The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. from The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States "Born to be a light to Gentiles as well as Israelites"
Wednesday, 28 December 2016
Luke 2:21 On the eighth day, when it was time for his b’rit-milah, he was given the name Yeshua, which is what the angel had called him before his conception.
22 When the time came for their purification according to the Torah of Moshe, they took him up to Yerushalayim to present him to Adonai 23 (as it is written in the Torah of Adonai, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to Adonai”[Luke 2:23 Exodus 13:2, 12, 15]) 24 and also to offer a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons,[Luke 2:24 Leviticus 12:8] as required by the Torah of Adonai.
25 There was in Yerushalayim a man named Shim‘on. This man was a tzaddik, he was devout, he waited eagerly for God to comfort Isra’el, and the Ruach HaKodesh was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Ruach HaKodesh that he would not die before he had seen the Messiah of Adonai. 27 Prompted by the Spirit, he went into the Temple courts; and when the parents brought in the child Yeshua to do for him what the Torah required, 28 Shim‘on took him in his arms, made a b’rakhah to God, and said,
29 “Now, Adonai, according to your word,
your servant is at peace as you let him go;
30 for I have seen with my own eyes your yeshu‘ah,
31 which you prepared in the presence of all peoples —
32 a light that will bring revelation to the Goyim
and glory to your people Isra’el.”
33 Yeshua’s father and mother were marvelling at the things Shim‘on was saying about him. 34 Shim‘on blessed them and said to the child’s mother, Miryam,
“This child will cause many in Isra’el to fall and to rise,
he will become a sign whom people will speak against;
35 moreover, a sword will pierce your own heart too.
All this will happen in order to reveal many people’s inmost thoughts.”
36 There was also a prophet named Hannah Bat-P’nu’el, of the tribe of Asher. She was a very old woman — she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage 37 and had remained a widow ever since; now she was eighty-four. She never left the Temple grounds but worshipped there night and day, fasting and praying. 38 She came by at that moment and began thanking God and speaking about the child to everyone who was waiting for Yerushalayim to be liberated.
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Jesus’ parents, devout Jews, followed the laws about a newborn (cf. Exodus 13:2, 12; Leviticus 12:8 allowed poor Israelites to bring doves instead of a lamb). Joseph and Mary wouldn’t have known many people in Jerusalem. It must have been unexpected, maybe even
alarming, when the elderly Simeon and Anna came up to them. In the busy Temple court, where others saw only a poor couple with a baby, those two elderly saints recognized Jesus as the Savior. They praised God, blessing the parents and the baby.
• Simeon’s words echoed Isaiah 42:6 and 49:6, which said “the servant of the Lord” would be a light to the Gentiles. When later even many of Jesus’ followers struggled to accept Gentiles (cf. Acts 11:2-3, 15:1-5), what qualities do you think allowed Simeon to see and accept Isaiah’s far-reaching vision? Most American Christians are Gentiles ethnically. Who are the “Gentiles” you might struggle to accept in God’s family today?
• Simeon warned Mary that many would reject Jesus, and pain like a sword would pierce her heart. (Click here to see an icon of Mary in The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, which vividly shows the pain Simeon warned her about). Cary Gibson wrote, “Mary couldn’t
control or protect Jesus, and the personal cost to her as a mother was severe (John 19:25-27).” * What helps you trust God and live out God’s purposes when it’s not easy or popular? Has following God ever brought you pain, as well as good things?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I look forward to the New Year and the challenges it will bring—because you will be with me to strengthen and uphold me. My hope is in you. Amen.
*Cary Gibson, “Portrait” of Mary, Jesus' Mother in The CEB Women’s Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2016, p. 1287.
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'The Holy Spirit revealed to him that he wouldn’t die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.' (Luke 2:26)
Simeon had received this extraordinary assurance from God that he would see the Lord's Christ (aka Messiah) before he died. Like a good Jew, Simeon thought that the Messiah would eventually show up at the Temple, the center of Jewish Religion. But he was not given any insights about what age the Messiah would be when Simeon saw him. I imagine that Simeon got a little excited with each alpha male or especially wise man who seemed to attract attention. But each person he has seen, presumably for years, wasn't the Messiah. This, however, was his lucky day.
Simeon sees Mary, Joseph, and a baby Jesus and realizes that this is the Messiah he had been waiting for. Simeon had to allow God to surprise him with Jesus' age, or else miss out.
Simeon's story is about both faithfulness AND being willing to be surprised by God. As it turns out, the two are deeply connected.
How might God be trying to surprise you today? Will you notice it when it happens?
STEVEN BLAIR
Steven Blair is the Congregational Care Pastor of Live Forward and Live Well Emotional Wellness Ministry at Church of the Resurrection.
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"Born to be a king who shepherds God’s people"
Thursday, 29 December 2016
Matthew 2:1 After Yeshua was born in Beit-Lechem in the land of Y’hudah during the time when Herod was king, Magi from the east came to Yerushalayim 2 and asked, “Where is the newborn King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard of this he became very agitated, and so did everyone else in Yerushalayim. 4 He called together all the head cohanim and Torah-teachers of the people and asked them, “Where will the Messiah be born?” 5 “In Beit-Lechem of Y’hudah,” they replied, “because the prophet wrote,
6 ‘And you, Beit-Lechem in the land of Y’hudah,
are by no means the least among the rulers of Y’hudah;
for from you will come a Ruler
who will shepherd my people Isra’el.’”[Matthew 2:6 Micah 5:1(2)]
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The Greek word magoi, which Matthew used here, usually identified students of the stars. They most likely came from modern Iran, though “from the east” could mean a whole range of places. They arrived an unspecified amount of time “after Jesus was born in Bethlehem.” These notable visitors said, “We… have come to worship him.” Israel was just a minor Roman province. No one would expect non-Hebrew scholars to travel far to see, much less worship, even a “king of the Jews.”
• Roman historians Suetonius and Tacitus both wrote that at the time Jesus was born, an ancient prophecy led many to believe a world ruler would rise in Judea. Both historians said the prophecy must have meant Emperor Vespasian. Those Romans missed the true king, but so did the priests and legal experts who rattled off Micah’s prophecy about Bethlehem. The eastern wise men didn’t. In what ways can you keep your mind and heart open, so as not to miss where God is at work?
• In Ezekiel 34:1-16, as well as in Micah 5:2, God promised Israel that he would shepherd them. Jesus, grown up, claimed to be the promised “good shepherd,” offering those who follow him “life to the fullest” (John 10:1-15). In what ways do ads for everything from cars to computers, alcoholic beverages to hair-care products, hold out that promise? How easy or hard do you find it to trust, in your day-to-day life, that Jesus truly offers you the fullest, most satisfying life?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, keep my eyes and my heart open to signs that you are at work in and around my life. Thank you for being the shepherd who guides me to life to the fullest. Amen.
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"Born to be God’s light in the darkness"
Friday, 30 December 2016
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing made had being.
4 In him was life,
and the life was the light of mankind.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not suppressed it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was Yochanan. 7 He came to be a testimony, to bear witness concerning the light; so that through him, everyone might put his trust in God and be faithful to him. 8 He himself was not that light; no, he came to bear witness concerning the light.
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The prologue to John’s gospel daringly linked the worlds of Greek and Hebrew thought. Numerous Greek philosophers had identified “the Word” (Greek logos) as the great Idea behind the world. The Hebrew Bible began (like John) with “in the beginning,” and said God spoke into being all that is. John’s poetic prologue said Jesus embodied all that power and wisdom.
• “In the beginning,” in any language, carries us back to areas of mystery of which, even today, science is just scratching the surface. John didn’t say the Word “began” in the beginning; he said the Word “was.” It was a way of saying Jesus has always been here,
and will always be here. He is eternal; he is God. In what ways does it matter to your faith that Jesus is more than just a good man?
• “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light” wasn’t just poetry. As we see on Christmas Eve, even a large room full of darkness cannot hide or put out the light of the one small Christ candle when it comes into the room. When has it felt to you that darkness was trying to put out God’s light in your life? What spiritual practices have you found that help keep you close to God, so that God’s light keeps shining in you?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for shining the life-giving light of your love and grace into my life. Amen.
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"Born to fully reveal God’s glory, truth and grace"
Saturday, 31 December 2016
John 1:9 This was the true light,
which gives light to everyone entering the world.
10 He was in the world — the world came to be through him —
yet the world did not know him.
11 He came to his own homeland,
yet his own people did not receive him.
12 But to as many as did receive him, to those who put their trust in his person and power, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 not because of bloodline, physical impulse or human intention, but because of God.
14 The Word became a human being and lived with us,
and we saw his Sh’khinah,
the Sh’khinah of the Father’s only Son,
full of grace and truth.
15 Yochanan witnessed concerning him when he cried out, “This is the man I was talking about when I said, ‘The one coming after me has come to rank ahead of me, because he existed before me.’”
16 We have all received from his fullness,
yes, grace upon grace.
17 For the Torah was given through Moshe;
grace and truth came through Yeshua the Messiah.
18 No one has ever seen God; but the only and unique Son, who is identical with God and is at the Father’s side — he has made him known.
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The gods the Greeks and Romans worshipped carried out their purposes far from the day-to-day concerns of human beings. If one of them visited earth, people had best try to placate him or her or get out of the way. But “the Word,” John said, was entirely different. He brought light for all people, and gave all who believed in him the right to become children of God. He capped it off with the astonishing assertion that “the Word became flesh and made his home among us.” Neither Greeks nor Jews believed even God could bridge a gap that wide. But by becoming flesh, “the Word” showed us what God is really like. The light wasn’t just about God—the light was God in person, in our midst.
• John, taking his cue from Jesus (John 3:3-8), said the life Jesus brought is so new it’s like being born anew as a child of God. When did your spiritual journey start? In what ways has walking with Jesus given you a whole new life? John’s prologue included a tragic note: “the light came to his own people, and his own people didn’t welcome him.” What blocked people’s ability to recognize their Creator? How can you avoid that kind of blockage? How does the person of Jesus shape your understanding of God? What difference does what you believe about God make in day-to-day life?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, on this last day of 2016, I thank you for being with me through the year. And I’m so grateful for your assurance that your life-giving presence goes with me into every day of 2017. Amen.
Family Activity: Mary and Joseph were full of joy at the birth of Jesus. Then the angel joyfully told the shepherds that Jesus had been born and the shepherds joyfully told others! How can you joyfully tell others about the birthday of Jesus? First, create a list of people with whom you want to share the good news of Jesus. Consider neighbors, community workers, store clerks, family, and friends. Next, discuss fun and creative ways you could share the exciting news of Jesus’ birth and his love. You might bake treats, design cards, create a simple craft or write a simple note. Deliver your items to people. Let each person know you are praying for him or her during this Christmas season and throughout the year. Share the joy of Jesus with everyone!
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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer
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Luke 2:21 On the eighth day, when it was time for his b’rit-milah, he was given the name Yeshua, which is what the angel had called him before his conception.
22 When the time came for their purification according to the Torah of Moshe, they took him up to Yerushalayim to present him to Adonai 23 (as it is written in the Torah of Adonai, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to Adonai”[Luke 2:23 Exodus 13:2, 12, 15]) 24 and also to offer a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons,[Luke 2:24 Leviticus 12:8] as required by the Torah of Adonai.
25 There was in Yerushalayim a man named Shim‘on. This man was a tzaddik, he was devout, he waited eagerly for God to comfort Isra’el, and the Ruach HaKodesh was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Ruach HaKodesh that he would not die before he had seen the Messiah of Adonai. 27 Prompted by the Spirit, he went into the Temple courts; and when the parents brought in the child Yeshua to do for him what the Torah required, 28 Shim‘on took him in his arms, made a b’rakhah to God, and said,
29 “Now, Adonai, according to your word,
your servant is at peace as you let him go;
30 for I have seen with my own eyes your yeshu‘ah,
31 which you prepared in the presence of all peoples —
32 a light that will bring revelation to the Goyim
and glory to your people Isra’el.”
33 Yeshua’s father and mother were marvelling at the things Shim‘on was saying about him. 34 Shim‘on blessed them and said to the child’s mother, Miryam,
“This child will cause many in Isra’el to fall and to rise,
he will become a sign whom people will speak against;
35 moreover, a sword will pierce your own heart too.
All this will happen in order to reveal many people’s inmost thoughts.”
36 There was also a prophet named Hannah Bat-P’nu’el, of the tribe of Asher. She was a very old woman — she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage 37 and had remained a widow ever since; now she was eighty-four. She never left the Temple grounds but worshipped there night and day, fasting and praying. 38 She came by at that moment and began thanking God and speaking about the child to everyone who was waiting for Yerushalayim to be liberated.
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Jesus’ parents, devout Jews, followed the laws about a newborn (cf. Exodus 13:2, 12; Leviticus 12:8 allowed poor Israelites to bring doves instead of a lamb). Joseph and Mary wouldn’t have known many people in Jerusalem. It must have been unexpected, maybe even
alarming, when the elderly Simeon and Anna came up to them. In the busy Temple court, where others saw only a poor couple with a baby, those two elderly saints recognized Jesus as the Savior. They praised God, blessing the parents and the baby.
• Simeon’s words echoed Isaiah 42:6 and 49:6, which said “the servant of the Lord” would be a light to the Gentiles. When later even many of Jesus’ followers struggled to accept Gentiles (cf. Acts 11:2-3, 15:1-5), what qualities do you think allowed Simeon to see and accept Isaiah’s far-reaching vision? Most American Christians are Gentiles ethnically. Who are the “Gentiles” you might struggle to accept in God’s family today?
• Simeon warned Mary that many would reject Jesus, and pain like a sword would pierce her heart. (Click here to see an icon of Mary in The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, which vividly shows the pain Simeon warned her about). Cary Gibson wrote, “Mary couldn’t
control or protect Jesus, and the personal cost to her as a mother was severe (John 19:25-27).” * What helps you trust God and live out God’s purposes when it’s not easy or popular? Has following God ever brought you pain, as well as good things?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I look forward to the New Year and the challenges it will bring—because you will be with me to strengthen and uphold me. My hope is in you. Amen.
*Cary Gibson, “Portrait” of Mary, Jesus' Mother in The CEB Women’s Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2016, p. 1287.
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'The Holy Spirit revealed to him that he wouldn’t die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.' (Luke 2:26)
Simeon had received this extraordinary assurance from God that he would see the Lord's Christ (aka Messiah) before he died. Like a good Jew, Simeon thought that the Messiah would eventually show up at the Temple, the center of Jewish Religion. But he was not given any insights about what age the Messiah would be when Simeon saw him. I imagine that Simeon got a little excited with each alpha male or especially wise man who seemed to attract attention. But each person he has seen, presumably for years, wasn't the Messiah. This, however, was his lucky day.
Simeon sees Mary, Joseph, and a baby Jesus and realizes that this is the Messiah he had been waiting for. Simeon had to allow God to surprise him with Jesus' age, or else miss out.
Simeon's story is about both faithfulness AND being willing to be surprised by God. As it turns out, the two are deeply connected.
How might God be trying to surprise you today? Will you notice it when it happens?
STEVEN BLAIRSteven Blair is the Congregational Care Pastor of Live Forward and Live Well Emotional Wellness Ministry at Church of the Resurrection.
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"Born to be a king who shepherds God’s people"
Thursday, 29 December 2016
Matthew 2:1 After Yeshua was born in Beit-Lechem in the land of Y’hudah during the time when Herod was king, Magi from the east came to Yerushalayim 2 and asked, “Where is the newborn King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard of this he became very agitated, and so did everyone else in Yerushalayim. 4 He called together all the head cohanim and Torah-teachers of the people and asked them, “Where will the Messiah be born?” 5 “In Beit-Lechem of Y’hudah,” they replied, “because the prophet wrote,
6 ‘And you, Beit-Lechem in the land of Y’hudah,
are by no means the least among the rulers of Y’hudah;
for from you will come a Ruler
who will shepherd my people Isra’el.’”[Matthew 2:6 Micah 5:1(2)]
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The Greek word magoi, which Matthew used here, usually identified students of the stars. They most likely came from modern Iran, though “from the east” could mean a whole range of places. They arrived an unspecified amount of time “after Jesus was born in Bethlehem.” These notable visitors said, “We… have come to worship him.” Israel was just a minor Roman province. No one would expect non-Hebrew scholars to travel far to see, much less worship, even a “king of the Jews.”
• Roman historians Suetonius and Tacitus both wrote that at the time Jesus was born, an ancient prophecy led many to believe a world ruler would rise in Judea. Both historians said the prophecy must have meant Emperor Vespasian. Those Romans missed the true king, but so did the priests and legal experts who rattled off Micah’s prophecy about Bethlehem. The eastern wise men didn’t. In what ways can you keep your mind and heart open, so as not to miss where God is at work?
• In Ezekiel 34:1-16, as well as in Micah 5:2, God promised Israel that he would shepherd them. Jesus, grown up, claimed to be the promised “good shepherd,” offering those who follow him “life to the fullest” (John 10:1-15). In what ways do ads for everything from cars to computers, alcoholic beverages to hair-care products, hold out that promise? How easy or hard do you find it to trust, in your day-to-day life, that Jesus truly offers you the fullest, most satisfying life?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, keep my eyes and my heart open to signs that you are at work in and around my life. Thank you for being the shepherd who guides me to life to the fullest. Amen.
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"Born to be God’s light in the darkness"
Friday, 30 December 2016
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing made had being.
4 In him was life,
and the life was the light of mankind.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not suppressed it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was Yochanan. 7 He came to be a testimony, to bear witness concerning the light; so that through him, everyone might put his trust in God and be faithful to him. 8 He himself was not that light; no, he came to bear witness concerning the light.
-------
The prologue to John’s gospel daringly linked the worlds of Greek and Hebrew thought. Numerous Greek philosophers had identified “the Word” (Greek logos) as the great Idea behind the world. The Hebrew Bible began (like John) with “in the beginning,” and said God spoke into being all that is. John’s poetic prologue said Jesus embodied all that power and wisdom.
• “In the beginning,” in any language, carries us back to areas of mystery of which, even today, science is just scratching the surface. John didn’t say the Word “began” in the beginning; he said the Word “was.” It was a way of saying Jesus has always been here,
and will always be here. He is eternal; he is God. In what ways does it matter to your faith that Jesus is more than just a good man?
• “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light” wasn’t just poetry. As we see on Christmas Eve, even a large room full of darkness cannot hide or put out the light of the one small Christ candle when it comes into the room. When has it felt to you that darkness was trying to put out God’s light in your life? What spiritual practices have you found that help keep you close to God, so that God’s light keeps shining in you?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for shining the life-giving light of your love and grace into my life. Amen.
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"Born to fully reveal God’s glory, truth and grace"
Saturday, 31 December 2016
John 1:9 This was the true light,
which gives light to everyone entering the world.
10 He was in the world — the world came to be through him —
yet the world did not know him.
11 He came to his own homeland,
yet his own people did not receive him.
12 But to as many as did receive him, to those who put their trust in his person and power, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 not because of bloodline, physical impulse or human intention, but because of God.
14 The Word became a human being and lived with us,
and we saw his Sh’khinah,
the Sh’khinah of the Father’s only Son,
full of grace and truth.
15 Yochanan witnessed concerning him when he cried out, “This is the man I was talking about when I said, ‘The one coming after me has come to rank ahead of me, because he existed before me.’”
16 We have all received from his fullness,
yes, grace upon grace.
17 For the Torah was given through Moshe;
grace and truth came through Yeshua the Messiah.
18 No one has ever seen God; but the only and unique Son, who is identical with God and is at the Father’s side — he has made him known.
-------
The gods the Greeks and Romans worshipped carried out their purposes far from the day-to-day concerns of human beings. If one of them visited earth, people had best try to placate him or her or get out of the way. But “the Word,” John said, was entirely different. He brought light for all people, and gave all who believed in him the right to become children of God. He capped it off with the astonishing assertion that “the Word became flesh and made his home among us.” Neither Greeks nor Jews believed even God could bridge a gap that wide. But by becoming flesh, “the Word” showed us what God is really like. The light wasn’t just about God—the light was God in person, in our midst.
• John, taking his cue from Jesus (John 3:3-8), said the life Jesus brought is so new it’s like being born anew as a child of God. When did your spiritual journey start? In what ways has walking with Jesus given you a whole new life? John’s prologue included a tragic note: “the light came to his own people, and his own people didn’t welcome him.” What blocked people’s ability to recognize their Creator? How can you avoid that kind of blockage? How does the person of Jesus shape your understanding of God? What difference does what you believe about God make in day-to-day life?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, on this last day of 2016, I thank you for being with me through the year. And I’m so grateful for your assurance that your life-giving presence goes with me into every day of 2017. Amen.
Family Activity: Mary and Joseph were full of joy at the birth of Jesus. Then the angel joyfully told the shepherds that Jesus had been born and the shepherds joyfully told others! How can you joyfully tell others about the birthday of Jesus? First, create a list of people with whom you want to share the good news of Jesus. Consider neighbors, community workers, store clerks, family, and friends. Next, discuss fun and creative ways you could share the exciting news of Jesus’ birth and his love. You might bake treats, design cards, create a simple craft or write a simple note. Deliver your items to people. Let each person know you are praying for him or her during this Christmas season and throughout the year. Share the joy of Jesus with everyone!
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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer
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