This week we hear a story of a paralyzed man and his friends who do everything they can to get him to Jesus, because they knew he had the power to heal. Jesus does, but he first heals him spiritually. It’s our prayer that you would know the healing power of Jesus, which saves us from the sickness of sin! Only Jesus has the power and authority to heal physical (disease) and spiritual (sin) sickness.
The good news of Jesus is often not what we expect. His words were often shocking to people and difficult to understand. Jesus often approached what God’s people thought they knew, and revealed an even deeper and better meaning behind them.
In Luke 4, Jesus stands in the synagogue reading from Isaiah's words centuries before. He is the fulfillment of those long awaited words promised, and yet it is unlike anything expected.
Continuing our tour through Luke, we see Jesus and John are both grown now and John is preaching for people to turn away from trusting themselves or this world, and to turn toward trusting God. Get ready for the kingdom of God to come and reign over all of creation. He calls for people to come and cleanse themselves in the river as a sign of their cleansing from rebellion against God, and among the crowd that comes is Jesus. Why would Jesus get baptized? Why would the Savior need cleansing? Why would the King need to prepare for the kingdom?
This is the week! We’ve spent all month pointing toward the coming King Jesus, and this week we celebrate that he did indeed come. The God of the universe, the Creator of all things, the King of everything, has come into this world. He has come to you and I. He has come to rescue. It's our prayer that you would see the beautiful rescue of Christmas this week - and that that is what would shine through all the excitement of presents and the hurriedness of our culture.
Sometimes when I’m eating really good food, I do a little happy dance while I’m eating. I don’t even realize I’m doing it. There is something about joy and experiencing goodness that brings out a reaction. We are designed to enjoy good things. This week, we look at the joyous good news that stirred Mary and Zechariah to a response of singing and praising God. What has been stirring in you this week?
The Christmas season is a time of looking forward to all kinds of things; presents, treats, time with family, time off from school or work. This story takes us to a time when God’s people were looking forward to His rescue and salvation. Still, when the time had come for this news, it was almost too good to be true. What is your response when you hear the good news of God?
How can we be certain about what we’ve heard of Jesus? Why does it matter? This week we begin both our study in the book of Luke, as well as the season of Advent. Join us as we discover and investigate the hope we have for all areas of life: physical, social, political, economical, spiritual, and more.
