April 12, 2023
One of a Kind
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, GOD WITH US." And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus. Matthew 1:18-25
By all outward appearances, Jesus was just an ordinary Jewish baby. He didn’t arrive with a halo or the visible presence of God’s glory. Apart from divine revelation, no one would have known that He was unlike any other human being ever born.
Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds all learned of Christ’s uniqueness from angels. But today we have the inerrant, divinely inspired Word of God to tell us who He truly is.
Jesus didn’t have a human father. In fulfillment of a prophecy given hundreds of years earlier to Isaiah (Isaiah 7:14), Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit in a virgin’s womb.
He existed eternally before His birth. Another Old Testament prophet wrote about this baby born in Bethlehem, saying, “His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity” (Micah 5:2).
Jesus was both born and given. The Lord declared that “a child will be born” signifying a human birth, yet at the same time “a son will be given” (Isaiah 9:6). God gave His Son so that all who believe in Him could receive eternal life.
This baby is the Savior. He was destined to “save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21)
As Christians, we may be aware of all these truths. But it’s easy to get caught up in the sentimentality of the manger scene without falling down in worship at the wonder of God in human form. So let’s pause to consider how we truly view Jesus at Christmastime in order to give Him top priority.
Listen to Dr. Michael W. Wesley Sr. on OnePlace.com
Watch Dr. Michael W. Wesley Sr. on LightSource.com
