Welcome to Church of the City, New York's Advent Devotionals.

Jesus was good news in the first century, and he is still good news today.

In the Christmas stories recounted in Scripture, people always responded to Jesus with

amazement and praise. This response came from deep longings and heartbreak being met with God breaking in to

fulfill his promises, offer his forgiveness, bring his justice and peace, and extend his love.

This Christmas, we hope you will have your own encounter with the person of Jesus and the

good news of his birth.

And like those of old,

let your song of praise resound to the world around you.

Today's reading comes from Luke 1, 68 to 79. His father, Zachariah was filled with the Holy Spirit

and prophesied.

Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.

He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant, David, as he said

there was holy prophets of long ago, salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to show mercy

to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our Father Abraham,

to rescue us from the hand of our enemies and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness

and righteousness before him all our days. And you, my child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go on before

the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through

the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising

sun will come to us from heaven to shine in those living in darkness and the shadow of death

to guide our feet into the path of peace.

The song that Zachariah sings in Luke 1 is steeped in personal and Old Testament history.

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