Category: Devotionals

How Should We Respond to the Good News of Jesus at Christmas?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals1 Comment

Jesus in the Manger

Here we find ourselves on the eve before Christmas. During this time of year we will exchange greetings of Merry Christmas. Send Christmas cards to friends and family, and even post on Facebook sayings such as: “Jesus is the reason for the season” or “Let’s keep Christ in Christmas.”

These things are good. They not only force us to think about Christ, but they also force others who may never consider Jesus to consider Him. So it is important we keep Christ at the center of Christmas, in our conversations, and even in our social media posts.

While it is good and right for us to do these things, what I’m afraid of is that even though we speak about Jesus, write about Him, and celebrate His birth this time of year, we may not really know how the Bible calls us to respond to the good news of Jesus Christ.

How should we respond to the good news of Jesus Christ? In other words, what should we do after hearing the message of the gospel? The shepherds response in Luke chapter two acts as a model.

Before we look at their response, let me provide you with some background information, so we know to what news they were responding.

Background

Chapter two starts with a decree by Caesar Augustus that everyone must return to their hometown for a census. Not a big deal for most, except for the fact that the decree would increase their taxes. For Mary and Joseph on the other hand, it was a big deal. Mary was nine months pregnant and Joseph’s hometown was ninety miles away. Nevertheless, they made the trip.

After successfully navigating their way to Bethlehem, when they arrived, Mary went into labor. To top it off, there was no place in town for them to lodge except for a stable. Mary had no other choice but to deliver Jesus in a stable and lay Him in a manger.

Shepherds were close by in the fields that night tending their sheep when an angel appeared to them. He told them the good news of Jesus’ birth. A Savior had been born, the prophesied Davidic King was here, and He was close by in Bethlehem.

Before they could go check things out, a host of angels appeared singing. Their song further clues us into the magnitude of the historical event; Jesus would shine forth God’s attributes in the world because He is God and He would bring peace to men through His death on the cross.

That night, when the shepherds responded to the good news of Jesus, they did more than go to a hospital room with a few cigars and a blue balloon in hand with “It’s a boy!” printed on it. They went to see for themselves if the good news the angel relayed to them was true.

The Shepherds Response

The First Way They Respond is Immediately

In verses 15-16, Luke writes,

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.

After the angels left them, they went in haste to find the One the angels told them about. They did not delay, they went to search out the truth immediately.

Our response should be identical. When we hear the good news of Jesus – that He has come to save us, to restore our relationship with God, and make peace for us – we should respond immediately by seeking to confirm the truth of the message. The Shepherds responded in that way, and so should we.

If we are apathetic and lackadaisical, it means we have not yet grasped the magnitude of the message, or our need for a Savior. As well as it means we don’t understand that this world cannot offer us the peace that only Christ can offer.

The Second and Third Way They Respond is by Believing and Telling Others the Good News.

In verses 17-18, Luke writes,

And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

After the Shepherds found Jesus just as the Angel told them, they believed and then told others the good news. Jesus, the Savior of the world, the King we are all awaiting, the Chosen Messiah, is here!

So those who believe the gospel message, tell others about the gospel message; that is the proper response, and it should be our response.

The Last Way They Respond is by Glorifying and Praising God. 

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Luke 2:20)

After leaving, they responded by glorifying and praising God, which should be our response as well.

We use, read, and write these words frequently, but what do they mean? 

Glorifying God, which praise is wrapped up in, has two ideas attached to it. Those ideas are (1) Beauty and (2) Duty [1].

First, the idea of beauty. 

When someone or something is beautiful, we adore them; our imagination is captured by them; we praise, dote over, and admire them. As well as we talk about them, and long to look on them just to see more of their beauty. We do all this just for who they are not because we stand to have them do something for us.

Second, the idea of duty.

Duty entails service. Often, it means we do something to get something. When it comes to glorifying God, however, service is done not to get something, but just because of who God is. In other words, our service is selfless.

A few ways we can serve God selflessly and subsequently glorify Him by doing so is by:

  • Keeping His commandments.
  • Submitting to His rule over our life.
  • Telling others about Him.

When we do these things selflessly, expecting nothing in return, we glorify and praise God.

What does all this mean? How does this apply to us?

It all means that if we don’t adore, praise, talk about, if our imagination is not captured by, or we don’t long to look on Christ for just who He is, we are not glorifying Him.

It also means that if we don’t selflessly serve God by keeping His commandments, submitting to His rule over our life, or tell others about Him, we are not glorifying or praising Him either.

As well as it means we are not responding properly to the good news of Jesus.

Summary

How should we respond to the message of Jesus? How should we respond to the good news?

  1. Immediately by searching out the truth of the gospel message.
  2. Believe in the good news.
  3. After believing, we should tell others about the gospel.
  4. Lastly we should glorify and praise God.

That is how the shepherded responded to the message of the good news, and that is how we should respond to the message of Jesus this Christmas.

Why should we respond in this way?

Because God Himself has come to this earth to rescue us from death and destruction.

He has planned out His rescue mission before the foundations of the world. He has directed history, so that His plan would come about. He Himself has left His throne in heaven, was born as a man in a manger because there was no place for Him in the inn, He lived a perfect life, but went to the cross to die the death we should die, so that we might have life.

Isn’t that amazing? The King, the Creator of this world has come to rescue us from death and destruction because we rejected Him.

That is why we should glorify and praise God. That is why the message the Angel brought to the shepherds was good news. That is why we should respond to the good news of Jesus Christ.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Have you responded to the good news by searching out the truth?
  2. Have you responded to the good news by believing in Jesus?
  3. Have you responded to the good news by telling others the gospel?
  4. Have you responded to the good news by glorifying and praising God?

Resource

[1] Tim Keller, Father Son and Holy Spirit, Sermon on Mark 1:9-13, January 15, 2006.

The Story of God in Spoken Word

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

This is a must watch video by Matt Papa. He tells the entire story of the Bible in 10 Minutes.

A Man After God’s Own Heart: Connecting the Cross to 1 Samuel

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals2 Comments

I have been reading through 1 Samuel this last week. When I came to chapter 13, something struck me while reading the discourse between Samuel and Saul. Let me give you some background information before jumping into their discourse.

Narrative

Saul was set to again fight against the Philistines after Jonathan had initial defeated them at Geba. After their defeat, the Philistines came out strong with thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops. The text says, “They were like the sand on the seashore in multitude” (1 Samuel 13:5). This caused the Hebrews to be afraid, some crossed over the Jordan, others hid, and the men who were Saul at Gilgal trembled. This was obviously a tense time for the nation of Israel and their leader Saul. There newly installed king had won a military victory once against the Ammonites and his son Jonathan had defeated the Philistines, but Jonathan’s victory seemed only to anger the Philistines, causing them to come out against the Israelites even stronger.

Apparently, Samuel had told Saul to wait at Gilgal for seven days (1 Samuel 10:8), but Samuel did not show up in the allotted time (1 Samuel 13:8). As a result, the people following Saul began to leave. Instead of waiting for Samuel, the prophet of God, Saul decides to proceed without him in offering sacrifices to the Lord. Just as Saul had finished offering burnt offerings, Samuel shows up and asks, “What have you done?” Sauls response is telling of  his heart. He says,

“When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering” (1 Samuel 13:11-12).

Samuel responds by telling Saul that he has not obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and, as a result, the kingdom will be taken from him. Immediately afterward he tells him,

“The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you” (1 Samuel 13:14).

Later on in Chapter 15 we read about another instance when Saul rejected the commandments of the Lord and did what the people wanted. There he did not kill all the Amalekites or destroy all their livestock, instead he spared their king, Agag, and sought to sacrifice the livestock to God because that is what the people wanted to do.

Common Thread

The common thread that is running through these narratives is Saul’s lack of obedience to the Lord and his desire to please his people.

  • Instead of waiting for Samuel to come to Gilgal, he offered sacrifices to the Lord when the people started to leave.
  • Instead of killing all the Amalekites and devoting all their livestock to destruction like he was commanded by the Lord, he listened to the people and kept the livestock to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord.

The result, is that Saul was to be removed as king over Israel (1 Samuel 13:14), and God regretted making him a king (1 Samuel 15:10-11).

Man After God’s Own Heart

Saul was not a man after God’s own heart; rather, he sought his own fame and glory by pleasing those he was ruling over. As I read about Saul, I saw a little of myself in him, but I also learned a valuable lesson.

If I want to be a man after God’s own heart, I need to obey God’s commandments even when it is not popular. Even when others will shun me, walk away from my leadership, or outright persecute me, I need to obey the commandments of the Lord because that is to what I have been called.

A man after God’s own heart obeys the Lord rather than people. He seeks the will of God rather than his own will.

Our Example

David becomes our immediate example of a man after God’s own heart, but he failed from time to time, seeking his own will instead of God’s.

Even though he represents a man after God’s own heart in the immediate context, it is not until we get to Jesus do we see someone who perfectly exhibits what that means. Jesus lived a perfect life and was even obedient to the point of death, accomplishing the Father’s will instead of seeking to glorify Himself (Philippians 2: 6-11).

Salvation Before Obedience

Jesus is our example, but He must be our Savior first. Try as we might, we can never hope to live as Jesus did without first being raised from the dead. We are inherently sinful people, who want nothing more than to accomplish our own will and please ourselves.

If we ever hope to obey God’s commandments and live an obedient life like Christ, a life we will never fully live this side of eternity, we must believe that Christ is our Savior. When we do, will be made a child of God, given a new heart, and the Holy Spirit will indwell us. With our new heart and the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit, we will be better able to obey the commandments of the Lord.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Can you restate what it means to be a man/woman after God’s own heart?
  2. Do you understand why you must be regenerated before you can live as a person after God’s own heart?
  3. Do you ever seek others approval rather than living for the Lord?
  4. What is the chief end of man?

Who is Sitting on the Throne in Your Life?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals2 Comments

Yesterday, I started a new book I received recently, Gospel-Centered Discipleship by Jonathan Dodson. It is a great book! I would highly recommend it. In the first chapter, Dodson defines discipleship from a gospel-centered perspective. After which, he moves to talk about Jesus being the Lord of our lives.

Jesus is supposed to be our Lord

Have you ever thought about that? Jesus is supposed to be our Lord? Yes, He sure is supposed to be our Lord. But what does that imply about how we are to live? Dodson helps us to think through the implications.

Think, for a moment, about the implications of Jesus’s divine lordship. If Jesus is Lord, then he doesn’t merely rescue sinners from judgment, but he also brings disciples under his divine authority. Translation: when we become Jesus’s disciples, we also become his servants. Disciples are servants who take up their cross and follow him (Luke 9:23). When we turn to Jesus, we turn everything over to him. When we confess Jesus as Lord, we embrace his authority over every aspect of our lives. This is precisely why Bonhoeffer can say: “When Jesus calls a man, he bids him to come and die.”

When Jesus is Lord, we give up on our old life (a sort of death) in order to live a new life. When we put our faith in Jesus as Lord, we surrender self-rule in order to come under God’s wise, gracious, and all-powerful rule. We submit to his reign and join his mission. This life-altering truth forms Jesus’s preface to the Gospel Commission: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matt. 28:18). This new, expansive, awe-inspiring authority orders the life of a disciple to learn the gospel, relate in the gospel, and communicate the gospel in glad submission to King Jesus. As a result, we grow in the gospel as his servants, relate in the gospel as part of his family, and communicate the gospel as his ambassador-missionaries

Challenge

Now that Dodson has set us straight, let me ask a few question:

  • Is Jesus your Lord?
  • Do you submit to His authority over your life?
  • Have you turned everything over to Him, even your life?
  • Have you joined Jesus’ mission?

These are all questions we need to ask ourselves as we consider what it means for Jesus to be the Lord over our life. I pray that you will give them serious thought, knowing Jesus is not just our Savior who rescues us from the bondage of sin and Satan, giving us eternal life, but He is also our Lord. A Lord who calls us to serve Him and His mission here on this earth.

Resources

Jonathan Dodson, Gospel-Centered Discipleship, 42-43.

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Jefferson Bethke | Spoken Word

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals1 Comment

Lyrics

A roman cross, ya Jesus died on that
I don’t care what you believe, read history; it’s a historical fact
So the question is what will you do with this man of misery?
Only six hours on that wood, yet it completely changed history.
What’s weird though is we’ve pimped Jesus out, made his sacrifice foolery,
We just come to church on Easter, and make his cross nice jewelry.
The cross though wasn’t a symbol of faith; it was a symbol of death,
I mean imagine if someone wore an electric chair around their neck?
So we have to ask what was different about that man on that day,
That could turn an instrument of death, to something that saves?
See His cross is unique, because He was innocent,
God actually became a man?! Now that is different.
So on the cross he says I’m not dying because of me, I’m dying because of you,
Not just for your sins of the past, but for the ones you will do.
See on the cross God treated Jesus like He was us,
Poured out his wrath on the son, so He might show He’s just.
He took all your filth; he took all your sin,
The beauty is when you trust in Jesus, you were included in him

But first, walk with me what it must have been like that night,
When the son of God looked like He lost the fight,
No breathe, no heartbeat, no sign of life,
God tasted death, and it didn’t feel right.

Have you ever let that sink in, that God died?
No, really, God actually died.

3 days in the tomb. Lifeless laid his remains,
the king had no crown, looks like he had given up his reigns,
but suddenly on Sunday something started to change,
you heard a thump, thump…blood started pumping in his veins.
heart beating, blood pulsin, instantly satan felt his power break
because the son of God was dead, but now the son of God was awake
And every breathe he took, was like a punch to satan’s face
Because the resurrection proves you are no longer under law, you are under grace

so celebrate because when jesus went to the grave, you did too
And when he raised from the grave, you became new
saying, “my job is finished. Let the new life begin.
You can actually walk in freedom, stop wallowing in your sin,”
Because the chains have been broken, the stones been rolled away
God doesn’t love a future you, He loves you today

You are clean you are blameless, the curse has been squashed,
That’s what baptism is, just showing you’ve been washed
So church rejoice with me, that we aren’t waiting for the verdict,
Righteous, and the resurrection just proves he assured it
Because our whole lives we’ve feasted on sin, and we couldn’t pay the tab
Yet jesus walks over to our bill, and says ill take care of that
we don’t have to pay for our debt, in fact God doesn’t even expect it,
Because the cross is payment given, and resurrection is payment accepted.
The resurrection made us perfectly spotless, from spiritual whores,
Because when he walked out of the grave, he left our sin on the floor,
Turned around, looked at where his body lay,
And said sin, ya that’s where you’re gunna stay.

So live in freedom, because you are free
The resurrection is just the stamp, saying it’s a guarantee
A royal decree, now proclaiming you are children of the king
So give thanks back to him, and as a church let’s sing….

The Humbling, Paradigm Shifting, Faithfulness of God

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

This morning we met for our weekly Friday morning men’s breakfast, Bible study, and fellowship. We have been getting together every Friday for several months now, reading a chapter of the Bible and discussing it. Today we talked through 2 Timothy 2. One of the many things that stuck out to me as we discussed the passage is found in verses 11-13.

Paul writes,

“The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.” (2 Ti 2:11–13)

Paul tells us those who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior and die to themselves will live with Him. Those who endure and persevere, will reign with Christ. Those who deny Christ, will also be denied. So far we see a one to one correlation, but then in the last phrase he tells us that if we are faithless, God will remain faithful.

God’s Faithfulness

We know this to be true from biblical history. God remained steadfast as Israel chased after other gods. Yes, He disciplined them, but His discipline was always to correct. His desire was always for them to return to Him. Instead of giving up on them, He remained. He does the same for us. He is faithful even when we are faithless.

Why is God Faithful?

Paul tells us why God is faithful in the last phrase when he says, “for he cannot deny himself.” In other words, God cannot deny His own glory. God will be glorified, and it is our perseverance and ultimate salvation/glorification that glorifies Him. That means our salvation is not primarily for us. It is for God. It is to bring Him glory. Yes, we benefit tremendously from God’s saving grace, but it is not ultimately about us. It is about God and His glory.

A Paradigm Shift

Paul shows us that God is faithful in order to bring glory to Himself. How paradigm shifting is that? God is not faithful because we somehow are worth it. He is not faithful because He needs us. He is not faithful because we have merited it. He is faithful because He cannot deny Himself. To realize this world, this life, and even my salvation is not about me, but is about God’s glory is humbling. And to realize He will be faithful even when I am faithless is amazing!

Questions for Reflection

  1. How have you seen God’s faithfulness in your life?
  2. Do you believe your salvation is primarily about you or about God?
  3. Do you believe your salvation is due to some sort of merit on your part?
  4. Would you be willing to share about a time when you have been humbled by God’s grace and mercy in your life?

Resource

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