4th Week of Advent : Love
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 1:57-80, John’s Birth & Zechariah’s Song
The time has come! After nine long months, Elizabeth goes into labour and gives birth. She and Zechariah sit in shame no longer; they have a son! Their joy is added to by the joy of their close-knit community of relatives, neighbours and friends in the hill country. Naturally, these people want to join in on marking the circumcision ceremony.
Quickly these relatives and neighbours take control at the ceremony to ensure things are done properly. After all, Zechariah and Elizabeth are both old, he is mute, and she—well, Elizabeth’s shame of not being able to bear children may be gone, but she is still a woman. She lacks the right to name the child. Despite her insistance on what the name should be, she is disregarded, so they finally ask Zechariah. With an emphatic flourish, he puts it down for the astonished crowd to see: “His name is John”.
And with that statement, that which Gabriel indicated would occur has occurred. The world is on the cusp of a great movement of God to break through. For Zechariah, hope, peace in coming to believe God’s word, and joy in John’s birth now culminates in a song of God’s covenantal love through His tender mercy, salvation and redemption. God’s love for Israel, seemingly long hidden, is there to be seen again.
Questions
The word “mercy” appears three times in this passage (vv. 58, 72, 78). How does the text indicate that mercy was or will be shown?
In Zechariah’s prophecy (vv. 68-79), what are the outcomes God hopes for us that arise from what the text indicates God has done? (vv. 71, 74-75, 78-79). How do you think these show God’s love?
How have you experienced God’s love this Advent season?
