Thursday (Day 5)

VERSES:  Isaiah 7:10-16 & Matthew 1:18-25

Seven hundred years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, His conception was prophesied in Isaiah 7:14.  This verse from Isaiah is referenced in Matthew1:23 as being fulfilled at the birth of Jesus. 

This prophecy would have a DOUBLE fulfillment.  It came true TWICE.  At least in a sense.

In Isaiah 7, the King of Judah, Ahaz, has turned to the hated Assyrians to find protection against two other warring kings intent on Judah’s conquest.  Rather than trusting in God alone, Ahaz was trusting in men (the Assyrians).

In Isaiah 7:10-11, God speaks to Ahaz and dares him to trust in God alone for deliverance.  God says to Ahaz in 7:10-11 (paraphrasing), “Try me!  Try trusting in Me alone and see what I can do for you!  I will deliver you and to prove it, pick a sign and I will make it come true to show you I will deliver you as promised.”

Ahaz fails to answer, so God responds in 7:13-16 and says, “I will pick the sign for you.  Right now, there is a virgin in Israel who will soon be married.  She will get married and have a child by natural means who will be named Immanuel.  Before he is weaned and eating solid foods, the kings you fear will fall and you will be safe from their threat.”  God was saying, within a few short years I will deliver you without the help of the Assyrians.  This prophecy was given in 735 BC … and God indeed delivered on this promise with the deaths of the rival kings by 732 BC!

So, the first fulfillment of Isaiah 7 was almost immediate … but in Matthew 1:23, the prophecy is shown to have a second fulfillment; indeed, a BETTER ONE. Through miraculous means and supernatural power, Mary conceives of a child without physical contact with a man.  The Holy Spirit comes upon her and the virgin gives birth to a son – Jesus, the Son of God.  This miraculous birth is a sign of the supernatural deliverance that God would provide –  not from enemy armies, but from sin and death.

This prophecy dares us to trust in God alone for our salvation.  Are you trusting in yourself, your family, or your friends for your salvation, or are you trusting in God alone?  He is worthy of our trust!

You can find the full devotional in pdf here.

You can find more information about our church and Christmas programs by visiting wildwoodchurch.org

Wednesday (Day 4)

VERSES: Isaiah 53:1-12

I have grown up playing a lot of basketball.  Though I played my fair share of organized basketball games in leagues and for schools, I have played MORE games on playgrounds, in front yards, and at rec centers where two captains “pick sides.”  On these less formal courts, captains do not always know the ability of those they are selecting, so superficial appearances lead to who is picked first.  Since I am not 6’5” and could never jump high enough to touch the rim, I often slid down the draft board when teams were forming.  Man looks at appearances – a lesson I learned at the YMCA at an early age.

Yesterday, we saw that though David was not the oldest or the tallest (two characteristics his culture looked for in a king), he was the one picked first by God to be the King of Israel.  Man looks at outward appearances, but God looks at the heart.

As we have seen, Jesus Christ comes in the vein of King David.  In Isaiah’s prophetic words about Jesus (written 700 years before Jesus was born), Jesus is described as “one without form or majesty that we should look at Him.”  In fact, Jesus became a “man of sorrows” who was “pierced for our transgressions.” 

Praise God that Jesus, our King of Kings, was not the kind of king who majored on pomp and circumstance during His earthly ministry.  He humbled Himself to give us what only He could offer … forgiveness and eternal life. 

Because Jesus looked “normal,” He did not glow at His birth.  The shepherds who came to visit Him on that first Christmas night identified Him as one lying in a manger, not as one having a halo floating over His head. 

The God who looks at the heart, sees your heart today.  We cannot fool God through our religious performance.  He knows who we really are.  Thankfully, He chose us first.  He was willing to be pierced for our transgressions and to cleanse us from the inside out. 

You can find the full devotional in pdf here.

You can find more information about our church and Christmas programs by visiting wildwoodchurch.org

Tuesday (Day 3)

VERSES:  1 Samuel 16:1-13, John 10:10-14

Yesterday we saw that through Boaz, Ruth was redeemed and had children.  One of her children was a man named Obed.  In due time, Obed married and had a son named Jesse.  And, years later, Jesse married and had several sons, one of whom was named David.  That’s right, King David was born in Bethlehem, and was Boaz and Ruth’s great grandson.

But, when David was born, he was not born in a palace.  Certainly God had plans for David, as it was God’s idea to anoint David as King (David did not apply for the job!), yet David did not begin in royalty, he began on a farm.  There, tending sheep, David learned how to shepherd, and God would use that experience to guide and care for Israel after David ultimately (through God-ordained events) ascends to the throne.

David was not the tallest or oldest of Jesse’s sons, but God saw in the heart of the one tending the sheep in their stables a King.

One thousand years after the time of King David, another King was born in Bethlehem.  This King was more than simply the King of Israel, He was the King of Kings, Jesus Christ.  As David’s descendent, Jesus had a rightful claim to the throne, and as the Son of God, He would have a Kingdom that would know no end.

Jesus would be called the “Good Shepherd” who cares for His sheep.  As King, He reigns on high, and as the Good Shepherd, He guides and cares for us, His sheep. 

Bethlehem is the town of the Shepherd Kings.  What an amazing combination!  Jesus is mighty and He is gentle.  He reigns over all and cares for the least of these.  Will you find your home in Him this holiday season?

You can find the full devotional in pdf here.

You can find more information about our church and Christmas programs by visiting wildwoodchurch.org

Monday (Day 2)

VERSES:  Ruth 1:1-5; 4:11, John 6:35

What if there was no money in the bank, no food in the silo, and no children in the nursery?  Well, if those things happened, you would have situations of intense difficulty, but also you would have an amazing start to a top 10 country and western song!

In the book of Ruth, we see another verse to our country tune … there was no bread in the house of bread (“Bethlehem” in Hebrew means “house of bread.”)  Since there was no bread in the house of bread, a man named Elimelech and his wife Naomi headed over the hills into Moab (modern day Jordan) to find something to eat.  Not only did they find food, they also found wives for their sons!  One of their sons married a woman named Ruth.  Some time after their marriage, though, the men in Elimelech’s family died, leaving Elimelech’s wife Naomi and his daughter-in-law Ruth widows.

In due time, the famine was over in Bethlehem, so Naomi and Ruth head back to the “house of bread.”  In that culture, a kinsman could “redeem” a widow by marrying her and providing offspring to honor the legacy of the man who had died.  Elimelech’s kin, Boaz, meets Ruth and “redeems her,” marrying her and giving her children.  All these events happen in the little town of Bethlehem.

How fitting that Jesus Christ would be born in this town. One of Jesus’ nicknames He gave Himself in John’s Gospel is “bread of life.”  Jesus came to provide for our deepest spiritual needs.  He came to sustain and fill our souls.  He redeems us from a barrenness of spirit and provides for us an abundance of life. 

Is there a famine in your land spiritually speaking?  Are you living in the shame of your sin, feeling distant from God, or hungering for more in life?  Do not simply sing the blues.  Instead, turn to Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life, who can provide for you no matter the circumstances.

You can find the full devotional in pdf here.

You can find more information about our church and Christmas programs by visiting wildwoodchurch.org

WEEK 1:  All roads lead through Bethlehem

Sunday (Day 1)

VERSES:  Genesis 35:19, Mark 10:45, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23

Certain towns are so connected to iconic images or moments that the mere mention of the one reminds all of the other.  One can hardly imagine Green Bay, Wisconsin, without thinking of the Green Bay Packers, their NFL team.  Say Paris, France, and people see the Eiffel Tower.  Mention Las Vegas, Nevada, and people see a roadway dotted with neon and casinos. 

Another location that evokes an immediate reaction is Bethlehem in Israel.  Oh, when we mention this little town, we think of the birth of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago.  To be clear, Jesus’ birth is THE BIGGEST THING that has ever happened anywhere, much less the biggest thing to occur in the town of Bethlehem!  Yet, Bethlehem had  history before Jesus’ birth … a history that goes all the way back to the book of Genesis.

The first reference to Bethlehem is in Genesis 35:19 when Jacob’s wife Rachel dies giving birth to their child Benjamin.  Rachel was buried on the road to Bethlehem by her husband.  Rachel wanted to name her son Ben-oni which meant “son of my sorrow.”  Instead, Jacob renamed the boy Benjamin, meaning “son of my right hand.”  This is a powerful foretaste of another who would one day be born on the outskirts of Bethlehem, Jesus Christ.

Jesus was born to die for the sins of the world – His death paying the ransom price our sins deserve.  The sorrow of His death, however, would lead to the redemption of all who trust in Him, who are declared righteous in Him and made children of God.  From sorrow to sons (and daughters) … Bethlehem’s history is important to note.

All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  If we reject Jesus, sorrow for all eternity is our ultimate future.  BUT, if we trust in Jesus, we are made a son or daughter who experiences fellowship with God forever.  From sorrow to sonship … Bethlehem has quite a history indeed.

You can find the full devotional in pdf here.

You can find more information about our church and Christmas programs by visiting wildwoodchurch.org