Chapter One
matthew AUTHOR: Matthew DATE: A.D. 60-70 THEME: Jesus was the Messiah the Jews had been waiting for.
The Birth of Jesus Christ
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they
Chapter One
matthew AUTHOR: Matthew DATE: A.D. 60-70 THEME: Jesus was the Messiah the Jews had been waiting for.
The Birth of Jesus Christ
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"-which means, "God with-us."
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"-which means, "God with-us."
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
TUESDAY
Do His Will. Period.
Matthew 7:1-29 or Matthew 7:15-20, 24-25
Andrew Murray {AD 1828-AD 1917}
Obedience to God is such a heavenly art, so utterly foreign to our nature, and the path in which the Son himself learned it was so slow and long, that we must not wonder if it does not come at once. Nor must we wonder if it needs more time at the feet of the Master in meditation and prayer and waiting-in dependence and self-sacrifice-than most people are ready to give. But let us give it.
In Christ Jesus heavenly obedience has become human again. Obedience has become our birthright and our life-breath. So let us cling to him, let us believe and claim his abiding presence. With Jesus Christ who learned obedience as our Savior, with Jesus Christ who teaches obedience as our Master, we can live lives of obedience. This is a lesson we cannot study too earnestly. His obedience is our salvation; in him, the living Christ, we find it and partake of it moment by moment.
Dallas Willard
Whatever the ultimate explanation of it, the most telling thing about the contemporary Christian is that he or she simply has no compelling sense that understanding of and conformity with the clear teachings of Christ is of any vital importance to his or her life, and certainly not that it is in any way essential. We-including multitudes who have distanced themselves from any formal association with him-still manage to feel guilty with reference to those teachings, with a nervous laugh and a knowing look. But more often than not, I think, such obedience is regarded as just out of the question or impossible ...
Individual Christians still hear Jesus say, "Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock," standing firm against every pressure of life (Matthew 7:24-25). How life-giving it would be if their understanding of the gospel allowed them simply to reply, "I will do them! I will find out how I will devote my life to it! This is the best life strategy I ever heard of !" and then go off to their fellowship and its teachers, and into their daily life, to learn how to live in his kingdom as Jesus indicated was best.
reflection
1. How can you tell if a person really is a genuine Christ-follower? 2. What does your effort at obeying God reveal about your faith? 3. What does it mean-spiritually speaking-to build your house on a rock?
weekend
If You Believe
Matthew 17:14-21
read/meditate
Read this story slowly three times. The first time focus on the father. See the story from his perspective. The next time see the situation from Jesus' perspective. The third time put yourself in the place of the disciples. Think of a few words that would describe how each perspective is distinctive: What would have been each person's strongest feelings or personal stake in the situation?
prayer
Lay before God the situations in your life in which you feel desperate (like the father) or that you don't seem to be making any headway (like the disciples). Ask him if any of your struggle has to do with a lack of faith and take a moment to listen honestly for the answer. Then take another moment to allow him to fill you with faith, believing that he is the source of everything you need.
contemplate
Most of us, at one time or another, have believed in something that didn't come to pass. Consider a time in your life like that. How do Jesus' words apply to all of life, including those disappointments? What does it mean that a mustard seed of faith can move a mountain?
additional reflection
Faith is not a feeling. It is not even the feeling that something is going to happen in answer to our prayers. Faith may be easier to exercise when such feelings are present. Nevertheless, feelings of that sort never constitute faith. Faith is a response on our part, the obedient response of our wills to who God is and what He says. - John White
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Today's Devotional Bible Copyright © 2006 by The Zondervan Corporation. Excerpted by permission.
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