Walk to Easter: Luke 1, The Steadfast Love of Our God

"And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation." Luke 1:50

Y'all know what time of year it is: time to start getting our hearts prepared for the biggest holiday of the Christian tradition: Easter. In four weeks from today, we'll be celebrating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. And in anticipation for that event, I'd like to encourage you to walk through the Gospel of Luke with me as we meditate on the mission of Jesus Christ our Lord to visit and redeem his people. If we each read a chapter a day, we'll finish the book before Easter. And the best news of all is this: I'll be posting Walk-to-Easter devotionals all the way along! Score!

This morning, we meditate on Luke 1, which primarily tells us of the forthcoming of John the Baptist's and Jesus' birth. In a beautiful account, Luke shows how an angel came to both Elizabeth and Mary and promised that they would both bear a son. Elizabeth, a barren woman, would give birth to John, and Mary would give birth to Jesus, the Son of God who will reign on the throne of David (1:32-33).

Though there is a lot going on in these angelic visitations, I want to highlight one theme that we'll see penetrate the entire book of Luke, and that is this: that Jesus is the Savior of the outsider. Luke's Gospel is all about highlighted the "outcast" in society, and we see that in the person of Elizabeth. Elizabeth was barren, and because of that, she was an outcast in society (1:25). Yet of all people, God chooses to do a marvelous work in her, an outsider. This shows us how our God is a God of the outsider. He saves not the prideful and mighty, but the humble and the lowly (see 1:52-53). This brings great comfort to us today, realizing that Jesus is a God of the weak, the lowly, and the broken.

But the chapter continues. In verses 46-55, we find Mary's "Magnificat," which ultimately sets the scene for the entire book. Here we see the themes of God's mercy or steadfast love towards all "those who fear him" (50). Mary tells here of how God fills the hungry and exalts the lowly (52), building upon the theme we discussed above. We also find here that God is a fulfiller of all of his promises to his people (1:54-55).

At the end of this chapter, we find John's birth and Zechariah's prophesy. In this word of Zechariah, he proclaims the greatness of God in how he is coming to "visit and redeem" (1:68) his people through his Son, Jesus. Ultimately, Jesus will "give light" to the blind and "guide our feet in the way of peace" (1:79).

There is a lot going on in this chapter, and I encourage you to meditate on it accordingly, but let me encourage you with the big idea that I believe this chapter is all about, and that is this: God's steadfast love towards his people. The term this chapter uses for God's "mercy" is the Greek "eleos," with is the Greek word for the Hebrew "hesed," which refers to God's steadfast love, mercy, and lovingkindness. Wrapped up in this word is the almighty, unfathomable, never-ending love of God towards his own, along with his kindness in mercy to those who do not deserve it. And here we find that hesed on great display, as God promises to send his one and only Son to deliver his people from all of their fears. God could have left all of us in the dark and been perfectly just, but he chooses here to fulfill his promises to his people by sending his Son that they might "give light to those who sit in darkness" (1:79).

In application this morning, let me encourage you to dwell on the steadfast love of our God. He has visited us from on high in the person of Christ, and through him, he has offered eternal salvation to those who did not deserve it. Through the rest of the Gospel of Luke, we'll see what this salvation looks like and how it is accomplished, but for today, consider: Have you correctly thanked God for his mercy on your account? Have you praised him for the sending of his Son? Have you given your life to a God who has sent his Son to save?