“The angel replied to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”
“When all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. As he was praying, heaven opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in a physical appearance like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.’”
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.”
Saturday, December 9
Son of God
Scripture Reading: Luke 1:35; Luke 3:21-22; Heb 4:14-16
Recently, as I was sitting outside reading, I looked up and the beauty of the sunset took my breath away. Does that ever happen to you? I’m not sure why that setting sun caught me by surprise because our Creator shows his handy work every day in the sunrises and sunsets, but too often I take it for granted and miss them entirely. Maybe you have heard the story of Jesus’ birth so many times you know it by heart or maybe you are newer in your faith and eagerly learning about who Jesus is. Like with the sunset, take a few minutes today to read this passage with new eyes and to reflect on Jesus’s divine nature and why it matters.
Read Luke 1:35 and Isaiah 7:14.
In the first passage an angel is telling Mary that she has found favor with God and will bear His Son, Jesus. In the second, we see that Jesus, Son of God, is the long awaited savior who would be called Immanuel, a name that means “God with us”.
Read Luke 3:21-22 and Hebrews 4:14-16.
Later on, Jesus is baptized and the Holy Spirit descends on him and God speaks “You are My beloved Son. I take delight in you”. (Luke 3:21-22). In Hebrews, Jesus’ identity as the great high priest is established in his completely divine and completely human nature. As a man, he has been tempted and tried in every way we have but as God’s beloved son, Immanuel, he remained holy and sinless so that through Jesus, we can approach the throne of grace with confidence instead of fear or shame.
Prayer: Thank you God for the beauty of sunsets and sunrises that cause worship to well up from within me. I declare with Scripture that the heavens declare the glory of God. Forgive me for taking such beauty for granted. Similarly, keep my heart from becoming numb towards the Christmas story. Refresh my mind with a new amazement and appreciation for the incarnation of Christ. In His name I pray, Amen.