God Speaks
Jesus’ Genealogy Proves His Legal Right to Be King; Wise Men Honor Him As King of the Jews; A King is Born in a Stable
Verse of the Day: An angel of the Lord appeared [and] said to them, . . . “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. . . . Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:9a, 10a, 11, 13-14)
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We Respond
Matthew 1
Reflection: To reader: Consider the following questions regarding Matthew 1:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. God [YHWH] sent Jesus (the Son of God) into the world as a human baby to be the Messiah He had promised many times throughout the Jewish scriptures. Matthew chapter one presents the genealogical evidence that Jesus of Nazareth was this promised Messiah.
2. People who honor God will do as Joseph did, everything the messenger of God told him to do.
Prayer: Thank You, LORD God, that You not only know our genealogy, but you superintend it, just as You did for Jesus the Christ (Messiah). You take note of individuals, both men and women. You involve people in Your plan of salvation whether we make good decisions (like David when You called him a man after Your own heart) or bad decisions (like David when he sinned regarding Bathsheba). Your forgiveness means that You no longer hold our sins against us. Thank You for guiding Joseph in his decision regarding how to handle Mary’s unexpected and very unusual pregnancy. Please give me a heart to obey You as well. Thank You for sending Your Son to be both our means of salvation (Jesus) and the God who is with us (Emmanuel). AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will research my physical genealogy to see how God has superintended my birth and life.
- I will research my spiritual genealogy to see how God has used various people to bring me to faith or help me to grow in trusting the LORD.
- I will praise God for how He has blessed me through the people I mentioned above.
- I will do something specific to make sure that I am leaving a God-centered legacy for future generations.
Luke 2
Reflection: This chapter offers informative details about Jesus’s birth and childhood that Matthew (Matthew 1-2) does not and vice versa. Scholars have debated for centuries as to the exact sequence of these events; however, because God keeps His word, we know that what we have is true. It really happened and is anchored in history. A young virgin woman who was pregnant by the Holy Spirit traveled with her betrothed to Bethlehem, King David’s ancestral home, and gave birth to the human Son of God. He was born in a lowly place. He was announced by heavenly beings. He was visited by humble shepherds. He was circumcised on the eighth day according to God’s directives and given the name Jesus (Jehoshua=God gives salvation). His special assignment from God was recognized by two godly people at the Temple in Jerusalem. He was raised in a common Jewish village. At the age of twelve, He amazed everyone at the Temple with His understanding of spiritual matters. He returned to Nazareth, was obedient to Joseph and Mary and grew tall, strong, and wise and had good relationships with God and other people.
Prayer: Dear Father God, thank You for sharing Your Son with us. This story of His birth, which has been read or told for over 2,000 years in countless languages and formats, should never get old or stale. May we believers in Christ study His story carefully and learn from Him. May we honor and revere Him as the human representation of God. May we humble ourselves before Him. May we be bold and courageous in announcing Him to other human beings. Help us to humbly serve other people and live according to Your directives. Please assist us in proclaiming His powerful name and salvation. May godly people affirm our special assignment from God. May Christian parents and other adults lead children in the faith so that, even at an early age, they have a firm understanding of spiritual matters. May children be obedient and honor their parents and other authorities. May they grow tall, strong, and wise and have good relationships with God and other people. May You, LORD God, be glorified in all our lives just as You were in Jesus’s life. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will thank the Lord God for the life, death, resurrection, ascension, glorification, and intercession of Jesus the Christ.
- I will ask God to guide me to someone with whom I can share His story, then do so.
- I will ask God to show me whose special assignment from God He wants me to affirm, then do so.
- I will seek to help at least one child to grow tall, strong, and wise and to have good relationships God and other people.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.