September 25~Who is Jesus?

Luke 1:39-80

Matthew 1:18-25

Luke 2:1-40

Both John and Jesus were born! Two miracles occurred at John’s birth; he was given to Elizabeth in her old age and Zechariah was able to speak again (remember the angel took his voice because he did not believe his wife would have a son). The first words recorded from Zechariah, after John’s birth, were a prophecy of his son’s future. “You, my little son will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell His people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins...” (Luke 1:76, 77).

As we read of Jesus’ birth, several people affirmed His identity as the promised Messiah. First, it was Elizabeth who said, when she first saw Mary, “You are blessed by God above all women, and your child is blessed! What an honor this is, that the mother of my Lord should visit me” (1:42, 43). Second, Zechariah prophesied of Jesus, “Praise the Lord because He has visited His people and redeemed them. He has sent us a mighty Savior... just as He promised through His holy prophets long ago (1:68, 69).

Third, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Matthew reminded us of Isaiah’s prophecy, “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and He will be called Immanuel, meaning ‘God with us’” (Isaiah 7:14). Fourth, the angels told the shepherds in their fields, “Don’t be afraid! We bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior, yes, the Messiah, the Lord has been born tonight in Bethlehem” (Luke 2:10, 11).

Fifth, God affirmed Jesus’ identity in the Temple, when Jesus was dedicated. A devout man named Simeon said, “Lord, now I can die in peace for I have seen the Savior You have given to all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and He is the glory of Your people Israel” (2:29-31). A prophet named Anna was there too. “She talked about Jesus to everyone who had been waiting for the promised King to come” (2:38).

Daily Reflection

Unfortunately, though Jesus had just arrived, there was a great deal of misunderstanding about His purpose on earth. Zechariah said, “Now we will be saved from our enemies, from all those who hate us” (1:71). Simeon “eagerly expected the Messiah to come and rescue Israel” (25); and Anna told everyone Jesus had come to “deliver Jerusalem” (2:38). Though Jesus will one day save His people from their enemies (at His second coming), His original mission was to save them from their sins.

It is this misunderstanding that will lead the Jews to misidentify Jesus as an ordinary prophet and deliver Him up to be crucified. It was this misunderstanding that would be like “a sword that pierces the soul” of Mary, as she would later watch her son die on the cross (2:35).

Today, there is still a great deal of misunderstanding surrounding Jesus. To many, like you and I, it is clear that He was and is the Messiah, the Savior of the world. However, to many other people, they are not so sure. Why do you think there is so much controversy surrounding Jesus’ true identity?

How has God confirmed in your heart and mind that Jesus is His Son and the only one able to save men from their sins?

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