Friday, March 16

Luke 2:4-7

Prophecy FULFILLED: So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in clothes and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

Devotional:

Luke, a meticulous and detailed writer, wrote the entire Gospel of Luke. This particular passage contains an account of Christ’s birth as well as fulfillments of Micah 5:2. In Luke 2, Joseph and his wife Mary had to travel to register for the Roman census. Because of the decree of  Emperor Augustus, Jesus was born in the very town prophesied about despite the fact that neither of His earthly parents even lived there! See, the decree was made just as our sovereign God intended. The last portion of the Scripture talks about how Jesus was born and wrapped in cloths. Back in times of Jesus’ birth, the caretakers of the lambs would wrap the newborn lambs in cloths. God was already signifying that His son would be the Lamb of God, the sacrifice. Our God loves us so much that He would immediately signify that Jesus was our hope and sacrifice. Both yesterday’s and today’s passage contain who Jesus was to become–our hope and salvation.

-Maureen Chaney

Action:

Finish this week strong. It’s easy for Fridays to give us a case of “senioritis,” but each of us should live today on purpose. Ask God where you are slumping off, where you have room to give more effort. Then give that effort, give it quietly. Do it because God finishes what He starts, and we should, too.