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Session 4

1. Devotional

   Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. (Luke 24:44)

   Have you ever made plans that didn’t work out? When I lived in Los Angeles, I owned a guidebook called Trails of the Angels that had a detailed list of hikes for the mountains just outside the city. Some hikes promised waterfalls at the end; others hidden caves. But the book was far from perfect. Sometimes, I’d plan a hike that was exactly as described and amazing. But sometimes, I’d arrive at the place where the trailhead was supposed to be, and there would be nothing there. Or I’d start on the hike, and the trail was so overgrown that it had become impassible. Sometimes the book neglected to tell me about a steep climb up the face of a rock wall. And sometimes, I just misread the book and ended up in the wrong place entirely. When humans make plans, they don’t always turn out the way we expect, even when we hold the guidebook in our hand. But when God makes plans, his purposes are always fulfilled, and his outcomes are always amazing. Without question, God’s greatest plan throughout history was to send a Redeemer, a Messiah, who would save his people from their sins and reconcile us back to himself. And he provided a guidebook—his Word—to show us the way. Many people in Jesus’ day were looking for the Messiah. Most of them thought he would come with great power, wipe out the Romans, and raise up the Jews in a sudden, glorious military victory. But this scenario wasn’t actually what the guidebook told them. In Jewish tradition, the Hebrew Bible (what we call the Old Testament) is divided into three parts: The Law (the first five books of the Bible, also known as the Torah or Pentateuch), the Prophets (or prophetic books), and the Writings (which include the Psalms). From the first to the last, these books detail God’s plan of salvation, and they teach that every part of God’s plan will be fulfilled. This is why, when Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, he told them:

   Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms. (Luke 24:44)

   Everything must be fulfilled. Even the parts we don’t expect. The Jews of Jesus’ day didn’t expect the Messiah to be born to a poor, unmarried woman and placed in a feeding trough. They didn’t expect him to be hung on a cross like a common criminal and placed in a borrowed tomb. They didn’t expect him to rise from the dead. But Jesus’ life, death and resurrection were all prophesied long before his coming. In fact, when the angel declared to the shepherds, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you,” he was referring to God’s plan that the Messiah would be a descendant of King David and would be born in Bethlehem. As the prophet Micah wrote:

   But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
       who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
   from you shall come forth for me
       one who is to be ruler in Israel,
   whose coming forth is from of old,
       from ancient days. (Micah 5:2)

   So, it shouldn’t have surprised them where Jesus was born. But it did. And it shouldn’t have surprised them that people in Jesus’ day began to refer to him with the messianic title “Son of David.” But this both surprised and angered them. In addition, the humiliation and agonies Jesus suffered shouldn’t have surprised them. They were all right there in the book. In Isaiah, we read this about the Messiah:

   He was despised and rejected by men,
       a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
   and as one from whom men hide their faces
       he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:3)

   When we celebrate Advent, we’re really celebrating the beginning of a new age of the fulfillment of God’s plan. It started with Jesus' incarnation and his life, death and resurrection, and it will culminate in his return in power and glory to wipe every tear from our eyes. Just as the prophet Isaiah wrote:

   For to us a child is born,
       to us a son is given;
   and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
       and his name shall be called
   Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
       Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
   Of the increase of his government and of peace
       there will be no end,
   on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
       to establish it and to uphold it
   with justice and with righteousness
       from this time forth and forevermore.
   The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

   The Lord’s plans are perfect, and they will not fail. Today, as we look forward to celebrating Jesus’ birth, we can be assured that we are celebrating the birth of the Savior of the world, the Messiah, the glorious Son of David. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you.

2. Watch

3. Personal Application

   • Read Psalm 33. What does this passage tell you about God’s plans? How will his plans benefit his people?
   • When have your plans been frustrated? How did you respond? Over time, were you able to see God's wisdom? If not, take comfort in knowing that God’s sovereign plans are perfect and that his plans are ultimately for your benefit, even if you can't see that benefit now.
   • Spend some time this week thanking God for his plan of redemption and for revealing his salvation in Jesus Christ.