Luke 3:1-6 (NRSV)
Read Luke 3:1-6 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 3In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, Verse 2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. Verse 3He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, Verse 4as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Verse 5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; Verse 6and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"
Devotion
Sunday worship readers fear this reading with all those complicated-sounding names. Luke wants us to know that the Messiah came at a certain time and place, when certain people were ruling. This is no mysterious or secret coming. Just as the first coming of Jesus was to certain people in a certain time and place, so he comes to us, real people. He came that the rough places in our valleys and mountains might be made smooth and our crooked roads might be made straight.
Prayer
Lord, we rejoice that each little hand-hewn crčche set is a reminder that in the Bethlehem scene we see our salvation. Amen.