Pandemic Advent: Restoring Hope

Advent begins tomorrow. 

Usually this weekend marks a transition to the bustle of holiday events -- school parties, work parties, family parties, neighborhood parties, concerts, dramatic productions, travel, shopping. For most of us, the 2020 advent season will be much lower key. Concerts are cancelled. Many stores are closed. Parties are limited or not allowed. Travel is complicated.

Perhaps this year, we will finally catch the spirit of Advent.

As one devotional resource puts it, "Advent is a season of expectant waiting, tapping into the sense we have that all is not well, the longing for the world to be made right again. It's a season for restless hearts and people weary of a broken world who want, with all our being, to know there's more than this." (Seeking God's Face: Praying with the Bible Through the Year, 23)

If ever there was a time when we were collectively aware that all is not well, it's now. We long to break free from the dark clouds of the pandemic that shadow every empty square on the calendar.

This year I had the honor of contributing to an Advent devotional for Christianity Today, along with John Goldingay, Fleming Rutledge, Vincent Bacote, Ken Shigamatsu, Thabiti Anyabwile, Rich Villodas, Marlena Graves, and others. You can access it freely using the links below. Join us as we consider together the HOPE of Jesus' coming and of God's transformative power.

This year, more than ever, we know how much our world needs this.

If your year has been like mine, then you are acutely aware of your own need for transformation. The fallout of disrupted plans and routines this year has exposed places in our hearts where we have clung to the wrong things for security.

At minimum we are tasting the bitter tears of grief mixed with anticipation of Christmas. This year won't be the same. There are empty seats at the table, unfulfilled hopes, lonely hearts, and cancelled plans. May our disappointments turn our collective gaze to the author of hope. In him alone will we find strength for a new year that offers little certainty.

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

May the first coming of our king bolster our hope in his imminent return to make all things new!

What Do You Expect This Christmas? (Part 3)

In this series I've explored the unmet expectations of our Christmas celebrations as well as unmet expectations in the first Christmas. We considered Simeon:

Simeon is an old man, and he’s been watching and waiting for God’s deliverance his entire life. He sees baby Jesus and knows instantly that the moment has finally come. God has answered his prayers! 

But Simeon doesn’t stop with these celebratory words. He ends with a sober warning:

“This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.” (Luke 2:34-35) 

Jesus is not all puppy dogs and rainbows. His birth would make a horrible Hallmark movie. Instead, his coming exposes the hearts of every woman and man. People will either love or hate this man. Because of Jesus, lives will be ruined. Secrets revealed. Hearts pierced as with a sword.

Detail of "The Killing of the Innocents" by Leon Cogniet
(1824) - Musee des Beaux-Arts, Rennes, France /
Giraudon / The Brideman Art Library

And it doesn’t take long. Before the baby can walk or talk, King Herod catches wind that a special child has been born, destined to be “king of the Jews.” Herod calls himself King of the Jews, so this baby is a real threat to his own power. In his paranoia, he orders his men to kill all the babies in and around Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph flee to Egypt as political refugees just in the nick of time, thanks to a foreboding nightmare. But that’s just the beginning. The birth of the Messiah is not what anyone expected.

Jesus grows up and is ready to begin his work as God’s Messiah – his anointed king. And it works out just as Simeon foretold when Jesus was just a wee little thing. Rather than a sword to pierce the Romans, Jesus’ words are like a sword that pierces the hearts of all who hear him, even the Jews, exposing their hypocrisy. His first recorded sermon in the book of Luke chapter 4 ends with the Jewish congregation trying to throw him off a cliff – literally.

We can’t embrace Jesus as our hero or teacher or prophet or king without his sword piercing our hearts, too. His words are life-giving, but they require surrender on our part – he’s in the business of releasing us from our sins and our fears. Transformation begins by exposing what’s deep down inside. Every one of us must decide: what will we do with Jesus? There is no neutral. We cannot hold him at arm’s length. We either let him do his work in us, or we reject him. That’s the surprise of Christmas.

It’s not just the first Christmas or our first encounter with Jesus where this happens. Whether we’ve been a Christian for 6 months or 60 years, Jesus’ coming has this effect on us every year. In the frenzy of the holiday, what we care about most becomes obvious. Our stress levels rise and fall with our expectations of ourselves and of others. How will this look to the neighbors? What kind of friend am I? What should I bring? Why wasn’t I invited? … If we surrender our expectations to him, we’re free to receive whatever he has for us. If we try to control things by clinging to our own expectations, we’re in for a tough ride.

Dear desire of every nation

Joy of every longing heart

What is the desire of your longing heart this Christmas – more than anything? And what do you fear most of all? As we approach Christmas – the day that celebrates Jesus’ coming into our world – our desires get exposed along with our fears. I leave you with this heartfelt advice for how to navigate Christmas this year:

1. Release your expectations for yourself and for others. Part of finding contentment is having a sober assessment of who we are and what we can reasonably accomplish in light of what God has designed us to do and what else is on our plates. We can’t do it all! Stress enters the picture when we expect more of ourselves than God does. Does he expect us to do all these things? If not, then why do we try to do them?

2. Refuse to numb your disappointment. When we feel things start to crumble and our expectations are unmet, the temptation is to numb the pain – binge watching, binge eating, frenzied activity, shutting down emotionally, oversleeping, spending sprees, drinking, perhaps – anything so that we don’t have to feel the disappointment. In fact, some of you have become so skilled at numbing that you would say you don’t have any expectations at all this Christmas. You’ve stopped caring. Numbing our disappointment actually prevents us from experiencing the gift of Christmas. Instead of numbing, here’s what I recommend:

3. Invite Jesus into the mess that is your real life. Come to him honestly, achingly, desperately. Jesus doesn’t wait to enter our world until it is neat and tidy and ready to post on Pinterest. He walks on stage in the middle of Act 2, when everyone has forgotten their lines and the whole show is on the verge of disaster. That’s his cue. It’s the part he plays masterfully. Jesus isn’t overwhelmed by your schedule or shocked by your family dynamics. He didn’t come to affirm us but to redeem us. Transformation is what he’s all about. Bringing joy and hope and rest in the midst of life’s mess is what he does best.

What will you do with Jesus this Christmas? Will you release your expectations to him? refusing to numb your disappointment and inviting him into the mess? His coming brings rest, hope, joy, and so much more, but not when we’re holding him at arm’s length and trying to do things on our own.

Come, thou long-expected JesusBorn to set thy people freeFrom our fears and sins release us
Let us find our rest in theeIsrael’s strength and consolationHope of all the earth thou artDear desire of every nationJoy of every longing heart*

Or in the words of another of my favorite Christmas carols,

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.**

------------

*"Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus," Charles Wesley, 1744 

**"O Little Town of Bethlehem," Phillips Brooks, 1868

What Do You Expect This Christmas? (Part 2)

In the first post of this Advent series, I raised the issue of unmet expectations in our Christmas celebrations. In this post, we consider the first Christmas, which did not go as expected.

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The Holy Family (Photo: C Imes)

Sweep away that image of a peaceful nativity. We know better. Is life with a newborn ever a “silent night”? And giving birth in a crowded house with distant relatives and their livestock is hardly a picture of “peace on earth.”

The first Christmas had more than its fair share of disappointments and unmet expectations. The Jewish people had been hoping and praying and waiting for centuries for a Savior.

Come, thou long-expected Jesus

Born to set thy people free

God had promised to send the people of Israel a king in the line of David, a Messiah –someone who could crush those who oppressed them and finally set them free. But that was a long time ago. In the meantime, other nations had dominated and abused them – first the Assyrian empire, then the Babylonians, then the Greeks, now the Romans. The Jews were weary of being mistreated. The Romans taxed them heavily and policed them ruthlessly. Jewish residents had no citizenship and no say in government. They were harassed about their worship and way of life. But for centuries they had held on to the promise that God would send the Messiah to crush their enemies and make them submit to God’s rule, ushering the Jewish nation into a glorious new age.

Finally Christmas came. A helpless baby was born to a young virgin whose fiancé nearly called off the wedding. They had to travel across the country during her pregnancy for a census – the Roman oppressors’ way of counting them so they could extort more tax money to pay for an ever-expanding empire. Mary and Joseph arrive in Bethlehem only to find that their relatives’ guest rooms are full. The implication is that they must sleep on the floor near the animals. The best cradle they can manage is a feeding trough.

This is Christmas? This is the coming of the king in the line of David? This is the one who will crush the enemies of God? It’s hardly worthy of an Instagram post, much less an angelic announcement.

An angel had appeared to Joseph in a dream, telling him about the child: “Joseph son of David … do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).

This must have come as a bit of a slap in the face to Joseph. For a people longing for deliverance from the Romans, imagine the effect when the hero shows up to save them from themselves. You are your own worst enemy. Ouch.

From our fears and sins release us

Let us find our rest in thee

When he’s about 40 days old, Mary and Joseph head to Jerusalem to dedicate baby Jesus at the temple. This is part of the Christmas story less well known. To figure out what’s going on, we need to understand a bit of history. When God rescued the Jews from slavery in Egypt back in the Old Testament era, the firstborn sons of Egyptian families died in the 10^th plague. From then on, God asked Jewish families to dedicate their firstborn sons to him. That’s one reason Joseph and Mary visit the temple.

But Mary has a second reason for going. Every Jewish mother also offers two sacrifices for purification after childbirth. Childbirth is to be treated with great reverence because it is a matter of life and death. So when a new mother has finished bleeding, she is to bring a lamb and a pigeon as an offering to God, symbolizing her cleansing. Poor families may bring two pigeons or doves if they cannot afford a lamb. This is what Joseph and Mary do. Being poor, they bring two birds. Not what we might expect for the birth of a king!

"Simeon's Moment" by Ron DiCianni
(Photo: C Imes)

While they are at the temple, Mary and Joseph meet an unlikely character: Simeon. We pick up the story in Luke 2:25:

“At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, 'Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!' Jesus' parents were amazed at what was being said about him." (Luke 2:25-33 NLT)

Simeon is an old man, and he’s been watching and waiting for God’s deliverance his entire life. He sees baby Jesus and knows instantly that the moment has finally come. God has answered his prayers!

Israel’s strength and consolation

Hope of all the earth thou art

But Simeon doesn’t stop with these celebratory words. He ends with a sober warning. We'll consider what it could possibly mean in Part 3 of this Advent Series.

What Do You Expect This Christmas? (Part 1)

Expectations. The holiday season can be a minefield of emotions, can it not? So many hopes. So many fears. So many disappointments. So much to get done. So little time.

Sometimes I catch myself wondering, “Why can’t things be like they used to?”

It’s true that life was simpler way back when -- smaller social circles, fewer distractions, more stability. But do you remember how things really were? 

Photo: C Imes

You’ve watched children open presents. They’re too young to have a well-developed filter. Their faces show everything. “Thanks, Grandma,” through clenched teeth with sidelong glances at Mom and raised eyebrows. “Wow! How did you know?!” with squeals of delight. “Oh. I have this one already” (trying not to cry).

We have all been the child who didn’t get what she really wanted for Christmas. And many of us have been the parent who tried our darndest to select the right gift, only to have our child give us “that look” or melt into tears.

I was “that child” when I was about 10 years old. Mom was in the dining room wrapping presents. When I walked into the room she scrambled to hide something under some loose wrapping paper. But it was too late. I had seen it. A big bag of … bird seed. I remember being puzzled. Bird seed? Why is mom hiding bird seed? It didn’t take long to conclude that I must be getting a bird feeder. And in the time between Mom’s wrapping day and my opening presents, I became obsessed with birds. I read about them. I watched for them outside. I thought about where to put the bird feeder in the back yard so I could see it out my window. Birds had never been on my radar before, but now they dominated my thinking. And then the big day came – time to open presents. I eyed the pile of gifts until I found the one that was sure to be my bird feeder. They had saved it until last. I ripped open the paper with a twinkle in my eye. They couldn’t fool me. I had figured it out. I opened the box . . . and sat there, stunned. It was a sleeping bag. I think I cried. I was so confused. “Mom, what about the bird seed?” Now it was her turn to be surprised. “Bird seed? That was for Grandpa and Grandma’s bird feeder.” She never imagined that her little trick to throw me off course would be so effective. The sleeping bag was beautiful, covered with rainbows and sailboats and puffy clouds. But I was devastated.

I’m grown up now. I don’t cry about presents any more. But that doesn’t make Christmas any easier. Not only do I have my own expectations to manage, but I’m also affected by the expectations of everyone in the family. The grown-up side of Christmas can be intense – the cooking and planning and shopping and decorating and fitting extra parties and Secret Santa and evening programs into a schedule that was full to begin with – the extra family time with its range of dynamics and loss of routine. I don’t get to do as I see fit because half a dozen other adults are in on the decisions and multiple calendars have to be considered.

Our Christmas holiday doesn’t take place on an empty stage. It shows up in the middle of Act 2 in this drama that is life with a whole cast of human characters with all their foibles – the addict, the perfectionist, the narcissist, the chronically anxious, the workaholic, the loner, the argumentative, the jokester. Most of us can identify ourselves (and our relatives!) somewhere on that list. And the way we imagine the ideal Christmas is often far from what actually plays out.

Those two family members refuse to celebrate together, forcing us to choose sides. This one is likely to be in a foul mood. I’ll be high strung. She’ll be withdrawn. He won’t offer to help. They’ll be picky eaters. She’ll drink too much. He’ll complain loudly. My feet will hurt. We’ll spend too much. They’ll raise their eyebrows.

Is it any wonder why some of us dread the holidays?

Photo: Virginia Howard

Christmas doesn’t take place on an empty stage. It shows up in the middle of life at full throttle.

This shouldn't surprise us. Even the first Christmas was no different. Sweep away that image of a peaceful nativity. We know better. Is life with a newborn ever a “silent night”? And giving birth in a crowded house with distant relatives and their livestock is hardly a picture of “peace on earth.”

The first Christmas had more than its fair share of disappointments and unmet expectations. I'll talk about those in Part 2 of this Advent series. In the meantime, ask yourself this question: What am I expecting this Christmas?

worth sharing

A friend from seminary posted this earlier today, and I couldn't help but notice how we're on the same wavelength. If life is not all tinsel and lights for you this Christmas, do take a minute to read her post -- What I really want for Christmas. I hope you'll be as challenged and encouraged as I was.

Here's a gem: "Maybe the absence of hurt is not what we really need. Maybe the presence of God in our hurt is the best gift we could receive this Christmas."

Amen to that.

Thanks, Lindsay!

anticipation—the beauty of advent

We opened presents with my parents the day after Thanksgiving. The beautiful thing about gift-giving so early is that it has freed us to anticipate the greatest gift of all—Jesus, our Messiah. Each night after dinner we're putting the next leaf on our Advent Tree (for a free complete set of advent devotions, click on the link to the right that says "Advent Tree Devotions"). The kids love when it's their turn to put a leaf on the tree or read the Scripture passage of the day. In a busy season, any chance to slow down and reflect is something to be cherished.

I adapted these devotions from a book that started with creation and led up to Jesus' resurrection. It's a wider set of Bible stories than most Advent plans include, and that's what I love about it. Jesus' birth is unintelligible without an understanding of the Old Testament. He was the answer to long centuries of anticipation of God's decisive work to redeem his people from sin. Just as we wouldn't give our kids the answers to their homework without letting them first wrestle through the questions, so we should show them why the world needed Jesus before we celebrate his coming.

If you don't have plans for Advent and want to try these, it's not too late! You can make an Advent Tree with a big sheet of paper or posterboard, and add leaves of green construction paper each day. Let your kids draw the pictures on each leaf, or write a key word from the story instead. Or have them draw the pictures on paper circles to hang on your Christmas tree. Make it a family project. And if you do, I'd love to hear how it goes!

gearing up for Christmas . . . in July?

Do you remember the series of posts I wrote on Advent in 2011? Perhaps you liked the idea of making an Advent Tree for your family, but lacked the time to make one during a busy holiday season. Don't let Christmas sneak up on you this year! Here's a friendly nudge to start getting ready now. I originally made ours in July . . . maybe you can make yours in August!


Click HERE to see all of my Advent Tree posts (including pictures, Scriptures, and devotions). If you decide to try it I'd love to hear how it goes!

Advent Tree: Week 4

Here we are at the final week of Advent (leaves are not pictured in order). I have really enjoyed diving into these stories. Most days the readings are a bit too long for Easton (age 3), but Eliana (age 10) is amazed at the way the whole Bible tells one big story!

John the Baptist (river with voice)
Jesus' Sermon (broken chains)
Good Shepherd (sheep and crook)
Door (open door)
True Vine (vine)
Bread of Life (broken loaf of bread)
Light of the World (sunrise)

You have probably figured out by now that the "Day #" does not correspond to the date of December, since advent starts four full weeks before Christmas. Don't worry about the date. Just keep on going until you're finished!

Day 22 - John the Baptist (river with voice) - Read Luke 3:2-6; 15-16; 21-22; Isaiah 42:1

Remember the baby that Zechariah and Elizabeth had? What was his name? His name was John.

What did God say he would become? A prophet who would prepare the people to meet God.

Well, when John grew up, that’s exactly what happened. He began preaching to people and warning them to stop disobeying God and do what pleases him. Many people thought that John must be the one they had all been waiting for – the Messiah, God’s anointed king. But he knew he was not the promised Messiah. He was just helping people get ready for his coming. John baptized people who were sorry for their sins in the Jordan river. Jesus, John’s cousin, had grown up, too, and he came to be baptized by John -- not because he had disobeyed, but to show that he was ready to do God’s work. When he came up from the water an amazing thing happened. The Holy Spirit came down upon him like a dove and God spoke from heaven. God told everyone that he was pleased with Jesus, that Jesus was the long-awaited king (see Psalm 2) , and that Jesus was the servant that Isaiah had promised would come (Isa 42:1)!

Day 23 - Jesus' Sermon at Capernaum (broken chains) - Read Isaiah 61:1-2 and Luke 4:14-21

After Jesus was baptized, he began teaching people everywhere about the kingdom of God. The first sermon we know about was in a Jewish synagogue. Do you remember when we talked about the scroll of Isaiah (and even looked at it on the internet?)? Picture this: when Jesus went up front to get ready to teach from the Bible, someone handed him that scroll – the scroll of Isaiah – the one that promised that he would come! Jesus rolled the scroll until he came to the part where Isaiah talked about the servant who would come to bring Israel back to God. Jesus read it to everyone, and then he announced that the promise had come true!

What did Isaiah say the servant would do? He would give good news to the poor, freedom for prisoners, sight to the blind, and freedom for the oppressed. Jesus had come to make all of God’s promises come true!

Day 24 - Good Shepherd (sheep and crook) - Read Ezekiel 34:1-6; 11-16; John 10:11-16

Isaiah and Jeremiah were not the only prophets in Israel. Ezekiel was another prophet who spoke to the Israelites during the time when they were taken away into Babylon (the time of Daniel). He warned the leaders that they were like bad shepherds who only thought of themselves and didn’t take care of the sheep. He promised that someday he would come to shepherd the people himself. The Jewish leaders must have been pretty surprised when Jesus announced to them that he was the good shepherd! That meant that they were the bad shepherds and that God planned to remove them as leaders over his people.

Jesus was the king like David.
Jesus was the servant promised by Isaiah.
Jesus was the good shepherd. Does this mean he is God himself? It would seem so! He is the kind of shepherd who takes care of each of us, making sure we are strong, healthy and safe.

Day 25 - Door (open door) - Read John 10:7-10; 14:6; Ps 118:19-24

What did Jesus call himself in our lesson yesterday? The good shepherd.
Jesus also called himself the “gate” or “door” through which the sheep may enter and be safe. He is the only door that we can enter to become part of the family of God. He is the only way to get close to God because he is the only one who can teach us to live in a way that pleases God. Remember when Jesus was baptized and God called down from heaven and said he was pleased with Jesus as his son? If we want to learn how to please God, the only way to do it is to learn to live like Jesus. People today talk about there being many different paths to a healthy spiritual life. The Bible says there is only one path, and it’s Jesus. Tomorrow we’ll learn about what it is like to do things his way.

Day 26 - True Vine (vine) - Read John 15: 1-4; Isaiah 5:7

When the prophet Isaiah talked about the big problems that Israel had obeying God, he used many different word pictures to help them understand. One time he said that they were like a vineyard – a field full of grape vines – which only produced sour grapes. God said he would need to destroy the vineyard and start over again. Jesus came to fulfill this promise, too. He said that he was the true vine, and that everyone who stayed connected to him would bear good grapes. And that’s really true! When we try to do good things on our own strength, without depending on Jesus, the things we do don’t turn out well. Our actions become selfish and our attitudes turn sour. We need to keep on trusting Jesus in everything we do. That will make us the kind of vineyard God wants to keep!

Day 27 - Bread of Life (broken loaf of bread) - Read John 6:48-51

Jesus used another word picture to tell his followers about who he was and what he came to do. He told them that he was the “bread of life.” He knew that his body would be broken, just like the bread they ate. And somehow his brokenness would bring life to everyone who trusted in him. When Israel was in the wilderness God gave his people manna to provide for their hunger. Now he was giving the life of his son to provide food for their spiritual needs. It sounded just as strange to them as it does to us. Eat Jesus? Jesus meant that they needed to take what he was giving them – his very self – and let him transform them from the inside out. They no longer needed to look anywhere else to find what they needed. It was all found in Jesus. And it’s the same today. Jesus is all we need to stay spiritually alive and close to God.

Day 28 - Light of the World (sunrise) - Read Isaiah 60:1-3; John 8:12 OR John 11:17-25; 33-44

Isaiah had told the people of Israel that one day a light would dawn and shine on everyone. All the darkness and sadness and confusion would be gone. Instead his light would brighten everything. Remember the star that shone brightly when Jesus was born? It was a hint of who Jesus really was. When Jesus was grown he announced that he was that light, and he proved it by giving sight to the blind and raising Lazarus from the dead.
Jesus is the true, anointed king! He rules over the whole world as the Messiah.
Jesus is the special servant! He came to bring us back to God.
Jesus is the snake crusher! He conquered death and sin. Death came into the world when the snake led Adam and Eve to disobey God. But now, in Jesus, we can live forever! His light shines in our hearts and shows us the way to live.

running behind on Advent devotions?

We are, too. We did Zechariah and Elizabeth this evening, which means we're three days behind. The good news is that with this Advent Tree there are seven more stories that come after the birth of Jesus. So if you get behind you can just keep on going until you're through (and if you get a whole week behind, you can read about Jesus' birth on Christmas Day). What better way to spend the week after Christmas than reflecting as a family on Jesus' life and ministry! One of the dangers of ending the story with his birth is that it becomes a "cute" story about a baby, rather than the powerful, world-transforming event that it was. I'm looking forward to talking with our kids about the ways that Jesus fulfilled God's promises found in the Old Testament -- not just in his birth, but with his life, too.

HE is the snake crusher!
HE is the king reigning on David's throne!
HE is the servant who suffered for our sins!
HE is the one who gives us new hearts and writes God's law on it!

(Shhh . . . don't tell your kids yet. I wouldn't want to spoil their moment of discovery!).

Perhaps this month's busy schedule robbed you of the opportunity to do something like this for Advent. No worries! Now you have a whole year to get ready.

Advent Tree: Week 3

Here are my leaf designs for the 3rd week of Advent. I've switched the images for Days 20 and 21 because I realized I had them out of order. This is a very exciting week of Advent! Enjoy!

Daniel (lion)
Nehemiah (wall)
Zechariah & Elizabeth (praying hands)
Birth of Jesus (manger)
Shepherds (crook)
Temple Dedication (two doves)
Magi (star)


Day 15 - Daniel (lion) - Read Daniel 6

Sadly, the people of Israel did not listen to the prophets who told them what God was saying. They did not obey. They got worse and worse. Finally God had to take them out of the special land he had made. It was clear that they would not be able to fill it with people who honored God! So most of them, especially the smartest ones and the richest ones, were taken far away to a land called Babylon. The king of Babylon picked some of these Israelites to work for him in the palace. Daniel was one of them. Even though Daniel was far from home and far from the temple where God was worshipped, he carefully obeyed God and prayed to him every day.

What did Daniel do that showed he didn’t forget about God, even though he was far from home? He prayed every day and he obeyed God’s rules.
How did God take care of Daniel? He protected him when the king put him in the lions’ pit.

Day 16 - Nehemiah (wall) - Read Nehemiah 2:11-18 and 4:6

After 70 long years away from home, God made it possible for the people of Israel to go back to their special land. Some of them went back right away and tried to start a new life. But it was not easy. Some of their enemies had moved in and made life difficult. Their houses were in ruins, and so was the temple. The walls that used to be strong around the cities to keep them safe were broken down, so their enemies could attack them any time they wanted. One of the men who returned to the land was named Nehemiah. He was a good organizer. He got the people together so they could work together to rebuild the walls around the city. With his good leadership, it didn’t take long. But still there was great sadness, because the temple was in sorry shape, and God’s glory was gone. They needed Isaiah’s promise to come true. They needed God’s special servant to come and bring them back to him! They needed Jeremiah’s promise to come true. They needed new hearts to obey!

Day 17 - Zechariah & Elizabeth (praying hands) - Read Luke 1:5-17, 57-58, 66

God’s people lived in the land of Israel for a long time after the walls were rebuilt. Some of them wondered if God would ever send his special servant to rescue them from their sin as God promised through Isaiah, if the snake’s head would ever be finally crushed as God promised Adam and Eve, if they would ever be given new hearts like God promised through Jeremiah. No doubt some of them gave up hoping. But some of them hung on to God’s promises and obeyed him even though his answers seemed to take a long, long time to come. Zechariah and Elizabeth were two of the people who never stopped hoping. Just like Abram and Sarai, they had no children and they were getting very old. But they kept obeying God and praying for a baby.
Where was Zechariah when he heard he was going to become a father? In the temple.
Why was Zechariah in the temple? He was a priest.
What did the angel tell Zechariah his son would do? He would bring Israel back to God (just like Isaiah said the servant would do!). Could this be the servant? We’ll see!

Day 18 - Birth of Jesus (manger) - Read Luke 1:26-38; 2:4-7

While Elizabeth was pregnant and waiting for her baby to be born, God sent an angel to another young woman and told her that she, too, would become a mom. Her name was Mary. The angel told Mary that her baby was going to be a KING who would rule forever! The angel reminded her that God always keeps his promises.
Both Elizabeth and Mary had their babies. Their names were John and Jesus. John was a prophet who would get people ready for the time when God himself would visit them. That visit would be like a sunrise, shining new light on the whole land (see Luke 1:76-79). But who was Jesus? The angel said he would be a king like David. Each day from now until Christmas we’ll learn a little bit more about this miracle baby, the answer to God’s great promises to Israel.

Day 19 - Shepherds (crook) - Read Luke 2:8-20

Just after Mary’s baby was born, something happened outside Bethlehem that was a big surprise! An angel came and spoke to the shepherds who were spending the night with their sheep. Were they going to have a baby, too, Just like Elizabeth and Mary? Yes, in a way. The birth of Jesus was big news for them. Jesus was not just an ordinary baby. The angel told the shepherds that Jesus was the one they had been waiting for – the Messiah! The word “Messiah” means “anointed one.” Remember how Samuel anointed the head of David when he was chosen to become king? The angel said that Jesus was anointed, too. He would be their king! The angel also said something even more shocking. He said that Jesus was the “Lord.” Could this baby somehow be God? The shepherds were so excited they went around telling everybody the news. And it was good news.

Day 20 - Temple Dedication (two doves) - Read Luke 2:22-32; 36-40

Joseph and Mary obeyed the laws that God had given to Moses. When Jesus was still a baby, they took him to the temple to present him to God. They offered two doves as a sacrifice. When they got to the temple, they met two special people – a man named Simeon and a woman named Anna. Simeon and Anna were the kind of people who obeyed God and kept on believing that he would do what he promised, even when it took a really long time. When they saw Jesus, they knew right away that God’s promises were finally coming true! Simeon knew that Jesus was the light for the whole world promised by Isaiah. Anna started telling everyone about him.

Why did Mary and Joseph take Jesus to the temple? Because God’s law told parents to dedicate their children in the temple.
What was so special about Simeon and Anna? They kept on believing his promises even when it took a long time for them to come true. They recognized Jesus right away as God’s way of bringing salvation and light to everybody!

Day 21 - Magi (star) - Read Matthew 2:1-12; Isaiah 60:1-3, 6

The shepherds and Simeon and Anna weren’t the only ones who found out the big news. God put a special star in the sky, and some people noticed from far, far away. They knew the special star meant that a new king had been born and they traveled a long way to meet him. Remember Isaiah? Many years earlier God told Isaiah that people from other nations would come to the land of Israel because they saw the light dawning. They would bring gifts and worship the Lord. God’s promises to Isaiah were finally coming true!
Why did the magi come to the land of Israel? They saw a special star in the sky and knew that a king had been born.
Why do you think this news made king Herod angry? He was king over the Jews, and he didn’t want another king to take his place!

show your kids the Great Isaiah Scroll online!

If you're a bit behind on Advent (like we are), you could show your kids the Great Isaiah Scroll that was discovered in the Judean desert several decades ago. It's fully searchable and readable (if you know Hebrew), and your kids can literally "scroll" their way through it! You can see the seams where the leather was sewn together and talk about the sacred messages that Isaiah entrusted to future generations . . . which have survived until today. I used the digital scroll this week to see if my text of the Hebrew Bible matched the one found at Qumran for Isaiah 63:19. The scroll was written well before Jesus was born . . . such an amazing find!

Advent Tree: Week 2

Our first week of Advent has gone really well. The kids enjoy participating. Easton (age 3) announced during the Joseph story, "Wow. This is a Big Story!" I think he's getting the idea!

For week 2, we'll be learning about:
Moses (Ten Commandments)
Ruth (Bundle of Grain)
Samuel (Horn of Anointing Oil)
David (Crown)
Solomon (Temple)
Isaiah (Scroll)
Jeremiah (New Heart)


It should be a great week, moving from the giving of God's instructions on Mount Sinai, through the establishment of the kingship, to the writing of his law on our hearts in Jeremiah. In case you'd like to try it at your house, here are the lessons:

Day 8 - Moses (Ten Commandments) - Read Exodus 19:1-8 and 20:1-17
Even though God’s people had multiplied until there were a great many people, they had a problem. After Joseph died, they had become slaves in Egypt.  But God heard their cries and sent them someone to lead them out into freedom. His name was Moses. Moses’ job was to bring the people out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and into the special land where God had sent Abraham so many years ago. If they obeyed him, they would be able to fill up the whole land and take care of it. In order to obey him, they needed to learn what God expected of them. While they were in the desert God called Moses up a tall mountain so he could give Moses special instructions for his people to show them how to live. Moses obeyed and brought God’s instructions back to the people who were waiting at the bottom of the mountain. God told his people that they were his “treasured possession,” and that he had chosen them out of all the nations to represent him. To do that well, they would need to know how to live rightly. Some of the instructions for living that God gave Israel are called the “Ten Commandments.”

Day 9 - Ruth (Bundle of Grain) - Read Ruth 2:11-20 and 4:9-17
Yesterday we learned about Moses, and how God gave Moses special instructions to give to the people to tell them how to live in a way that would please God. Then God brought the people of Israel into the land he promised them. They were supposed to fill up the land of Canaan, but they had a very hard time obeying him. By the time of Ruth, things had gotten very bad indeed. Almost no one lived the way God wanted them to. And then along came Ruth. Ruth was not an Israelite. She was from Moab, one of Israel’s enemies. But Ruth was a hard worker, and loyal to her mother-in-law, Naomi. God chose her to become the great-grandmother of King David! In this way, God used her to build up the family of Israel.

Why do you think the Bible tells us the story of Ruth?  To show us that anyone can be part of the family of God, no matter where they are from, as long as they trust Him.

Day 10 - Samuel (Horn of Anointing Oil) - Read 1 Samuel 16:1-13
When Ruth’s grandson Jesse was alive, the people of Israel asked God for a king to rule over them. He gave them Saul, a tall and handsome man who was rather shy. But Saul was not a good king. He did what he thought he should do, rather than trusting that God’s way was the best way. So God choose a new king. He used his prophet, Samuel to anoint the new king. Samuel had lived in the tent where people went to worship God almost his whole life. He served God there and learned to listen to his voice. Samuel was the kind of person who did what God asked him to do, even when it didn’t make sense.

Who did Samuel think should be the next king? Eliab, Jesse’s oldest son.

Who did God choose to be the next king? David, Jesse’s youngest son.

Will David obey God? Will he be the one to crush the snake? We’ll have to wait and see!

Day 11 - David (Crown) - Read 2 Samuel 7:8-16
After David became the king, God sent another prophet (named Nathan) to give him a special message. He told David that he was going to give rest to the people of Israel, and let them live peacefully in the land he had given them. And he told David that some day one of his children would build a temple for God, a special place belonging to God where people could come and worship him. David fought many battles against Israel’s enemies. Even before he was the king he fought Goliath, remember? But just like everybody else, David had trouble obeying God all the time. Once he did something very terrible – he stole another man’s wife to be his own wife. That made God very, very sad. It made David sad, too, when he realized what he had done. He told God how terribly sorry he was and asked God to forgive him. But God can even take our worst mistakes and do good things with them. David’s new wife had a baby named Solomon, and tomorrow we’ll get to learn about him.
Will Solomon be the one to build a special house for God? We’ll find out tomorrow!

Day 12 - Solomon (Temple) - Read 1 Kings 8:27-30, 41-43, and 54-61
When David’s son, Solomon, became king it was his special job to build a new temple. The Israelites would come there to worship God and offer sacrifices for their sins! Solomon built a glorious temple, and when all the preparations were finished, God’s glory filled the temple with a thick cloud. God was dwelling with his people again, just like in the garden! Solomon prayed to God, and he spoke to the people, reminding them how important it was for them to listen to God and do what he says. If they obeyed, then Israel could finally start to become what God had planned for them to be – a light to all nations, blessing all the people on the earth by showing them who God is.
What was Solomon’s special job as king? To build the temple.
Do you think the people of God will obey him now that they have a special place to come worship? We’ll see!

Day 13 - Isaiah (Scroll) - Read Isaiah 49:6 and 8-23 (paraphrase if needed)
After Solomon there were many other kings in Israel. Sadly, most of them did not trust God and do things his way. There were people who did listen to him, though. God spoke to them and they gave his messages to the people. They were called prophets. One of them was named Isaiah. Isaiah was a brave prophet. He told God’s people that they had disobeyed God. He told them that God would punish them. But he also had good news for them. Isaiah told the Israelites that God was planning something BIG. He was planning to send a special servant who would obey God and bring the people back to him. That servant would have a very hard time and suffer a lot, but because of him, God would forgive the people and bring light to the whole world!
Who did Isaiah say would come and bring people back to God? God’s special servant
How does Isaiah’s message remind you of God’s promise to Abraham or the job he gave Adam and Eve? Isaiah said that God would bring people from many nations to worship him, and that Israel would have many children. Finally they can fill up the earth with worshippers!

Day 14 - Jeremiah (New Heart) Read Jeremiah 4:22 and 31:31-34
God sent another prophet to give his message to Israel. This prophet’s name was Jeremiah. Jeremiah had a very hard job. He had lots of bad news to give Israel about their sin and the punishment that was coming. But he also made a special promise! Jeremiah told the Israelites that God was going to give them a new heart so that they could finally obey him!
How do you think God will give them a new heart? When will he do it?

Advent Tree: Week 1

For those of you who want to try an Advent Tree at your house, here's what we're doing. After dinner each night Eliana reads the passage listed and I give the lesson. The kids take turns adding the leaves to our tree. Starting on the far left, and working clockwise, these are the images for the first week of advent:

Eden
Adam and Eve
Noah (ark)
Abraham (stars)
Isaac (ram)
Jacob (star of David)
Joseph (coat)

Since this is the first year we've tried this, we'll be working out the kinks along the way. The passages I've chosen are rather long, so you may want to give your own paraphrase or use your favorite children's Bible instead, depending on the ages of your children. Let me know if you're trying this at your house, or if you have another way to keep Jesus at the center of Christmas!

Day 1 - Eden (God's Perfect Garden) - Read Genesis 2:4-25 and Genesis 1:27-28.

Usually advent starts with the birth of Jesus, but the story actually begins at the beginning of time when God created a special place – a garden – and made it a home for the man and woman he created – Adam and Eve. He gave them each other to work as a team doing an important job, filling up the earth by having children and teaching them to obey God and take care of his creation. God himself was present there in the garden, and Adam and Eve were with him.
Where did Adam and Eve live? In the garden God made!
What was their job? To fill the earth and take care of it.

Day 2 - Adam and Eve (Fruit with Snake) - Read Genesis 3.

God’s perfect world was soon spoiled because Adam and Eve failed to trust him and follow his plan. After listening to the snake, they blamed each other and hid from God. They had to leave God’s perfect garden and accept the consequences of their choice – pain, conflict, and hard work. But God promised that someday one of their children would crush the snake’s head.
Why did Adam and Eve have to leave the garden? They disobeyed God.
What was God’s special promise to them? Someday the snake would be crushed.
What was the job they were supposed to do? Fill the earth and take care of it.
How will Adam and Eve do their job now? (this is a rhetorical question)

Day 3 - Noah (Ark and Rainbow) - Read Genesis 6:9-22 and Genesis 9:12-17
Adam and Eve’s children, and their grandchildren and great grandchildren had a very hard time obeying God. The earth was getting filled up, but not with people who obeyed God and took care of each other. It was full of wicked people! But Noah was different. He obeyed God. Would he be the one to kill the snake? God made a special promise, called a covenant, with Noah. It was the same agreement that God had made with Adam and Eve. He said he would never destroy the earth with the flood again, and he told Noah to have children and fill the earth and take care of creation.
Why did God choose Noah to build the ark? He obeyed God and listened to him.
What was Noah’s job after the flood? To fill the earth and take care of the world.

Day 4 - Abraham (stars) - Read Genesis 12:1-4a; 15:1-6; and 21:1-5
Many years later God spoke to a man named Abram and gave him special instructions. Abram obeyed God, even though it meant leaving his family far behind. God promised that Abram and his wife Sarai would have as many children and grandchildren and great grandchildren as the stars in the sky. He changed their names to Abraham and Sarah as a sign of his promise. Remember God’s instructions to Adam and Eve and then to Noah? They were supposed to fill the earth with children who would obey God. But it took a very long time before Abraham and Sarah had any children at all. Finally, when they had almost stopped hoping, God’s promise began to come true. Sarah gave birth to a baby named Isaac.
Why did Abraham and Sarah need a baby? So they could teach him to obey God.
What did God promise Abraham and Sarah? As many children as the stars in the sky.

Day 5 - Isaac (ram) - Read Genesis 22:1-18

When Isaac was a big boy, God asked Abraham to do a very hard thing. Isaac was the son God had promised him, but now God was asking Abraham to give him back to God forever. It must have been a very confusing and difficult time for Abraham, but he obeyed God right away and brought Isaac to the mountain God showed him. When they got there, though, God could see that Abraham trusted him, and he gave Abraham a ram to sacrifice instead. Isaac would be able to grow up after all, and have children and grandchildren and fill up the whole earth with people who would obey God and take care of the world.
What was the hard thing God asked Abraham to do? To sacrifice his son, Isaac.
How did Abraham respond? He obeyed right away, even though it was a very hard thing.
Is he the one who will crush the snake and fill the earth with people who will obey God and care for the earth?

Day 6 - Jacob (Star of David) - Read Genesis 28:10-19

Isaac became the father of Jacob. Jacob had trouble with his brother, Esau, and with his father, Isaac, and he had to run away from home. One night on his journey, he had a dream. In his dream, God told him that he would have so many children they would be like the dust of the earth. Remember God’s promise to Abraham about the stars? This was just like that promise. It was God’s way of telling Jacob that his promise to Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham, would still come true, and it would happen in Jacob’s family. Jacob got married and became the father of twelve sons. Would one of them kill the snake? Would they have many children and fill up the whole earth with people who obeyed God and took care of creation? We’ll have to wait and see!

Day 7 - Joseph (special coat / sheaves of grain) - Read Genesis 37:3-8, 17b-18, 23-28; 39:2-6; and 45:4-11
Jacob had 12 sons, but one of them was Jacob’s favorite. His name was Joseph. He showed everyone how much he loved Joseph by giving him a very special coat to wear that was better than all his brothers’. They were not happy, and they stole his coat and sold Joseph to be a slave in Egypt. But Joseph kept trusting God and obeying him, even when he was in Egypt, and soon Pharaoh put in him charge of the whole nation. Joseph made sure there was enough food for everyone, even his brothers who had been so mean to him. Because Joseph did what pleased God, he was able to save the lives of his family and they became a great nation with thousands of people! It was the beginning of God’s promises coming true.
Why was Joseph put in charge of Egypt? Because he trusted God and obeyed him, even when it was hard.
How did God use Joseph to care for his people? Joseph made a plan to save food so everyone would have enough.