Wednesday, December 16 Read Matthew 2:12 The Scriptures are silent regarding how long the wise men stayed with Joseph, Mary and Jesus, and we will respect that silence. However, Matthew leads us to believe that once their discovery was made, and the gifts were given, perhaps not wanting to interrupt their humble…….Read More
Tuesday, December 15 Read Matthew 2:11 No doubt the wise men were astounded to see this new-born King in such humble surroundings. No doubt they had expected Him to be the Son of royalty, perhaps a reigning monarch with all the splendor and wealth He would deserve. But even though they found…….Read More
Monday, December 14 Read Matthew 2:9-10 Because we have heard the story so many times, and because we learned most of our Christology from Christmas Carols, we have overlooked some very important details. After the wise men received their instructions from King Herod, the Bible says, “and lo, the star, which they saw…….Read More
Sunday, December 13 The Lighting of the Shepherd Candle–(pink) the candle of Joy–Luke 2:7-15 As we re-light the first two purple candles, we remember the meaning of Advent. Advent is a word that means “coming” or “visit”. We are preparing for the Advent at Christmas; walking through those historical steps, and taking…….Read More
Saturday, December 12 Read Matthew 2:8 King Herod Augustus, or as he preferred to be called Herod the Great, was appointed King of Judea by the Roman government. This was an insult to the Jews because Herod was not a Jew, and regardless of what he did to mediate between the Jews…….Read More
Friday, December 11 Read Matthew 2:6 In Micah 5:2, the prophet wrote: “And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.” The chief priests and scribes knew Micah referred…….Read More
Thursday, December 10 Read Matthew 2:4-6 King Herod, or Herod the Great, as he liked to be called, was a cruel, power-hungry ruler who destroyed anyone he feared was trying to topple him from his throne. He even killed several members of his own family because he thought they were plotting against…….Read More
Wednesday, December 9 Read Matthew 2:3 Because three gifts were given, we have assumed there were three wise men. The book of tradition says there were three: Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. But, since the Bible does not confirm that, we can only conclude the number of the wise men did not matter……..Read More
Tuesday, December 8 Read Matthew 2:1-2 I hope you are beginning to get the picture that nothing about the birth of Jesus was “normal”! The way He was conceived, the place He was born, the announcement by the angels, and the visit of the shepherds on the night of His birth, were…….Read More
Monday, December 7 Read Matthew 1:24-25 As we begin our personal studies this week, let’s review the four main things Matthew wants his readers to know about the birth of the Son of God. Vs 18 – “Mary was found with child of the Holy Ghost”. Vs 20 – “that which is…….Read More