2015 ADVENT DEVOTIONAL

HOPE • LOVE • JOY • PEACE INTRODUCTION

O COME, O COME EMMANUEL PURPOSE AND PLANNING

O come, O come, Emmanuel The heart of this little booklet is to celebrate the Advent of our Savior, And ransom captive Israel Jesus. The word “Advent” means “Coming” or “Arrival”. When Jesus That mourns in lonely exile here was born, God called him Emmanuel, which means “God with us”. The Until the Son of God appear celebration of Christmas is a celebration of God’s arrival on Planet Earth Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel in physical form. God is so holy that we cannot approach him without Shall come to thee, O Israel. fear of death, but he took on a bodily form and came here to give us life. Praise God! O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan’s tyranny Traditionally, the Advent Season includes the four Sundays leading up to From depths of Hell Thy people save Christmas. This booklet explores Advent in four key applications: HOPE, And give them victory o’er the grave LOVE, JOY, and PEACE. That lets us focus on one key word for each Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel week during the four weeks of Advent. This is a great way to rejoice in Shall come to thee, O Israel. the many blessings we have in Jesus as we celebrate his coming.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer Our spirits by Thine advent here Using this booklet: Disperse the gloomy clouds of night There are five main parts, one for each week of Advent and the fifth for And death’s dark shadows put to flight. Jesus himself. Each week, use one part. You will find a scripture to read Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. and devotional questions to help you reflect on that passage. There are extra scriptures listed for additional meditation throughout the week if O come, Thou Key of David, come, you like. Each section concludes with the passage that will be the focus And open wide our heavenly home; of our Sunday sermon. These can be a good preparation for corporate Make safe the way that leads on high, worship, or to review the sermon each week. And close the path to misery. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might, Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height, In ancient times did’st give the Law, In cloud, and majesty and awe. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.

1 WEEK 1 Pray: • for God to show you Hope from his perspective, not the world’s HOPE perspective • with thanksgiving that your Hope is rooted in eternity, not in the temporary things of this world. Pray that God will help you understand how Jesus comes to bring Hope • that God will show you how to share the Hope of Jesus’ coming with like no one else can offer. someone specific this Advent season

Read this scripture passage: Luke 18:18–30 Additional Scriptures: Feel free to use the same questions for reflection. There is additional Consider this: We do not need to hope for anything if we have space for notes in the back of this booklet. everything. Here, Luke tells of a man who seemed to have everything but • 1 Corinthians 15:54–57 really lacked the most important thing. • Isaiah 9:6–7 • 1 Peter 1:3–9 Reflection questions about our Scripture passage: 1. What do we learn about the world’s understanding of Hope? Sunday Connection: Jesus Conquered (Jesus in the Law) Genesis 3:1–15

2. What does this passage tell us about God’s perspective compared to What is the role of the Law in Luke 18:18–30? Man’s perspective about Hope?

Galatians 3:23 says, “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.” How does 3. What assurances or promises are found in this passage? this apply to the story of Luke 18?

How do we know that Jesus is powerful enough for us to place all our 4. How would this passage be different if Jesus had not come? Hope in his coming? (Hint: Luke 18:31–33 reveals how Jesus conquers!)

2 3 WEEK 2 Pray: • for a deeper understanding of God’s Love for you LOVE • with gratitude that God first loved you, even when you did not know how desperately you needed his loving mercy • that God will help you love with Jesus’ kind of Love – a Love that Pray that God will give you a vivid picture of his Love, how big and asks for nothing in return wide and long and deep his Love truly is.

Additional Scriptures: Read this scripture passage: Romans 5:6–11 Feel free to use the same questions for reflection. There is additional space for notes in the back of this booklet. Consider this: The opposite of Love is not hate. It is selfishness. Love • John 15:8–11 requires giving, and the greatest love gives everything and takes nothing in return. That is the kind of love described in this passage. • Psalm 103:6–13 • Galatians 2:20 Reflection questions about our Scripture passage:

1. How would you describe the example of Love we see in Sunday Connection: this passage? Jesus Delivered (Jesus in the Psalms) Psalms 22:1–8

This Psalm describes the horrible experience of Jesus on the cross. Read it with that picture in mind, and consider how much Jesus must love 2. What does this passage tell us about God? about ourselves? you to endure that kind of experience for you. Why would he do such a thing? John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” This is how Jesus delivered us: by laying down his life for ours.

3. What assurances or promises are found in this passage?

4. How would this passage be different if Jesus had not come?

4 5 WEEK 3 Pray: • for God to provide Joy by showing you glimpses of the Savior all JOY around you at Christmas • by celebrating the grace that God pours out on you daily, so that your Joy may be rooted in Him and not in your own efforts Pray that your Joy may be made complete by the work of Jesus on the • for God to sustain those who are suffering and persecuted because of cross, and by the work of the Holy Spirit moving in your heart. Jesus, and for Joy to come to them in the midst of their pain

Read this scripture passage: John 16:16–22 Additional Scriptures Feel free to use the same questions for reflection. There is additional Consider this: As children of God, we have every reason to be joyful, space for notes in the back of this booklet. but the heavy burdens of this life make it easy to forget that Joy. Listen • 1 Peter 1:3–9 to how Jesus himself encouraged his friends to expect Joy to follow after the most sorrowful time they would experience. • Psalm 30 • Isaiah 61:10–11 Reflection questions about our Scripture passage:

1. What observations can we make about Joy and sorrow in Sunday Connection: this passage? Jesus Suffered (Jesus in the Prophets) Isaiah 53:1–6

Verse 4 says, “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows....” 2. What does this passage tell us about the source of sorrow and the When Jesus humbled himself to death on a cross, he bore the weight of source of Joy? all our sorrows (the opposite of Joy). What does Hebrews 12:2 tell us about the way Jesus viewed the cross and Joy?

3. What assurances or promises are found in this passage? To the world it seems like Christians rejoice in the death and suffering of another. It is not the death of Jesus that brings us Joy, but the life that he gives us in exchange for his death. Who can possibly know more Joy than a condemned law-breaker who has been freed from certain death? 4. How would this passage be different if Jesus had not come? By the wounds that Jesus bore, we receive healing, restoration, and life! Rejoice in Him!

6 7 WEEK 4 Pray: • for God to let you know the incomparable Peace that only Jesus the PEACE Savior can give • with praise for the Prince of Peace who will bring Peace to all the Earth when every knee bows to King Jesus Pray that God will make his Peace real to you as you consider what it • for the Peace of Christ to be evident in the way you interact with means to know the Prince of Peace intimately. your family, your friends, and others, especially at Christmas time

Read this scripture passage: Colossians 1:19–23 Additional Scriptures Feel free to use the same questions for reflection. There is additional Consider this: We often think of Peace in terms of human relationships, space for notes in the back of this booklet. and that kind of Peace is certainly a blessing. Here, the Bible talks about • John 14:25–29 Peace with God – a much greater blessing of infinite worth – which is only possible because of Jesus’ death on the cross. • Philippians 4:4–7 • Romans 5:1–11 Reflection questions about our Scripture passage:

1. Why is Peace with God so much more valuable than Peace with Sunday Connection: other people? Jesus Reveals (Jesus in the Gospels) John 1:14–18

John tells us that Jesus reveals God to us. He is the very glory of God 2. What are the descriptive words in these verses, and what do these made visible in the flesh. words tell us about ourselves, our God, and our Savior? Isaiah 6:1–6 tells how Isaiah saw God, and how he cried out for death to come upon him. God was so holy and Isaiah was so corrupt that Isaiah knew he must die. But when Jesus comes on the scene, he humbles himself to walk among us – his unholy, corrupt people. Jesus reveals a 3. What assurances or promises are found in this passage? God of love, humility, patience…and Peace. By the life and death of our Savior, we can know this Peace that transcends all human ability. Not only can we see this Peace lived out by Jesus, but we can also have this Peace for ourselves when we bow to him as Lord! 4. How would this passage be different if Jesus had not come?

8 9 CHRISTMAS Pray: • for God to impress upon you the magnitude of Jesus’ Advent CHRIST • for the Holy Spirit’s help to worship in response to the great gift of the Messiah • for boldness and opportunity to share the Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace Pray that God will give you greater insight into what it means that of Jesus with someone you know Jesus came to earth, and your heart will rejoice in the gift of our Messiah this Christmas. Additional Scriptures: Read this scripture passage: Matthew 1:18–25 Feel free to use the same questions for reflection. There is additional space for notes in the back of this booklet. • Matthew 1:1–2:23 Consider this: There was a time when the Messiah was still a hope, a prayer, or maybe even a dream. Today we think of Jesus coming to Earth • Luke 1:1–2:52 as an historic event. Try to put yourself in the place of ancient Israel, (Read through the full account of Jesus’ Advent in Matthew 1 & 2 desperately waiting for their Savior to appear. Every last hope of God’s and Luke 1 & 2) promises hangs on his arrival. How eagerly we would wait!

Reflection questions about our Scripture passage: Sunday Connection: 1. What details are important to Matthew (and so, to God) as the New Jesus – Thine Advent Here Testament opens with this description of Jesus’ Advent? The very old Christmas song “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” includes these lines: O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer 2. This passage includes the Holy Spirit (i.e, God), an angel, and a Our spirits by Thine advent here prophecy. How do each of these underscore the importance of this Disperse the gloomy clouds of night moment in time? And death’s dark shadows put to flight. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. 3. What assurances or promises are found—or fulfilled—in this Meditate on these words and ask the Lord to give you fresh passage? understanding of how powerful the arrival of Jesus was. No more dark, no more gloom, no more death…all because God is with us in Jesus!

4. How would this passage be different if Jesus had not come?

10 11 NOTES

12 13 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. – Luke 2:11