“FOUND TO BE WITH CHILD”
Thursday, December 18, 2025

TEXT: Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with Child from the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18)

Those words “She was found to be with Child” show a major shock to Mary’s family. Because in that time and culture, nobody would have wanted to find out that their daughter was pregnant—especially when the father was not the man she was engaged to! I suspect there was a lot of screaming and yelling!

Someone would have had to break the news to him. Depending on how Joseph took it, that could ruin the family’s reputation. Mary had just spent three months living with a family who believed her story. Now she was back home, and probably facing conflict, anger, fear, and shame. Did Mary try to tell her family the truth? Did they refuse to listen? This is the world Jesus would be born into—a world filled with pain and fear and shame, a world where even those who love each other still suffer from distrust and grief.

It’s what Jesus came to fix—the effects of sin and evil on our lives. He would give up His own life to set us free from that. He would even rise from the dead to give us new life, life forever—filled with peace, trust, and love for God and each other. 

WE PRAY: Lord Jesus, I’m so glad You came to help us in our need. Thank You. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
·         If you had been part of Mary’s family, would you have believed her story about the child being from the Holy Spirit?
·         Why or why not?
·         How do you think Mary found the strength to make it through this time?
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.

“ABOVE AND BEYOND”
Wednesday, December 17, 2025

TEXT: [Zechariah said:] “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:76-79)

I love that image of the sunrise giving us light so that we can find the way of peace and walk in it. But surely that’s going a bit far? I mean, there’s no need for the sunrise to actually leave heaven and come down to earth to help us find our way.

It can sit up there in the sky far away and shed its light on us. That would be good enough, right? Apparently God doesn’t think so. Because this sunrise is Jesus Himself. And He’s not happy to stay in heaven far away from us and give us salvation from a distance. No, He’s going to come down from heaven, down to the human race—down to a manger bed filled with straw.

And He will come down even further than that—from life to death on a cross, and three days in the grave. But He won’t stay there! Like all good sunrises, Jesus will indeed rise—and He will become our light and salvation forever.

WE PRAY: Lord, thank You for going above and beyond for my sake. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
·         Think of the last person who helped you. Did they go above and beyond, or did they do just enough?
·         Why is Jesus going so far to help you?
·         How does that affect the way you relate to Him?
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.

“SURE AND CERTAIN”
Tuesday, December 16, 2025

TEXT: And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us ....” (Luke 1:67-71)

Did you ever notice the weird way Zechariah describes what God is doing? He says, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people.” Zechariah puts it in the past tense. Now, that makes sense if you realize that Jesus is already on earth at the moment Zechariah is speaking.

Jesus is inside His mother Mary as an unborn baby, and it will be six more months before He is born in Bethlehem. So yes, I can see why Zechariah says, “He has visited” His people. But why does he say, He has “redeemed His people” ? Because Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross is more than 30 years in the future! Why the past tense? I think it’s because Zechariah—or maybe I should say, the Holy Spirit—knows that what Jesus will do to redeem us from sin and evil is so guaranteed to happen that he can use the past tense about it.

Jesus’ death and resurrection is so sure and certain that God can talk about it as already accomplished. He is our trustworthy Savior forever. 

WE PRAY: Dear Savior, I know nobody as trustworthy as You. Thank You that I can lean on You with all my heart. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
·         How do you know when someone is trustworthy?
·         How can you tell whether Jesus is safe for you to trust or not?

·         Tell about a time when God came through for you.
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.

“TALKED ABOUT”
Monday, December 15, 2025

TEXT: And he [Zechariah] asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him. (Luke 1:63-66)

I don’t think I ever noticed this verse before, that “all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea.” The little drama going on in Zechariah’s family was apparently pretty public.

It looks like Zechariah wrote down his story for Elizabeth—and whoever she passed it on to. During those nine months, the neighbors would have found out everything—from the angel’s appearance to Zechariah’s mistake, and how God kept His promise anyway! And now, the final installment—when Zechariah gets a second chance to trust in God by naming the baby John—just as God told him to. But the neighbors missed an even bigger story. No doubt they overlooked young Mary, the helpful cousin from Nazareth.

It was too early in her pregnancy for them to realize she was carrying a child, too. But she was, and her baby would turn out to be Jesus the Messiah. He is God Himself come into this world as a human being—why?

To serve and to save and to give Himself up as a ransom for all of us, so that we might become children of God. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have life and joy forever. 

WE PRAY: Dear Lord, Your coming is the best news ever. Thank You. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
·         Are you interested in your neighbors’ lives?
·         Do you think the neighbors ever found out about Jesus?
·         Is there someone you could tell about Him? Ask the Lord for help.
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.

“INVISIBLE”
Sunday, December 14, 2025

TEXT: And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. (Luke 1:59-62)

Just imagine how frustrated Elizabeth must have been with the neighbors. They won’t listen to her when she tells them the baby’s name—no, they have to go “over her head” to ask Zechariah. She probably wanted to throw something at them.

That kind of thing can make you feel like you’re invisible—like people are looking right past you to find someone who really matters. If it happens often enough, you may start believing them—that in fact you don’t matter, you have no value, and your feelings and opinions don’t count. But God doesn’t overlook us—even the last, least, and lowest of us. It was for us that He was born into our world as a helpless baby.

It was for us that Jesus taught and served and cared for people—and then allowed Himself to be betrayed into death, though He had done nothing wrong. Jesus knew that His death would set us free from the power of death—and His resurrection would lead directly to ours. How much do you matter? Enough for Jesus to give Himself for you—gladly. 

WE PRAY: Lord, when I feel invisible, remind me that You see me and care for me, please. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
·         What do you need to feel like you matter in the world—like someone cares about you?
·         What do you see in Jesus’ words and life that show you that concern?
·         How can you help others who feel invisible?
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.

“GREAT MERCY”
Saturday, December 13, 2025

TEXT: Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. (Luke 1:57-58)

Elizabeth’s neighbors heard that God had shown her great mercy, and they were happy for her. They came together to celebrate at the time of John’s circumcision, eight days after he was born. But what does that mean, “great mercy”? I suspect the first thing they were thinking of was her safety. Childbirth was a dangerous thing in those days, all the more for a woman as old as Elizabeth was. But of course that wasn’t all.

In a culture where childlessness meant you might not have anyone to take care of you in old age, the birth of baby John was indeed “great mercy.” So John represents both safety and security for Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah. But he means something to us, too—because John is the “first installment,” if we can say that, of God keeping His promise to send the Savior—Jesus, His own Son, who would be born just six months later.

John will prepare the way for the One who makes us truly safe forever, at the cost of His own life. Now that Jesus has broken the power of death over us by rising from the dead, He will raise us also on the Last Day—and bring us safely into His kingdom. 

WE PRAY: Lord, You are my true safety. Thank You. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
·         What kind of safety does Jesus offer us? How do you know?
·         When you are afraid, how does He help you?
·         How does Jesus embody God’s mercy to us?
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.

"CLOSE"
Friday, December 12, 2025

TEXT: And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His Name. …” And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home. (Luke 1:46-49, 56)

Mary is overjoyed, so much that she can’t help bursting into poetry, trying to describe what God has done for her. She has good reason! For the next nine months, Mary will live more closely connected to God than anybody before or after her. While she carries Jesus, her body will provide everything He needs—oxygen, food, warmth, all physical needs. Her choices will influence His future—what she eats, the stresses she endures. Her voice will be the first that He hears; and He will feel her emotions through the effects they have on her body.

He will be wholly dependent on her. What an honor, and what trust God shows in Mary! And after Jesus is born, He will be almost as completely dependent on her and on Joseph for years to come. They will protect Him; they will feed, shelter, and teach Him. God set all of this up so that Jesus, in turn, would become the One we all depend on—our dear Savior, who rescued us at the cost of His own life, and who lives forever as our beloved Lord and the home of our hearts. 

WE PRAY: Dear Jesus, I am glad to depend on You. You have never let me down, and You never will. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
·         What do you need in order to feel safe being close to someone?
·         Are you comfortable depending on someone other than yourself? Why or why not?
·         How about depending on the Lord—what has your experience been there?
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.

"GOOD BEYOND BELIEF"
Thursday, December 11, 2025

TEXT: In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country … and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. … And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.” (Luke 1:39a, 40, 41b-44)

I love Elizabeth’s reaction. As soon as she realizes that Mary—and Jesus, in Mary’s womb!—have come to visit her, she cries out with joy. And her baby, John, leaps inside of her for the same reason. We too have good reason to cry out and jump for joy, because Jesus has come to us—we, who had no claim on Him at all, no reason to expect such love and blessing!

But God has come to us in human flesh and blood, one of us—and not just for a short visit, but to be our Savior forever. Through His suffering and death He broke the power of evil over us; and now that He has risen from the dead and lives forever, we know that we, too, will live with Him forever. We will never lose Him, and He will never lose us. His lovingkindness is forever.

WE PRAY: Dear Lord, thank You for coming to me in my own life, and making me Yours forever. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
·         What is the best thing that ever happened to you? (No fair saying “Jesus”!)
·         When you first had that good thing happen to you, how did you react?
·         Does it surprise you to know that Jesus considers you—you personally!—to be His joy? (See Hebrews 12:2.)

 Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.