Because we hear the biblical Christmas story repeatedly, perhaps we lose sight of the spoke through the prophet Isaiah: “The virgin will conceive” (Isaiah 7:14). The reality that Jesus was born to a virgin is crucial for our faith, because it underscores Jesus’ identity and His power and ability to save us. If Jesus had come as a man directly from heaven, we would have said, “He’s not really one of us.” Instead, God chose a human mother who was a virgin. She was supernaturally “overshadowed” by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35) so the baby growing inside of her was fully God and fully human. When sin entered the world through Adam, the whole world reeled. All of humanity was affected, so that C.S. Lewis refers to us as “sons of Adam.” But Jesus was not a “son of Adam”—He was the Son of God, uniquely qualified to break the power of sin and restore each of us to fellowship with God. WEEK Week 11 56 Wednesday—December 27•Immanuel: God with Us This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit...All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). (Matthew 1:18, 22–23) mind-blowing nature of a virgin birth. Hundreds of years before the event happened, God What does it mean to you personally to recognize that Jesus is uniquely qualified to break the power of sin in your life and to restore you to fellowship with God? Share your thoughts with your group. Daily Reading: Zechariah 10:1–11:17, Revelation 18:1–24, Psalm 146:1–10, Proverbs 30:33 Thursday—December 28•Jesus: Fully Human When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him. (Luke 2:39–40) Jesus was born as a baby, then grew naturally and matured to manhood. He dealt with difficult people and environments, and sometimes grew weary. Once when He fell asleep in a boat, a “furious storm” arose on the lake, “so that the waves swept over the boat” (Matthew 8:24-25). Despite those conditions, Jesus slept so soundly, the disciples had to wake Him. The Gospels also record a time of fasting in the desert, when He endured 40 days of temptation. At the end of that time, “he was hungry” (Luke 4:2). That’s evidence of His humanity. Scripture shows that He experienced all kinds of emotions from compassion to anger, and even grief. The Bible says He can empathize with our desperate situation, because He was “tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus is uniquely qualified to save us. Because He did not sin, He could give His own life on our behalf, breaking the power of death, and offering life instead. WEEK Week 11 How does Jesus’ human experience make God more approachable? How does it encourage you to seek God’s mercy and grace? Daily Reading: Zechariah 12:1–13:9, Revelation 19:1–21, Psalm 147:1–20, Proverbs 31:1–7
20514 Man in Mirror
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