By Carey Nieuwhof, Founding and Teaching Pastor
Welcome to Day 3 of the 24 Day Devotion. So glad you’re joining us! Each day for 24 days as a church, we’re going to read one chapter of the Gospel of Luke and post a devotion on it.
If you’ve never read the Bible, we’re so glad you’re joining us. And if you read the Bible, we hope this helps you grow in your faith.
Need to catch up? Start at Luke 1 – Is The New Testament A Lie? and follow along. Today's devotion is below.
READ Luke 3
REFLECT
Ever wonder whether things are going to get better?
Luke 3 opens with the fascinating account of John the Baptist, the original hipster—long hair, unwashed clothes, a taste for locally grown organic food (in his case, desert-to-table locusts) and a pretty awesome following, even pre-Instagram.
John was a powerful preacher, and his message was radical: repent.
At its heart, repent means ‘change.’ It means ‘turn.’ It means nothing can ever be the same again. In some ways that’s deeply threatening. In some ways it’s incredibly wonderful.
What do you wish would never be the same again? Bet you can think of a few things.
John came to usher in the Kingdom of God, which Jesus both personified and fulfilled. In the Kingdom of God:
Relationships are restored
Forgiveness is no longer optional
Grace and truth collide
Hope abounds
Generosity is normal
People are merciful
God and his people are reconciled
The Kingdom of God is everything you ever wanted life to be, but better. Deeper. Truer.
[bctt tweet=”The Kingdom of God is everything you ever wanted life to be, but better. Deeper. Truer.” via=”no”]
And it’s terrifying.
Just like real love is terrifying. Just like intimacy is terrifying. Just like selflessness is terrifying.
Then, just as we first glimpse the Kingdom of God and its radical scope, the chapter flips into one of those long genealogies… the kind of verses even devoted Christians skip.
But to me, genealogies are wonderful. Why?
Because God remembers people everyone else has forgotten. Most of the names on the list are long forgotten by everyone but God.
Think about it? Do you know you’re great-great-great grandmother’s name? Didn’t think so.
But God does.
And one day your great-great-great grandchildren won’t know your name either. They won’t even know you existed.
But God will.
And that’s where this chapter synthesizes.
The God who never forgets a name (because he created them all) interrupts your life with a radical message that there’s hope.
That he’s come.
And that he’s come for you.
The Kingdom of God is here. And it’s here for you.
BOTTOM LINE
The Kingdom of God is here. And it’s here for you.
[bctt tweet=”The Kingdom of God is here. And it’s here for you. ” via=”no”]
LIVE
What would change in your life if you listened to John’s message and began to change how you lived? What would happen if the principles of the Kingdom of God began to change you?
PRAY
Lord, help me see that when you came, you came to bring hope and change to me. Help me to study your Kingdom, figure out its message and live my life accordingly. In Jesus’ name, amen.
