Why Celebrate Advent?
What can we learn from a Devotional on the Prophets?
How the New Testament Viewed Old Testament Prophecy
11/27/11- Day 1- Genesis 3:15- Galatians 4:4
11/28- Day 2- Son of God- Psalm 2:7 Matthew 3:17
11/29- Day 3- of Abraham’s line- Genesis 22:18- Matthew 1:1; Gal. 3:16
11/30- Day 4- of Isaac’s line- Genesis 21:12- Lk. 2:23,24
12/1- Day 5- of Jacob’s line- Numbers 24:17; Luke 3:23,34
12/2- Day 6- of the Tribe of Judah- Genesis 49:10; Luke 3:23,33, Heb. 7:14
12/3- Day 7- of the Line of Jesse- Isaiah 11:1; Luke 3:23,32 (Mt. 1:6)
12/4- Day 8- of the House of David- Jeremiah 23:5; Luke 3:23,31; Acts 13:22,23; Rev. 22:16)
12/5- Day 9- Born of a Virgin- Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18,24,25; (Lk. 1:26-35)
12/6- Day 10- His Pre-Existence- Micah 5:2; Colossians 1:7 (Jn. 17:5,24; Rev. 1:1,2; 1:17; 2:8; 8:58; 22:13)
12/7- Day 11- Born in Bethlehem- Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4-7
12/8- Day 12- Presented with gifts- Psalm 72:10; Mathew 2:1,11
12/9- Day 13- The Messiah shall be called the Lord Psalm 110:1; Luke 2:11; Matthew 22:43-45
12/10- Day 14- The Messiah shall be Called Immanuel- God with us- Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23
12/11- Day 15- The Messiah shall be a Prophet Deuteronomy 18:18; Matthew 21:11 (Lk. 7:16; Jn. 4:19; 6:14; 7:40)
12/12- Day 16- The Messiah shall be a Priest- Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 3:1
12/13- Day 17- The Messiah shall be a King- Psalm 2:6; Isaiah 33:22; Matthew 27:37
12/14- Day 18- The Messiah shall be filled with the Holy Spirit- Isaiah 11:2; Matthew 3:16,17
12/15- Day 19- The Messiah shall be concerned with the purity of His Temple Psalm 69:9; John 2:15,16
12/16- Day 20- The Messiah shall be preceded by a Messenger- Isaiah 40:3; Matthew 3:1,2 (Jn. 1:23; Luke 1:17)
12/17- Day 21- The Messiah shall be “from” Galilee- Isaiah 9;1; Matthew 4:12-17
12/18- Day 22- The Messiah shall have a ministry of miracles- Isaiah 35:5,6; Matthew 9:35 (John 11:43-47; 21:25)
12/19- Day 23- The Messiah would teach in parables Psalm 78:2; Matthew 13:34
12/20- Day 24- The Messiah would Enter Jerusalem on a Donkey- Zechariah 9:9; Luke 19:35-37
12/21- Day 25- The Messiah would be a stumbling block for the Jews and Light for the Gentiles Ps. 118:22 (1 Pt. 2:7);
Isa. 60:3; Acts 13:47-48
12/22- Day 26- The Messiah would be betrayed by a friend for 30 pieces of silver- Ps. 41:9; Zech. 11:2; Mt. 10:4; 26:15
12/23- Day 27- The Messiah would suffer for our sins and raised- Isaiah 53; Matthew 27, 28
12/24- Day 28- The Angel’s prophecies- Matthew 1 ; Luke 1:26-38
12/25- Day 29- Simeon’s Prophecy- A Sword will Pierce your soul as well Luke 2:29-35
Dedicated to the Glory of God and to Etta Sloan Batson, our first grandchild.
[The birth of a child brings hope; The birth of the Christ child brings ultimate hope]
WHAT IS ADVENT?
Advent means coming. Jesus came down for us, not because we deserved God’s help, but because He is a giving, gracious, loving God. Jesus is our hero and our Savior. He is the one who enables us to be better than we are in and of ourselves. He works in us to make us a better people.
A lot of people are wondering about our future (with elections and economic forecasts foretelling many things). Many hymns and carols are celebrating the fulfillment of the prophecies that God would come to us- being Immanuel (God with us) in the midst of our worry, our problems, our time, and our space. He comes! We wait for Him. This is advent.
Thou didst leave thy throne and thy kingly crown when thou camest to earth for me.
But in Bethlehem’s home there was found no room for thy holy nativity.
O come to my heart Lord Jesus, there is room in my heart for Thee!
Come desire of nations come- fix in us thy humble home! [Hark the Herald Angels Sing]
Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay close by me forever and love me I pray.
O holy Child of Bethlehem descend to us we pray. Cast out our sin and enter in,
Be born in us today. [O Little Town of Bethlehem]
This advent devotional is a celebration that God holds true to His Word and comes. We can count on God- even in changing times. The prophets continually prophesied about God’s faithfulness to us- even when we are not faithful to Him. He continually encourages us to come back to Him- physically, mentally, and spiritually. But He also holds out the hope that He comes to us. We have been studying the prophets with the Disciples series this fall, and these scriptures and devotion are meant to be a compliment to that study- but also to stand alone as inspiring and eternal words from God to us.
People celebrated Christmas as far back as we can record (though on varying dates). One early tradition was the twenty-fifth of December. In the 300’s this was finalized in a statement from the leaders of the church. In the 500’s a special liturgy was developed around the light of the world coming into our darkness with four candles.
Advent begins 11/27 and extends through Christmas Eve.
The four candles represent the following:
1st candle- Symbol of prophecy- longing for the light.
2nd candle- Symbol of preparation- the stable light.
3rd candle- Symbol of joy/rejoicing- the angelic light (usually a pink candle)
4th candle- Symbol of love and hope- the star’s light
Each night a candle is lit (all the candles from the previous nights are lit- adding a new candle each Sunday). If you have family with you, you may want to divide the parts- perhaps even making a schedule.
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM A DEVOTIONAL ON THE PROPHETS?
1) That God is in control. He is the King of kings. The government, the banks, the insurance companies, the media are not in control of life. God specifically said in the Old Testament that He would reveal the future through the prophets in order that people would believe in Him.
2) God knows and even oversees the future- showing us His existence, His power, and that He is the only true God. This enables us to rest and trust in Him.
“Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there Is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” (Isaiah 46:9,10)
3) So we will know and be assured and encouraged in our faith.
In tough and skeptical secular times it is easy to become discouraged in our faith. God seeks to encourage us- and the prophecies fulfilled are one means of doing so.
“I have declared the former things from the beginning; They went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to hear it. Even from the beginning I have declared it to you; Before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you; Lest you should say, ‘My idol has done them, and my carved image and my molded image have commanded them.” (Isaiah 48:3,5)
Much of the material has been taken from various sources including but not limited to:
Christology of the Old Testament by E.W. Hengstenberg
The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell
The Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy by J. Barton Payne
A Newer Advent Devotional by the same author: http://dailybelief.blogspot.com/
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