Week 3 - Joy

JESUS BRINGS JOY

Luke 1:39–56

Luke 1 reveals that joy is not generated by circumstance but revealed by the presence of Jesus. At the simple greeting of Mary, Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit, and joy erupts before a word of explanation is given.

This moment represents one of the earliest proclamations of the gospel. God reveals—by His Spirit—that salvation has come, and He does so through ordinary obedience. Mary is sent by God as a carrier of good news, and when Elizabeth receives that news, she rejoices.

This is gospel joy—produced by the presence of Christ.

1. The Source of Joy: The Presence of Christ

At Mary’s greeting, John leaps in Elizabeth’s womb, and Elizabeth is filled with the Spirit. The presence of Jesus—even unseen—produces immediate joy. Joy does not begin with explanation, achievement, or resolution. Joy begins when Christ is present.

God uses Mary, a faithful and obedient servant, to carry the gospel. Elizabeth receives it, and joy follows.

This shows us that joy is not self-produced—it is Spirit-given.

Discussion Questions

  • Why is it important that joy begins with Jesus and not circumstances?

  • How have you experienced joy as a result of Christ’s presence rather than external change?

2. The Carriers of Joy: Faithful and Obedient Lives

God chooses Mary and Elizabeth—faithful, obedient, God-honoring women—to participate in His redemptive plan.

From one comes the Savior of the world. From the other comes the one who would prepare the way. Their faith, obedience, and devotion mattered. Their lives shaped generations.

This reminds us: Your faith before God affects your family, your children, and those around you. If you are a follower of Jesus, God has looked upon you in love and entrusted you with this same gospel.

Discussion Questions

  • How does this passage elevate the significance of faithfulness in everyday obedience?

  • Who might God be reaching through your obedience?

3. The Multiplication of Joy: God’s Word at Work

Elizabeth’s joy does not stay contained—it multiplies. And when joy multiplies, it produces rejoicing. What comes out of Elizabeth is the very Word of God—the same truth spoken by angels and prophets. Joy filled by Christ produces words shaped by Scripture. When Elizabeth speaks God’s Word to Mary, Mary’s faith is renewed, her hope is strengthened, and joy overflows into worship.

Joy becomes contagious.

Mary responds with a song—rooted deeply in Scripture—echoing the songs of Hannah, Moses, and David. Her joy is informed by God’s Word because God’s Word has shaped her life.

Discussion Questions

  • Why does Scripture naturally flow from people filled with joy in Christ?

  • What does your speech reveal about what fills your heart?

4. The Obstacle to Joy: Sin and Humiliation

Even in her rejoicing, Mary acknowledges her humble estate—her humiliation.

Sin has brought humiliation upon humanity. It brings shame, guilt, and broken dignity. Mary does not deny this reality. She confesses it openly in her song: I am lowly, yet God has come to me.

There is joy in honest confession. There is freedom in acknowledging our need. We are not called to hide our humiliation or clean ourselves up—we are called to trust the God who lifts the lowly.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Confession does not leave us in shame; it leads us into joy.

Discussion Questions

  • Why do we often try to hide rather than confess our brokenness?

  • How does honest confession open the door to joy?

5. The Formation of Joy: What Fills You Shapes You

What comes out of Elizabeth and Mary is what was first placed inside them. If you consume God’s Word, God’s Word will come out of you. If you surrender to God’s Spirit, your life will reflect His leading. Don’t expect anything different to come out of you than what you consume.

Joy grows where God’s Word and Spirit dwell richly.

Discussion Questions

  • What are you currently consuming that shapes your inner life?

  • How might your habits need to change to cultivate deeper joy?

6. The Future of Joy: What Is Yet to Come

Joy is not only present—it is promised. Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him. That joy included resurrection, redemption, and restored relationship with His people.

The joy to come strengthens us to endure today.

Discussion Questions

  • How does future joy help you endure present difficulty?

  • In what ways can remembering what is to come shape how you live now?

Week 2 - Peace

Luke 2:14 reveals: the proclamation of the angel is descriptive of a new condition in the world, brought about by God’s glory through His Son, Jesus Christ.

This is not potential. This is not wishful thinking. This is reality. Peace has arrived because God has acted.

When Jesus comes, He brings the environments of heaven to earth. God the Father, the Architect and Designer, desired His heavenly peace to be present in the world—and the Son accomplished that purpose.

Isaiah had foretold this peace: “For to us a child is born… and he will be called the Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). And now, through Christ, that perfect peace is here on earth, near and available to us.

But how do we actually receive it? How do we experience this peace in our lives? Luke 2:14 gives us both a description and a prescription.

1. The Source of Peace: Through the Son

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14)

Peace comes through the Son, Christ Jesus—not universally, not automatically—but to those who are with Him, in Him, and through Him.

This echoes other divine declarations of approval spoken to Jesus:

  • Matthew 3:17 – Baptism

  • Matthew 17:5 – Transfiguration

  • Mark 1:11 – Baptism

  • Luke 9:35 – Transfiguration

Discussion Questions

  1. Why is it significant that peace comes through Jesus and not the world?

  2. How does understanding peace as a gift from God change the way you pursue it?

2. The People of Peace: Those in Christ

“Among those with whom he is well pleased” (Luke 2:14)

Peace is not given to all indiscriminately. It is given to a people who are united with Christ. Being “with” Christ means:

  • Submitting to Him

  • Surrendering to Him

  • Following Him

  • Living according to God’s design

Even amidst sickness, broken relationships, and darkness, those in Christ can be well, constant, abundant, and free.

Discussion Questions

  1. How does knowing you are “in Christ” change the way you face challenges or conflict?

  2. In what areas of your life do you need to surrender to Christ to experience His peace?

3. The Cost of Peace: Fight and Sacrifice

Isaiah 9 & Revelation 19: Jesus fights for peace

Jesus’ peace was not effortless. He battled sin, faced suffering, and offered His life. Peace comes through struggle, sacrifice, and obedience, not through the fleeting comforts of the world.

We, too, are called to fight for peace:

  • Over our minds, against self-centered thinking

  • Over our emotions, choosing humility over self-righteousness

  • Over our identity, prioritizing God’s approval over man’s

Discussion Questions

  1. How have you experienced peace as something that required effort or sacrifice?

  2. What are the things you have to battle the most in order to find peace?

4. The Prescription of Peace: Practical Steps

Luke 2:14 gives a roadmap for experiencing peace:

In Christ Jesus → A people of peace → Living upon the earth → For the glory of God in the highest

Practical ways to live this out:

  • Use your time for God’s glory (Philippians 4:7)

  • Use your resources generously (Proverbs 3:1–12)

  • Use your relationships to honor God—speaking life, blessing, and encouragement

  • Serve others selflessly and share the gospel

Discussion Questions

  1. What do you currently have that can be used to glorify God?

  2. How can your relationships become a pathway to God’s peace for others?

  3. What “baby steps” can you take today to live as a person of peace in Christ?

5. Proclamation and Prayer

To make this personal and actionable, choose a role or title and pray:

“In Christ Jesus, I am a [man/woman/father/mother/worker/student] of peace, living upon the earth for the glory of God.”

Repeat daily as a reminder: peace is not abstract, it is practical, and it comes through living in Christ.

Discussion Questions

  1. How does speaking this proclamation shape your mindset and actions?

  2. How might this change the way you interact with your family, colleagues, or community?

Week 1 - Hope

Before Luke tells us about a virgin named Mary, he tells us why he is writing:
“that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:4). Luke is not offering poetry or philosophy—he is offering history. A detailed, orderly, Spirit-inspired account of the person and work of Christ.

And from this account, Advent hope emerges—not as something vague, sentimental, or eternal in itself—but as a God-given, future-focused confidence rooted in God’s covenantal work from Genesis to the Gospels.

In Luke 1:26–38 we see the origin of hope, the renewal of hope, the fulfillment of hope, and the fruit of hope.

1. The Origin of Hope: God Gives Hope When Sin Enters

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you…” (Luke 1:35)

Hope did not exist in Eden before sin. Nothing was broken, lacking, threatened, or hidden. Adam and Eve lived in perfect fellowship, perfect security, and perfect purpose. There was no tension between “what is” and “what ought to be.”

But the moment sin entered, God immediately gave hope (Genesis 3:15). A Savior would come—not through man, but through the woman. Luke intentionally echoes that promise. The Spirit “overshadows” Mary just as He “hovered” over creation in Genesis 1—bringing forth a new creation, a new type of life, and a new beginning for humanity.

Discussion Questions

  • Why is it important that hope is given by God rather than produced by people?

  • Where have you recently felt the tension between “what is” and “what ought to be”?

2. The Shape of Hope: Rooted in God’s Covenant Story

“You will conceive… and will call his name Jesus… He will be called the Son of the Most High.” (Luke 1:31–32)

Luke is not introducing something new—he is joining the ancient melody sung by prophets, priests, kings, and covenant keepers. In 8 short verses he references God ten times, echoing:

  • Isaiah 7:14 — “The virgin shall conceive…”

  • Psalm 2:7 — “You are my Son…”

  • Daniel 6 & 9 — Gabriel returning with a familiar message

  • Genesis 3:15 — The offspring of the woman

Every covenant—Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic—builds toward this moment. Hope is cumulative. It grows through God’s promises and is fulfilled in Christ.

Discussion Questions

  • How does seeing Luke’s narrative as part of the larger covenant story strengthen your confidence in Scripture?

  • Why is it significant that Jesus is the “offspring of woman,” not produced by man but given by God?

3. The Fulfillment of Hope: Christ, the New Creation

“The power of the Most High will overshadow you…” (Luke 1:35)

Luke uses creation language deliberately. Just as the Spirit hovered over the formless deep, bringing:

  • a new type of light

  • a new type of life

  • a new type of dwelling

— so He hovers over Mary to bring forth a new creation:

  • a new Light of the world

  • a new Life that death cannot corrupt

  • a new and eternal dwelling with God

Jesus is not merely born—He is begotten, the Holy One, the Son of God. The Advent story is the Genesis story retold—God bringing life out of impossibility.

Discussion Questions

  • What parallels do you see between Genesis 1 and Luke 1?

  • How does the idea of “new creation” shape your understanding of Christ’s birth?

4. The Fruit of Hope: Faith → Hope → Joy, Wonder, Worship

“My soul magnifies the Lord… my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” (Luke 1:46–47)

Hope is not theoretical—it is transformative. Adam hears God’s promise (Genesis 3:15) and moves from:

  • blaming → blessing

  • despair → expectation

  • fear → faith

Mary mirrors Adam: She doesn’t understand the “how,” but she believes the “who.” Her faith produces hope— and her hope produces joyful worship in the Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55).

This is the pattern of Scripture: Faith produces hope, and hope produces joy, wonder, and worship.

Discussion Questions

  • Where have you seen faith produce hope in your own life?

  • What are the counterfeit hopes that compete for your heart (ability, control, comfort, economy, entertainment, distraction)?

5. Our Hope Today: Waiting for the Fulfillment Jesus Has Secured

Advent hope is ancient—born in Genesis, carried through covenants, fulfilled in Christ—yet still at work today.

Just as Adam and Eve longed for Christ’s first coming, we now long for His second.

Hope today is the same hope God gave in the garden: a future-focused confidence and expectation, given by God, anchored not in circumstances, but in Christ alone.

And just as Mary waited in faith for a birth she could not yet see, we wait in faith for a kingdom we cannot yet see—but know is coming.

Discussion Questions

  • What are you hoping for because of Christ this Advent season?

  • How does the promise of Christ’s return stabilize you in a world of instability?

  • Where might God be calling you to shift your hope from “lesser things” back to Him?