Category - Devotionals

12/26          Matthew 2:1-6

Visitors from the East

2 Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men[a] from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose,[b] and we have come to worship him.”

3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”

5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:

6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
    are not least among the ruling cities[c] of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
    who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’[”

MAGI

Maybe these Magi had studied Daniel.

Maybe they were following the star because they knew about the Messiah.

Yet they came following a star to Bethlehem. 

God works in whatever way He chooses to work. 

This was His handicraft.

Prophecy worked out exactly as prophesied. 

God is good. 

12/25          Luke 2:13—16

13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,
    and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.

BIRTH

Jesus was here with us.

He died for our sin, to pay a price we couldn’t pay.

He rose from the dead and went to be with the Father.

Jesus is coming back. 

12/24          Luke 2:8-12

The Shepherds and Angels

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

VISIT

The first visitors to observe the birth of Jesus was the shepherds.

They were unclean because they cared for sheep.

The unclean visited the Spotless Lamb of God-Jesus is Lord. 

12/23          Luke 2:4-7

4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

PLAN

God had a plan to save mankind from their sin.

Jesus was the plan.

He was born to a virgin.

He would live a sinless life.

He would pay the price for our sin and redeem us.

He would reunite us to the Father – forever. 

12/22          Luke 2:1-3

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census.

CENSUS

All of heaven was watching.

The time had come.

The Lord was coming to earth.

Born as a little child.

Living by faith.

Suffering as we suffer yet without sin.

The time had come.

12/21          Matthew 1:18-21

The Birth of Jesus the Messiah

18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement[a] quietly.

20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,[b] for he will save his people from their sins.”

CHRIST

Born to Mary, wife of Joseph, a virgin.

He was the Son of God.

He came to bring us back to Himself-to save us from our sin.

We are separated from God Jesus will pay the cost of that separation,

When as an adult He will die for our sin, 

Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life,

There is no other way to the Father. 

12/20          Luke 1:26-33

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings,[a] favored woman! The Lord is with you![b]”

29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel[c] forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

DIVINE

Gabriel comes to Mary.

God has sent His messenger.

Mary is said to have favor with God,

Because of God’s sovereign grace. 

The long awaited Messiah is coming.

He will be a child.

He will grow in grace and favor under Mary’s tutelage and God’s strong hand. 

He will be the Son of God.

He will reign forever. 

Praise God, our Savior has come, our God is faithful. 

12/19          Acts 3:6

6 But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”

POWER

Jesus Christ has all power and authority.

He is the risen Christ,

Raised from the dead.

He paid the price for our sin.

He seeks to glorify the Father and does so through Peter.

This is a breaking into our world by the Kingdom of God.

Jesus really is in control.

This healing of the blind man includes spiritual restoration. 

Jesus changes everything. 

12/18          John 1:1

In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.

KING

Jesus is King of the Universe.

Given that title by the Father.

He always was with God.

He always is God.

Jesus loves you. 

12/17          1 Corinthians 6:11

11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

ONCE

Once we were lost.

Now we are saved. 

Jesus saved us.

He is the only way to the Father.