Advent Devotional

AUTHOR
David Camphouse
DATE
December 5, 2010
TITLE
Discovering Jesus
SCRIPTURE
Luke 2:36-38
36There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. 38At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
DEVOTIONAL STORY
Anna, too, discovers Jesus. Luke is unique in his revelation to both men and women, and the power that each side brings to the story. This is much of the controversy that the DaVinci Code stirred among the churches, was that it was bringing back the feminine aspects of the Gospel, and the story of Jesus, to the point that it was empowering women again. Now there were other controversies in the book and movie DaVinci Code, such as his child, and his marriage to Mary Magdalene, but both of those tie back to the power of women in the ongoing story and revelation of Jesus.
The truth is that we need to recognize the power of women in the telling of our own story of faith, the Gospel message and the hope for the nations.
The final discovery is the discovery of an imminent future for Israel, and if we are to be honest with Christ and the Gospel story then we too need to have an imminent future.
PRAYER
God, you meant for your son to come for all nations, for all peoples, of all tribes and station in life. You came for the priests, and the prophets, you came for the tax collectors and the prostitute. You came to men and women in your proclamation of the new world you were creating. Help our hearts to be moved to create your world here on earth as it is in heaven. Amen
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
What are we discovering about God, as it leads us to discovering how we will be church in the world today?