I know we are entering into a very busy season and your week is likely full — or filling up quickly. Between the hustling and bustling, errands and expectations, it can feel hard to slow down or make space.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in searching for presents to give and wondering what we might receive, but let’s remember that the reason for the season is the presence of Jesus — Emmanuel, God with us. We make time to gather for so many things this season; let’s not allow gathering with our faith family in worship of Jesus to fall to the wayside.
So, here’s a gentle invitation: take a few minutes. Read through the Scriptures for tomorrow. Listen to the songs we’ll sing — maybe even in the car between stops or during a quiet moment at home. Let God’s Word prepare your heart to gather and make much of Jesus together.
We’d love to worship Jesus with you tomorrow as we fix our eyes on Jesus, the One who has come and who is coming again.
Everyone is welcome.
Here are our Advent reading, Scriptures, and songs:
Advent Reading | Love —
The fourth candle invites us to remember the deep love of God revealed in the coming of His Son. Scripture tells us plainly what that love looks like: “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8), “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son” (John 3:16), and as 1 John reminds us, “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world… not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9–10).
Hebrews helps us see how that love was carried out. Jesus entered once for all into the holy place, not with the blood of animals, but with His own blood, securing eternal redemption for us (Hebrews 9:12). His sacrifice was not reluctant—it was willing and obedient love. “A body you have prepared for Me,” the Son declared, coming to do the Father’s will for our salvation (Hebrews 10:5–7). Christmas shows us that love did not stay distant—it took on flesh.
The manger leads to the cross, and both reveal the unchanging love of God for sinners. As this candle of love burns brightly, may it draw our hearts to the One who loved us first and teach us to reflect that same sacrificial love to others.
Scripture | Hebrews 9:11-12 —
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
After exposing the sin of the Gentile world in Romans 1, Paul turns to those who are quick to judge others. He warns that judging does not place anyone above God’s judgment, because the judge often practices the very same things (vv. 1–3). God’s judgment is always righteous and true, and His kindness, patience, and restraint are not permission to continue in sin but an invitation to repent (v. 4). Those who refuse to repent are not escaping judgment—they are storing it up for the day when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed (v. 5). God will judge each person according to their deeds, showing no favoritism to Jew or Gentile alike (vv. 6–11).
Paul then explains that judgment is based on response to the light a person has received. Gentiles without the written law are still accountable because God’s moral law is written on their hearts, witnessed by conscience (vv. 14–15). Jews, though privileged with God’s law, are not justified by hearing it but by doing it (vv. 12–13). Ultimately, God’s judgment reaches beyond outward actions to the hidden motives and secrets of the heart—and it will be carried out through Jesus Christ (v. 16).
Paul goes on to address Jews directly, exposing the danger of religious confidence without obedience. Having God’s law and teaching it to others is meaningless if it is not lived out (vv. 17–24). Circumcision, the covenant sign, has value only when joined with obedience; without it, the outward sign is empty (v. 25). True belonging to God is not marked by outward identity or ritual but by an inward change—a heart transformed by the Spirit (vv. 28–29). What matters most is not human approval but praise from God.
🌀 Reflection: Romans 2 presses us to examine not just what we know or how we appear, but who we truly are before God. Where might you be relying on spiritual knowledge, background, or reputation instead of humble repentance and a heart changed by the Spirit (vv. 4, 29)?
💬 Mission Challenge: Repent intentionally today—thank God for His kindness, confess areas of hidden pride or hypocrisy, and ask the Spirit to keep shaping your heart to match your confession of faith (vv. 4–5).
Paul opens Romans by introducing himself as a servant of Christ Jesus, called and set apart for the gospel God promised long ago in the Scriptures (vv. 1–2). That gospel centers on God’s Son—Jesus, the promised King from David’s line and the risen Lord declared to be the Son of God in power (vv. 3–4). Paul writes to believers in Rome (whom he hasn’t met yet) with gratitude for their faith and with a deep desire to visit so they can strengthen and encourage one another (vv. 8–12). He feels a holy obligation to take the good news to all kinds of people, and he’s eager to preach it in Rome too (vv. 13–15). Then he states the heartbeat of the letter: the gospel is God’s power to save everyone who believes, revealing God’s righteousness from start to finish by faith (vv. 16–17).
Right away, Paul also explains why the world needs saving. God’s wrath is being revealed against human sin because people suppress the truth and refuse to honor and thank the Creator, even though God’s power and divine nature are clearly seen through what He has made (vv. 18–21). Instead of worshiping God, people exchange His glory for idols—created things in place of the Creator (vv. 22–25). As an act of judgment, God “gave them up” to the consequences of their rebellion, and the result is deep moral confusion and a flood of many kinds of evil—both in actions and in approving what is wrong (vv. 24–32). Romans 1 leaves us with no room for pride: we need rescue, and only God can provide it.
🌀 Reflection: Where are you tempted to be quiet, careful, or “ashamed” of the gospel—not necessarily in what you say, but in what you avoid? Ask the Lord to renew your confidence that the good news isn’t your power to fix people; it’s God’s power to save (v. 16)—and it starts by turning us from worshiping created things back to worshiping the Creator (v. 25).
💬 Mission Challenge: Share one simple, gospel-centered sentence with someone this week—who Jesus is and what He does to save—and invite them to read Romans with you (vv. 16–17).
39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” 46 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home. [1]
Merry Christmas, Sojourners!
As we move deeper into this Advent/Christmas season, I keep coming back to the way the Lord trains our hearts through the gifts He gives. He doesn’t just announce that His Son has come – He teaches us to receive Him.
In our first study in this series, we focused on hope – the kind of hope that doesn’t rest on circumstances but on the faithful God who keeps His promises, even through brokenness and waiting. In the second study, we turned to peace – not a thin calm or temporary quiet, but the steady peace Jesus secured by entering our darkness, reconciling us to God, and holding us fast through every season.
Now, we come to joy – and we pause. We need to know what it is – and what it isn’t.
Biblical joy is deeper than a mood or feeling. It’s not the fleeting and ever-changing “happiness” our world tries to chase and manufacture. In Scripture, joy is gladness rooted in God – gladness that can exist even when life is still hard, even when answers are still unfolding. The New Testament word often translated “joy” can describe the rejoicing God inspires, and it can even describe the occasion or grounds for joy – what joy is built on and rises out of (Luke 2:10, Romans 14:17).[2] That’s why biblical joy isn’t fragile. It isn’t dependent on a perfect day or easy circumstances. It grows where mercy takes root, where pride is lowered, where need is admitted, and where God is trusted.
We can miss it if we move too quickly through the Christmas story. In Luke’s Christmas narrative, joy arrives before the word shows up when the shepherds hear “good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10). Months before Bethlehem, joy is already stirring in the hill country of Judea. A baby, filled with the Holy Spirit, leaps for joy in the womb (Luke 1:44). A woman, filled with the Holy Spirit, blesses the mother of her Lord (Luke 1:41-43). And that young mother, Mary – lowly, standing at the beginning of a road she doesn’t yet understand – rejoices in God her Savior (Luke 1:46-47). Joy was already breaking through the darkness, because Jesus was already there!
Luke 1:39-56, our passage for today, shows us that the joy of Christ is grounded in God’s unfolding mercy – mercy that humbles the proud, lifts the lowly, feeds the hungry, and keeps covenant promises stretching all the way back to Abraham (Luke 1:50-55; Genesis 12:1-3, 17:7; Micah 7:18-20). We see this joy in the song Mary sings. The song is deeply personal but not small. It echoes the hope of Hannah long before her (1 Samuel 2:1-10), and it reaches forward to the Kingdom her baby will grow and usher in – a Kingdom where God’s grace reverses what sin has marred, and where the Savior lifts those who put their faith in Him (Luke 4:18-19, 6:20-23; Isaiah 61:1-3).
In Luke 1:39-56, we’ll see that joy is not something Mary manufactures or inspires in others – it’s something God gives as His mercy begins to unfold. We’ll begin by looking at the original context and setting of Mary’s visit to her relative Elizabeth, where joy first breaks through the silence in unexpected ways. Then we’ll listen carefully to Mary’s song – known as the Magnificat, where joy rises from a heart overwhelmed not with herself, but with her God and His mercy. From there, we’ll see how this song points beyond Mary to Jesus Himself – the coming King who fulfills God’s promises and brings lasting joy. And finally, we’ll consider what this passage teaches us about the gift of joy God gives to the lowly and the lifted, to those who know their need of Him and trust His Word.
Original Context & Setting: Joy Breaks the Silence (vv. 39-45)
Luke tells us that “in those days” Mary rose and went “with haste” into the hill country of Judea to visit her relative Elizabeth (Luke 1:39). This small phrase links what follows directly to the angel’s announcement (Luke 1:26-38). Mary doesn’t linger in Nazareth to sort out the social consequences of her pregnancy or demand clarity about her and the baby’s future. Instead, she moves forward in faith (v. 38). She goes to see the sign God Himself had given her: her much older relative Elizabeth, once barren, is now six months pregnant by God’s grace and power (Luke 1:36-37).
Their meeting is inconsequential by worldly standards. No crowds gather. No rulers take notice. Yet this is one of the most theologically rich encounters in all of Scripture. Two miraculous pregnancies meet. Two stories of God’s mercy intersect. And joy erupts before a single word is spoken.
When Mary greets Elizabeth, John the Baptist leaps in his mother’s womb (v. 41). Luke – the physician – is careful to explain that this is no ordinary movement, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, interprets it for us: “the baby in my womb leaped for joy” (v. 44). Even before his birth, John fulfills his calling to prepare the way of the Lord as he recognizes and announces the presence of the Messiah in utero (Luke 1:17, 76; Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3). Joy breaks out not because circumstances are easy, but because Jesus is near.
Elizabeth is then filled with the Spirit herself and cries out in a loud voice, pronouncing Mary “blessed among women”, not for who she is but because of the Child she carries – “blessed is the fruit of your womb” (v. 42). Then, Elizabeth goes further calling Mary “the mother of my Lord” (v. 43). This is a staggering confession. Months before Bethlehem, months before angels sing to shepherd, Jesus is confessed as Lord by a Holy Spirit-filled woman and acknowledged by a Spirit-filled unborn child. The joy here is deeply Christ-centered, not found in Mary but magnifying the Son.
Finally, Elizabeth speaks a blessing that turns our attention to Mary’s response to God’s Word: “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord” (v. 45). That emphasis on faith matters, especially when we remember that this moment follows a season of silence brought on by unbelief. The Spirit-inspired words spoken through Elizabeth stand in quiet contrast to her husband Zechariah’s earlier doubts, which left him unable to speak until God’s promise began to unfold just as He had said (Luke 1:18–20, 64).[3]
At this point in the Christmas narrative, Mary doesn’t yet see the full shape of God’s plan, but she trusts the God who spoke. And in a time when God had been silent for centuries, His Word breaking forth again was no small thing (Amos 8:11-12). Even though Mary didn’t know how all of this would work out, God was already showing her that He was with her on the journey (Matthew 1:23). We begin to see here that joy doesn’t wait for completion or a finish line. It doesn’t require resolution. It doesn’t depend on our full comprehension of what’s going on or how things will turn out. Joy springs up where God’s Word is believed (Psalm 119:111, Jeremiah 15:16).
Now, the word “joy” doesn’t appear here, but it is already present – present in the leaping child, the Spirit-filled confession of Jesus as Lord, and in Mary’s quiet faith in God’s promise. And it is out of this joy that Mary’s song will rise – not as a sudden emotional outburst, but as a thoughtful, Scripture-shaped response to the mercy of God at work in her life.
The Joy of God’s Mercy in the Magnificat (vv. 46-55)
When Mary finally speaks, she doesn’t begin with explanations, questions, or fear. She begins with worship. Luke tells us, “And Mary said…” (v. 46), and what follows is not a spontaneous emotional overflow but a carefully shaped song, steeped in Scripture and centered on God. This song, as I have mentioned, is known as the Magnificat, named after its opening word in Latin, drawn from Mary’s opening declaration: “My soul magnifies the Lord.” And that opening line sets the tone for everything that follows.
Mary’s joy in this song is not focused on herself. She’s not magnifying her experience, her obedience, or her unique role in human and redemptive history. She magnifies the Lord. Her joy is vertical before it’s personal. She magnifies her Lord and her “spirit rejoices in God [her] Savior” (vv. 46-47). In humility, she calls God her Savior, acknowledging her sin and need for God’s mercy. Joy grows where pride is lessened and God’s grace is welcomed.
She goes on to explain why her soul rejoices: God has looked upon her “humble estate” (v. 48). Mary wasn’t wealthy, powerful, or impressive by any worldly standards. She was young, obscure, and vulnerable. Yet God has seen her. The joy she experiences isn’t rooted in her being chosen because she was worthy, but in being shown mercy despite her lowliness.
From there, Mary’s song widens. What God has done for her personally reveals something true about His character universally. “Holy is His name,” she declares, and “His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation” (vv. 49-50, Exodus 34:6-7, Psalm 103:17). Joy, in Mary’s song, is never detached from who God is. It flows from His holiness, His power, and especially His mercy. This isn’t a one-time act of kindness but a continuation of what God has been unfolding throughout history and continues to unfold today.
As the song continues, Mary celebrates the great reversal God brings—scattering the proud, bringing down the mighty, exalting the humble, filling the hungry, and sending the rich away empty (vv. 51–53, 1 Samuel 2:6-8). These words are not political slogans or rhetoric but theological declarations. Mary rejoices in the way God’s mercy turns worldly values upside down (1 Corinthians 1:27-28). Joy comes not to those who trust in their own strength—because human strength fails and fades—but to those who know their need and look to God to strengthen and save.
Finally, Mary anchors her joy in God’s faithfulness to His promises. He has helped His servant Israel, remembering His mercy “as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever” (vv. 54-55; Genesis 12:1-3, 22:17-18). Her joy rests in God’s covenant faithfulness to His people (Deuteronomy 7:9). God was doing in Mary what He had promised long ago. The mercy unfolding in her womb is connected to promises stretching back generations, all the way to Genesis and Abraham. And she rejoices in the assurance that the God who spoke to her keeps His Word.
This is what makes the Magnificat so magnificent. Mary’s joy is deeply personal but not private. It’s shaped by Scripture, grounded in God’s mercy, and oriented toward His purposes and plan rather than her own. She doesn’t rejoice because she experienced an influx of health, wealth, and prosperity as some falsely promise; she rejoices because God is doing exactly what He said He’d do. And this kind of joy – joy rooted in mercy and tempered in humility and faith – prepares us to see the true significance of the Child she carries. Because Mary’s song does not end with her; it presses us forward to the work this Child has come to accomplish.
Fulfillment in Jesus, the Coming King
In the last two weeks, we’ve looked a lot at Old Testament references in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus and in the prophecy from Isaiah. It took some work to flesh out the promises of God and show their fulfillment in Jesus. Luke 1:39-56 is much easier because Jesus is already there in Mary’s womb (Luke 1:31-33, Galatians 4:4).
The promises Mary celebrates are no longer distant or abstract. They aren’t waiting centuries to be fulfilled. They are present, personal, and alive in the Child she carries. The mercy she sings about has taken on flesh (John 1:14). The King she rejoices in is not merely promised – He is already at work, even before He is born (Luke 1:35, Matthew 1:21).
This is what makes Mary’s joy so striking. She’s not rejoicing in who Jesus will one day become, but in who He already is. The reversals she proclaims – the proud scattered, the lowly lifted, the hungry filled – are not wishful thinking or poetic exaggeration but the certain outworking of God’s mercy now embodied in her Child. Luke has already told us who this Child is. The angel Gabriel announced that He would be given “the throne of His father David”, that He would reign forever, and that “of His Kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:32-33, 2 Samuel 7:12-13, Isaiah 9:6-7). Those promises stand quietly behind every line of the Magnificat. When Mary sings of God helping His servant Israel and remembering His mercy (v. 54), she is rejoicing in the arrival of the long-awaited King who would finally do what no earthly ruler – even her ancestor King David – could: bring salvation, righteousness, and lasting joy (Jeremiah 23:5-6, Zechariah 9:9).
Jesus fulfills everything expressed in Mary’s song. The proud are scattered as human self-sufficiency is exposed by grace (Luke 18:9-14). The mighty are brought low as the true King enters the world unnoticed and lives a life culminating in the cross (Luke 19:38, 23:33; Philippians 2:6-8). The hungry are filled as Jesus offers Himself as the Bread of Life to those who know their need (Luke 6:20-21, John 6:35). And those who cling to wealth, status, and self-righteousness are sent away empty because they refuse to partake of the mercy He so freely gives (Luke 12:15, 18:24-25).
The mercy Mary rejoices in here reaches its fullest expression at the cross, a reality that would one day pierce her own heart (Luke 2:34-35). There, the lowly are lifted, sinners are forgiven, and the proud illusion of being able to earn righteousness collapses. Jesus is not a mere announcement of God’s mercy – He becomes its means, bearing sin and the wrath of God due for it, and reconciling sinners to God (Luke 22:19–20, Romans 5:8–11, Isaiah 53:4-6, 2 Corinthians 5:21). Mary’s joy isn’t sentimental; it’s anchored in the coming sacrifice of her Son.
Thankfully, the sacrifice she would later witness was not the end. The resurrection she would also witness confirms that her joy was well-founded (Luke 24:1-8, Acts 1:14). God keeps His promises (Hebrews 10:23). The King lives. Jesus rises, reigns, and continues to extend the mercy she sang about – gathering the lowly, forgiving the guilty, and bringing true joy to all who trust in Him. This means Mary’s song was not simply a celebration for what God had done for her, but a declaration of what God had begun to do for the world. The Child in her womb is the King who fulfills every promise, secures lasting joy, and proves once and for all that God’s mercy never fails.
Wrapping Up
We’ve talked a lot about joy today, and, if I’m honest, I find myself longing to feel more of that joy myself. Thankfully, biblical joy is more than a feeling. Feelings ebb and flow, changing with circumstances and surroundings. But joy, biblical joy, is found – just as it was with Elizabeth, John the Baptist, and Mary in Luke 1:39-56 – in the presence of Jesus. It is found fixing our eyes on Him and lifting our entire worldview toward Him, seeking what is above rather than being hijacked by all of the bad this fallen world has to offer (Colossians 3:1-4, Hebrews 12:2).
The joy found in Jesus is available today. He brings joy for the lowly and the lifted.
The lowly are those who know their need – who don’t pretend to have it all together, who feel the weight of weakness, guilt, grief, and sin. Like Mary, they may feel insignificant, overlooked, or uncertain about the road ahead. But as Mary taught us, God looks upon our humble estates. He fills the hungry. He draws near to those who fear Him and trust His Word. For the lowly, the joy of Christ isn’t ignoring or denying hardship or difficulty – it’s the assurance that God sees, God keeps His promises, and God is at work even when we can’t see the outcome.
If that’s you today – if you feel lowly, burdened, or aware of your need – Scripture holds out a clear and gracious invitation. The same Jesus who brought joy to Elizabeth and Mary calls you to confess him as Lord and believe that He is who God says He is in His Word. Romans 10:9 makes this clear: “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” It’s not complicated. It’s not earned. It’s trusting Him. It’s faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). And just as it was for them, Jesus is enough.
The lifted are those God raises up by grace. To be lifted by God is not the same thing as being elevated by the world. The lifted are not those who boast in strength, status, or success but those who have been brought low enough to receive mercy. They are forgiven, reconciled, redeemed – and they know that this status is a gift from God by grace through faith in Jesus (Titus 3:4-7, Colossians 1:13-14).
If you find yourself here today – resting in Christ, walking in forgiveness, knowing the mercy He has shown you – this passage invites you not to move on from joy but to return to it again and again – to ask the Lord to remind you of what He has done, to renew your wonder in worshiping Him, and to meet you each day with new mercies (Lamentations 3:23, Hebrews 4:16). Joy deepens as we remember what Jesus has done and entrust ourselves to Him daily.
Joy is not something we can manufacture. It’s something we receive. And it grows wherever Jesus is trusted. May the joy of God’s mercy – secured by Christ our King – take root in your heart and rise in praise, just as it did in Mary’s song.
[3] Zechariah questioned how he could be sure God would give him a son citing that he was “an old man” and Elizabeth was “advanced in years” (Luke 1:18). Because he didn’t believe the angel’s word, he was made mute until “the day that these things take place” (Luke 1:20), and his speech returned when John was named, just as God had promised (Luke 1:57-64). Although the text makes no reference to it, Zechariah would have been mute during the entirety of Mary’s visit to their home.
As Paul closes this letter, he reminds the Corinthians that he is coming to them for a third time, and this visit will not be casual (v. 1). Like a careful judge, he says that every matter will be established by “two or three witnesses,” and warns that if those who continue in sin do not repent, he “will not spare” them when he comes (v. 2). Some have questioned whether Christ is really speaking through Paul, but Paul turns this around: if Christ truly lives in them, they should be able to see His power at work through Paul too (vv. 3–4). The same Jesus who was crucified in weakness but now lives by the power of God is the One working in and through Paul—even when he looks weak on the outside (v. 4).
Paul then gives one of the most searching commands in the New Testament: “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (v. 5). Instead of spending their energy judging Paul, they need to look honestly at their own hearts and lives. Are they walking in obedience to Christ, or clinging to sin (vv. 5–7)? Paul’s great desire is not to “win” against them but to see them restored—to see them strong in the truth, even if he looks weak or unimpressive in the process (vv. 7–9). His authority from the Lord is given not to tear them down but to build them up (v. 10).
He closes with a warm, pastoral call: rejoice, aim for restoration, listen to his appeal, agree with one another, and live in peace so that “the God of love and peace” will be with them (vv. 11). He reminds them that they are part of one family in Christ, greeting one another with a holy kiss and sharing in the unity of all the saints (vv. 12–13). Finally, Paul ends with a beautiful Trinitarian blessing: the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with them all (v. 14). This is the life he wants for them—a church humbled, examined, restored, and living together in the love and presence of the triune God.
🌀 Reflection: It is easy to evaluate everyone else—leaders, churches, friends, even culture—but Paul calls us to turn the mirror on ourselves. Are there places where you resist correction, cling to hidden sin, or excuse patterns Jesus is calling you to lay down (13:5–7, 20–21)? Ask the Lord to help you see yourself truthfully—and to lead you toward real repentance, restoration, and peace.
💬 Mission Challenge: Invite a trusted, mature believer to gently “help you examine yourself” this week—ask them where they see Christ at work in you and where they think He may be calling you to grow.
Paul continues his “foolish” boasting by describing an astonishing experience from fourteen years earlier, when a “man in Christ” was caught up to the third heaven—Paradise—and heard things too wonderful to repeat (vv. 1–4). He is clearly talking about himself, but he only tells the story to show that even such great revelations are not the real foundation of his ministry. Instead, he points to a “thorn in the flesh,” a painful, ongoing weakness allowed by God to keep him from becoming conceited (v. 7). Paul begged the Lord three times to take it away, but Jesus answered, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (vv. 8–9). Because of this, Paul chooses to boast in his weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on him, learning to be content even in insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties—for when he is weak, then he is truly strong in Christ (vv. 9–10).
Paul reminds the Corinthians that they have already seen the marks of a true apostle in his ministry among them: steadfast endurance, and “signs and wonders and mighty works” done in their midst (vv. 11–12). The only way they were “treated worse” than other churches was that Paul refused to be a financial burden, like a spiritual father who gladly spends and is spent for his children (vv. 13–15). He firmly denies any accusation that he or his coworkers used the collection or their visits to take advantage of the Corinthians, pointing instead to their shared integrity (vv. 16–18). As he prepares for a third visit, Paul is concerned he may find ongoing sins—quarreling, jealousy, anger, gossip, and sexual immorality—that would require painful confrontation rather than joyful encouragement (vv. 20–21). Even here, his desire is not to win an argument but to see them strengthened in genuine faith.
🌀 Reflection: Most of us want God to remove our “thorns”—the weaknesses, limits, or ongoing struggles we feel. Paul reminds us that sometimes God’s answer is not to take them away but to meet us in them with sufficient grace (vv. 7–9). Where do you feel weak today? How might that very place become a platform for Christ’s strength to shine through you?
💬 Mission Challenge: Share 2 Corinthians 12:9 with someone who is struggling, and send a short note or message reminding them that Jesus’s grace is enough—even when the thorn stays.
Paul opens this chapter with a “godly jealousy” for the Corinthians, like a father who has promised his daughter in marriage and longs to present her as a pure bride to Christ (v. 2). He fears that, just as the serpent deceived Eve, their minds may be led astray from simple, pure devotion to Jesus by teachers who preach “another Jesus,” bring a “different spirit,” and offer “a different gospel” (vv. 3–4). Out of love, Paul reminds them that he is not inferior to these so-called “super-apostles,” even if he is not a polished speaker, because he has true knowledge of the gospel (vv. 5–6). He also defends his choice to preach the gospel “free of charge,” supported by other churches, so that the Corinthians would see the difference between his sincere ministry and the greed of the false apostles (vv. 7–12). These men are not true servants of Christ but “false apostles,” disguising themselves as messengers of light just as Satan does (vv. 13–15).
Because the Corinthians have tolerated these deceivers, Paul reluctantly engages in “foolish” boasting to show the contrast between himself and his opponents (vv. 16–21). He matches their claims of heritage—Hebrews, Israelites, offspring of Abraham—and then goes far beyond them in the things that truly mark a servant of Christ (vv. 22–23). Instead of boasting in power and comfort, Paul lists his many sufferings: floggings, beatings, shipwrecks, dangers on the road, sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, exposure, and continual anxiety for all the churches (vv. 24–28). On top of these, he recalls his humiliating escape from Damascus in a basket as one more example of his weakness (vv. 32–33). Paul concludes that if he must boast, he will boast “of the things that show my weakness,” because it is in that weakness that God’s strength and grace shine most clearly (v. 30).
🌀 Reflection: Paul’s love for the churches shows up not in comfort or applause but in costly concern, daily prayer, and a willingness to suffer for their good (vv. 23–29). Where might God be calling you to a deeper, more sacrificial love for His people—even when it is unseen, misunderstood, or hard?
💬 Mission Challenge: Pray by name today for at least three fellow believers (or church leaders) who are struggling, and send one of them a short message or note of encouragement that points them back to Jesus.
Paul shifts his focus to the rebellious minority in Corinth, appealing to them “by the meekness and gentleness of Christ” even as he prepares to confront ongoing disobedience (vv. 1–2). Some accuse him of being weak in person but strong only in his letters, yet Paul explains that his ministry is a spiritual battle, not fought with worldly tactics but with God’s powerful weapons that tear down strongholds, demolish arguments, and take thoughts captive to obey Christ (vv. 3–6). His authority, though often questioned, was given by the Lord to build up the church, not to tear it down (vv. 8–11).
Paul then exposes the folly of his opponents who commend themselves and measure their success by comparing themselves with one another (v. 12). In contrast, Paul refuses to boast beyond the limits of the ministry God assigned him, reminding the Corinthians that they themselves are proof that he truly was sent by God to them in the first place (vv. 13–14). His desire is to see their faith grow so that his mission can extend to “regions beyond” where Christ has not yet been named, and he closes by insisting that true boasting is only in the Lord and that real commendation comes from God, not from self-promotion (vv. 15–18).
🌀 Reflection: Paul reminds us that real spiritual warfare is fought with truth, prayer, and obedience, not with image management or human cleverness (vv. 3–5). Where are you believing “lofty opinions” that oppose God’s Word, and what would it look like to bring those thoughts under Christ’s authority today?
💬 Mission Challenge: Identify one lie or false narrative you’ve been believing, write down a specific Scripture that counters it, and pray that God would help you take that thought captive to obey Christ this week.
Paul continues talking about the collection for the believers in Jerusalem and explains why he sent brothers ahead of him. He doesn’t want his earlier boasting about the Corinthians’ eagerness to give to prove empty, so he wants their gift to be ready as a willing offering, not something squeezed out of them at the last minute (vv. 1–5). Their readiness matters, because their generosity is both a proof of God’s grace at work in them and a public witness to others (vv. 3–5).
Then Paul gives a powerful picture: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully (v. 6). Each believer should give as they have decided in their heart—not reluctantly or under pressure—for God loves a cheerful giver (v. 7). God is able to make all grace abound so that they will have what they need and can abound in every good work (v. 8). Using the image of seed and harvest, Paul says that God supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, and He will also supply and multiply their resources and increase the harvest of their righteousness (v. 10). As they are enriched in every way, they can be generous in every way, and this generosity will produce thanksgiving to God (v. 11). The result of this gift is twofold: it meets real needs among the saints and overflows in many thanksgivings to God, as believers praise Him for the obedience and generosity of the Corinthian church (vv. 12–13). Those who receive the gift will glorify God and pray for them, seeing the “surpassing grace of God” in their lives, and Paul ends with a doxology: “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (vv. 14–15).
🌀 Reflection: Paul reminds us that giving is an act of trust—one that shows whether we believe God will supply what we need (vv. 8–10). When we give cheerfully, we not only meet needs but also cause others to thank and glorify God (vv. 11–12). Ask yourself: Does my generosity reflect confidence in God’s grace?
💬 Mission Challenge: Prayerfully choose one specific way to give generously this week—whether to a person in need, your church, or a gospel ministry—and do it deliberately, cheerfully, and in faith that God will use it to stir up thanksgiving and glory to Him (vv. 7–12).
Paul turns to the collection for the struggling believers in Jerusalem and calls the Corinthians to finish what they started (vv. 1–6; cf. 1 Corinthians 16:1–4). He first points to the churches in Macedonia as an example: even in “severe test of affliction” and “extreme poverty,” they overflowed in rich generosity because God’s grace was at work in them (vv. 1–2). They gave “according to their means” and even “beyond their means,” entirely of their own accord, begging for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints (vv. 3–4). Before they gave their money, they first gave themselves to the Lord and then to Paul and his team, showing that generous giving flows out of a heart fully surrendered to God (v. 5).
Paul urges the Corinthians—who already excel in faith, speech, knowledge, earnestness, and love—to also excel in this grace of giving (v. 7). He doesn’t command them but tests the sincerity of their love, grounding everything in the grace of Jesus: though He was rich, yet for our sake He became poor, so that by His poverty we might become rich in salvation and every spiritual blessing (vv. 8–9). Since they were eager to begin this collection a year ago, Paul now urges them to finish it, giving willingly according to what they have, not what they do not have (vv. 10–12). His goal is not to burden them, but that there would be a fair sharing—those who have more now can supply the needs of others, just as God supplied manna so that no one had too much and no one too little (vv. 13–15; cf. Exodus 16:18). Finally, Paul commends Titus and the other trusted brothers who will help carry the gift; everything is arranged in a way that honors the Lord and avoids any hint of mishandling, because they “aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man” (vv. 16–23, 21).
🌀 Reflection: When you think about generosity, do you mainly think in terms of extra money—or in terms of grace? Paul shows that real giving starts when we “first” give ourselves to the Lord (v. 5). The Macedonians gave joyfully in hard times because they were captured by Christ’s grace, and Paul wants the Corinthians (and us) to see that our giving is one way we reflect the self-giving heart of Jesus (vv. 2–4, 9). Ask the Lord to show you where your heart might be holding back—whether in money, time, or attention—and to make your generosity an overflow of joy in what Christ has already given you.
💬 Mission Challenge: Identify one concrete way this week to share your resources with a believer in need or with gospel ministry—then do it intentionally, “according to what you have,” and as an act of worship, not pressure (vv. 11–12).
Just Keith Harris 