December 27 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Matthew 1:18-25:

¹⁸Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
¹⁹Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
²⁰But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
²¹And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
²²Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
²³Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
²⁴Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
²⁵And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

Devotional

God's word is truth. It abides and lives for ever. What God has spoken will surely come to pass. In Old Testament times God gave promises, and believers could confidently look forward to their fulfillment. When the New Testament era commenced, and Christ was to be born, things happened that had been pre­dicted hundreds of years before. In due time God brought about their fulfillment.

The angel told Joseph, that the virgin Mary should bring forth a son, and he should call his name Jesus. The prophet Isaiah had prophesied: "Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son." Now God controlled the events that this prophecy might be fulfilled. When king Herod demanded of the chief priests and scribes, where Christ should be born, they said unto him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for thus it is written by the prophet." When King Herod sought to kill the child Jesus, Joseph had to flee into Egypt with Mary and the child, and he was there until the death of Herod: "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my Son." When king Herod had killed all the children in and around Bethlehem, "then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation and weeping." When Joseph returned out of Egypt with the mother and the child, he came and dwelt in Nazareth, "that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene."

Thus we may rest assured that all the prophecies concerning the Church of Jesus Christ, as well as the promises given to individual believers, shall always be fulfilled.

Prayer

Eternal God, our Father in Christ Jesus, known unto Thee are all Thy works from the beginning of the world, and Thou doest whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to be done. Thou dost carry out Thine eternal plan to Thy name's honor and glory, and to the salvation of sinners. We praise Thy great and holy name. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: John 17:17; 1 Pet. 1:23; Matt. 1:22, 23; 2:5; 2:15, 17, 23; Phil. 2:10, 11.

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