Good News of Great Joy: Advent Readings from the Gospel of Luke

I believe that Luke’s words to Theophilus in the beginning of his gospel sum up what we are trying to do with this resource – to present to you “a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word have delivered to us” (Luke 1:1-2). There are twenty-four chapters in Luke’s narrative, and between December 1st and 24th (Christmas Eve), we have time to look at the full account of Jesus’s life.

We want to give you the opportunity to look at the whole Story of Jesus – not just the divine swaddled baby in the manger, but the young boy who taught the teachers in the temple, the man who served rather than being served, and the Savior who died and rose again “in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Luke addressed his gospel to Theophilus, a name combining the words Theos (God) and philos (love) to mean “lover of God”. Some speculate whether or not Theophilus was an individual or just Luke’s name for those who love God, but it is my hope that whether or not you begin this journey through Luke’s gospel a lover of God, you will find yourself on Christmas day enamored and enraptured in love, “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:13-14).

Won’t you join us?

Below, you can find audio for each day’s reading as well as brief commentary if needed for understanding, or you can download a pdf of the entire reading guide here:

Good News of Great JoyDownload

"Light Momentary Afflictions, Eternal Weight of Glory" (Refresh & Restore) – Refresh & Restore | A JustKeithHarris.com Podcast

In this Refresh & Restore Bible Study, we look at suffering, weakness, and hope through the lens of Scripture. Life is full of limitations, burdens, and afflictions, but for those who belong to Jesus, suffering is not the end of the story.Hebrews 12:1–2 reminds us that there is a race set before us and that we run by laying aside every weight and looking to Jesus. Philippians 4:10–13 shows us that Christ strengthens us in abundance and need, not by making us self-sufficient but by teaching us to depend on Him. And 2 Corinthians 4:7–18 reminds us that we are jars of clay, weak and breakable, so that the surpassing power would be seen as belonging to God and not to us.Our afflictions may feel heavy now, but in Christ they are light and momentary compared to the eternal weight of glory He has prepared for His people. Jesus is the joy set before us, the strength within us, and the One who keeps us from shattering.If you would like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with Scripture references, you can find it here.
  1. "Light Momentary Afflictions, Eternal Weight of Glory" (Refresh & Restore)
  2. "Worthy is the Lion, the Slain Lamb Who Lives" from Revelation 5 (The KING is Coming)
  3. "Before the Throne of God Above" from Revelation 4 (The KING is Coming)
Unknown's avatar

Published by justkeithharris

2 Comments

  1. Pingback: Songs for Sunday, December 8, 2024 @ Christ Community Church – Just Keith Harris
  2. Pingback: Read Through the New Testament With Us! NT260: Growing in Christ Together, One Chapter at a Time – Just Keith Harris

Leave a Comment