Messiah!

For Wednesday, December 27, 2023:

Luke 2:26 NLT: “It had been revealed to Simeon by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.”

Obedient, Mary and Joseph brought their first-born male child to the Temple, dedicating him to the Lord. But their heads must have been spinning as they lived through all the supernatural events surrounding Jesus’ arrival.

Mary conceived but hadn’t ever been with her husband. An angel appeared to the couple explaining what was to come, saying, “Fear not!” As Jesus was born, a heavenly chorus appeared directing shepherds to visit and worship the newborn. Then the shepherds left to tell everyone that the Messiah had arrived! Caesar regarded this baby, “the King of the Jews,” as a threat to his power. He wanted to murder the child, forcing the family to flee to Egypt. And now, back at the Temple, both Simeon and Anna called Jesus “Messiah, Redeemer of Israel.”

Mary and Joseph were both consistent and persistent. Their faith in God the Creator never wavered, and in spite of all the anomalies, they persisted in doing the right thing. But Mary was keeping track of all that happened. The Bible says that Mary treasured up all these things, and pondered them in her heart, wondering what lay in the future.

We are blessed that Luke had the tenacity of an investigative reporter. His goal was to author truth, to leave an account for the world of everything that occurred in the life of God’s Son. Therefore we don’t need to take years to discover the truth. By reading Luke’s account, we can quickly gain wisdom! Perhaps we all should re-read some of it today! Blessings!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship