Have You Met Jesus?
“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus,
(who is called the Christ) because He will save His people from their sins…
and they will call Him Immanuel -- which means, ‘God with us.’”
Matthew 1:21, 16, 23 (NIV)
As we approach Christmas this year, will you take a moment to consider who that baby born in Bethlehem really is? We can identify Him by His name. Matthew’s Gospel assigned three names to God’s Son in Matthew 1:21, 16, 23 (NIV) where he writes, “She (Mary) will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, (who is called the Christ) because He will save His people from their sins… and they will call Him Immanuel -- which means, ‘God with us.’”
“Jesus” means “Savior”. It was the name that the angel instructed Joseph to give to the child Mary was going to deliver. Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name, Joshua, and means “Jehovah is salvation”. There were many Jewish boys in that day with the name Joshua or, in the Greek, Jesus.
“Christ” means “anointed one” and is the Greek equivalent of Messiah. He is “Jesus the Messiah.” Jesus is His human name, and Christ is His official title.
“Immanuel” means, “God with us.” Immanuel describes who He is – “God with us.”
The real story of Christmas is this: Jesus Christ is God! So many leave Him as a baby in a manger, only to pack Him away and bring Him out next year. This Christ of Christmas is God who became man so that men could know Him, relate to Him, and be made right with Him. He is none other than the Creator who took upon Himself our flesh and blood. Aren’t you glad He didn’t send a religion? He sent His Son to be our Savior!
The Gospel writer John puts it like this, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (NIV)
Have you met this Jesus?
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.