January 3 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

The theme of the month is spiritual war. Jesus won the battle not by might but by obedience. He is the source of salvation for all who obey him. When we have stood the test, we will share Christ's glory.

Bible Reading:

Matthew 3:13–17

Bible Text:

A voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:17).

Devotional:

We know next to nothing about the first thirty years of Jesus' life. He was a carpenter from a small village. All carpenters should feel good about that.

The great change came at his baptism. From our perspective, there was no reason for Jesus to be baptized. Baptism symbolizes the washing away of sins, and Jesus never sinned.

That's why John the Baptizer was upset when Jesus asked to be baptized. He thought, as you and I would think, that Jesus was in the wrong place.

However, Jesus said we must do what God requires. So John baptized him in water. There Jesus stood, in the place where the sins of the world are washed away. What on earth was he doing there?

But heaven approved. "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." The Father appointed the Son, and the Spirit equipped him to fulfill a unique assignment.

What kind of assignment? At this point no one knows what Jesus' role will be. But he stands in the place of sinners. This indicates what he came to do. His role will finally take him to a cross, a place for criminals. He will die between a thief and a murderer.

If you and I have faith and an understanding of the mystery of the gospel, we will confess: Jesus is the right Man in the right place.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.