When it comes to the gospel, keep the main thing the main thing. Gospels: Week 2 - Jesus' Preparation & Beginning of Ministry We're visiting a different book each day as we work through all four gospels chronologically over the coming months. Mark 1:9–15 (NASB95) 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; 11 and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” 12 Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. 13 And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him. 14 Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 123 Q. What does the second request of the Lord's Prayer mean? A. “Your kingdom come” means, Rule us by your Word and Spirit in such a way that more and more we submit to you. Keep your church strong, and add to it. Destroy the devil’s work; destroy every force which revolts against you and every conspiracy against your Word. Do this until your kingdom is so complete and perfect that in it you are all in all. Summary Mark's gospel was likely the first to be published. It's the shortest of the four, and his brevity is evident in today's passage. Whereas the other gospels give more insights into the various events and facets of Jesus' life and ministry, Mark keeps the pace moving. One of Mark's favorite words for keeping this pace is one that rarely gets translated: the humble conjunction and. Here's how the passage looks if all of Mark's ands are included: And in those days, Jesus came from Nazareth... And immediately coming up out of the water... And a voice came out of the heavens... And immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness... And He was in the wilderness forty days... And He was with the wild beasts and the angels were ministering to Him... And after John had been taken into custody... It's almost as if Mark is like a young child who can't wait to tell his parents everything he'd done while he was at summer camp, excitedly reporting each and everything that had transpired: "We did this and then this and then this and then this..." As we work our way through the four gospels over the coming months, we'll begin to see that each evangelist has his own particular style and personality that comes out in his writing. This is the beauty of God's Word - it certainly is divinely inspired so as to be perfectly accurate and true, but since God imparts this truth through particular men, we also need to know those men well to have a full understanding of what God is saying. How about you? Do you share Mark's breathless excitement to tell others about who Jesus is? Dig Deeper People love to hijack the Bible in general, and Jesus in particular, to bolster their own pet projects and political positions. You should support this or do that, they'll say, because this is what the Bible says. This is nothing new or particular to our own day and age, it's happened all throughout history. For too many people, the answer to the proverbial question "What would Jesus do?" (WWJD) just so happens to perfectly correspond with their personal preferences. It's not wrong to long for public policy that reflects God's will or to use Jesus as a model for how to love one another, but as has been said often before, remember to keep the main thing the main thing. In other words, although the Bible's ancillary points are valuable and important, they weren't Jesus' primary focus in His ministry. Mark makes Jesus' primary objective clear: it wasn't healing the sick or feeding the poor, although He did both, rather it was preaching the gospel of God. More literally, Jesus came to preach God's good news. Certainly the good news is that Jesus died to atone for our sin and was raised from the dead to give us new life, but notice that the gospel / good news Jesus began preaching comes three years before His resurrection! So what then is this good news? Simply that the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. In other words, Jesus' main message is that the time of expulsion, in which our covenant representative Adam was evicted from God's garden kingdom, has come to an end. Therefore, Jesus continues, you must repent. Literally translated, you must learn to think differently. Stop focusing on getting all this world's stuff and instead, as Jesus will go on to say, seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who publically declared that He is well pleased with our new covenant representative, Jesus Christ; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would experience this comfort as you continually repent (literally: think different) and believe the gospel; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! Gospels: Week 2 - Jesus' Preparation & Beginning of Ministry We're visiting a different book each day as we work through all four gospels chronologically over the coming months. Matthew 3:1–12 (NASB95) 1 Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!’ ” 4 Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; 6 and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 “Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; 9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.10 “The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 72 Q. Does the outward washing with water itself wash away sins in baptism? A. No, only Jesus Christ’s blood and the Holy Spirit cleanse us from all sins. Summary We didn't get to spend nearly enough time in the prophets as we read through the Old Testament over the first half of the year, but those we read through were certainly unique and colorful - especially Ezekiel! Remember what a prophet is: whereas a priest is one who represents the people to God, a prophet is one who represents God to the people. God used prophets in times before His Word was made complete to reveal Himself to His covenant people - often by using the prophets to convict His people of their sin and call them to repent. The Old Testament ends with numerous short books that don't get turned to often enough written by the minor prophets (minor in the sense that their books are shorter than those of Isaiah or Jeremiah, not that they're less important). But the final Biblical prophet isn't found in the Old Testament at all; rather, we read of him in all four of the gospel narratives: the strange man simply known as John the Baptist. Notice how Matthew introduces John. It's hard for us to not focus on his eccentricities like his camel hair garment and diet of locusts and wild honey. But John's oddities aren't the first thing Matthew mentions. Rather, the first thing he reports is that John came preaching. All throughout scripture, but especially in the New Testament, preaching is the primary means by which God communicates with His people. Matthew then quotes the prophet Isaiah to introduce John as the one who made ready the way of the LORD - the one Isaiah said would cry out in the wilderness, announcing comfort, comfort to God's people, because their hard service has been completed and their sins had been paid for (Isaiah 40:1-5). Dig Deeper Although John came preaching the comfort that Isaiah had prophesied about centuries earlier, he himself didn't bring the comfort. John, like any good preacher, pointed away from himself to the mightier One: Jesus Christ. John simply baptized with water for repentance - a practice not uncommon in ancient near eastern religions to demonstrate contrition. In other words, all John could do was help people recognize that their spiritual filth needed to be washed away. But such washing would take more than just the physical water John baptized with, it would take a baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire. But the Spiritual baptist John pointed to wouldn't bring the comfort Isaiah wrote of either - at least initially. He'd first come to winnow - that is, to separate the wheat from the chaff so that the chaff could be set aside and burned up with unquenchable fire. Jesus certainly brings the comfort Isaiah prophesied about and that you long for. In fact, that's what people primarily associate Him with: comfort and peace, and most people expect Him to deliver this comfort by simply affirming them and their choices. But John the Baptist, the Bible's final Old Testament prophet, describes Jesus as a winnower thoroughly clearing the threshing floor, gathering His wheat into the barn. It's only as the chaff in your life is winnowed out, which includes both your own indwelling sin and the brood of vipers who seek to pull you away from the barn so to speak, that you'll experience the comfort and peace the gospel promises. True gospel preachers, beginning with John the Baptist and continuing to this day, do not come with a message of comfort made possible by sprinkling some water here and there in your life. They come bearing the same exact message that both John and Jesus proclaimed: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who brings comfort to His wayward people by calling them to repent; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would experience this comfort as you continually repent (literally: think different) in Christ; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Where is the "highway of your heart" taking you? Psalm 84 (NASB95) For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. 1 How lovely are Your dwelling places, O LORD of hosts! 2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. 3 The bird also has found a house, And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts, My King and my God. 4 How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. Selah. 5 How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion! 6 Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring; The early rain also covers it with blessings. 7 They go from strength to strength, Every one of them appears before God in Zion. 8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah. 9 Behold our shield, O God, And look upon the face of Your anointed. 10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12 O LORD of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You! Belgic Confession Article 27: The Holy Catholic Church We believe and confess one single catholic or universal church— a holy congregation and gathering of true Christian believers, awaiting their entire salvation in Jesus Christ being washed by his blood, and sanctified and sealed by the Holy Spirit. This church has existed from the beginning of the world and will last until the end, as appears from the fact that Christ is eternal King who cannot be without subjects. -- And so this holy church is not confined, bound, or limited to a certain place or certain persons. But it is spread and dispersed throughout the entire world, though still joined and united in heart and will, in one and the same Spirit, by the power of faith. Summary There's a good chance that as you read this on the eve of a summer holiday weekend that you've traveled somewhere recently, maybe for just a day or two or maybe longer. While it's good to get away, there's always a longing to be home - the place where things are the way they're supposed to be. Or maybe home for you isn't that way at all, and you have a continual longing for things to be made right; to truly feel at home. That feeling is deeply woven into our humanity, but not just for a place that's familiar surrounded by things and people we love. Mankind has an intrinsic ache to not just be in our own home, but to be back in the lovely dwelling places of the LORD of hosts, for it's only there that your heart and flesh can sing for joy to the living God. The Psalmist here gives a nod back to that all important first psalm - the one that set the tone for the rest of the Psalter - describing the blessed man. That blessing - that is, total well being and happiness - comes to those who dwell in the LORD's house. Notice that this blessedness we all long for comes as a result of ever praising the LORD! Furthermore, that man is blessed whose strength is in the LORD. This is ironic, because sin tempts you to find strength, blessing and happiness in anything but God! Instead, find true blessedness by building highways to Zion - in other words, highways that pass through the valleys of life and spiritually bring you home, for every one who travels these heart-highways appears before God in Zion. Dig Deeper As the psalmist continues his prayer for the LORD to look upon the face of His anointed, he gets to what is perhaps Psalm 84's most famous couplet: 10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. Is what the psalmist sings of here true for you as well? We began our devotion today recognizing that all people are homesick, but most people attempt to satisfy their longing with anything but God. To them, the tents of wickedness look really inviting. Do you long to be in the Lord's house, surrounded by His people, singing His praises and listening to His Word on Sunday? Or are you going to look for some lesser blessedness somewhere else? The primary storyline of the Bible is charting man's return to the LORD's dwelling place. We were created to live in the midst of it, but we were evicted from it after Adam sinned. For the last six months, we traced Israel's journey through several temporary dwelling places that brought them closer to God, but not quite into the full blessedness we were created to experience. This is why the Christmas story that we once again read through this past week is so amazing. Zion - God's dwelling place - is no longer at the end of a long highway that we continually veer off. God became Immanuel - now God dwells with us - through the person and work of the second member of the Trinity, our Savior Jesus Christ, and continuing on through the Holy Spirit who continues to dwell within. While it's certainly true that we're not home yet, the man who trusts in the LORD has already begun to experience the beginning of the blessedness, for no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly - that is, those who continue to walk, strengthened and upheld by God's indwelling Spirit, down the narrow road following Jesus. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the LORD God of hosts, whose dwelling we long to return to; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would walk uprightly, enjoying the foretaste of returning to God's dwelling through the Holy Spirit and through the gathered worship in the Lord's house here on earth; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Jesus is lots of good things, but first and foremost, He's your Savior Gospels: Week 1 - Jesus' Incarnation and Birth We begin the New Testament by, of course, tracking through the Gospel Narratives - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We'll spend the rest of the summer in these gospels, and each day we'll be in a different book as we work through Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension chronologically. Bible.com Matthew 1:18–25 (NASB95) 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. 20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” 24 And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, 25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 29 Q. Why is the Son of God called “Jesus,” meaning “savior”? A. Because he saves us from our sins. Salvation cannot be found in anyone else; it is futile to look for any salvation elsewhere. Summary We saw on day one of our reading the New Testament that each of the gospel writers pay homage to the book of Genesis as they begin their accounts. John and Mark start with the same phrase the Bible opens with - in the beginning. Matthew slips his nod in a bit into his narrative, opening today's passage by telling about the birth of Jesus Christ, a phrase that garners no attention in English, but stands out in the Greek Matthew originally wrote in because he choose a lesser used word for birth - the Greek word genesis (and v18 is actually the second time he used the word in this opening chapter). Right away, Matthew's concern for one of Christianity's most critical doctrines becomes clear, just as we saw was the case for Luke: these gospel writers wanted us to be certain that Jesus' mother was a virgin at the time of His birth. Matthew puts it a bit more coyly: the young couple was betrothed, but before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. Matthew gives us more insight into what this was like for Joseph, and the first thing he reports about Joseph is that he was a righteous man. But therein lies his problem. Commentator RT France notes that in Joseph's day, a righteous man like Joseph "would be expected to repudiate his errant fiancée publicly in a trial for adultery." But Matthew shows that Joseph was compassionate as well, so not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But things changed one night as Joseph slept and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. The angel told him not to be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit (Matthew's second mention of this key fact). Even more, their Son would be no ordinary boy; the angel instructs Joseph to call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. To Matthew, writing decades after the fact and having followed Jesus as a disciple, this all makes total sense. After all, Isaiah had predicted things so perfectly: the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel - God with us (Isaiah 7:14). So without hesitation, Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife. But once again, Matthew wants to reiterate the importance of Jesus' divine nature, and so for the fourth time in today's very short passage, he explicitly points to the reality that Mary was a virgin at the time of her conception, and that Joseph kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son. Dig Deeper For so many people, Jesus is like a lump of clay that can be fashioned into whatever they want Him to be. For some He's a grand social worker, tirelessly feeding the poor. For others, He's a miracle healer, making the lame walk and the blind see. Others look to Him as their model for speaking truth to power, be it the Jewish religious establishment or the Imperial governing authorities. Now certainly Jesus did all those things - Matthew and Luke are our primary sources who report the amazing things Jesus did in His short three year ministry. And we too, as His followers, must endeavor to live as He did and care for the poor and stick up for the downtrodden, even if as Christians we disagree on the best way to do those things. But as they introduce Jesus to us, the wonderful things Jesus would do on the way to the cross and ultimately resurrection and ascension back into heaven aren't what they emphasized. Instead, they both emphasize over and over that Jesus was born of a virgin, an amazing miracle that for the first and only other time in history opens the door for humanity to have a new and perfect covenant representative since Adam had failed. And they emphasize the angelic announcement heralding Jesus' primary purpose: to save His people from their sins. Do your best to live like Jesus in the way you care for those around you. But don't make that the be-all, end-all of your religion. You need to continually be reminded of and emphasize yourself the key doctrines that Matthew and Luke report: Jesus is the God-Man sent to make you right with God. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who sovereignly orchestrates all of history for our salvation; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would faithfully align yourself to God's will like Joseph; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Christmas is just one chapter in God’s salvation story. Gospels: Week 1 - Jesus' Incarnation and Birth We begin the New Testament by, of course, tracking through the Gospel Narratives - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We'll spend the rest of the summer in these gospels, and each day we'll be in a different book as we work through Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension chronologically. Luke 2:1–20 (NASB95) 1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. 2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. 6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” 15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. 17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 15 Q. What kind of mediator and deliverer should we look for then? A. One who is truly human and truly righteous, yet more powerful than all creatures, that is, one who is also true God. Summary Just so that you're aware, we're now closer to the upcoming Christmas Day than we are to the one we just celebrated last December. But it's good for us to dwell on this classic Bible passage here in the light of summer, set free from the typical trappings our society typically encompasses the Christmas story with. And what we see here in the Bible's only narrative of Jesus' birthday is nothing more than a culmination of everything we've already seen as we've read through the Old Testament so far: An Almighty LORD who sovereignly controls every sphere and realm of reality in order to save His people. We see the LORD working through one of history's most powerful men - Caesar Augustus, whose census decree forced Joseph and his very pregnant fiancée to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, the very place the prophet Micah had indicated that the Messiah would be born. And we get a glimpse into the angelic realm who come bringing good news of great joy which will be for all the people, right before a multitude of the heavenly host - that is, the very angel army of the LORD - who had been assembled at God's command to pour out His righteous wrath against sinful humanity now shouts forth in exuberant praise because today, in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Dig Deeper God continued to demonstrate His sovereignty in choosing one of society's least significant elements to be recipients of the greatest announcement ever - some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. These same shepherds would go on to become the Church's first evangelists, as they went out and made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. But detail oriented Luke gives no evidence that anybody did anything but wonder about the things which were told them by the shepherds. Then there's the humble, quiet evidence of God's sovereign action in Mary's life, which we read about yesterday - the virgin who delivered her son in a strange place, wrapped Him in cloths and laid Him in a manger. Today's chapter gives a bit of insight as to why God so highly favored Mary, for she treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. But we see God's sovereignty the clearest here in this famous second chapter of Luke from the One who says and does the least (in this chapter). It's seen in the person and work of the God-Man, the second person of the Trinity, who emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and was made in the likeness of men, who would go on to humble Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil 2:7-8). It's good that our society still makes a big deal out of celebrating Christmas each December, even if most of its rationale for doing so is far more secular than Biblical. Luke here records one of history's most significant events, which deserves the attention it gets. But don't forget that what happened that night so long ago was just one more chapter in the unfolding story of how God sovereignly saves His people. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who sovereignly orchestrates all of history for our salvation; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that, like Mary, you will treasure all these things, pondering them in your heart; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

You're saved by grace, but that grace depends on critical details. Gospels: Week 1 - Jesus' Incarnation and Birth We begin the New Testament by, of course, tracking through the Gospel Narratives - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We'll spend the rest of the summer in these gospels, and each day we'll be in a different book as we work through Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension chronologically. Bible.com Luke 1:1-4, 26–38 (NASB95) 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; 4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught. ---- 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 36 “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37 “For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, [I am] the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Belgic Confession Article 18: The Incarnation So then we confess that God fulfilled the promise which he had made to the early fathers by the mouth of his holy prophets when he sent his only and eternal Son into the world at the time set by him. The Son took the “form of a servant” and was made in the “likeness of man,” truly assuming a real human nature, with all its weaknesses, except for sin; being conceived in the womb of the blessed virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, without male participation. Summary Luke begins his gospel by introducing his purpose, which makes sense because he wasn't really a local, so to speak. Matthew and John were part of the twelve disciples, and it's likely that Mark was around in one way or another during Jesus' ministry, but Luke wasn't. In fact, he wasn't even a Jew. Paul writes of Luke as a doctor (Col. 4:14), but Luke identifies himself more as a reporter who investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order. In other words, Luke based his faith on knowledge and facts that he himself verified, recorded, and wrote down for posterity. So as you read through his research - the books of Luke and Acts - pay attention to the details he lays out (and conversely, the details he ignores, indicating that they're not really germane to the meaning). And the opening lines of his account of the angel Gabriel's encounter with Mary is packed with details: She's from a city in Galilee called Nazareth - an insignificant town in an insignificant province. She's engaged to a man - according to the custom of the day, this meant that Mary was likely quite young, perhaps in her teens, and already legally bound to her fiancée, yet the marriage would not yet have been fully consummated. Luke tells us exactly who she was engaged to: a man whose name was Joseph. But he has a critical pedigree, for he's of the descendants of David. Theologically, this is important, for Gabriel explains to Mary that God will give her Son the throne of His father David. Important as Joseph's lineage is, it wasn't that big of a deal, because by this point in history, thousands of young men could trace their roots back to David. In fact, Mathew indicates that Mary likely could as well. So what do all of these details Luke reports mean? Simply that although Gabriel greets Mary as the favored one, if a list were made of all the influential or important people living in Israel at the time, this young girl from a no-name town would have been near the bottom of it. Dig Deeper Luke provides one more detail as he introduces us to Mary, and it's by far and away the most important: she was a virgin, a fact that he repeats three times in this short passage. Indeed, this is one of the most theologically critical aspects of who our Savior is - the Son of a woman, whose seed had been promised to crush the head of the serpent, but, as our Confession puts it, He was conceived without male participation. This means that Jesus is the only person in all of history to not have a physical connection to Adam, our covenant representative. It means He's the only one since the fall who has the opportunity to fulfill man's covenantal obligations to God. Yet the idea of a virgin becoming pregnant because the Holy Spirit came upon her and the power of the Most High overshadowed her remains one of the stickiest wickets for those who reject the Bible's supernatural claims. Yet without this pertinent detail Isaiah had prophesied (7:14) and that both Matthew and Luke record, all we'd have is an enduring story of a young, insignificant couple and their little baby. But let the angel Gabriel put any doubt aside, as he reminds you that nothing will be impossible with God. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the Most High who sent His Son to be Mary's holy child and our Savior; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would align yourself with God's will as quickly and as willingly as Mary did; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

The One who's always been makes you one who will always be. Gospels: Week 1 - Jesus' Incarnation and Birth We begin the New Testament by, of course, tracking through the Gospel Narratives - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We'll spend the rest of the summer in these gospels, and each day we'll be in a different book as we work through Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension chronologically. Heartlight.org John 1:1–14 (NASB95) 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. 9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. Belgic Confession Article 10: The Deity of Christ We believe that Jesus Christ, according to his divine nature, is the only Son of God— eternally begotten, not made nor created, for then he would be a creature. He is one in essence with the Father; coeternal; the exact image of the person of the Father and the “reflection of his glory,” being in all things like him. He is the Son of God not only from the time he assumed our nature but from all eternity... Summary This opening passage of John's gospel is known as his prologue. John is the last of the four gospels to be written, and right off the bat it becomes clear that his account will have a different feel than the other three. Mark's gospel came out the first, followed by Mathew and Luke's account, and together these three are known as the synoptic gospels, in that the give a synopsis of Jesus' life. These three gospels include many of the same episodes, but each has a slightly different twist or perspective. It's not that John's gospel doesn't give an overview of Jesus' ministry like the other three, but it slows the pace down, providing more details about fewer aspects of His life - especially the conversations He had. And we'll be learning all sorts theological insights into who the God-Man is and what He did even as we read the synoptic gospels, but it's here in John's gospel that we'll take the deepest dives into the branch of theology dealing with the second member of the Trinity, aptly referred to as Christology. John makes for a smooth transition from the Old Testament to the New (the word testament is a synonym for covenant) by opening with the same exact words that Moses began with in Genesis: In the beginning. So in other words, there's really nothing new about the New Testament; it's just that the incarnation (literally: became flesh) makes clear what's always been, but wasn't always clearly seen or understood. You see, up unto the point where the Light (that's Jesus) began to shine, the world groped about in the darkness we read about in Isaiah a few months ago because of the world's primary problem: It did not know Him, even though the world was made through Him. Dig Deeper John's prologue is so theologically rich that we could spend weeks or even months digging deeper into it and still never hit bottom. But today we'll need to content ourselves with just two verses that you really must have memorized as a Christian: First, memorize the famous opening verse: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Jesus is the Logos (Word) of the universe; that is, He's the rational principle by which everything exists and the essence of reason. But the Logos isn't some mysterious force that's beyond our comprehension, rather His very nature is communicative, which is why our English Bibles translate Logos with Word. So Jesus is the clearest revelation of God, or as Paul puts it in Colossians 1, the Son is the image of the invisible God. In what will become one of John's primary themes, this opening statement introduces the concept of God's triune nature. God is most certainly one (une), as one of the Old Testament's most foundational statements makes clear (Deut. 6:4), but He's also three (tri). Jesus, the Word, is both with God, and He always was God. God is one in essence and three in person. Second, memorize verse 12: 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name... We live in a world convinced that all people are children of God. While it's certainly true that all people are created in God's image and thus must be treated with dignity and respect, the fact is that as one who's received Jesus and believed in His name, you've been uniquely adopted as a true child of God - an heir of the Kingdom of God - which is the primary theme of the entire New Testament (Matthew 25:34, James 2:5, 1 Peter 1:3-4, Galatians 4:7, Titus 3:7). AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who along with the Son and Spirit is one God manifested in three persons; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will live in a way consistent with being a child of God; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

The coming generations depend upon you to teach them. Psalm 78:1–8 (NASB95) 1 Listen, O my people, to my instruction; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, 3 Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. 4 We will not conceal them from their children, But tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, And His strength and His wondrous works that He has done. 5 For He established a testimony in Jacob And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers That they should teach them to their children, 6 That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, That they may arise and tell them to their children, 7 That they should put their confidence in God And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments, 8 And not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not prepare its heart And whose spirit was not faithful to God. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 103 Q. What is God’s will for you in the fourth commandment? A. First, that the gospel ministry and education for it be maintained, and that, especially on the festive day of rest, I regularly attend the assembly of God’s people to learn what God’s Word teaches, to participate in the sacraments, to pray to God publicly, and to bring Christian offerings for the poor. Second, that every day of my life I rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through his Spirit, and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath. Q&A 104 Q. What is God’s will for you in the fifth commandment? A. That I honor, love, and be loyal to my father and mother and all those in authority over me; that I obey and submit to them, as is proper, when they correct and punish me; and also that I be patient with their failings— for through them God chooses to rule us. Summary Psalm 78 is a historical psalm that accounts two events from generations past. These first eight verses of the psalm lay out the purpose of this poem. The author of Psalm 78 uses poetic language to share historical accounts familiar to the Israelites which detail God’s justice and mercy. In each of these accounts, the Israelites responded with faith and obedience. The remembrance of these ancient events has been passed down from generation to generation. The author had been taught this as a child and is now recording these events in this psalm for the following generation to hear. The purpose of passing down this testimony of past events was more than to keep their memory alive. These accounts were shared to inspire future generations to keep God’s commandments and avoid the stubborn rebellion of previous generations. Dig Deeper In this retelling of past events, the author of Psalm 78 demonstrates a necessary responsibility for believers, sharing the history of our faith with the next generation. Even when children go to Sunday School or receive a Christian Education, the primary place that they will learn or not learn about God is at home. The Church and/or Christian School is not a substitute for modeling Christian behavior in the home. Instead of relying on others to teach the faith, it is the duty of every parent to share the stories of our faith with their children. Let the Church supplement, not replace, your God-given responsibility to teach the faith to the next generation. The stories shared in Psalm 78 were meant to remind following generations of the dangers of rebelling against God. By learning from the mistakes of previous generations, they would hopefully avoid making the same mistakes themselves. I too often hear believers complain about upcoming generations and how they are too disrespectful or don’t take church seriously. My question is, what have they been taught? How much time have you spent investing in passing on the stories of our faith to next generation? If you want to see God at work in the next generation, be more than just a silent observer to their faith journey. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who established a testimony that we must teach our children; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God will use you as a teacher of generations to come, even the children yet to be born; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Who don't you want to see repent? BibleHub.com Jonah 4 (NASB95) 1 But it (Nineveh's repentance) greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the LORD and said, “Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. 3 “Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.” 4 The LORD said, “Do you have good reason to be angry?” 5 Then Jonah went out from the city and sat east of it. There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade until he could see what would happen in the city. 6 So the LORD God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant. 7 But God appointed a worm when dawn came the next day and it attacked the plant and it withered. 8 When the sun came up God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint and begged with all his soul to die, saying, “Death is better to me than life.” 9 Then God said to Jonah, “Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “I have good reason to be angry, even to death.” 10 Then the LORD said, “You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. 11 “Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?” Belgic Confession Article 20: The Justice and Mercy of God in Christ We believe that God— who is perfectly merciful and also very just— sent his Son to assume the nature in which the disobedience had been committed, in order to bear in it the punishment of sin by his most bitter passion and death. So God made known his justice toward his Son, who was charged with our sin, and he poured out his goodness and mercy on us, who are guilty and worthy of damnation, giving to us his Son to die, by a most perfect love, and raising him to life for our justification, in order that by him we might have immortality and eternal life. Summary It is in this final chapter of Jonah that we learn the reason for Jonah fleeing from God’s command. Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh because he feared that the people there would repent and that God would forgive them. This is exactly what happened, upon hearing the warning from God the people repented. God then forgave and withheld destruction from the more than 120,000 people of Nineveh. Jonah was displeased with this and expressed his anger with God. He did not want Nineveh, one of the most hated enemies of Israel, to be spared from destruction. Jonah was so angry that he wanted to die. He sat in the shade of a plant, which God later took away with a worm and scorching heat. While God was gracious towards the people of Nineveh, Jonah cared more about the destruction of the plant than the wellbeing of the Ninevites. Dig Deeper The Book of Jonah is a contrast between God’s compassion and the resentful attitude of Jonah towards the people of Nineveh. The book ends without resolution to this difference in mindset as God was merciful to the Ninevites and Jonah remained angry about it. God did not treat the Ninevites according to the desires of Jonah. He also did not deal with the Ninevites in line with what they deserved. Nineveh was a hated enemy of God’s people, the Israelites. The people were guilty of evil and wrongdoing. The actions of the Ninevites made them worthy of destruction, yet God was gracious towards them. Be grateful this day that like the people of Nineveh, God does not give you what you deserve. We all have sinfully rebelled against the Lord our God and are therefore deserving of being objects of his wrath. So again, spend time this day praising God that he does not deal with us according to what we deserve, instead offering his love and forgiveness to all who trust in Him. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who does not give us what we deserve, but has compassion and mercy; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that unlike Jonah, you would desire all people to repent and be saved; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Repentance brings about God's relenting. DailyVerses.net Jonah 3 (NASB95) 1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk. 4 Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” 5 Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. 6 When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes. 7 He issued a proclamation and it said, “In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. 8 “But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. 9 “Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish.” 10 When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it. Canons of Dordt Point III/IV, Article 8: The Serious Call of the Gospel All who are called through the gospel are called seriously. For seriously and most genuinely God makes known in his Word what is pleasing to him: that those who are called should come to him. Seriously he also promises rest for their souls and eternal life to all who come to him and believe. Summary In the first chapter of this book Jonah was disobedient to God’s instructions. Instead of going to Ninevah as he had been commanded, Jonah ran away from God. This resulted in a great storm and Jonah being swallowed by a great fish. The second chapter of Jonah details Jonah’s prayer from within the great fish. At the end of the chapter 2, Jonah was vomited up onto dry land by the fish. Being caught in a storm, thrown into the sea, swallowed by a great fish, and being vomited onto the shore seems to have softened Jonah’s rebellious heart. In the third chapter of Jonah, God once again commands the prophet to go and preach against the great city of Nineveh. This time Jonah was obedient. When the people of Nineveh heard the words of Jonah, they repented of their sinful ways. When word had reached the king of Nineveh, he too repented and ordered others to do so also. Seeing the way that Nineveh had turned from their evil ways, God spared them from the coming disaster. Dig Deeper When Jonah came to Nineveh as a prophet and shared God’s message that the city would be overthrown in forty days, there are many ways the residents could have responded. But instead of doubting or even attacking the prophet, the people of Nineveh believed him. Hearing of the destruction that was coming to their city, the people responded with humility. They placed on sackcloth and fasted. Even the king joined in by trading in his fancy clothes for sackcloth and his bed for a pile of ashes. The people of Nineveh responded to God’s warning by changing their ways. A prophet might not walk into your town declaring God’s judgment, but the Bible is full of warnings about the dangers of sin. The motivation for the Ninevites’ change of heart was the coming destruction of them and their city. You might not have a forty day ultimatum, yet the spiritually destructive power of sin is no less dangerous for you. Trust the warnings against sin found in scripture, repent, flee from your sin, and pursue a relationship with our loving God who stands ready to extend grace and forgiveness. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who calls all people to repent and believe; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that like the Ninevites, you will heed God's call and turn from sin; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: