2nd Week of Advent : Peace
To help our community draw near to God this Advent season, we’re inviting you to dive into a series of daily devotionals. Each week will begin with a short scripture study based on the Sunday’s sermon. We’ll post the scripture studies here. To follow the rest of the week, below you’ll find a link to sign up to receive a daily email, or pick up a print copy of the devotional for the week each Sunday at Knox leading up to Christmas.
Scripture for the Week
Read Luke 1:26-38, Gabriel Visits Mary
Imagine the scene: Mary, a young, insignificant teenage girl, living in a small, insignificant and out of the way village, all of a sudden has an angel drop by! In contrast to her status, she’s greeted with words of great honour. These words of high favour are not the words that someone in her position in the world would ever expect to hear from any other human, much less an angel. No wonder she’s perplexed!
Mary receives news that she will have a baby. Her reaction of wonder and curiosity is all the more astonishing in light of how she will be perceived at large in the culture of that time. For Elizabeth, a married and older woman who was barren, the favour of now carrying a child is a restoration of her honour. She no longer must endure disgrace. Yet for Mary it’s the opposite. As a young, promised but not yet married virgin, carrying a child will bring shame and slander as those around her look on her as unfaithful. God is bringing her to a place of having to endure disgrace in the world’s eyes in order to bring about his great redemption because she has found favour with God. Mary’s final words then of submission to God’s will, filled with peace, challenge us to similarly trust God this week.
Questions
As you enter this week, have there been moments when you’ve longed for a break of rest and quiet? How have you longed for peace?
How do you think God views you?
From the passage, what stands out to you from Gabriel’s description of Jesus?
Download printable pdf (or swing by the church to pick up a print copy).
