Advent Devotional
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ADVENT DAY 1: Dec. 1 – Angel Gabriel, God’s Chosen Messenger
Who was the angel Gabriel? God’s chosen messenger at Christmas, sent with hard-to-believe news for Zechariah, Mary and Joseph. An Advent devotional.
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ADVENT DAY 2: Dec. 2 – Mary, the Mother of Jesus
Who was Mary, the mother of Jesus? An ordinary young woman who said yes to God despite fear and shame, in Luke 1:26-38. What does her yes ask of us?
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ADVENT DAY 3: Dec. 3 – Angel Gabriel Brings Joy to the Elderly
Why was Zechariah struck mute? An Advent devotional on Luke 1: the unbelief behind Gabriel’s rebuke, and how the silence prepared him to raise John.
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ADVENT DAY 4: Dec. 4 – Zechariah, the Father of John the Baptist
Who was John the Baptist’s father? Zechariah, an ordinary priest visited by Gabriel after 400 years of silence. An Advent look at his doubt and faith.
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ADVENT DAY 5: Dec. 5 – Elizabeth, the Mother of John the Baptist
Who was Elizabeth in the Bible? The mother of John the Baptist, who welcomed a pregnant Mary in Luke 1:36-56 and was filled with the Holy Spirit.
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ADVENT DAY 6: Dec. 6 – Angel Gabriel Reassures Joseph
What did the angel say to Joseph? In Matthew 1:18-24 Gabriel reassures him by appealing to his royal line and to Scripture, and Joseph obeys at once.
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ADVENT DAY 7: Dec. 7 – Joseph, the Earthly Father of Jesus
Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus: what betrothal meant in his day, what obeying God cost him, and why he is the unsung hero of the Christmas story.
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ADVENT DAY 8: Dec. 8 – Caesar Augustus, the Arrogant Ruler
Why did Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem? Caesar Augustus ordered a census, and God used it to fulfill Micah 5:2. An Advent devotional on Luke 2:1-5.
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ADVENT DAY 9: Dec. 9 – Innkeeper, the Unlikely Host
Why was there no room at the inn? An Advent devotional on the innkeeper in Luke 2:1-7, why God may have allowed it, and whether we make room for Jesus.
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ADVENT DAY 10: Dec. 10 – Manger Animals, the First Witnesses
Manger animals, the first witnesses of Jesus’ birth: a family Advent devotional on Luke 2:6-12 with thanks for our pets and a way to help animals in need.
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ADVENT DAY 11: Dec. 11 – Angels, God’s Announcers
What role did angels play in the Christmas story? They announced, warned, protected and guided. An Advent devotional on Luke 2:8-15 and the angels’ song.
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ADVENT DAY 12: Dec. 12 – Shepherds, Humble Evangelists
Why did God announce Jesus’ birth to shepherds? An Advent devotional on Luke 2:8-20 and the humble men who became the first to spread the word.
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ADVENT DAY 13: Dec. 13 – Christmas Prophecies Come True
Which Old Testament prophecies foretold Jesus’ birth? Eight of them, from Bethlehem in Micah 5:2 to Isaiah 7:14, and the odds of one man fulfilling them.
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ADVENT DAY 14: Dec. 14 – Luke, the Doctor of Details
Luke, the doctor of details: why the Christmas story we know comes from the physician’s careful account, the one Linus quotes in A Charlie Brown Christmas.
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ADVENT DAY 15: Dec. 15 – Simeon, the Elder
Who was Simeon in the Bible? The devout man promised he would see the Messiah before he died, who then held baby Jesus in the temple (Luke 2:22-35).
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ADVENT DAY 16: Dec. 16 – Anna, the Faithful Widow
Who was Anna the prophetess in Luke 2:36-38? An 84-year-old widow who prayed at the temple for decades, then spoke of Jesus to all awaiting redemption.
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ADVENT DAY 17: Dec. 17 – King Herod, the Monster of Christmas
King Herod, the villain of the Christmas story: who he was, why he ordered the boys of Bethlehem killed in Matthew 2:16, and why he was no match for God.
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ADVENT DAY 18: Dec. 18 – Men Wise Beyond Their Years and Culture
What can we learn from the Wise Men? An Advent devotional on Matthew 2:1-12 and the four responses of true worship they model: seek, obey, bow and give.
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ADVENT DAY 19: Dec. 19 – Angel Gabriel, God’s Protection
Why did Joseph take Mary and Jesus to Egypt? In Matthew 2:13-23 an angel warns of Herod, Joseph obeys that night, and three prophecies are fulfilled.
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ADVENT DAY 20: Dec. 20 – Who Trained the Wise Men?
How did the Wise Men know to follow the star? This Advent devotional points to Daniel in Babylon and explains the meaning of their gold, incense and myrrh.
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ADVENT DAY 21: Dec. 21 – John, a Voice Crying in the Wilderness
Why is John the Baptist in the Christmas story? Meet Jesus’ cousin, the voice in the wilderness Isaiah foretold, whose birth begins Luke’s account.
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ADVENT DAY 22: Dec. 22 – Isaiah, the Messianic Prophet
What did Isaiah prophesy about Jesus? The prophecies Jesus fulfilled, from the virgin and Immanuel in Isaiah 7:14 to the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53.
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ADVENT DAY 23: Dec. 23 – Lessons from Advent Devotionals
What does the Christmas story teach us about God? An Advent recap: He can be trusted, uses ordinary, humble people, plans far ahead, and always wins.
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ADVENT DAY 24: Dec. 24 – Jesus, Our Savior God
A Christmas Eve devotional on Jesus, our Savior God: the boy in His Father’s house in Luke 2:49, the mission He came for, and how to receive salvation.
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ADVENT DAY 25: Dec. 25 – 12 Days of Christmas to Epiphany
What do the 12 Days of Christmas represent? The Christian symbols linked to the song, from turtle doves to golden rings, and the days leading to Epiphany.