The True Messiah

2022 DECEMBER DEVOTIONAL

Throughout the meandering Old Testament landscape, ran a golden thread of gospel promise. God’s people were consistently unfaithful to the Faithful One who promised to deliver them a new heart and save them from their many sins. Through the Patriarchs and Prophets, the call to repent was continual, and their sin repressive. Like quicksand. 

The glory of God re-appeared when Christ was born — the Light of the world — the Bread of life — the Great I AM — Who promised fountains of living water to those who would believe and life evermore, the One promised to die for their sins, and rise again — this One, was born in Bethlehem.

This led to thirty-three years of ministry and death on a bloody cross. After His resurrection and appearance to many, He ascended back to the Father before the very eyes of the apostles and the gathered faithful. The newly-birthed Church is gathered expectantly after a soul-stirring sermon and signs and wonders on Pentecost. Around 3000 new believers were baptized in obedience to Jesus, professing their faith, receiving visible sign of repentance.

They began to live their common life. Coming out of Judaism, from all over the known world, this new family shows forth the common life of those changed by God’s glory. This COMMUNITY OF CALLED OUT ONES COMMITTED TO CHRIST’S KINGDOM was birthed in the heart of God before time began. And now, we await His promised return in glory.

In the fullness of the time, God sent forth His Son, the True Messiah, the only Savior. Savor the recollection of His birth and ultimate victory!

Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Incarnation and birth of Christ is a crucial part of the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ, the God-man who died for sinners that we might be saved.

The best way to grow in the faith is by reading the Word of God. We live in a world where falsehood is paraded as truth, even as those who believe the Word of God stand by watching. We must contend earnestly for the faith once for all given (Jude 3-4).

 THURSDAY - DECEMBER 1   ISAIAH 9:1-7 (MATTHEW 4:15-16)

Jesus would come and preach peace to the people, a light of revelation to expose people’s sin and show them the way of salvation. Have you come to know Jesus Christ and the peace that He gives (Romans 5:1)?

FRIDAY - DECEMBER 2   ROMANS 10:9-18

The news of Jesus’s birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection, and promised return is the type of news that must be trumpeted from the mountain tops and told to all people. Have you received this Good News and are you sharing it?

SATURDAY - DECEMBER 3    ROMANS 15:4-13

The Scriptures are a source of teaching and encouragement, and are the way that God preserves and gives perseverance to His people in hope. The effects of the Word of God upon the soul of the believer is a wonderful sight to behold. How is God changing you by His Word?

 SUNDAY - DECEMBER 4

HIS  SINFUL  FAMILY TREE  MATTHEW 1:1-17

Of course Jesus is the only sinless one in His genealogy, but maybe what’s most jarring to us is just how sinful those in His family tree really were. If we were writing the script we would have written in a bit more stellar characters. But God, in His infinite goodness and wisdom, had other plans in mind.

MONDAY - DECEMBER 5   GENESIS 49:10 

According to this verse, the Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah. Jacob made this prophetic prediction around 1400 BC. His ancestry is traced back to Jacob’s son, Judah, in Luke 3:23-34 and in Matthew 1:1-16.

TUESDAY - DECEMBER 6   DEUTERONOMY 18:18

The Perfect Prophet, Jesus spoke forth the truth and called people to worship the one true God. Clearly claiming to be the Messiah (John 4:25-26), He fulfills every word the prophets spoke of Him.

WEDNESDAY - DECEMBER 7   PSALM 110:4

Jesus went to God on our behalf, our great High Priest, making a sacrifice in our place, offering Himself, in order to bring the elect to God. Why is this so significant?

THURSDAY - DECEMBER 8   PSALM 2:6

Jesus, King of the Jews, King of Creation, King of Kings, is our Great Lord and Sovereign King. He rules supreme over all. Jesus will establish His everlasting kingdom in the future.

FRIDAY - DECEMBER 9   ISAIAH 40:1-5

The King will come in His glory. He is the perfection of glory and He is all perfection. He brings comfort to His people through the Gospel, and pardons all of our sins. His glory is revealed in the Gospel.

SATURDAY - DECEMBER 10  ROMANS 6:23

The wages of sin is death, and all we deserve because of our sin is eternal separation from God. As it turns out, when you are aware that all you deserve is hell, there is really nothing on earth that you can appropriately grumble or complain about. The perfect sinless sovereign Savior has given you a new life.

 SUNDAY - DECEMBER 11

HIS  startling  INCARNATION  MATTHEW 1:18-25

Out of the muck and mire of a thousand sleepless nights, so many years of trudging through dashed hopes and expectations of a promised deliverer came the glorious announcement that knocked Joseph to the ground and took the breath out of Mary. How could this be? It’s the question of the ages about the greatest mystery of all time. 

MONDAY - DECEMBER 12   GALATIANS 4:4-5 

It was perfectly timed and eternally planned, this sending forth of the Son at the perfect moment in time. Jesus came to redeem fallen sinners and reveal God’s glory to His people.

TUESDAY - DECEMBER 13   JOHN 1:1-9

From before creation, Christ existed. And in the Incarnation, the greatest of all became the lowest of all, to shine the light of the gospel on all. He revealed God to people that weren’t even looking for Him, surprising them by His grace.

WEDNESDAY - DECEMBER 14   JOHN 1:10-18

Jesus is the very embodiment of grace and truth, the perfect blend and exactly what our souls needed. He showers us with grace upon grace, and gives us what we do not deserve. We deserved hell. But because of the Incarnation, we receive new life.

THURSDAY - DECEMBER 15   HEBREWS 10:5

A body, prepared from before time began, and produced in the womb of a virgin, a body to hold the Son of Man and the Son of God, a container for the divine.

FRIDAY - DECEMBER 16   PSALM 40:6-7

Jesus appeared, to give His life as a ransom for many, came to do the will of God as spoken and recorded in the Word of God, to give us second birth.

SATURDAY - DECEMBER 17   PSALM 107:1

We have much to give thanks to God for, He is so good to us. And the fact that He planned before the foundation of the world to have a baby born of a virgin to save sinners is astounding. How is God’s steadfast love and unending faithfulness revealed in the Incarnation of Christ?

 SUNDAY - DECEMBER 18

HIS  sinister  OPPOSITION  MATTHEW 2:1-23

No one, but no one, will prevail against God and His perfect plans. But oh, will the people try and the nations rage! The opposition to the perfect Son of God began long before He appeared on the scene as a baby on this planet, yet Herod’s full onslaught of fury against Him matches the most ruthless through the ages.

MONDAY - DECEMBER 19   GALATIANS 1:8-9

Many false christs have gone into the world, who are antichrist, against Jesus, and proclaiming bad news, contrary to, or opposed to the good news. They will suffer fair punishment, and they must be silenced.

TUESDAY - DECEMBER 20  2 PETER 1:14

Accursed children! was a well–known Hebrew saying meaning “children of a curse,” in that time a reference to those under God’s wrath and damned by God. Such is the destiny of those persistently opposed to Christ.

WEDNESDAY - DECEMBER 21   2 CORINTHIANS 11:3-4 

There is a humility and a purity to be devoted to Christ, such that you love Him and obey Him. The temptation is to cave in to pressure and let go of your hope. And believing falsehoods is a telltale sign. How would you know if you have been led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ?

THURSDAY - DECEMBER 22   LUKE 2:34-35 

All who oppose the King of the universe will fall and be broken, stumbling on Christ, the Stone of Stumbling and Rock of Offense. They will be opposed by God as He knows the hearts and motives of all and He is a Righteous Judge. Are you fully aligned with Christ?

FRIDAY - DECEMBER 23  PSALM 103:11-13

What does God do for sinners who repent and run to Him for mercy? Discuss how His compassion and forgiveness has changed your life. How far has He removed your transgressions from you?

SATURDAY - DECEMBER 24

HIS  spectacular  BIRTH LUKE 2:1-20

Yes, so humble a beginning. But really, not really, because the only God had set this plan in motion since the beginning of the world, and His was not hastily slapped together. No last minute job, this was planned before the world began, and was filled with rejoicing angels and the appropriate spiritual pyrotechnics.

It wasn’t so much humble as it was spectacular. People like to say how much the birth of Jesus was humble, and yes, it is true. He even described Himself as being humble and gentle of heart. Yet, this birth was every bit as spectacular as the creation of the world. Stars shown out. Angels gave voice to praise. The high praises of God ring out in the most joyous of ways.

ZECHARIAH 9:9 The King of the ages comes humbly and what a spectacle it was. The King over all comes in righteousness, bringing salvation.

ISAIAH 7:14  God reversed nature, as He made an axehead float and the sun go back on the steps, and raised people from the dead, He brought a baby through a virgin.

LUKE 1:26-35  The amazing nature of Christ’s birth is accentuated by the surprise among His chosen ones. But they bore it beautifully and took the scorn, and protected the Lord of glory.

MICAH 5:1-5  The prophet Micah predicted between 750 BC and 686 BC that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Of course it came true. And now, every year we celebrate His birth in Bethlehem.

JOHN 14:6  The star over Bethlehem when Jesus was born was pointing to Him who is The Way and The Truth and The Life. He is the only way to have a relationship with God.

1 JOHN 1:1-4  The One who created the world also created the womb in which He was born. There are so many counter-intuitive and mind-blowing ideas surrounding Christ’s birth!

SUNDAY - DECEMBER 25

HIS  sovereign  GLORY  LUKE 2:21-35

The glory returned when Christ appeared. To some, it was a matter of great rejoicing, to others a matter of great concern. Nonetheless, the radiance of the glory of God shown forth with such lightning-quick reflexes that you really had to be paying attention to catch what was going on. Many missed it, and we dare not today. We will be praising His glory for eternity.

MONDAY -  DECEMBER 26   JEREMIAH 23:1-6

Jeremiah prophesied between 626 BC and 586 BC that the Messiah would appear after the Jews returned to Israel. It was first fulfilled in Jesus’ earthly ministry and will be fulfilled again in the end times. He will make His people righteous because of His shed blood and He will return in perfect righteousness.

TUESDAY -  DECEMBER 27   ROMANS 5:1-11

Since the beginning of recorded history, the entire world has been at peace less than 8% of the time! Of 3530 years of recorded history, only 286 years saw peace. 8000+ peace treaties were made and broken. There were 14,351 wars, large and small, in which 3.64 billion people were killed.

WEDNESDAY -  DECEMBER 28   ROM 15:33, 16:25-27, PHIL 4:9 

The peace of God guards the people of God for the providential purposes of God. How has God’s peace guarded your life so far?

THURSDAY -  DECEMBER 29   1  THESS 5:23, HEB 13:20

Jesus is the God of peace Who reigns over all in glorious might and holds the reins of history. He shows forth His glory forever. His glory is beyond all because He is glory itself.

FRIDAY -  DECEMBER 30   PHILIPPIANS 4:7-8

Jesus blesses us with the peace of God. This shows forth His glorious might in saving people for Himself and His glory, and preserving them forever.

SATURDAY -  DECEMBER 31    2 THESSALONIANS 3:16

Jesus is the Lord of Peace. The peace of God rules in the hearts of all the redeemed who have been declared righteous by Christ’s shed blood.