• Home

 If you want to receive an email alert when a new message is posted, send an email to Contact@MyDailyDevotion.ORG              Follow us :   

---

 “On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. Jesus Presented in the Temple  When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord  (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”  [ Luke 2:21-24]

---

"I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them..."

At least three different rituals are described in this passage: First there was the circumcision of Jesus. This took place when He was eight days old. It was a token of the covenant that God made with Abraham. On this same day, the Child was named, according to Jewish custom. The angel had previously instructed Mary and Joseph to call Him Jesus.

The second ceremony was concerned with the purification of Mary. It took place forty days after the birth of Jesus. Ordinarily parents were supposed to bring a lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering. But in the case of the poor, they were permitted to bring “ a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons”. The fact that Mary brought no lamb, but only two young pigeons is a reflection of the poverty into which Jesus was born.

The third ritual was the presentation of Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem. Originally, God had decreed that the firstborn sons belonged to Him; they were to form the priestly class. Later, He set aside the tribe of Levi to serve as priests.  Then the parents were permitted to “buy back” or “redeem” their firstborn son by the payment of five shekels. This they did when they dedicated him to the Lord.

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. [Matthew 5:17]

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. [2 Corinthians 8:9]

"...for my eyes have seen your salvation"

 “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,    according to your word;  for my eyes have seen your salvation”  [Luke 2:25-30]  

 

    

• Home
• Prayer Requests
• Praise Reports
• Resources
• Contact Us
• Archives
• In the News

 If you want to receive an email alert when a new message is posted, send an email to Contact@MyDailyDevotion.ORG              Follow us :   

---

 “At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,  where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.  When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”  [Luke 1: 39-42] 

---

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” 

As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s voice, the babe leaped in her womb—a mysterious, involuntary response of the unborn forerunner to the arrival of the unborn Messiah. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, that is, He took control of her, guiding her speech and actions.

One of the marks of a Spirit-filled life is speaking in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. We are not surprised therefore to find three songs in this chapter. 

Speaking by special inspiration, Elizabeth saluted Mary as “the mother of my Lord.” There was not a trace of jealousy in her heart; only joy and delight that the unborn baby would be her Lord. Mary was blessed among women in that she was given the privilege of bearing the Messiah. The fruit of her womb is blessed in that He is Lord and Savior.

The Bible never speaks of Mary as “the mother of God.” While it is true that she was the mother of Jesus, and that Jesus is God, it is nevertheless a doctrinal absurdity to speak of God as having a mother. Jesus existed from all eternity whereas Mary was a finite creature with a definite date when she began to exist.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…..The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” 

Mary was the mother of Jesus only in His Incarnation.
.


Mary Visits Elizabeth

 “But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!" [Luke 1:42-45] 



 Mary Visits Elizabeth

    " My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. "  

• Home

 If you want to receive an email alert when a new message is posted, send an email to Contact@MyDailyDevotion.ORG              Follow us :   

---

 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,   “Glory to God in the highest,  and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”  [Luke 2: 11-14] 

---

“And they went with haste and found ... the baby lying in a manger.” 

Caesar Augustus made a decree that all the world should be registered, that is, that a census should be taken throughout his empire.  The decree of Augustus brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem at exactly the right time in order that the Messiah might be born there in fulfillment of prophecy.

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old,  from ancient times" (Micah 5:2).

Bethlehem was crowded when they arrived from Galilee. The only place they could find to stay was the stable of an inn. That was an omen, a preview of how men would receive their Savior.  It was while the couple from Nazareth was there that Mary brought forth her firstborn Son. Wrapping Him in swaddling cloths, she lovingly laid Him in a manger.

Thus did God visit our planet in the Person of helpless Baby, and in the poverty of an ill-smelling stable.
The first intimation of this unique birth was not given to the religious leaders in Jerusalem, but to contemplative shepherds on Judean hillsides, humble men who were faithful at their regular work.

An angel of the Lord came to the shepherds at night, and a bright, glorious light shone all around them. As they recoiled in terror, the angel comforted them and broke the good news. It was good tidings of great joy for all the people. That very day, in nearby Bethlehem, a Bay had been born. This Baby was a Savior, who is Christ the Lord! First, He is a Savior, which is expressed in His name, Jesus. Then He is Christ, the Anointed of God, the Messiah of Israel. Finally, He is the Lord, God manifest in the flesh.
.


".. I bring you good news of great joy..”

 “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.  And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." [Luke 2:8-10] 



 

    " While shepherds watched
Their flocks by night
All seated on the ground
The angel of the Lord came down
And glory shone around
And glory shone around"  

PLEASE bookmark this website and share it with your friends.

Please use the "Contact Us" form to let us know if the Word of God is a blessing to you.

• Home
• Prayer Requests

 If you want to receive an email alert when a new message is posted, send an email to Contact@MyDailyDevotion.ORG              Follow us :   

---

 “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.  ”  [Matthew 1:18-19] 

---

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus” 

The birth of Jesus Christ was different from any of the births mentioned in the genealogy.  There we found the repeated phrase “A begot B.”

But now we have the record of a birth without a human father. The facts surrounding this miraculous conception are stated with dignity and simplicity. Mary had been promised in marriage to Joseph, but the wedding had not yet taken place. During the time of her betrothal, the Virgin Mary became pregnant by a miracle of the Holy Spirit. An angel had previously announced this mysterious event to Mary: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you”.

A cloud of suspicion and scandal hung over Mary. In all of human history there had never been a virgin birth. When people saw an unwed woman who was pregnant, they had only one possible explanation.

Even Joseph did not yet know the true explanation of Mary’s condition. He might have been indignant at his fiancée on two counts: First, her apparent unfaithfulness to him; and second, though innocent, he would almost inevitably be accused of complicity. His love for Mary and desire for justice led him to decide to break the betrothal by a quiet divorce. He wished to avoid the public disgrace which normally accompanied such an action.
While this gentle and deliberate man was mapping his strategy to protect Mary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. The salutation, “Joseph, son of David, was doubtless designed to stir up the consciousness of his royal pedigree and to prepare him for the unusual advent of Israel’s Messiah-King.

He should have no misgivings about marrying Mary. Any suspicions concerning her purity were groundless. Her pregnancy was a miracle of the Holy Spirit. The angel then revealed the unborn Child’s sex, name, and mission. Mary would bear a Son. He was to be named Jesus, (which means “Jehovah is salvation”).
As a result of the angel’s intervention, Joseph abandoned his plan to divorce Mary. He continued to recognize their betrothal until Jesus’ birth, after which he married her.



"..do not fear to take Mary as your wife..”

 “But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit." [Matthew 1:20] 



 

    "  O Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord. "  

PLEASE bookmark this website and share it with your friends.

Please use the "Contact Us" form to let us know if the Word of God is a blessing to you.

Where else can we go?

• Home

 If you want to receive an email alert when a new message is posted, send an email to Contact@MyDailyDevotion.ORG              Follow us :   

---

 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.   Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.  We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God. ”  [John 6:67-69] 

---

“You are the Holy One of God” 

Many people began following Him, not because they thought He was the Son of God. They followed simply because they wanted to have their stomachs filled. Jesus wanted them to know that in order to follow Him it would require they give themselves completely to Him as the Son of God, not just someone who could give them food to eat.

These sayings of the Lord Jesus proved so distasteful to many who had followed Him that they now left Him and were no longer willing to associate with Him. These disciples were never true believers. They followed the Lord for various reasons, but not out of genuine love for Him or appreciation of who He was.

At this point Jesus turned to the twelve disciples and challenged them with the question as to whether they too, would leave Him. Peter’s said in effect, “Lord, how could we leave you? Where else can we go? You teach the doctrines which lead to eternal life. If we leave You, there is no one else to whom we could go. To leave You would be to seal our doom.”

Speaking for the twelve, Peter further said that they had come to believe and know that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Notice again the order of the words “believe and know.” First of all, they had put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and then they came to know that He was indeed all that He professed to be, the Son of the Living God.

Dear reader, I don't know all there is to know, but I do know one thing: that Jesus is indeed the Holy One from God and He is the one I can trust with all of my life even when I can't get it all to make sense. I give myself completely again today. Where else would I go?

What about you….?







“...we will serve the Lord...”

 “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." [Joshua 24:15] 



 

    "  I will tell the world that You are the Holy one

You are the Holy one and I worship Your name

You are the Holy one and I stand amazed

You are the Holy one "