The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14) The biblical story of the birth of Jesus is an incredible narrative describing a historical event, but sometimes I think we get a little jaded and even confused about the details, maybe because of the little kids’ pageants. I saw one presentation where two children, dressed as Mary and Joseph, knocked on the door of the inn. The innkeeper, also a child, came to the door and reported the No Vacancy status of his establishment. Then, seeing Mary’s sad expression, the innkeeper said, “Never mind. You can have my room!” In some ways, it makes a great spiritual application, and yet it’s just not what really happened. When we gloss over the true story of the very human birth of a baby who was both God and man, we do an injustice to our faith. The details of Jesus’ birth don’t just matter at Christmas. They matter all year, because of what they imply about His identity. He was the Word (God) made flesh. Every day of the year, our faith rests on the Person of Jesus Christ. WEEK Week 11 55 Monday—December 25•The Word Became Flesh List three details you recall from the biblical Christmas story. What do they reveal about Jesus’ identity? Daily Reading: Zechariah 8:1–23, Revelation 16:1–21, Psalm 144:1–15, Proverbs 30:29–31 Tuesday—December 26•A Virgin Mother The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.”...“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:30–31, 34) Matthew and Luke both recorded in their Gospel accounts that Jesus’ mother, Mary, was a virgin. They didn’t gloss over it at all, but rather stressed this information in a variety of ways. The angel that brought Mary the news of the impending birth explained how this would happen. He said, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). Joseph was Jesus’ earthly father, but the Scripture tells us Mary was a virgin whose pregnancy was the result of God’s intervention. As humans, we could not pay the penalty for our sins. Only God could save us and restore our relationship with Him. And so, as Scripture tells us, “When the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship” (Galatians 4:4-5). WEEK Week 11 Why do you believe the doctrine of the virgin birth is so important for us to understand and accept? Daily Reading: Zechariah 9:1–17, Revelation 17:1–18, Psalm 145:1–21, Proverbs 30:32
20514 Man in Mirror
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