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Winsome and pastoral, The Dawn of Redeeming Grace is a thoughtful Advent meditation on Matthew 1-2 for teens and up.
*The Dawn of Redeeming Grace: Daily Devotions for Advent by Sinclair Ferguson. The Good Book Co., 2021. 160 pages.
Reading Level: Teens (ages 12 and up)
Recommended For: Teens and up
Most of us can recite the Nativity narrative as recorded in Luke 2. And most of us are less familiar with the narrative as recorded in Matthew 1-2. We know the events, but we’re not as quick to recite large sections from memory. Thus, it is all the more welcome that Ferguson spends an entire book meditating on those first chapters of Matthew. They’re important! And they include many parts of the Christmas story that aren’t recorded in Luke’s version: the visitors from the East, for instance, or the journey to Egypt. Ferguson begins at the beginning: with a family history. From there, he moves through three more parts: The Family, The Visitors, and The Journeys. The entire book is divided into 24 readings spread out through these 4 larger sections.
Ferguson’s tone is pastoral and engaging; he invites readers to consider this story anew. How did Joseph learn that Mary was pregnant? How did the “Wise Men” know that a king had been born? He discusses such ideas as Joseph’s restraint after marriage (see Matthew 1:25), different cultures being brought to Christ (the wise men), and Herod’s own legacy. There is much food for thought in this Advent devotional, but the primary point is the gospel itself and our need for Jesus. This makes a great family devotional option for those with teens at home; it would also work well in a high school classroom (you’d have to start early, though, because you will need 24 school days). Like Love Came Down, Ferguson ends each reading with a hymn text and a prayer.
*indicates a starred review
Related Reading From Redeemed Reader
- A Review: Love Came Down at Christmas by Sinclair Ferguson (a similar Advent devotional, and perhaps more suitable for those with middle school children/students instead of high school students)
- A Resource: Advent Family Devotionals List (LOTS of options for all ages!)
- A Review: The Promise and the Light by Katy Morgan (biblical fiction about the first Christmas that would make a nice companion read aloud)
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