Bethel Baptist Church 2020 Advent Readings
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HOPE - November 29 - “O Holy Night” - especially verse 1
HOPE - November 29 - “O Holy Night” - especially verse 1
Christmas encourages all of us to review and remind each other of the Gospel, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the hope that He alone provides. This year, more than most years, people need the sure hope that is found only in Christ who came into this earth as a helpless baby, Jesus, to save His people from their sins. In the midst of all that as changed, God has not changed. He is still our only sure lasting hope.
The Psalmist David understood this. So did the prophet, Jeremiah.
Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
LOVE - December 6 - suggestion - “Silent Night” especially verse 3
Christmas is a time when we again remind each other that the Gospel message is good news of hope, and and good news of love - an everlasting love, God’s love embodied in Christ, His Son.
The LORD encouraged the prophet Jeremiah with that reminder.
the Lord appeared to him from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
John, the beloved Apostle reminded those to whom he wrote,
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Joseph & Mary understood and embodied God’s love to each other and Jesus as He was entrusted to them.
When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
JOY - December 13 - suggestion - “Joy to the World”
The true Gospel message that we share at Christmas, offers hope, love and lasting joy, lasting joy because the message of Christmas is not about temporal things, but a living Saviour, Christ the Lord. When we personally repent of our sins and embrace Him as Saviour and Lord, and Immanuel - God with us - we have true lasting hope, love and joy.
Mary testified of that.
And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
When the angels appeared to the shepherds, they reminded the shepherds that the good news that they brought was good news of great joy for all people.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
To those who had not physically seen Jesus, Peter the Apostle wrote,
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
PEACE - December 20 - suggestion - “O Little Town of Bethlehem” - especially verse 2
The world into which Jesus was born, knew little real peace. His own, into which He was born were ruled with the iron fists of a distant empire and local corrupt despots. Any cries for freedom had been ruthlessly crushed.
Worship of the one true God had been corrupted by hard hearts that having rejected all of the prophets, affirmed themselves in having kept their plethora of superimposed manmade religious laws and structures. The result of this was that after Malachi, God had not sent a prophet for over 400 years. The people walked in darkness.
The prophet Isaiah spoke of that.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
It had been a long time since most of the people knew anything of the spiritual peace that God had promised and offered.
Moses spoke of that peace.
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
Isaiah, the prophet told them the future source of true peace.
In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
“We have a strong city;
he sets up salvation
as walls and bulwarks.
Open the gates,
that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Peace was the culmination of the angels announcement to the shepherds.
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Jesus underscored that true peace comes only through saving faith in Him.
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
CHRIST - December 24
True hope, true love, true joy and true peace are precious and of inestimable value. For that reason, the Good News first proclaimed by the angels, then the shepherds, Jesus Christ, the disciples, first generation and every successive generation of believers is equally precious for those “with whom with God is pleased.”
The Bible is clear. God is only pleased with those who by faith believe in Jesus Christ who embodied and personified the good news.
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
All generations of believers have understood, believed and proclaimed this.
TONIGHT, TODAY, THIS CHRISTMAS AND UNTIL OUR LORD CALLS US HOME WE ALSO PROCLAIM.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.