“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.’” —Luke 2:10

It was at nighttime, when things were darkest, that the shepherds had their typically mundane routine hijacked by the angelic host from heaven, heralding the glorious news about the birth of a Savior. Have you ever wondered why lowly shepherds were chosen as the first on earth to hear the glad tidings, or “good news,” of Jesus’ arrival?

Shepherding is one of the world’s oldest occupations. By trade, their lifestyle would’ve been one of humble and meager means. In some regards, they were marginalized people held in low estimation by others in society. For example, in the Talmud, we read that shepherds were not allowed to be considered witnesses in the legal system of that time. If you were brought before the courts on a criminal charge and your only alibi happened to be a shepherd, you were in trouble. Your witness wouldn’t be acceptable.

Shepherds were not only seen as unreliable, but as unclean nomads. And yet God looked down on a people whose word wasn’t treated as reliable and entrusted them with the amazing news of Christ’s birth—the hope of the world. They weren’t exactly the most influential of their day. They weren’t the power brokers, the politicians, or the change-makers. They were just keepers of the sheep. In the great adventure of fleshing out God’s missional mandate, He chose the weak, the not yet, and those on the outside, to further His kingdom. As Paul would later write, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are.”

Luke 2:10-14 records it this way:

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!”

Three verses later we see that God was pleased to use these men, the bottom of the social class in Israel, to be the very first human preachers of the newborn King. The original text in verse 17 has been translated: they “spread the word,” “told everyone,” “made known abroad,” “publicized widely,” and “spread the message.”

As you read this passage, consider how God is calling you to be His messenger in a world that needs the hope of Jesus. How can you join God on His mission in the coming new year? Maybe you feel unqualified to make a difference. Think about those shepherds. They were so overcome with the consciousness of the Good News that they didn’t have any room left to be self-conscious about their doubters and haters. They were so lit up about the message that they didn’t consider the world thought of them as unworthy or uninfluential messengers. They made a difference anyway!

Perhaps you feel like your world is too dark to make a difference. Remember that the glorious invasion of the Gospel came to those shepherds at night, when things were the darkest. When the hour is the darkest, the light is the greatest! Advent reminds us that the light has invaded the darkness and hope has come. Peace has come. Joy has come. And we have been tasked with the Great Commission of heralding the Gospel in this hour. God has a mission that needs you. Never let the haters marginalize that truth! Go, and “spread His message” to those around you.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank you for invading the darkness of my sin with the light of your salvation. Thank you for the Good News of Jesus, that all who put their faith in Christ have been born again to a new and living hope. Expose any fears I have, or any areas where I am too preoccupied with self to make a difference in the world. Empower me to live on mission with you, being your messenger in the places where you are pleased to use me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.   

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:

1. What typically comes to mind when you think about shepherds?
2. When has God invaded a dark time in your life?
3. In what ways have you felt unqualified or unworthy to share the Good News of Jesus with others?
4. What can we learn about God from this passage in Luke 2?
5. What does obedience to God’s mission look like in your life right now?

The post Advent Week 3: Good News Came at the Darkest Time appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” —Luke 2:14

This year marked the 30th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew, still one of the top five most powerful hurricanes ever to strike the United States. While I was working with a disaster relief team in Homestead, Florida, after the devastation caused by that vicious storm, I recall a resident whose home had been destroyed, taking a spray paint can and graffitiing the following words across the hollowed-out structure of his house:

“Know Jesus; Know Peace.
No Jesus; No Peace.”

I remember the wonderment I felt over the notion that one who had just lost everything could even find room in his vocabulary for the word “peace.” That imagery has stuck with me for over thirty years now. For a man who found himself homeless in the wake of a Category 5 hurricane in South Florida, peace wasn’t a method, a process, a notion, a distant reality, or some fickle emotion. His association with peace surely wasn’t just some glittery holiday card concept; Peace was an abiding Person—and his name was Jesus.

When Isaiah prophesied in ancient Israel about a future Messiah, or Savior, he declared:

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

Advent reminds us that peace is the direct correlation of being in a right relationship with the “Prince of Peace.” As we look at all the war, violence, political discord, and the human suffering that is akin to our present world, it is important to remember that Jesus promised a peace that transcends the chaos (John 14:27) and surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). The embodiment of peace isn’t packaged in a pill or a bottle on some shelf at the pharmacy, but came to us as “a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” This newborn Prince was also called Immanuel, meaning “God with us,” and He came promising that He will never leave us or forsake us.

As shepherds flocked to that little baby, a multitude of the heavenly host appeared praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” This was peace incarnate. The Hebrew word for “peace,” shalom, is often used in reference to an appearance of calm and tranquility of individuals, groups, and nations, but the deeper, more foundational meaning of peace is “the spiritual harmony brought about by an individual’s restoration with God,” with Jesus Christ being the mediator of that peace (1 Timothy 2:5).

This Prince of Peace came to reconcile sinners to God, to make us a new creation clothed in His very own righteousness, and to establish His kingdom rule in our hearts and governing reign over our lives. This Prince’s reign sustains us when going through the storm, stabilizes us when the whole world seems to be falling apart, gives us a love that overcomes the hatred, and decrees hope even when things look impossible. This Prince never said that “peace” was synonymous with “easy.” On the contrary, He taught His disciples to expect tribulation (John 16:33) and various trials (James 1:2) that would test our faith and produce steadfastness.

Consider, beloved: Peace is the indomitable realm where the Prince of Peace has set up His rule and reign. It isn’t a byproduct of human will or having your circumstances turn more favorable; Peace is yours when you yield the throne of your heart to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. That isn’t so much about a decision you made twenty years ago, but one that you make with this moment. You can choose peace by relinquishing control. Advent brings us to a place of surrender… again. Will you go there today?

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank you that there is a peace that surpasses understanding. You promised that I can know that peace, found in the person of Jesus. Prince of Peace, rule in my heart today. I relinquish control. I confess my sins. I surrender shame, guilt, regret, anger, depression, anxiety, and anything that rivals the peace you have promised. I receive your peace as a gracious gift, one that may well be the best gift I can receive this Christmas. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Advent Reading: Week 4
12/18 Sunday – Isaiah 9:6-7
12/19 Monday – Romans 5:1-5
12/20 Tuesday – Isaiah 26:3-13
12/21 Wednesday – John 14:26-28
12/22 Thursday – John 16:25-33
12/23 Friday – Romans 14:17-19
12/24 Saturday – Matthew 5:9

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is discord, union.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
Where there is injury, pardon.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

— Prayer for Peace of St. Francis of Assisi

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“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.’” —Luke 2:10

Hearing the words “Christmas is coming!” can evoke so many different responses in us: Stress—Ugh, there are so many activities this month and so little time to just be together as a family. Panic—I only have so many days to get my shopping done. Regret—Why did I volunteer to do that thing when it is going to require so much of me? Envy—My holiday “experience” is not nearly as impressive as that which my friends are posting about on social media. Or perhaps more tragically…

Grief—This will be our first Christmas without _______________.

Such a wide variety of sentiments can invade our hearts, occupy our thoughts, and hijack the joy of the Advent season. When Isaiah prophesied that an “everlasting joy” was coming to all who trust in God’s word (Isaiah 35), he pointed to the promised future that would be inaugurated in the first coming of Jesus Christ (Luke 4:16–21; 7:18–23) and fully consummated at his second coming (Revelation 21:4; 22:1–5).

The whole tone of Isaiah 35 is established by the verbs “be glad… rejoice… rejoice with joy and singing.” As God’s people once made their exodus through a desert, their final homecoming is through glorious abundance, exploding with joy! Isaiah portrayed a highway for God’s people that was clearly marked by joyful abundance—one of pilgrims singing their way into their eternal home (cf. 33:8; 34:10). The “redeemed” and “ransomed” of the LORD would obtain a “gladness and joy” that had once been out of reach (vv. 9-10). This hope inspires strength and courage for those feeling weak and unsteady as they find themselves in a time of waiting:

“Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.’” (Isaiah 35:3–4 ESV)
The stabilizing anchor of hope that invokes real joy comes from the promise of God’s faithfulness to his people (“your God will come”). They will not be left alone. We know that His messianic promise was fulfilled in the person of Jesus, the “Christos” (“the anointed one,” or “the chosen one”) who takes away the sins of the world. We also know that, as the angel revealed to the shepherds at Jesus’ birth, joy is not just relegated to a select few, but a proclamation of Good News for “all the people” (Luke 2:10).

Consider this beloved: Advent is a time we can be reminded that we do indeed have the capacity to choose joy over all of our varying emotional responses. Joy is not some deluxe version of the Gospel, it’s included in the standard package! It’s about accepting that you do have a choice over your fickle emotions—that God’s truth can overtake them. Joy is trusting when you want to doubt. Joy is celebrating when you want to fear. It’s worshiping when you want to withdraw. Joy is listed as one of the “fruits” of abiding in the Holy Spirit instead of walking in the “flesh” (Galatians 5:22). In other words, it has a lot to do with where we set up the tent of our thoughts.

The Hebrew word translated for “rejoice” in Isaiah 35 means “to exult, to go about or to be excited to levity.” The word exult means “to leap for joy,” and it’s usually connected with a triumph of some kind. I can’t think of a greater triumph than what Jesus championed for us through his birth, death, and resurrection. What a reason to rejoice his Advent season!

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, may my mind dwell this season on the incredible gift of salvation through Jesus that is the source of all joy in this life and the life to come. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Advent Reading: Week 3
12/11 Sunday – Luke 2:1-12
12/12 Monday – Philippians 4:4-9
12/13 Tuesday – Romans 12:11-16
12/14 Wednesday – Romans 5:1-5
12/15 Thursday – John 16:22-24
12/16 Friday – 1 Peter 1:3-9
12/17 Saturday – Psalm 5:11

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“Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” —Matthew 2:2

Have you ever found yourself guilty of judging who is worthy or unworthy of God’s love? I sure have been rebuked for this many a time. God can save even the most unlikely and unlovable of candidates, and He doesn’t need our permission to do so.

In this second week of Advent, we look at these learned men form the Eastern nations, the “magi,” or in some translations, “the wise men from the east,” who came to Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ birth, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

According to classical writers, the term “magi” referred either to those who practiced magical arts or Eastern priest-sages usually associated with Persia and Babylon. The term has a historically broader application for people whose practices include astrology, philosophy, dream interpretation, study of sacred writings, medicine, and natural sciences. These men were supernaturally guided to Jerusalem to worship the One born “King of the Jews.”

“We read of no greater faith than this in the whole volume of the Bible,” notes J. C. Ryle. “The wise men saw a new-born babe on the lap of a poor woman, and yet [they fell down and] worshiped Him and confessed that He was Christ. Blessed indeed are those that can believe in this fashion!”

It is not always those who have the most religious privileges who give Christ the honor and glory of which he is most worthy. The magi believed in Him while the scribes and Pharisees were unbelieving. I have oftentimes witnessed former “hellions,” (who had very little religious upbringing) go all in for Jesus more than those privileged to grow up in the teachings of Christianity. These magi may have been born in dark places of the earth, yet they became “wise unto salvation.”

In all their mystery, the story of Christmas wouldn’t be complete without the magi. They were likely ethnic outcasts, strangers to God’s “chosen people,” the Jews. Yet their wisdom exceeded that of the rabbis of the time. They sought for Jesus diligently and in reverent worship, and they brought him their costly “treasures.” They offered Jesus the best “gifts” they had—gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They remind us that God’s grace goes out to all people regardless of racial, ethnic, or religious backgrounds, and that He is worthy of our best worship in return.

Additionally, the fact that various kings in the ancient world frequently consulted magi because of their skill in interpreting omens, signs, and the stars, illustrates that God’s love is not just for the poor and lonely (shepherds), but also for the wealthy, the well-educated, and the dignitaries who rub shoulders with the rich and powerful. It’s not just the materially poor who need Jesus, it’s the elite as well. As I often say in our cross-cultural missions training, there is no greater poverty in the world than gospel-destitution—regardless of first world or third world dilemmas. Spiritual poverty doesn’t have material prejudices. Sin makes us all equally bankrupt before a holy God.

But herein is the Good News: God loves us despite our sin. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Whether you find yourself at the top of the social ladder or at the bottom, or somewhere in-between, God loves you and sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be your Savior. How are you responding to His unconditional love?

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, as we spend time remembering the Christmas story this Advent, may we not miss the beauty of your boundless love that has no prejudices or class-preference. You love the whole world, rich and poor, and everyone in between. May we not put restrictions on your love. As we have been loved unconditionally, may we love others the same.

Advent Reading: Week 2
12/4 Sunday – John 1:1-14
12/5 Monday – Luke 18:1-8
12/6 Tuesday – Isaiah 61:8-11
12/7 Wednesday – Matthew 14:22-33
12/8 Thursday – 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
12/9 Friday – Ecclesiastes 5:13-20
12/10 Saturday – Luke 1:26-40; 2:1-20

The post Advent Reading Week 2: LOVE appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” —Isaiah 7:14

When thrills of hope don’t find you
He loves you just the same
You don’t have to be OK
Just because it’s Christmas

With today being the first Sunday of Advent, those lyrics from Anne Wilson’s “Just Because It’s Christmas” resonate deeply with my soul.

This is that perennial season of decking the halls with all the tinsel and glitter, while the holiday “spirit” can often feel like fabricated joy or pseudo peace. As the songwriter says, “Just because it’s Christmas, doesn’t mean your heart don’t hurt.” It’s fitting to be reminded that everything in your world doesn’t have to be tidied up to worship the King. You don’t have to check your wounds at the door of the stable before coming in to bow down at that manger.

For centuries, Christians around the world have used the four weeks leading up to Christmas to prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. It’s a time when we observe his first coming while we also anticipate his second coming—that climactic event when our returning King, righteous and just in every way, will finally rectify every injustice in this fallen world. And over the next four weeks, our devotional series will focus on the Advent themes of Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy, as we prepare our hearts to encounter God’s provision of each—even when life hurts or the seasonal “thrills” can sometimes feel… counterfeit.

Hope is essential to the human existence. It’s been said that a person can live forty days without food, four days without water, four minutes without air, but only four seconds without hope. That might be a bit trite, but it certainly underscores the fact that HOPE is a gamechanger. In Hebrew, the word “yachal” means “to wait, tarry, expect, or hope for.” This kind of hope isn’t just wishful thinking or some flimsy “pie-in-the-sky” dreaming. Biblical hope is rooted in the personhood, character, and trustworthiness of the living God and the promises of his covenant.

Noah and his family had to “yachal” (wait) for weeks for the waters to recede after the destruction of a global flood. Micah talked about how farmers “yachal” for the morning dew that nourishes their crops. Israel suffered under the yoke of Egyptian slavery for 400 years before their liberation. Even then an entire generation wandered in the wilderness, gave up hope, and yielded themselves to false gods.

Isaiah prophesied that he was waiting with anticipation for the coming Messiah to save his people from their sins and set up his kingdom reign. His people toiled under Roman occupation for decades before Christ’s birth. But the Messiah finally appeared as promised, even though it had been 400 years since the prophets had spoken—a “silent” period that must’ve tested the hope of even the most faithful.

We have hope of deliverance from the God who hears and is not silent. It can be difficult to feel hopeful, but biblical hope means trusting in God’s character and choosing hope despite our circumstances. This takes a preparation or cultivation of the heart. You may feel like you are in a silent period and all alone. You may be waiting for the waters of tragedy, suffering, loss, or failure to recede. You may be waiting for the alignment of external circumstance to finally “reward” all your hard work and investments. You may be dealing with addiction, mental health struggles, or wavering somewhere between theological doubts and functional idolatry. Yet hope is still near because hope is not a feeling, but a Person.

Advent can be a time for us to repent, believe, and turn away from the false hopes and idols that we have allowed to drive our existence. Advent is a time to find, or rediscover, the reality of Immanuel—God with us, and encounter this living hope in an abiding way.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, no matter what my feelings or circumstances may say, you are true. Thank you for a covenant of faithfulness in which your reputation has never failed. Thank you for your Son, Jesus, the incarnation of that hope. As I go about this Advent season, help me to lean into this living hope and sense your nearness through all the stuff of this holiday season. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Advent Reading: Week 1
11/27 Sunday – Matthew 1:8-25
11/28 Monday – 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15
11/29 Tuesday – Isaiah 9:2-7
11/30 Wednesday – John 17:15-19
12/1 Thursday – Ephesians 1:3-7
12/2 Friday – Isaiah 40: 1-5
12/3 Saturday – Matthew 6:25-34

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