FOOTSTEPS EVERY DAY
A DEVOTIONAL COMMENTARY
Free sample of the first nine days of FOOTSTEPS EVERY DAY: LUKE
Day 1
Read and Listen: Luke 1:1-4
Take a minute to listen for what God is saying in these verses…
Comment and Consider
Luke was a Gentile physician who met Paul and his disciples in Alexandria Troas on the west coast of modern-day Turkey during the second missional journey. (See Acts 16:10 where Luke’s narrative shifts from “they” to “we”). We don’t know if Luke was already a believer when they met, but we know that he became one of Paul’s closest disciples. Some believe Luke lived in Philippi, because he traveled there from Troas with Paul and then stayed until Paul returned to Philippi a few years later on his way back to Jerusalem at the end of the third missional journey. (See Acts 20:6.)
From that point on, Luke remained with Paul through his arrest in Jerusalem, his imprisonment under the Roman Governors Felix and Festus in Caesarea on the coast of Judea, and all the way to his house imprisonment in Rome at the end of the book of Acts. Luke was still Paul’s faithful companion during his final imprisonment in Rome, shortly before his execution, probably by the Emperor Nero. (See 2 Timothy 4:11.) Luke wrote his Gospel as the first volume of a two-volume work, followed by the Acts of the Apostles.
Luke dedicates his two-volume narrative to the “most honorable Theophilus,” a title usually reserved for upper class people of means and position. It seems as though Theophilus was a newer believer who supported Luke’s efforts to write a more comprehensive and accurate account of what Jesus said and did during his 33 or so years on earth. “Theophilus” is a Greek name, indicating he was most likely a Gentile, possibly a wealthy business owner or even a Roman official. Luke is the only Gentile author of a biblical book, so it is not surprising he puts a special emphasis on Jesus’ teaching that the Kingdom of God is for Jews and Gentiles alike.
Luke recognizes that others had compiled the eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life, but he indicates his approach was more systematic by stating he “carefully investigated” these events in order to write “an orderly sequence.” Although Luke was not one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, he clearly received his information from those who were eyewitnesses, probably interviewing as many as he could during the two years of Paul’s imprisonment on the coast of Israel. More than the other Gospel writers, Luke carefully set his narrative in the context of major historical figures, such as King Herod (1:5), Caesar Augustus (2:1), Quirinus the Roman governor of Syria (2:2), Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Herod Antipas, Herod Philip, and the High Priests Annas and Caiaphas (3:1-2).
Luke’s purpose in writing the Gospel is clear. He wanted Theophilus and others, including us, to become more certain of the words of Jesus and the events of his life so we can follow him more closely and share the Good News of the Kingdom with greater confidence. This marked a major shift from relying on the oral accounts of Jesus’ words and actions relayed by the Apostles who witnessed them or others who passed on what they heard from these eyewitnesses. Luke wanted everyone to be able to hear an accurate account of Jesus’ life, regardless of whether they were able to receive it directly from an eyewitness. And so he researched the incredible story by asking those eyewitnesses what they heard with their own ears and saw with their own eyes, and he wrote it all down in this orderly account for us.
Imagine if Luke and the other Gospel writers had never written down the apostolic witness. We would be relying on traditions about Jesus passed down innumerable times with highly dubious accuracy. Instead, we have a clearly written account of the eyewitness testimony of the most extraordinary life ever lived and the most powerful teaching ever given, which constitutes the greatest Good News this world has ever known!
How much do you value the Word of God? How easily do you take it for granted? How can a renewed wonder for the gift of the Bible motivate your reading of the Gospel of Luke in the coming weeks?
Reflect and Respond
What is God saying to me right now?
What step of faith is God calling me to take today?
Day 2
Read and Listen: Luke 1:5-25
Take a minute to listen for what God is saying in these verses…
Comment and Consider
Mark begins his Gospel with Jesus’ baptism and temptation. Matthew begins with the conception of Jesus. But Luke takes it back one step further to the conception of John the Baptist. Luke frames the beginning of his story at the end the reign of Herod the Great, who ruled over the Roman provinces of Idumea, Judea, Samaria, Galilee, Gaulanitus, Trachonitus, and Perea from 37 to 4 BC. Luke introduces us to Elizabeth, a relative of Mary who came from a priestly family, and her husband Zechariah, who served as a priest in the division of Abijah. They lived somewhere west of Jerusalem in the hill country of Judea. Luke tells us they were elderly and childless.
The priests of Israel were divided into 24 divisions, and they lived throughout the land, but they came to Jerusalem twice a year to serve in the Temple for one week at a time. During that week (called a “course”) they were busy carrying out the normal functions of the Temple, including the slaughter of animals, the ritual sprinkling of blood, and the burning of offerings on the huge outdoor altar. Each day one of the priests was chosen by lots (like rolling dice) to enter the Sanctuary, the Temple building itself, and replenish the incense which burned continually as a symbol of the prayers rising before God day and night. This was a rare privilege since thousands of priests served in the Temple at any given time. A typical priest might be chosen to go into the Temple only once or twice in his lifetime.
Luke tells us Zechariah was serving one of his week-long courses in the Temple and was chosen by lot to enter the Sanctuary to replenish the incense. When Zechariah entered the Temple, he would have been in awe of the golden decorations covering the inside, the intricately woven curtain at the far end separating the Holy of Holies, the golden lampstand, the golden table for the showbread, and the altar of incense. Outside the other priests led a worship service in the Court of the Women and waited for Zechariah to complete his task.
Then the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah beside the altar of incense and delivered the incredibly good news that he and Elizabeth would conceive a son and name him John. Gabriel went on to tell him this special child would be filled with the Spirit even before birth and would prepare the way for the Messiah by turning the hearts of God’s people in the spirit and power of Elijah. When Zechariah questioned all this, Gabriel told him he would be struck mute until the baby was born.
There are two named angels in the Bible. Gabriel appears primarily as a messenger from God, while Michael appears primarily as the leader of the heavenly armies of God. It is good to remember that biblical angels are not lovely ladies in flowing dresses or pudgy children with wings, but terrifying heavenly beings who constantly tell people not to be afraid! When Zechariah finally emerged from the Temple unable to speak, the other priests realized he had experienced a supernatural encounter. Luke tells us that exactly what Gabriel prophesied came to pass, and Elizabeth became pregnant in her old age! She recognized this as a miracle from God saying, “The Lord has done this for me.”
Are there things in your life that you long for but have given up on and stopped praying for? Are there promises God has made that you find difficult to believe? What does Zechariah and Elizabeth’s experience demonstrate? What can we learn from their different responses?
Reflect and Respond
What is God saying to me right now?
What step of faith is God calling me to take today?
Day 3
Read and Listen: Luke 1:26-38
Take a minute to listen for what God is saying in these verses…
Comment and Consider
Most Jewish girls in the first century were engaged to be married between the ages of 12 and 14. Engagement was defined by a written legal contract in which two extended families agreed to certain terms, including the amount of the dowry. The engaged couple continued living with their respective extended families until the time of the marriage, usually about a year later, and were expected to abstain from sexual relations. If the engagement was broken, it was considered a “divorce,” and infidelity would be treated as adultery.
Luke describes a second dramatic visitation by the angel Gabriel six months after his appearance to Elizabeth, in which he delivered an even more incredible message. He told Mary she would miraculously conceive a son, although she was still a virgin, and that son would be the Messiah who would establish and rule an eternal Kingdom! Like Zechariah, Mary was shaken by this angelic visitation and was likewise reassured by Gabriel. However, it was not just the glorious appearance of an angel that troubled Mary, but also the dreadful implications of his message.
First, the obvious question was how Mary could become pregnant if she had never had sex. Second, if she did become pregnant before she and Joseph were married, it would be disastrous for her and her family. In the honor/shame culture of the first-century Middle East, your primary obligation was to bring honor to your family and to avoid bringing them shame. Mary becoming pregnant outside of marriage would bring public shame on her extended family. Since Joseph would know the child was not his, he would surely divorce her for infidelity. This calamity would ruin any chance Mary had of future marriage prospects. All her dreams for a future family were about to be shattered. Moreover, the Law prescribed death by stoning for those guilty of infidelity, and Mary would certainly be accused of this. While Gabriel’s message to Zechariah was wonderfully good news, it is hard to imagine worse news for Mary to receive.
At first glance, Mary’s reply to Gabriel sounds similar to Zechariah’s question: “How can this be…? But Gabriel’s very different responses to each of them tell us the intent behind Mary’s question was quite different. Zechariah was struck mute because his question was an expression of stubborn disbelief. However, instead of rebuking Mary as he did Zechariah, Gabriel answered her question, explaining the Holy Spirit would cause this miracle to take place. He offered her further promises and pointed to the testimony of Elizabeth in order to help her believe those promises. All this tells us Mary’s question was not a cynical expression of stubborn disbelief but was a genuine effort to understand in order to believe.
Do you question God’s promises to you? Where are your questions coming from? Are you trying to avoid the challenge of believing and living into those promises? Or are you genuinely asking for help into order to believe and trust God’s promises?
Mary listened to Gabriel’s response and, knowing full well all it would cost her, she chose to submit and trust God’s promise, “See, I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said.” The result was the redemption of all creation! What might happen in your life if you do the same?
Reflect and Respond
What is God saying to me right now?
What step of faith is God calling me to take today?
Day 4
Read and Listen: Luke 1:39-45
Take a minute to listen for what God is saying in these verses…
Comment and Consider
Elizabeth came from a priestly family and was related to Mary’s family, although we don’t know exactly how. Since Elizabeth was at least a generation older than Mary, she may have been her aunt or even a great aunt. Luke tells us Joseph and Mary brought their family from Nazareth to Jerusalem every year for the celebration of Passover, so these two families must have gathered together to celebrate at least once a year. (See Luke 2:41.) Perhaps this visit during their pregnancies first cemented the bond between them which would continue in the years to come.
Mary would never dare to take this rigorous five-day journey alone, so she must have joined a group of people she knew from Nazareth who were traveling to Jerusalem, either for trade or to celebrate a religious festival. Gabriel had told Mary of Elizabeth’s miraculous conception, and it is understandable that Mary would want to go and talk to her about the amazing things they were both experiencing.
We can just imagine the powerful emotions this young girl must have felt after this arduous journey brought her to Elizabeth and Zechariah’s front door. She must have hoped against hope that at least one person in the world would believe her story and could understand what she was going through. Luke describes the profound experience Elizabeth had when the very sound of Mary’s voice provoked a joyful response from the special child inside her womb! It was at this moment she was “filled with the Holy Spirit.”
“Filled with the Spirit” is an important phrase in Luke’s Gospel and Acts. We know the Holy Spirit does not force his way into our lives, but rather stands at the door with Jesus, knocking to come in. (See Revelation 3:20.) Furthermore, we know we can resist the Spirit and quench his work in our lives. (See 1 Thessalonians 5:19 and Acts 7:51.) Being “filled with the Spirit” is what happens when we say “yes” to his presence within us and yield more control of our lives to him to do God’s will. It is giving the Spirit freedom to guide and empower our lives.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s voice, the child in her womb leapt for joy, and she prophetically exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed! How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Humanly speaking, Elizabeth had no way of knowing that Mary was pregnant, much less the miraculous nature of her pregnancy. This was a prophetic insight the Holy Spirit revealed to her. Elizabeth even prophesied this baby was a King when she referred to Mary as “the mother of my Lord.” Elizabeth’s openness to receiving the Spirit and submitting to his guidance allowed her to exercise the gift of prophecy and declare the truth about the child miraculously conceived inside of Mary.
It must have been incredibly reassuring for Mary to hear this prophecy from Elizabeth and to be able to share with her the details of her extraordinary experience, which would have made most people think she was crazy! Elizabeth’s words and testimony helped Mary believe what Gabriel said to her was true. As Elizabeth said of Mary, “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!”
Are there people in your life who “get you” and support you, even when you share things that might be hard to believe? Are there people who speak into your life to help you trust God’s promises? Are you learning to speak words of prophecy and faith into the lives of those who look to you for help?
Reflect and Respond
What is God saying to me right now?
What step of faith is God calling me to take today?
Day 5
Read and Listen: Luke 1:46-56
Take a minute to listen for what God is saying in these verses…
Comment and Consider
Luke continues his description of the dramatic encounter between these two miraculously pregnant women when Mary first arrived at Elizabeth and Zechariah’s home in the hill country of Judea. First Elizabeth was filled with the Spirit and cried out prophetic declarations over Mary, but now it was Mary’s turn to prophesy. The incredible song of praise that poured out of Mary’s soul in response to Elizabeth’s prophecy demonstrates how deeply moved she was to find someone who understood her inexplicable condition and affirmed it was in fact God’s blessing for her and the whole world.
This beautiful and profound song is often called “the Magnificat,” based on the first word in the Latin translation of Mary’s song. It has been set to music in countless languages and sung during Advent in churches all over the world for two millennia. Mary embraced the universal implications of the child she carried by declaring that “all generations will call me blessed.” Perhaps no woman has been as widely revered and honored in all of human history as Mary of Nazareth.
At the same time, Mary recognized how unlikely she was to be honored in this way. “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, because he has looked with favor
on the humble condition of his servant.” She was, after all, simply a young girl from a small village in rural Galilee with no particular wealth, power, or position, and yet God chose her to be the means by which he would enter his creation to redeem all of humanity and renew all of creation. Surely there can be no greater reversal of honor and power than that!
God scatters the proud, topples kings from their thrones, and leaves the rich empty. At the same time, he lifts the lowly, satisfies the hungry, and shows favor to his humble servant. This paradoxical reversal of the powerless over the powerful is one of the characteristics of the Kingdom which Mary’s Son would one day proclaim and demonstrate by his scathing criticism of the hypocrisy of those in power and his open-armed welcome of the outcasts, the unclean, and sinners. Mary was prophesying the nature of her Son’s coming Kingdom!
Mary recognized the child she carried was the fulfilment of God’s covenant with Abraham, who was promised as many descendants as the stars of the sky, with the mandate that they would be a blessing to all the families of the earth. The exclusivism and entitlement of the Jewish religious leaders contradicted this calling to reach every tribe and nation, but the coming Messiah would call Israel back to her original mission by sending his disciples to the very ends of the earth. Again, Mary foretold the path her son would soon walk.
Jesus often described the paradoxical reversal of God’s Kingdom in which the first will be last and the last first, where adults have to become like little children, and where disciples are called to take up their cross. Mary’s story embodies this reversal of fortune, and her magnificent song declares that this is the surprising way God’s reign works.
Where do you fit in Mary’s song? Do you operate according to the hierarchical value system of the kingdoms of this world, deferring to those in positions of temporal power and position? Or do you see every person as a bearer of the divine image and worthy of honor and respect? Are you participating in the dismantling of coercive systems of oppressive power by lifting the lowly and empowering people to do the will of God? Mary was part of the great Kingdom reversal, and her Son calls us to follow her example and his.
Reflect and Respond
What is God saying to me right now?
What step of faith is God calling me to take today?
Day 6
Read and Listen: Luke 1:57-66
Take a minute to listen for what God is saying in these verses…
Comment and Consider
In an honor/shame culture where a having large extended family was considered the highest value, childlessness was one of the deepest kinds of shame a woman could endure. The inability to conceive was considered a curse from God and was assumed to be the result of egregious sin on the part of the couple or their parents. Year after year childless Elizabeth and Zechariah had suffered the insensitive questions, unkind comments, and judgmental distancing from their neighbors. Their extended family may have been deeply disappointed in them because they could not contribute to the strength of their household, nor could they help assure the long-term financial success of the family business.
But when Zechariah came face to face with the angel Gabriel and stumbled out of the Temple unable to speak, everything changed. Once Elizabeth confirmed she was pregnant, word would have begun to spread in their village about this miracle, although she kept it as private as she could. Their shame was lifted! Elizabeth and Zechariah were going to have a child in their old age! Then the promise was fulfilled, and Elizabeth gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
The birth of a child in first-century Jewish culture was always a cause for celebration, particularly the birth of a son who would contribute to the family business and carry on the family name. But the birth of a son to an elderly couple was cause for extraordinary celebration by not only the extended family, but the entire community. The Law prescribed that every Hebrew male be circumcised on the eighth day following his birth. (See Genesis 17:9–14; Leviticus 12:3.) In the first century, the head of the extended family normally performed the circumcision, and in this case it was probably Zechariah. Circumcision was the physical sign of the child’s inclusion in God’s covenant community.
Typically, the firstborn son was named after his grandfather on his father’s side, or perhaps the other grandfather or even the father. When Elizabeth announced at the circumcision that the boy’s name was John, it was so unusual that everyone asked Zechariah to confirm this decision. In obedience to Gabriel’s command, Zechariah boldly inscribed on a wax tablet, “His name is John.” At that very moment Zechariah regained his speech and began giving praise to God! It is hard to imagine the joy Zechariah and Elizabeth felt after all those years of disappointment and shame. Now they recognized God’s intervention in their painful circumstances, and they felt the fullness of his blessing.
The miraculous nature of all these events was not lost on the people of their village and surrounding region. When the people saw Zechariah regain his speech in such a dramatic fashion, they were in awe of what God was doing and realized there was something significant about this baby boy. Who would he grow up to become? What was God’s purpose for him? In biblical imagery God’s hand is either with you in protection and power, or against you in opposition and judgment. It was clear to everyone that God’s hand was with this special little boy.
Have you ever prayed for something with all your heart, only to be deeply disappointed? Do you know what it is like to be publicly shamed because you didn’t meet certain social expectations? Have you ever felt afraid to believe that God might have something better in store for you? Take a moment to imagine the joy that Elizabeth and Zechariah felt in this time of God’s blessing. How does their experience deepen your faith that God is good, that he is always for you regardless of your circumstances, and that his hand is with you even now? What do you want to ask God to do in your life right now? Keep asking, seeking, and knocking, and he will answer in due time.
Reflect and Respond
What is God saying to me right now?
What step of faith is God calling me to take today?
Footsteps Every Week: Review
Write a brief summary of what Jesus said to you each day this past week and the step of faith he called you to take:
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Footsteps Every Week: Reflect
Big Picture
As you look over what Jesus has said to you this past week, do you see any themes? What is the most important thing you need to remember and believe?
Predictable Pattern
As you look over what Jesus called you to do this past week, is there a new predictable pattern he is inviting you to establish in your life with God and others?
Plant the Word
As you look over the readings from this past week, write out the passage that feels most important for you and memorize it over the next week:
Day 7
Read and Listen: Luke 1:67-80
Take a minute to listen for what God is saying in these verses…
Comment and Consider
Like his wife Elizabeth before him, now Zechariah was “filled with the Spirit.” This is Luke’s way of saying that Zechariah relinquished more control of his life to God by surrendering to the guidance and empowerment of God’s Spirit at work within and through him. From this place of surrender to the Spirit, Zechariah began to prophesy. Since the time of the prophet Malachi around 430 BC, the prophets of Israel had fallen silent. But just over 400 years later, the Spirit began stirring his people again, and the gift of prophecy was rekindled in the hearts of God’s people!
Zechariah’s prophecy declared that the birth of John heralded a new season of redemption and salvation that God was bringing to his people. Zechariah’s language sounds very similar to the many Messianic Psalms that simultaneously celebrated God’s redemptive work and promised the coming of God’s anointed king, the Messiah. God promised David, “I will raise up after you your descendant, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son.” (2 Samuel 7:12-14)
Zechariah pointed to the impending birth of Jesus as the fulfillment of this ancient prophecy when he declared, “He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.” In biblical imagery a horn represented strength, because horned animals were often fearsome and dangerous. Zechariah prophesied that Jesus was this descendant of King David who would be born the Son of God and would come to establish God’s eternal Kingdom and save God’s people!
Then Zechariah’s prophecy turned to his newborn son John, who would become a “a prophet of the Most High” and would “go before the Lord to prepare his way.” This is reminiscent of the promise God gave through the last Old Testament prophet Malachi, “See, I am going to send my messenger, and he will clear the way before me.” (Malachi 3:1) His father was foretelling that John would prepare God’s people to receive the coming Messiah by pointing them toward his gift of salvation and the forgiveness of sins. Of course, this is exactly what John would grow up to do!
Luke concludes his account of John’s birth with a summary of his early years growing into adulthood, “The child grew up and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.” Given the many parallels between John and the community of Essenes who lived at Qumran on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, it is possible that John became a part of that community for a period of time before he began preaching and baptizing in the nearby Jordan River. Did John’s elderly parents die while he was still young? Was the boy John adopted by the Qumran community as they so often did? Was it from that community of Essenes that John launched his public ministry?
We may never know the answers to these tantalizing questions, but we can be certain that what Zechariah prophesied about both John and his soon-to-be-born cousin Jesus did in fact come true. Zechariah got it right! Are you filled with the Spirit like Elizabeth and Zechariah? What would it look like for you to surrender more control of your life to the leading and empowerment of God’s Spirit? Are you open to hearing what God might want to say through you to others? Are you willing to share the words and images God puts on your heart?
Reflect and Respond
What is God saying to me right now?
What step of faith is God calling me to take today?
Day 8
Read and Listen: Luke 2:1-7
Take a minute to listen for what God is saying in these verses…
Comment and Consider
Luke anchors the birth of Jesus in the real world by telling us he was born during a Roman census ordered by Caesar Augustus, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Augustus ruled the Empire from 27 BC to AD 14, establishing Rome as the superpower of the Mediterranean world. The strategy of the Roman Empire was to conquer new territory so they could subjugate the people and then keep them productive in order to heavily tax them. They sent the extorted money and goods back to Rome over the efficient system of roads and sea routes they had established, enriching the coffers of the Roman aristocracy. The Romans carried out regular censuses to determine how much each province should be paying in taxes each year. Typically, a Roman census was carried out at least every ten years.
We don’t have an explicit record of a census at the time of Jesus’ birth, but there is a record of Quirinius carrying out a census about ten years later (see Acts 5:37), which fits Luke’s description of this as the “first registration.” Some scholars have questioned Luke’s assertion that people had to return to their hometown to be registered for the Roman census, but a first-century papyrus from Roman Egypt has recently come to light that reads, “Gaius Vibius Maximus, Prefect of Egypt, declares: The census by household has begun and it is accordingly necessary that all persons who are not resident at home for one reason or another at this time return to their homeplaces in order to undergo the usual registration formalities.”
This is exactly why Joseph and Mary made the challenging 100-mile journey south to his ancestral hometown, unaware they were fulfilling the ancient prophecy that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. (See Micah 5:2.) Our typical modern western retelling of the Christmas story imagines that all the motel rooms in Bethlehem were full, so the young couple was turned away by a cruel innkeeper and forced to seek shelter in an anonymous barn where Mary gave birth to Jesus and laid him in a manger. However, culturally we know they would have gone to the extended family home of Joseph’s relatives, who were culturally obligated to offer hospitality to the vulnerable couple, especially because Mary was pregnant.
Luke 2:7 is normally translated into English “she laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.” The Greek word translated “inn” is kataluma, which describes the extra room in an extended family home that is set aside for guests or as a roadside shelter for travelers. Luke uses a different word, pandochion, to describe the inn where the Good Samaritan brought the wounded traveler and paid the innkeeper (pandocheus) to care for him (Luke 15:34-35). It is clear from the context Luke is telling us Joseph and Mary were accepted into the home of relatives in Bethlehem, but instead of offering them the guestroom as would be expected, the young couple were made to stay in that part of the home where the animals were kept. This is why Mary gave birth and laid the newborn Jesus in a manger rather than on a bed.
This puts the birth of Jesus in a new light. Why didn’t they offer the guestroom to Mary? Perhaps they assumed the scandalous circumstances of Mary’s pregnancy brought shame on Joseph and the family. Social expectation required that they provide shelter to their relatives, but they didn’t have to honor them with the guestroom. Instead, Mary and Joseph were relegated to the animal pen. As John describes Jesus’ birth, he says, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” (John 1:11)
How do cultural pressures shape your response to Jesus? Are you ashamed of him in any way? To what part of your life do you relegate Jesus? What does it mean to receive him and honor him as the true King of kings?
Reflect and Respond
What is God saying to me right now?
What step of faith is God calling me to take today?
Day 9
Read and Listen: Luke 2:8-20
Take a minute to listen for what God is saying in these verses…
Comment and Consider
Luke describes the incredible event that took place the night Jesus was born, when the skies over Bethlehem were filled with the angelic army of God declaring the Good News of the birth of the long-awaited Messianic Savior! In the center of the modern city of Bethlehem stands the Church of the Nativity, one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. The altar of the church sits directly over an ancient cave which tradition tells us was the place of Jesus’ birth.
It is true many first-century homes in the region were built onto the front of existing caves or rooms dug into a hillside, so this could have been a back room of Joseph’s extended family home where they kept the animals at night. Furthermore, there is historical evidence that the Roman Emperor Hadrian planted a pagan worship grove dedicated to the god Tammuz over this cave in the second century, confirming it was already considered a religious site just 100 years after the time of Jesus and adding to the probability that this is the actual place of Jesus’ birth.
Outside of Bethlehem is the area traditionally identified as the fields where the shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks on the night when the angel of the Lord announced the Good News of Jesus’ birth. In a generally arid and barren region, Middle Eastern shepherds have to take their flocks out each day to find water and pasture, and then return to keep the sheep and goats for the night in their own home pen. But during the drier summer and fall months, they have to go further afield to find feed for the flock and so are forced to keep their flocks out in the open country at night, finding shelter in caves and crude animal pens for weeks or months at a time. This is why these shepherds were out in the open watching over their flocks by night.
The image of shepherds in the Old Testament was often applied to God and the leaders of Israel and was particularly associated with King David. In fact, in these very fields outside of Bethlehem the young David watched over his family’s flocks of sheep and goats. And yet, shepherding was considered one of the lowest vocations in the social order because it was so all-consuming, taking people away from their families for such lengths of time. Also, the Pharisees’ obsession with the minutia of their religious traditions led them to label shepherds “unclean,” assuming there was no way they could keep all the ceremonial rules and purity rituals while they were watching their flocks day and night.
It is both fitting and shocking that God would choose lowly shepherds out in the fields, considered religiously unclean by some, to be the first people to receive and share the Good News of Jesus’ birth. On one hand, it was shocking because these people could not regularly attend services in the synagogue, nor were they able to follow all of the ritual washings and ceremonies prescribed by the rabbis. Imagine if a long-range truck driver was the one chosen to stand on the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome and announce the election of a new Pope!
On the other hand, it was incredibly fitting that these men who did exactly what King David used to do, in the very place where he used to do it, were the first ones to hear and declare that the promise God made to David so long ago was now fulfilled in the birth of Jesus! It fits perfectly with the pattern of God choosing a young, unmarried, peasant girl from an obscure village, who became pregnant in questionable circumstances, and was forced to give birth in an animal pen to be the one through whom this promise was fulfilled!
Are you prepared to set aside your religious assumptions and be open to God working through people you would never expect? Are you willing to respond as the shepherds did when God gives you Good News to share?
Reflect and Respond
What is God saying to me right now?
What step of faith is God calling me to take today?