Daily Devotion

Today, let’s consider a conversation that Mary and Joseph had with a man named Simeon when Jesus was just over one month old.

Weekend Recharge!

Weekend Recharge!

Today, the birth of a baby is often announced on social media, accompanied by carefully chosen photos of a joyful mother cradling her newborn in a comfortable setting. In contrast, an image  of Jesus’ birth would likely stir empathy for a child brought into the world under such stark circumstances. Mary gave birth in a dark, dirty place and laid her infant son in a used feeding trough—hardly the kind of scene that would attract “likes.” But in that humble moment, “God stepped into the warm lake of humanity. Without protocol and without pretension.”

Our passage today is a familiar Christmas reading: the account of Jesus’ birth recorded in Luke 2:1–7. I have preached through these verses on Christmas Eve many times. In the course of Luke’s thorough research, he no doubt spoke with Mary. It is fascinating to consider that she may have been the one who recounted this deeply personal story.

When John the Baptist was born, Zechariah was finally able to speak again. His silence had resulted from doubting Gabriel’s message from the Lord, but now his voice had returned, and he burst forth in praise to God.

In Genesis 3, after sin entered the world, God promised to send one born of a woman to crush Satan (Gen. 3:15). He then chose a nation through which this Deliverer would come. God made a covenant with Abraham, the founder of that nation, promising that all the families of the earth would be blessed through the one who would come from Abraham’s line (Gen. 12:1–3). He later reaffirmed this covenant to Abraham’s son, Isaac (Gen. 26:2–5) and to Isaac’s son, Jacob (Gen. 28:10–15; 35:9–12).

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (NIV) In today’s passage, we will reflect on a song of praise that flows from Mary’s heart— a song of thanksgiving and recognition of who God is. Let’s begin by setting the context.

Weekend Recharge!