Saturday, December 21

Read Matthew 2:19-21

When Herod died, God called Joseph to bring Jesus back to Israel. So, Joseph and Mary loaded the donkey again, and moved to Nazareth, where Jesus lived until He began His ministry.

Everyone in the Christmas story had to decide what to do about the Messiah who had come.

• While they certainly did not understand it all, Joseph and Mary loved their new baby, and they risked their own lives and everything they had to protect Him.
• When the Shepherds heard the angelic choir proclaim His birth, they left their flocks, which was unheard of in that day, and went to Bethlehem to find Him.
• When the wise men saw the glory of God in the sky, they knew God was up to something, and they left their families and invested their fortunes to find Him.
• When the Jews in Jerusalem heard about His birth, they were troubled because He wasn’t the kind of King they were looking for, and they had become quite comfortable in their religion.
• When Herod heard about Him, he was furious, and made plans to kill Him.
• Everyone must make their own decision about this Christ-child. The question is, what will YOU do with Him?

We need to see that several Biblical prophecies were fulfilled in this chapter:

• Jesus was born in Bethlehem, fulfilling the prophecy of Micah 5:2.
• Jesus was brought out of Egypt, fulfilling the prophecy of Hosea 11:1.
• Jesus lived in Nazareth, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 11:1.

It is also important for us to see several Biblical principles we need to obey:

• God does not give the believer a road map with every stop along the way or even the point of destination. Instead, God leads His children step by step, to keep us dependent upon Him.
• His goal is to strengthen our faith and trust in Him.
• Believers need to wait upon God before making a move. Waiting is a part of learning obedience. When we take the first step of obedience, God will show us the second step and tell us when to take it.
• Parents sow the seed of life or death into their children. Herod was a ruthless, murderous maniac, and his son, Archelaus, followed in his footsteps. Joseph was a lover of God, faithful to his wife and family, and obedient to God’s call upon his life. Even though he was always aware that Jesus was God’s Son, he cherished the time with Him and trained Him as if He was his own, even saving funds for Jesus to attend school when He turned 15. When Jesus was 12, Joseph died from an accident, but not before he had raised Jesus to assume responsibility for His mother and the rest of the family.

Prince of Peace

“Sar Shalom” is Hebrew for the “Prince of Peace.” Shalom means more than just the absence of war and strife; it is also a life of safety and prosperity. Isaiah was telling his readers that the virgin-born Child would bring peace between God and man. In Isaiah 53:5, the prophet said: “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for OUR PEACE (‘shalom’) was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”

At the birth of John the Baptist, his father Zechariah prophesied that the boy would be a forerunner to the one who would “give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:79).

The angelic chorus appeared in the sky over Bethlehem and sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14).

Years later during the Last Supper, with his arrest and death imminent, Jesus promised his followers, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

Paul likewise assured his readers that “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7).

Through his death and resurrection, Jesus secured peace with God on behalf of his people and continues to offer it to everyone who will trust him for it.

So, how does a person get this ‘shalom’, in their hearts? Through a persona, yet everlasting relationship with Jesus, the One who proved Himself to be the Wonder Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father? Romans 5:1 says it best – trust Jesus with your life: “Having been justified by FAITH, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

ONE SOLITARY LIFE
Dr. James Allan Francis

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village,
the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village.
He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty.
Then for three years, He was an itinerant preacher.
He never owned a home. He never wrote a book.
He never held an office. He never had a family.
He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city.
He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born.
He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness.
He had no credentials but Himself…
While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him.
His friends ran away. One of them denied Him.
He was turned over to His enemies.
He went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves.
While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of
property He had on earth – His coat.
When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave
through the pity of a friend.
Nineteen long centuries have come and gone,
and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the
column of progress.
I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever
marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever
sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the
life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life