24:15 Devotionals
As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15
24:15 devotionals are weekly explorations of God’s Word for your whole household to take together. The Bible is meant to be read and meditated on communally, and one of the most powerful ways we do this is with the people we live with. These devotionals will take a group about thirty-nine minutes to complete (longer if you do it over a meal and add your own discussion). Whether you are going through the devotional over coffee in the morning, dinner in the evening, a car ride to COSTCO, or on the way to a big event, you are inviting God’s Presence into the life of your home as you submit to the goodness of His Word. If you’re looking to go to the next level consider asking another household to join yours!
Week of October 13th-19th, 2024: Luke 2:41-52
Part One: Pray together
Let’s pray this as a household together,
Father in Heaven, prepare the way in our hearts to receive Your Word, that we in turn might prepare in our community for Your to bring wisdom to our community. Amen.
Part Two: Read the Word
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
And all people will see God’s salvation.’”
John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
“What should we do then?” the crowd asked.
John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”
Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.
Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”
The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.
But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.
Luke 3:1-23
Part Three: Discuss Together
1. Have you ever had to prepare for something? What was it and how did preparation make a difference? Have you ever need to practice or prepare and did not? What was the result?
2. Luke 3 tells of a prophet called by God to prepare for the Messiah. The Messiah would be the One who would come to redeem and reconcile people to God. John was called to prepare peoples’ hearts ahead of the Messiah’s message. The people group John was called to were ancestors of the Israelites, God’s chosen people among all nations. What was John’s message to people, and what does his message tell us about what was happening amongst the people in that time?
3. Was John’s message popular with everyone? Who responded favorably to it? Who reacted negatively to it? Do you think John might have ever been tempted to soften His message?
4. People were being baptized for the repentance of sin. Later in a different New Testament book, Hebrews, the writer says this of Jesus,
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Hebrews 4:14-15
When Jesus was baptized God Himself confirms Jesus please Him. The gospel writer Luke and writer of Hebrews agree Jesus was without sin. However, people were being baptized for the repentance of sin. What immediately happens after Jesus is baptized and God blesses Jesus? How is Jesus’s baptism and the start of His ministry set a precedent for everyone who will come to believe in Jesus? In light of this understanding about baptism why is it crucial all who profess to be disciples of Jesus get baptized?
Part Four: Live it
Jesus began a public ministry, meaning He intentionally started to preach about the Kingdom of God and work miracles in communities all over the region. This was done in service to the people as part of God’s plan to reconcile and save them from sin. What is one thing you can do to intentionally serve someone as a way to promote God’s salvation this week?