Monday Christmas Day, December 25
Immanuel, God With Us
Merry Christmas!!! Today, the
whole world celebrates the birth of a baby boy born two thousand plus years
ago! His birth was probably as normal as any other baby born during that time
in Israel, but the major difference was in His conception. He had no earthly
father because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin
named Mary. He is Immanuel, God with us!
Yesterday we shared the
Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke chapter 2. Today we want to read and share
Matthew’s account of the birth of Christ where learn several other things about
how God Himself entered our world as a human! It is my prayer today that you
will have a wonderful and blessed time as you meditate and remember the real
meaning of Christmas and celebrate the birth of our Savior with family and
friends.
Matthew 1:18-25
18 Now the birth of Jesus
Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before
they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
19 Then Joseph her husband,
being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to
put her away secretly.
20 But while he thought about
these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying,
"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for
that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21 And she will bring forth a
Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their
sins."
22 So all this was done that
it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23 "Behold, the virgin
shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name
Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."
24 Then Joseph, being aroused
from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his
wife,
25 and did not know her till
she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.
Matthew 2:1-12
1 Now after Jesus was born in
Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the
East came to Jerusalem,
2 saying, "Where is He
who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and
have come to worship Him."
3 When Herod the king heard
this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all
the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where
the Christ was to be born.
5 So they said to him,
"In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
6 'But you, Bethlehem, in the
land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you
shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.' "
7 Then Herod, when he had
secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to
Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when
you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him
also."
9 When they heard the king,
they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before
them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.
10 When they saw the star,
they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
11 And when they had come into
the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and
worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts
to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 Then, being divinely warned
in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own
country another way.
God Bless and Merry Christmas!
