Bent Oak Church

Mary and Joseph went up to the temple to present Jesus and to make their sacrifice of purification. But the Spirit had brought Simeon to meet them. Simeon came with a prophecy and also a hard word. Jesus would be a sign rejected, not even Mary would escape the sword of his words. We take a closer look at Simeon and Anna and their words about Jesus. 

Perhaps the most striking thing about Jesus's birth was how unremarkable the event actually was. So far, Luke's gospel has been full of angels, miracles, and the Holy Spirit, but Jesus's birth comes like almost every other birth. Jesus has come into the world as we all come into the world. It is the shepherds in their fields that welcome us into the good news. They found Jesus wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. That was their sign that a king had been born. God was with us. 

Having heard of Elizabeth's pregnancy, Mary went with haste to visit. As she entered, John, just six months in Elizabeth's womb, leaped for joy. Central to the theme of Luke 1 is the work of the Holy Spirit. We take a look at the role of the Spirit and the joy and worship the Spirit initates. 

Having announced the birth of John to Zechariah, the angel Gabriel next traveled to Nazareth, where he announced a second birth. Mary would conceive a child. He would be great and establish the throne of David for eternity. His name would be called Jesus. In spite of the complexity and uncertainty this announcement must have created, Mary responded with remarkable humility and submission. "Let it be according to your word," she responded. 

Luke opens his gospel by placing the story in the time of Herod, but Luke also introduces us to the humble and righteous priest Zechariah. Those were two names that would not normally have been in the same sentence. Herod was known all around the Roman empire for his power, wealth, building projects, and violence. Zechariah was unknown. But God appeared to Zechariah, having heard his most desperate prayers. The Messiah was coming and Zechariah was the first to learn of it.  

We begin a new series this week on the gospel of Luke. We explore the background of the book as well as Luke's introduction to the work. Luke wrote Jesus's story so that we might have greater certainty and conviction about who Jesus is, what he taught, and what he has done for us. 

As we conclude our look at Ezra and Nehemiah, we come across an unexpected chapter. The story does not resolve as expected. Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem to find the people slipping back into the same sins. His anger explodes, and the book concludes with the simple but poignant prayer, "Remember me, O my God, for good."

Having repented and renewed their covenant with God, the people gathered to dedicate the new walls of Jerusalem. They did so by worship. The city was filled with the sounds of worship, and it produced a joy that was heard far outside of Jerusalem. We explore how repentance has its natural end in a surprising experience of joy. 

Having reminded the people of God's steadfastness and having repented of their own unfaithfulness, Ezra led the people in renewing the covenant. We take a closer look at God's covenant with his people and how the story of Nehemiah helps us recognize the covenant we have received. 

Having celebrated God's faithfulness, the people were finally ready to consider their own unfaithfulness. On the twenty-four day of the month, they came together in sackcloth and ashes to repent before the Lord. But even in their repentance, God's mercy and steadfast love were at the center. Chapter nine offers a long prayer of repentance and remembering. It offers us a model for what our own repentance can look like.