Scripture
Luke 1:71-75 (vs. 74 for littles)
“Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all of those who hate us- to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: To rescue us from the hands of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all of our days.”
Welcome
We have all heard the phrase hindsight is 20/20. This is a concept I try to keep on the forefront as I teach history to high schoolers. Looking back, we have the privilege of having the full picture. We know the end of the story; they did not. It is easy to look back on the dawn of the French Revolution and conclude that Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette should have been more attentive to the needs of the French people. During WWII, things looked particularly grim for England as they fought the Battle of Britain with little outside help. They were fighting off the Nazis, who had swept the European continent. They fought as a “last man standing” and were unaware that they would acquire strong allies in the near future. Basically, we all know it is easy to look back and criticize what should have happened, or to forget the emotion one must have felt in the middle of a particular struggle. Yet no one knows what will happen except for God. This principle is important to remember as we approach this section of the Benedictus. Earlier in the chapter, Zechariah struggled to believe when the angel appeared to him because his view of present circumstances did not align with the angel’s message. Yet by the time we get to the Benedictus, he is still able to praise the Lord regardless of the circumstance or quantity of information he has been given. The whole song describes Zechariah’s prophecy about the coming Messiah before Jesus was even born. He was able to make these prophecies because he was filled with the spirit, but he nor anyone else knew what some of his prophecies would actually look like once fulfilled.
“To rescue us from the hands of our enemies” - Roman rule remained for centuries to come but a path for eternal rescue was paved. It is a good reminder that these people in the Christmas narrative knew Jesus came to rescue but they knew not what that entailed. Despite this, they were about to walk forward in a posture of praise and thanksgiving, knowing that the fulfillment of God’s promises was more than sufficient.
Specifics and Logistics
Littles: Littles will focus on what it means that Jesus rescued us and why we need to be rescued.
Bigs: Bigs are focusing on the hope and peace that this promised salvation in Christ provides.
Grown ups: Grown ups are using these verses and contemplating the already and the not yet. God’s salvation has come through Jesus, and we can rest in this hope amidst life’s trials.
User Update:
We gathered by our newly decorated and lopsided tree for our devotional this week. To be honest, I don’t have any big takeaways or bits of the conversation to share. However when we said it was time to do our devotional, the kids gathered mostly willingly and got to work on their coloring sheets while we began. We walked through why Jesus would need to come rescue us when we don’t actually have enemies chasing us around. What stuck out to me most the way that the act of this devotional felt like a normal part of our family rhythm. We have been in the habit of doing devotionals for about 2 months, and it is starting to feel more natural for our family to sit and have these discussions. Still chaotic, still not 100% participation by everyone each week, still messy. But the habit is being built and I am thankful for that rhythm.
I hope your family is enjoying all the wonderful December things. As you ponder upon the miracle of Christ’s coming, trust that the Holy Spirit is working in and through you. When we continue to show up, he continues to provide.
If you are a paid subscriber, scroll down for this week’s devotional and coloring sheet.
Thanks!
Anne