’s Christmas pageant that tells the story in words and action. But with such familiarity it can be difficult to pick out material which is new – unless we go deeper and look for it! Many years ago our pastor, David Brannen suggested to us, “Notice what you notice.” So if you’ve already read today’s passage, go back and read it again with “new eyes” and “notice what you notice”.

To that end, what did I notice? Surprisingly, something fairly small: “And they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen Him, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it were amazed about the things which were told them by the shepherds.” (vv. 16-18) Mary had already had an angelic visit from Gabriel telling her what to expect (Luke 1:26-38); Joseph had had a dream in which he was filled in on some details (Matthew 1:18-21). So together they knew and surely had talked together about this birth. And now these (lowly) shepherds come to the stable and report what they had seen and heard, fully confirming to Mary and Joseph that Gabriel’s words and Joseph’s dream had come to pass as predicted.

Nine years ago we were living in Richmond and, unknown to me, Carol was quietly looking around Versailles, wondering about us possibly moving here. Then one day between Christmas and New Year’s, 2014, she finally asked me, “Have you ever thought about moving to Versailles?” My response stunned both of us: “It’s been heavy on my heart the past week!” Truly, in our driving to St. Andrew’s for services for more than six years the thought had certainly crossed my mind. But in that week before Carol’s question to me, that thought had become a burning “desire”. It just made sense to me that we should look into moving. And then, Carol’s question… Our hearts are filled whenever we get confirmation from an external source of something, maybe a plan of action that we have been considering. For Carol and me, my response to her question was a full confirmation of our moving over here. Likewise, for Mary and Joseph, the shepherds’ visit was that confirmation of what they had been told. No doubt, this young, lonely couple was filled with joy at these shepherds’ words! Yes, most certainly, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people with whom He is pleased.” (Luke 1:14)

Blessings!

Luke 1:57-80

Good morning, RTB’ers!

Today we have a helpful explanatory note in STS prior to our readings. The note guides us a bit into the structure of Zechariah’s prayer/prophecy. What was intriguing to me in his prayer is that Zachariah’s words have little to do with his own son’s birth and more to do with Jesus. It’s only two verses that relate to John: “And you, child, also will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins…” (vv. 76-77).

The Holy Spirit is mentioned four times in this first chapter of Luke’s gospel – John, Elizabeth and Zachariah were all (or would be) filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:15,35,67) and for Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you…” (v. 41). One online source suggests that there will be fifteen more mentions of the Holy Spirit in Luke’s gospel (https://spectrummagazine.org/post-archives/misplaced-expectations-ministry-holy-spirit-presented-gospel-luke/). So the Holy Spirit is Someone we will want to be watching for as we read further, including in both of the next two chapters. Who is He? What does He do? What can He do to/for us? How can we know Him better? Good questions to ponder…

Blessings!

Luke 1:39-56

Good morning, RTB’ers!

I found myself answering elements of the STS’s first question this morning even before I read the question. As I read through Mary’s “Magnificat” I saw that she was referring to God’s relationship to herself in Luke 1:48-49 and then, pretty much to God’s relationship to the history of Israel in Luke 1:50-55. I hadn’t really noticed that before.

Two further reflections… First, my NASB Study Bible suggested that Mary stayed with Elizabeth through Elizabeth’s deliverance of her son, John. Presumably they add together Luke 1:36, that Elizabeth was in her sixth month; Luke 1:39, that Mary left quickly; and Luke 1:56, that Mary stayed with Elizabeth another three months. I’m guessing that most of us could draw that same conclusion.

My second item has to do with geography. It would be good if everyone has a (study?) Bible with maps in the back or an Internet connection with access to a map app. There are a couple of points worth noting from today’s reading. First, Zechariah (or Zacharias) and Elizabeth lived in “…the hill country of Judah”. (v. 39) Geographically, the hill country of Judah is a mountainous region west of the Dead Sea and south of Jerusalem. The major city in that region is Hebron, where King David ruled over Judah for seven years and six months (II Samuel 5:5). Jerusalem to Hebron would have been about a 12-hour walk. We don’t know exactly where Elizabeth lived, but she was somewhere in that region in and around Hebron, very likely somewhere between Hebron and Jerusalem. The point here is that when Mary went to visit her relative Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-40), she would have had a 3-4 day journey. Nazareth to Jerusalem would have been a 3-day journey, walking along the Jordan River, then another day (or portion thereof) on to wherever Elizabeth lived in the hill country of Judah. So, not a short trip for Mary, especially in her first trimester. Mothers, you can tell us all about what it would have been like for Mary in her first trimester! You’ll find that I love geography! Shortly we’ll find Mary traveling to Bethlehem to deliver her Child, Jesus. Bethlehem is also in the hill country of Judah, south of Jerusalem, probably a 3-4 hour walk (or donkey ride) from Jerusalem.

Blessings!

Luke 1:26-38

Good morning, RTB’ers!

Today’s reading is very familiar to us – the angel Gabriel and Mary, the mother of Jesus. We read it every Christmas and we celebrate it with a Christmas Pageant every year with our kids. Mary’s response is so well-known for us: “…may it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38b) And we ask the Lord that we can have that same response, “…whatever you ask, Lord”. The biggest difference between us and Mary is that Gabriel told Mary what God was asking of her. We, however, are constantly asking God what He wants from us, what He is asking us to do. We believe that we will do whatever He asks, but we wonder what that will be! What is God saying to me? What is God asking of me? Our never-ending question of Him…!

My further reflection on today’s reading is another familiar line: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also the holy Child will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35) We acknowledge Joseph as Jesus’ step-father, since God through the Holy Spirit provided the seed for Mary’s conception. Thus Jesus did not inherit that “original sin” with which the rest of us are born. “He…Who knew no sin…” (II Cor. 5:21; see also Hebrews 4:15, 7:26) Jesus remained sinless and thus could become that perfect sacrifice for us on the cross: “He made Him who knew no sin to become sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (II Cor. 5:21, again) The Incarnation… As Ben put it last week, “The greatest miracle of all time!”

Blessings!

Luke 1:1-25

Good morning, RTB’ers! And Happy New Year 2024!! We are so happy to have you along with us on this ride! May your Scripture reading be blessed, may you be filled with the Holy Spirit as you read and study, even as Zechariah’s promised son would also be filled (Luke 1:15). Sorry for the delayed post… Blame it on the ball dropping in New York and the eighth-note dropping in Nashville! Happy New Year, indeed!

I had commented to many of you that I would not be answering the STS questions in my morning posts. That’s your chore, actually not a chore but a blessing in that your work on those questions will bring you to a greater understanding of the text that we’ve just read, and with that greater understanding you will be blessed! If you read the “preface” material (those six pages from ix to xiv) you have learned that these STS questions, for the most part, have definite answers to which the authors are pointing you. But in answering those questions you will have also dug deeper into the reading and asked yourself further questions. Ideally, that’s the way it will be all year long, a set pattern: Pray, read, reflect, answer questions, reflect further, pray again, read e-mail comments, post your own comments, then go about your day. It’ll be a worthwhile 15, 20, 30 minutes of your time. Enjoy!!

So my further reflection on today’s reading has to do with the promised son, John, and his relation to Elijah, the prophet from the Old Testament (see I Kings 17-18): And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared. (Luke 1:16-17) I can’t even think the name Elijah without the song, “Days of Elijah” playing in my head: “These are the days of Elijah, declaring the Word of the Lord…” I’m guessing that those lines, those verses will now be playing in my head all day. And that’s a good thing!!

Blessings!!

Jesus wins!

Of course, most of us know this in our heads. But do we know this, truly, deep down, in our bones? Do we wake up each morning looking forward to that great Day when Jesus will appear in triumph? Or do we fret that the bad guys are gaining the upper hand? To be sure, the bad guys often do seem to be winning. Just look around! And it will get much worse before it gets better. But don’t give up. Don’t give in. Fight the good fight. Because in the end…

Jesus wins!

And so it is fitting that we praise Him with a few renditions of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus”, whose lyrics come from Revelation 19:6; 11:15; 19:16:

• Royal Choral Society
• Sydney Philharmonia Choirs
• Silent Monks 🙂

Come, Lord Jesus!

See also:

• December 26 (2021) / Revelation 17:1-18
• December 27 (2021) / Revelation 18:1-24
• December 28 (2021) / Revelation 19:1-21
• December 29 (2021) / Revelation 20:1-15
• December 30 (2021) / Revelation 21:1-27
• December 31 (2021) / Revelation 22:1-21

Revelation 8-16

As we read through Revelation, we see a lot of drama. There is conflict. There is tribulation. There are natural (and unnatural!) disasters, calamities, woes. There is a great struggle between Good and Evil. Except for a small faithful remnant, the whole earth is in utter rebellion against God, and they remain unrepentant. But even in the midst of all this turmoil, let me ask just one question: Who is in charge?

(Hint: It’s not the dragon, nor the beast from the sea, nor the beast from the earth…)

See also:

• December 20 (2021) / Revelation 7:1-8:13
• December 21 (2021) / Revelation 9:1-10:11
• December 22 (2021) / Revelation 11:1-19
• December 23 (2021) / Revelation 12:1-13:18
• December 24 (2021) / Revelation 14:1-15:8
• December 25 (2021) / Revelation 16:1-21

Revelation 1-7

Today we begin a mad dash through one of the most challenging books of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, aka the Apocalypse of John. (By the way, the word “apocalypse” simply means “revelation” or “disclosure”, but because of its association with this book, it has come to mean “end of the world” or “global catastrophe”.) We could quite literally spend a year or more studying just the first three chapters of this book — and that’s the easy part! And so, to assist us in our reading, I am not going to try to explain anything.

But I will say this… Although I am not generally a fan of The Chronological Study Bible that we have been using this year, I have to say that the notes introducing this book — the sections entitled “Apocalyptic Writings and the End Time” and “The Revelation to John” — are decent. Here is one bit that is helpful:

Throughout history apocalyptic literature has been most popular when current conditions have turned chaotic. At such times there has been a tendency to find remarkable similarities between one’s own situation and the biblical prophecies. This tendency should be resisted. Biblical prophecy was not given in order that we might create a timetable for future events. Rather its authors intended to stimulate obedience to and confidence in God, who remained firmly in control of both contemporary events and the future.

The Chronological Study Bible, NKJV, page 1408, copyright 2008, Thomas Nelson, Inc.

So keep that in mind as we read this final book of the Bible. Let the Lord Himself speak to you, and don’t jam it all up by trying to figure out every detail. But here’s a spoiler alert: Jesus wins!

And Who is this Jesus? He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty. (Revelation 1:8,17-18; 2:8; Isaiah 41:4) He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, [Who] has conquered. (Revelation 5:5; Genesis 49:9; Isaiah 11:1,10) He is the Lamb Who was slain. (Revelation 5:6,12; John 1:29) And He is worthy of our worship! (Revelation 5:12-14; 7:9-12)

Let’s listen to what He has to say.

See also:

• December 16 (2021) / Revelation 1:1-20
• December 17 (2021) / Revelation 2:1-29
• December 18 (2021) / Revelation 3:1-4:11
• December 19 (2021) / Revelation 5:1-6:17
• December 20 (2021) / Revelation 7:1-8:13

I John 1-5;
II John 1:1-13;
III John 1:1-15

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

I John 2:1-2

Most of the above (i.e., from “If anyone does sin…” onward) should sound quite familiar to Anglicans, as it is quoted in the “Comfortable Words” following the “Absolution” in our liturgy. Probably less familiar is the first sentence, the part where John says he is writing these things to you so that you may not sin. It seems to me that while we love the part that is quoted in the liturgy, many (most?) of us largely disregard this first sentence. Oh, sure, we know that we are not supposed to sin, but we are nonetheless perfectly content to accept a certain level of underlying sin (i.e., daily, constant, continual, habitual sin). We resign ourselves to this “everyday” sin as our “normal human condition”, so normal that we don’t bother confessing it as sin, and so normal that we never really repent. And in the end we just cozy right up to sin and love the things of the world, contrary to I John 2:15-16.

But is that the life that John describes? If God is light, are we to hang out in the shadows? Do we imagine that the purpose of the Cross is to remove the penalty of sin so that we can continue sinning? Are we not to be dead to sin and alive to righteousness? (Romans 6:11; I Peter 2:24) Let’s not try to explain away I John 3:4-10, supposing that those verses apply only to overt or “big” sins like murder or robbery or sexual immorality. Those verses are just as applicable to all that “everyday” sin we so casually tolerate within ourselves.

It’s time to take sin seriously. It’s time to repent. It’s time to really believe in the Son of God and receive all that He has done for us, freeing us from our bondage to sin, not just its penalty. It’s time to abide in the resurrected Christ.

And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

I John 5:11-13

It’s time to live this life now.

See also:

• December 9 (2021) / I John 1:1-10
• December 10 (2021) / I John 2:1-29
• December 11 (2021) / I John 3:1-24
• December 12 (2021) / I John 4:1-21
• December 13 (2021) / I John 5:1-21
• December 14 (2021) / II John 1:1-13
• December 15 (2021) / III John 1:1-14