Daily Devotional App

  John 1:23, "He said, I [am] the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias."   John knew who he was and what he was called to do. This was one of the keys to his success. Unlike most of us, John did not have an identity crisis growing up.

Luke 4:13, "And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season." The wording of this verse implies that Satan exhausted his arsenal of temptations on Jesus and then had to leave.

Luke 4:4, "And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God."   Jesus answered every temptation with, "It is written." The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17). It is the only offensive spiritual weapon that we have.

Matthew 4:3, "And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread."   Two of Satan's three temptations began with the words, "If you be the Son of God."

Matthew 3:14, "But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?"   John the Baptist was overwhelmed that Jesus was asking to be baptized by him. John had already declared himself unworthy to unloose the latchet of the Christ's shoes, and now the Christ was asking him to administer His baptism (Lk. 3:16).

Matthew 3:1, "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea."   These scriptures record the ministry of John the Baptist. He spent thirty years in the deserts of Judaea preparing for this ministry.

Luke 2:52, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man."   How could it be that Jesus, who was God (Jn. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:16), and in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, increased in wisdom? (Col. 2:3) God is a Spirit (Jn. 4:24). Jesus, as God, had existed as a Spirit forever.

LUKE 2:46, "And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions." This is the only scriptural record of Jesus' childhood. Yet there is much that we can learn from this brief account.

MATTHEW 2:16, "Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men." Satan was the real motivator of Herod's actions. Ever since the Lord first prophesied that a man would bruise his head, Satan has been seeking out this "seed" of the woman (Gen. 3:15).

Mt. 2:13, "...for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him."   Herod had ruled over Judaea for nearly forty three years at the time of these events. He had the title of King conferred on him by the Roman senate at the recommendation of Antony and Octavius.

Matthew 2:1, "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem." How could this be? The greatest event in the history of God's dealings with mankind was taking place and the leaders of God's people didn't even know about it. Foreigners who were unfamiliar with the covenants of God perceived what God was doing more than His own chosen people!

Luke 2:37, "And she [was] a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served [God] with fastings and prayers night and day." Let's suppose that Anna was fourteen years old when she married. She would have been 105 years old.

Luke 2:26, "And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ."     Simeon didn't receive this knowledge through the normal method of learning. This knowledge was revealed to him directly from the Holy Spirit.

Luke 2:24, "And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."   The Old Testament passage being quoted is from Lev. 12:6-8. There the Lord commanded a lamb and a young pigeon or a turtledove as the prescribed sacrifice. If the woman was unable to offer a lamb, then two young pigeons or two turtledoves were acceptable. Mary would not have offered the lesser offering if it had been in her power to provide the lamb.

Luke 2:14, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."   In another instance, Jesus said He did not come to send peace on the earth, but a sword. Then He prophesied that those who received Him would experience persecution, even from their own family (Mt. 10:34-36). How do these verses fit together?

Luke 2:11, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." Jesus did not grow into being Lord and Saviour. He was born that way. Jesus was God manifest in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16). What a great mystery! How could Almighty God limit Himself to the form of a man? And even if He did that, how could he possibly start as a baby? These questions defy human ability to fully understand.

Luke 2:7, "And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." What an amazing account! God Almighty was born of a virgin and placed in a feeding trough in a stable. Who would ever expect the Creator of the universe to make His entrance into the world in such a humble fashion?

Matthew 1:24, "Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife." Much attention is given to Mary and her piety, but Joseph was quite a man of faith, too. Verse 18 says that Mary was "found" with child, implying that the pregnancy was observed by Joseph, not explained to him by Mary.

Luke 1:80, "And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel."   John the Baptist had the most important job assignment ever given to any mortal in the history of the world. He was to prepare the way for the coming of the long awaited Messiah (v. 76).

Luke 1:46-47, "And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour."   Here, Mary makes a very clear distinction between her soul magnifying the Lord and her spirit rejoicing. Our soul is the part of us that is considered to be our personality. It is our intellect,