19 December 2021
Two-Minute Features | 26 December 2021 | 12 December 2021

Matthew's Account of Jesus' Birth (TMF:SE13)

Friday, December 24, 2021
Peace to Live By: Matthew's Account of Jesus' Birth (TMF:SE13) - Daniel Litton
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       But now that we have a background understanding of the birth of Jesus Christ, I would like to read each account of his birth, both from Matthew's Gospel and from Luke's. Why don't you go ahead and turn to Matthew's account, which is found in Matthew chapter 1, starting in verse 18. Matthew records: "Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus” (Matthew 1:18-25, ESV).

When was Jesus Born into Our World? (TMF:SE12)

Thursday, December 23, 2021
Peace to Live By: When was Jesus Born into Our World? (TMF:SE12) - Daniel Litton
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       Ultimately, though, not all believe Christ was born by God, obviously, and this was true even in Jesus' day. When Jesus was having a discussion with the Pharisees on one occasion, they accused him of being born of sexual immorality, and that this, somehow, made him a lesser person (see John 8). It is never true, even if a person is born of sexual immorality, that that person is somehow a lesser person. Anyway, the Pharisees in their belief ended up blaspheming the Holy Spirit. So let's focus in on the actual birth of Christ, and the timeline of events that took place surrounding our Lord's birth. Bear in mind that Jesus was actually born probably around 4 to 7 B.C. The birth of Jesus is recorded in two of the four Gospels, that is both Matthew and Luke record it. Mark and John did not give an account of the birth of Christ. The account of the wise men, which appears at the beginning of Matthew 2, actually did not occur at the birth of Christ, but sometime later.

Understanding the Virgin Birth of Jesus (TMF:SE11)

Wednesday, December 22, 2021
Peace to Live By: Understanding the Virgin Birth of Jesus (TMF:SE11) - Daniel Litton
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       So now, let’s move past the genealogies and let’s focus here more on the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, and what some of the specific evidence is of it. The virgin birth of Christ is predicted in the Old Testament, specifically Isaiah 7:14. The verse states, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14, ESV). The prophet Isaiah predicted this about 700 to 800 years before the birth of Christ, so about 700 to 800 B.C. It wasn't until the angel of the Lord physically appeared to Mary one day that this prophecy would be really fulfilled (see Luke 1). He told Mary all that God had in store for her, and she even questioned how it would be possible for her to become pregnant since she was a virgin. But that was the purpose of God, for the seed of sin comes from the man (which should be encouraging to you ladies). If Christ had been born of a human man, he would have inherited the sin nature that affects all humans. Nonetheless, God the Holy Spirit would make the birth of the child, the Christ, possible.

Understanding the Genealogies of Jesus (TMF:SE10)

Tuesday, December 21, 2021
Peace to Live By: Understanding the Genealogies of Jesus (TMF:SE10) - Daniel Litton
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       So, in moving on, before we get to more specific details about the virgin birth, I want to focus briefly on the genealogies surrounding Jesus Christ. These genealogies, found in both Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels, are pretty interesting to study, especially if you like researching your own genealogies and like learning about your ancestors and what not. So Matthew and Luke also give us the birth accounts, which I will touch on shortly. Luke's genealogy is complete, as it goes all the way back to the first man ever to live, which is Adam. Nevertheless, Matthew's genealogy only goes back to Abraham, and he was the one with whom God first established a covenant (see Genesis 12). So, Luke likely used Mary's family line, as Jesus was truly related to Mary by blood. But Jesus, obviously then, because he was born of Mary the virgin, from the Holy Spirit, was not actually related to Joseph, who was his earthly father. So Matthew, then, uses Joseph's line of linage.

Jesus is Our Defender & Helper (TMF:SE09)

Monday, December 20, 2021
Peace to Live By: Jesus is Our Defender & Helper (TMF:SE09) - Daniel Litton
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       “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:13, ESV). Now, it isn't until after the 1,000 year reign of Christ that Satan will ultimately be taken out of the picture (see Revelation chapter 20). Also, let us note that Jesus has become our defender now and will be judge of all in the future. Christ intercedes for us as Christians when we need help, as noted in Romans 8:34. The writer of Hebrews also notes that Jesus is high priest for the saints of God (see Hebrews 4:14-16). In the Old Testament, the high priest was responsible to offer sacrifices for the people's sins. Nowadays, Jesus has already paid the penalty for our sins, and we are therefore blameless before him. We have access to God with boldness and confidence (see Ephesians 3:12).