Hidden Treasures
Note from Jesus Dear Child of the Father, If you have had a loving, godly mother, then you have been profoundly blessed. No matter if you are rich or poor, famous or unknown, young or old, a godly mother is a treasure beyond measure. My earthly mother was Mary. Her heart was a deep well of mystery and secrets held together by a profound faith that the Lord was her Deliverer and that she was His servant. Like any earthly mom who has waited to hold her new-born child, she wondered what I would become. But for her, the secrets she treasured about Me were deeper, more profound, and more bewildering than normal. So it was Luke who tenderly talked about My mother after he gathered details of My birth. She was like every good mother, whether birth mom or adoptive mom: she saw Me, her child, as a gift and a treasure. She pondered the events surrounding My birth and early childhood as cherished moments, “treasuring each memory in her heart.” So be touched, My friend; be moved in your heart, for My mother was a great window to see Who I was in My incarnation, what I experienced, and how great the cost of My coming was. Look into her heart, examine her treasures, and realize that I can be your treasure, too. Verses to Live Yes, My birth created quite a stir. People talked about it a lot… at least for a while. My mother, on the other hand, treasured each moment, as indicated by the following two short scriptures from different times early in My incarnation, and she never forgot the mystery and grace of it all! The first scripture starts by referring to the shepherds’ story after the angels appeared to them and after they saw Me following My birth. The second scripture is when I was 12 years old, and My mother and stepfather found Me in Jerusalem talking with the Jewish religious leaders. Everyone who heard their [the shepherds’] story couldn’t stop thinking about its meaning. Mary, too, pondered all of these events, treasuring each memory in her heart. (Luke 2:18-19) Jesus: Why did you need to look for Me? Didn’t you know that I must be working for My Father? Neither Mary nor Joseph really understood what He meant by this. Jesus went back to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. His mother continued to store these memories like treasures in her heart. (Luke 2:49-51) Response in Prayer Lord Jesus, You are my treasure. Holy Spirit, You are heaven’s gift given to me. Father God, You are the grace that has ransomed my life and given me everlasting hope, joy, and peace. All praise to God Almighty, Father, Son, and Spirit, for Your abundant grace, indwelling presence, and everlasting love. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Glory!
Note from Jesus Dear Child of God, Glory? Glorious? “Gloria in Excelsis Deo”? It was not too glorious if you look at the place where My birth happened! I was placed in a feed trough and wrapped in strips of cloth. By most measures, My birth was less than ordinary… it was something only the poor and outcast would have experienced. Most would have missed the glory of the moment when I entered the world in the same way you did — pushed into the harsh reality of life through the birth canal. Being born in “less than royal” conditions, you might easily mistake My identity. I looked like any ordinary baby. But I had left the glory of heaven to accept the simple comforts of the manger and the loving arms of My mother, Mary, and My stepfather, Joseph. I came from the glory of God that shone long before the world began, yet I accepted the simplicity of the stable to connect with you. I wanted you to know that no matter where you are in society’s pecking order — the high thread-count sheets of the rich and famous or the simple strips of cloth of the poor — I came for you. I wanted you to know that you are welcome in My Father’s house even though I wasn’t completely welcomed into the world I had made. Glory? Glorious? “Gloria in Excelsis Deo”? Absolutely! Hear the angels. Watch the shepherds. Come to My manger and know you are gloriously loved. Verses to Live The glory that shone forth to those looking for it at my birth was a glory that I had before the world began and the glory that I came to share with you! Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others — the armies of heaven — praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” (Luke 2:13-14 NLT) [Jesus praying:] Now, Father, bring Me into the glory We shared before the world began. (John 17:5 NLT) So I ask you to redefine your concept of glory by what I did — don’t cling to fleeting earthly glory, but walk beside and bend down to help those who need you to share My glory! In other words, adopt the mind-set of Jesus the Anointed. Live with His attitude in your hearts. Remember: Though He was in the form of God, He chose not to cling to equality with God; But He poured Himself out to fill a vessel brand new; a servant in form and a man indeed. The very likeness of humanity, He humbled Himself, obedient to death — a merciless death on the cross! So God raised Him up to the highest place and gave Him the name above all. So when His name is called, every knee will bow, in heaven, on earth, and below. And every tongue will confess “Jesus, the Anointed One, is Lord,” to the glory of God our Father. (Philippians 2:5-11) Response in Prayer Almighty God, Who became human flesh and came to us in Jesus, how can I thank You for Your indescribable gift? You are glorious, yet left heaven’s glory. You are eternal, yet clothed yourself with mortality. You are all powerful, yet became vulnerable. You came to us as a baby placed in a manger to share our humanity so we can share Your glory. Open my heart to receive Your incredible gift of grace during this special time of year. Even more, help me see Your glory in the simplest things around me where You are at work. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Be Astonishing
Note from Jesus Dear Child of God, If you were a shepherd in the time when I was born, you would never have expected anyone to be astonished at anything you could ever say or do. You would have been “just” a lowly and despised shepherd. Most shepherds (like those who celebrated my birth) were quite young and most often ignored. Like all good shepherds, they smelled like sheep — they were not the kind of folks you invite into your house for a long conversation or a dinner party. Shepherds, in general, were not considered intellectually astute. Most people felt that shepherds would have little to say that was important. Then came My birth. Look at what God made of these shepherds. They were the first to share the good news of My birth. They were the first “missionaries” sent to tell the story of God coming down to live with people. These shepherds were told this good news by angels sent from the glory of heaven. People were astonished. They were astonished that God would use shepherds. They were astonished at what the shepherds told them about the angels. They were astonished at the story the shepherds told about Who I was and where I was born. Look at what the Father made of these shepherds. They were the first to know and to proclaim the astonishing good news of God coming to the world as a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and placed in a feed trough — the glory of the newborn King of the Jews, the Messiah of Israel, and the Savior of the world. And what about you? Are you astonishing? If you listen closely to the passages below, you will see that I have done something just as astonishing with you as I did with the shepherds. Because of Me, you are now “holy, blameless, and totally free of imperfection.” Just like the shepherds, you have been given the opportunity to be astonishing! Verses to Live Simple shepherds share the astonishing news! After seeing him [baby Jesus], the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished… (Luke 2:17-18 NLT) In the flesh, I bring you astonishing identity! He [Jesus] is the exact image of the invisible God, the firstborn of creation, the eternal. It was by Him that everything was created: the heavens, the earth, all things within and upon them, all things seen and unseen, thrones and dominions, spiritual powers and authorities. Every detail was crafted through His design, by His own hands, and for His purposes. He has always been! It is His hand that holds everything together. He is the head of this body, the church. He is the beginning, the first of those to be reborn from the dead, so that in every aspect, at every view, in everything — He is first. God was pleased that all His fullness should forever dwell in the Son Who, as predetermined by God, bled peace into the world by His death on the cross as God’s means of reconciling to Himself the whole creation — all things in heaven and all things on earth. You were once at odds with God, wicked in your ways and evil in your minds; but now He has reconciled you in His body — in His flesh through His death — so that He can present you to God holy, blameless, and totally free of imperfection as long as you stay planted in the faith. So don’t venture away from what you have heard and taken to heart: the living hope of the good news that has been announced to all creation under heaven and has captured me, Paul, as its servant. (Colossians 1:15-23) Response in Prayer O Father, I place my faith in Jesus and what He did by becoming flesh and shedding His blood to make me Yours. This grace, this story, and this Jesus have captured my heart, and I offer all that I am to You, O God, in the name of Jesus and because of Your grace. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
God’s Greatest Message
Note from Jesus Dear Friend, Ouch! You sent a text to someone, and he or she didn’t understand your humor. You left a voicemail that was supposed to be cute, but your words hurt the feelings of a good friend. You sent an email before you proofed it and left out a word or two and left some stuff in you wish you’d never said, and these things crushed the spirit of someone you love. It’s very easy to misunderstand simple words on a page, in a text, or in an email. There’s no body language, you can’t hear the inflection or tone of the voice, you can’t get a sense of the pace at which the words were said, and you don’t get a feel for the heart of the person from just reading the words. These messages can feel like isolated bits of data rather than words spoken from the heart of someone who cares deeply for you. Your experiences with being misunderstood give you a glimpse of some of the Father’s challenges in communicating with you. Words written on a page, no matter how inspired, are not enough to reveal the full heart of the Father. So to bridge the distance between you and your Father in heaven, the Almighty God entered human flesh in Me, Jesus of Nazareth, to give you His greatest and clearest message (Hebrews 1:1-3). Yes, you heard Me correctly. God’s greatest message was not the Bible or even the words of the prophets (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21). As important as these are, you must know that they all point to Me as the source of life (John 5:39-40). I came as My Father’s greatest, fullest, and clearest message… for you! As you look at Me — what I did, what I said, and why I did it all — I hope you can understand the heart of the Father. I hope you realize how much We — Father, Son, and Spirit — love you! That’s why My story is called the gospel — the good news from the Father, sent to people He loves, in a person Who is both fully God and fully human. I AM the Message, the Voice, and the Word of God. Verses to Live Notice how the angels announced the good news of My birth to the shepherds. I came as the Father’s greatest message, wrapped in a blanket and placed in a feeding trough! Today, in the city of David, a Liberator has been born for you! He is the promised Anointed One, the Supreme Authority! You will know you have found Him when you see a baby, wrapped in a blanket, lying in a feeding trough. (Luke 2:11-12) I came, God in human flesh, to be heaven’s Voice for you to hear and heaven’s presence to see, the ultimate expression of the Father’s heart! The Voice [Jesus, the Word] took on flesh and became human and chose to live alongside us. We have seen Him, enveloped in undeniable splendor — the one true Son of the Father — evidenced in the perfect balance of grace and truth. John the Baptist testified about Him and shouted, “This is the one I’ve been telling you is coming. He is much greater than I am because He existed long before me.” Through this man we all receive gifts of grace beyond our imagination. You see, Moses gave us rules to live by, but Jesus the Anointed offered us gifts of grace and truth. God, unseen until now, is revealed in the Voice, God’s only Son, straight from the Father’s heart. (John 1:14-18) Response in Prayer Father in heaven, I have mangled my words in emails and texts so many times that it is embarrassing. So as much as I love that You spoke to us through the words of the Bible, I am even more thankful that You came and spoke to us in human skin — One with us and One of us — so we could not only hear Your words but also see Your heart. Thank You, Jesus, for coming so we can pray with confidence, in Your name, with Your authority. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Pitching My Tent
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, I love the way My beloved disciple you know as John describes My coming to earth: “The Voice took on flesh and became human and chose to live alongside us” (John 1:14). Quite literally, his words could be translated as saying that I “pitched My tent” among you. As God, I didn’t just come close; I moved into your neighborhood as one of you. So during the rush of your Christmas season, I hope you will join Me — “the one true Son of the Father” — at the manger, experience the wonder of the shepherds, and share My story with all who will listen. Verses to Live The powerful truth of My coming is this: the Father’s voice became “the Voice,” Me. I came as the full incarnation of the message, the Father’s ultimate Word (Hebrews 1:1-3) given to you, yet fully human flesh as one of you! As soon as the heavenly messengers disappeared into heaven, the shepherds were buzzing with conversation. Shepherds: Let’s rush down to Bethlehem right now! Let’s see what’s happening! Let’s experience what the Lord has told us about! So they ran into town, and eventually they found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the feeding trough. After they saw the baby, they spread the story of what they had experienced and what had been said to them about this child. Everyone who heard their story couldn’t stop thinking about its meaning. (Luke 2:15-18) The true Light, Who shines upon the heart of everyone, was coming into the cosmos. He entered our world, a world He made; yet the world did not recognize Him. Even though He came to His own people, they refused to listen and receive Him. But for all who did receive and trust in Him, He gave them the right to be reborn as children of God; He bestowed this birthright not by human power or initiative but by God’s will. The Voice took on flesh and became human and chose to live alongside us. We have seen Him, enveloped in undeniable splendor — the one true Son of the Father — evidenced in the perfect balance of grace and truth. (John 1:9-14) Response in Prayer Holy God, I cannot begin to understand the incarnation — You in human flesh in Jesus, placed in a manger, wrapped in strips of cloth, and welcomed by shepherds. It doesn’t fit in my head. But, dear God, Your incarnation in Jesus touches my heart. Your love fills me with wonder knowing that You would “pitch your tent” among us to live as one of us. So I praise You for making such a bold move to make me Your child. I commit to following the shepherds’ example and share Jesus’ birth with all who will listen. It is in the name of Jesus, the Son of God, that I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Not Forgotten in the Bigger Story
Note from Jesus Dear Precious One, The heart of our Father was beautifully revealed through the prophet Isaiah: For this is what the high and exalted One says — He Who lives forever, Whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.” (Isaiah 57:15 NIV) I know there may come times when you don’t feel like your prayers are heard, or you may think that God is taking too long to answer you or that your prayers don’t matter because you are not an important enough person to be heard by the King of Glory. However, if you will lean into the story of My birth, you will see that good, righteous, and faithful people are not forgotten whether they are poor or rich, desperate or confident, disappointed or delighted, old or young. Look at the story of My birth and notice that the key players in the Father’s great drama of grace are all kinds of people — some of whom are folks just like you! If you read even more closely, you will see the joy, laughter, and surprise that God brought these people in His grace! Verses to Live Notice those whom the Father includes in My story… and these are just a few of the precious people caught up in My story of grace! Zacharias and Elizabeth, an old and deeply pious couple who could not have children, are caught up in the drama of grace! One day Zacharias was chosen to perform his priestly duties in God’s presence, according to the temple’s normal schedule and routine. He had been selected from all the priests by the customary procedure of casting lots for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enter the sacred precincts of the temple. There he burned sweet incense, while outside a large crowd of people prayed. Suddenly Zacharias realized he was not alone: a messenger of the Lord was there with him. The messenger stood just to the right of the altar of incense. Zacharias was shocked and afraid, but the messenger reassured him. Messenger [an angel from God]: Zacharias, calm down! Don’t be afraid! Zacharias, your prayers have been heard. Your wife is going to have a son, and you will name him John. He will bring you great joy and happiness — and many will share your joy at John’s birth. (Luke 1:8-14). Meanwhile the crowd at the temple wondered why Zacharias hadn’t come out of the sanctuary yet. It wasn’t normal for the priest to be delayed so long. When at last he came out, he was making signs with his hands to give the blessing, but he couldn’t speak. They realized he had seen some sort of vision. When his time on duty at the temple came to an end, he went back home to his wife. Shortly after his return, Elizabeth became pregnant. She avoided public contact for the next five months. Elizabeth: I have lived with the disgrace of being barren for all these years. Now God has looked on me with favor. When I go out in public with my baby, I will not be disgraced any longer. (Luke 1:21-25) While many of Israel’s greatest early leaders were shepherds — folks like Abraham, Moses, and King David — when it was time for My birth into the world, shepherds had fallen out of favor. But the Father had not forgotten them! Nearby, in the fields outside of Bethlehem, a group of shepherds were guarding their flocks from predators in the darkness of night. Suddenly a messenger of the Lord stood in front of them, and the darkness was replaced by a glorious light — the shining light of God’s glory. They were terrified! Messenger [an angel from God]: Don’t be afraid! Listen! I bring good news, news of great joy, news that will affect all people everywhere. Today, in the city of David, a Liberator has been born for you! He is the promised Anointed One, the Supreme Authority! You will know you have found Him when you see a baby, wrapped in a blanket, lying in a feeding trough. At that moment, the first heavenly messenger was joined by thousands of other messengers — a vast heavenly choir. They praised God. (Luke 2:8-13) Response in Prayer O Father in heaven, thank You for catching up all sorts of ordinary people in the story of Jesus’ birth. What I love, dear Father, is that where there was disgrace, sadness, and an unceasing sameness, You brought joy, delight, surprise, celebration, and wonder. What a powerful way to remind me that You came to bring hope for each of us, even me! In Jesus’ name. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Setting the Right Time… for You!
Note from Jesus Dear Child of God, The right time came for My birth into the world — God in human flesh entering the world to be raised as a child of human parents. Far from her home, My mother went into labor in the town of Bethlehem, the ancestral home of King David. This birthplace was a reminder that I descended from royalty in both My human heritage and My heavenly identity. I AM Son of David and Son of God. In a similar way, My birth’s timing was a coming together of the Father’s work in history on three levels. On a human level, My mother went into labor like all birthing mother’s do. Think of it: the Son of God coming into the world through the birth pains of a human mother. I was born a vulnerable little baby to share your humanity. On a world history level, the Father had been tuning history to prepare for My arrival. For centuries through the Jewish prophets, God had announced I would come. God had preserved Israel through all sorts of political and military intrigues. So when the Father had tuned time to be right in the world — the great Roman Peace, called Pax Romana, with all of its political stability, common language of trade (Greek), and the ability to travel throughout the world — the time was right for My birth, the birth of the Son of God Who is also the Son of Man. There was still a third level on which My birth happened at just the right time: your time! You see, all of these events were chosen to be perfectly tuned not just for the world, in general, but also for you. The Father did all this to adopt you into Our family — He wanted you to be one of His children. God — Father, Son, and Spirit — determined the time for My coming as Son of God and Son of Man, fully human and fully divine, so that all people could have the right to be born not just in the way all humans are born, but also born of God (John 1:10-13) and adopted into Our family! My birth is the guarantee that you can be born again and adopted into Our family! Verses to Live As you read the following verses, notice the underlining. In the first two cases, the underlining emphasizes two different aspects of the “right time” for Me to be born. The other underlining emphasizes your relationship to the Father. I came to earth at just the right time as the Son of God so that you could become God’s child, too! Notice the human reality of the timing of My birth: And while they [Mary and Joseph] were there [in Bethlehem], the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. (Luke 2:6-7 NLT) Notice it was the right time in human history for My birth: When the right time arrived, God sent His Son into this world (born of a woman, subject to the law) to free those who, just like Him, were subject to the law. Ultimately He wanted us all to be adopted as sons and daughters. (Galatians 4:4-5) From heaven’s perspective, the time was made right so you could be adopted into God’s forever family: Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One, Who grants us every spiritual blessing in these heavenly realms where we live in the Anointed — not because of anything we have done, but because of what He has done for us. God chose us to be in a relationship with Him even before He laid out plans for this world; He wanted us to live holy lives characterized by love, free from sin, and blameless before Him. He destined us to be adopted as His children through the covenant Jesus the Anointed inaugurated in His sacrificial life. This was His pleasure and His will for us. (Ephesians 1:3-5) Response in Prayer Abba Father, God Almighty, thank You for making the time right to send Jesus to our world. Thank You for making a plan to bring all of Your lost children back home to You by giving us new birth and adopting us into Your family. I am humbled and amazed that You would love us, and love me, so much. I praise You for Your grace and thank You for Your plan, in the name of Jesus! Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Father’s Time, Human Time, and My Time
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, Please know that I treasure everyone who follows Me. I know that many in your world do not believe in Me and that many who claim they believe in Me really don’t know what it means to follow me — to love Me, to follow My teachings and My example, and to depend upon God’s grace through Me. Thank you for taking this year to walk with Me through the New Testament. My birth into your world came at just the right time! You will notice that the Scriptures talk about My coming, My advent, as an intersection of the Father’s time, human time, and My time. There are at least two ways to look at time. One way you understand easily in your world view: using the Greek word chronos, time is linear sequential time that passes from second, to minute, to hour, to day, to year… That’s why a technical name for your watch is a chronometer. However, there is also another view of time: kairos time, again using the Greek word. There are special, God-tuned moments in time where more is going on than just the passage of time. In kairos time, God’s timing and human timing intersect. Miracles can happen. World-shaping events can occur. Most of all, the Father is at work to bring heaven’s salvation to earth through events shaped by heaven’s grace. When I was born Jesus of Nazareth — fully God and fully human, conceived by the Holy Spirit in My mother’s womb — the world was in kairos time! Prophecy was being fulfilled. God had conditioned the world to be in the right time for My message to spread like wildfire. The Jewish people were hungry for an authentic messenger from God, so John the Baptizer was born miraculously in his mother’s old age (Luke 1:5-25) to precede Me and to prepare the Lord‘s people for My coming. This was such a special time; prophets and even heaven’s angels were standing on tiptoe for ages trying to figure out when it would occur! Verses to Live Yes, prophets and angels figuratively stood on tiptoe trying to figure out when I would come! The apostle Peter describes this beautifully: Although you haven’t seen Jesus, you still love Him. Although you don’t yet see Him, you do believe in Him and celebrate with a joy that is glorious and beyond words. You are receiving the salvation of your souls as the result of your faith. The prophets who spoke of this outpouring of grace upon you diligently searched and inquired of the Lord about this salvation: to Whom and to what time was the indwelling Spirit of the Anointed referring when He told them about the suffering of the Anointed and the honor that would follow it? The Spirit revealed to them they were not serving themselves but you. And you have learned from those who told you the good news by the Spirit that was sent down from heaven. Even the heavenly messengers [angels] would like to explore this news. (1 Peter 1:8-12) The time was right for Me, the Messiah, to come. God had conditioned time and was beginning to fulfill great promises made through the prophets. This was when I came into the world, as a Jew, born of Jews, born under the Torah and traditional law. This was God’s time for Me to come for you: When the right time arrived, God sent His Son into this world (born of a woman, subject to the law) to free those who, just like Him, were subject to the law. Ultimately He wanted us all to be adopted as sons and daughters. (Galatians 4:4-5) My coming was preceded by the miraculous conception and birth of John the Baptizer to Elizabeth and Zechariah — two old, faithful, righteous, and devout people. This was also under the rule of the Romans, and the Father used every condition to prepare the time for My coming: Around the time of Elizabeth’s amazing pregnancy and John’s birth, the emperor in Rome, Caesar Augustus, required everyone in the Roman Empire to participate in a massive census — the first census since Quirinius had become governor of Syria. Each person had to go to his or her ancestral city to be counted. Mary’s fiancé Joseph, from Nazareth in Galilee, had to participate in the census in the same way everyone else did. Because he was a descendant of King David, his ancestral city was Bethlehem, David’s birthplace. (Luke 2:1-5). With all of this, you also need to remember that My coming was for your benefit at God’s expense! My coming was determined long before you were born, but for your benefit! You know that a price was paid to redeem you from following the empty ways handed on to you by your ancestors; it was not paid with things that perish (like silver and gold), but with the precious blood of the Anointed, Who was like a perfect and unblemished sacrificial lamb. God determined to send Him before the world began, but He came into the world in these last days for your sake. Through Him, you’ve been brought to trust in God, Who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him for the very reason that your faith and hope are in Him. (1 Peter 1:18-21) Response in Prayer O God, how can I, a mere mortal made of flawed flesh and blood, ever fully thank You for the divine plan You prepared, prophesied, and delivered to save me from sin and death and adopt me into Your family? Thank You. I trust fully in what You did in Jesus through His birth, life, death, and resurrection to save me. Thank You for this assurance and the foundation of my deep and abiding joy. Through the intercession of Jesus, my Savior, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is
My Mother’s Situation Proves Joseph’s Faith
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, I know most of you hate tests! Some of those tests are medical tests which can be terrifying. Some tests are necessary to get you into universities or special programs and I know you can feel anxiety as you face them. Other tests are required to receive licenses or to achieve professional certifications, and these can cause great stress in your lives. I hear your prayers and recognize your anxieties and stress over these tests. I know the long hours you’ve put into preparing for some types of tests. I care about you and these tests that you face. Other tests are life tests. They have to do with tough times in your lives, times that are hard, painful, and discouraging. They may involve a time of illness, hardship, persecution, marriage problems, family upheaval, job difficulties, loneliness, grief, or a host of other painful experiences. I care about you having to face these kinds of tests, too! Many of these tests come because you live in a broken world. Some periods of testing invade your lives because other people do evil things or make unwise choices. Sometimes, times of testing come because Satan wants to discourage you and lead you to doubt My love and grace. Sometimes, testing comes because of your unwise or sinful choices. Bottom line: The fallout from times of testing can blow into your world and wreak havoc in your lives. So please, know two things about your times of testing: I will never leave you or forsake you (Romans 8:32-39; Hebrews 13:5). I came to earth and shared in times of testing, facing many of the same kinds of challenges that you face so I can help you when you are tested (Hebrews 2:14-18). You can grow stronger, develop character, and have the compassion to share with others by faithfully living through your times of testing (James 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4). One of the things I most appreciated about Joseph, who served as My earthly father, was that he faced an incredibly difficult test and proved himself faithful. He had shown himself to be completely committed to being a man of God. He had lived in purity so he could honorably marry a woman who had saved herself for him. Joseph was committed legally to marry a young woman named Mary, My mother — this is sometimes called betrothal, something much more binding than modern engagement. Then, she told him that she was pregnant by the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit. After that, she disappeared and went away to be with her cousin Elizabeth for several months. What was Joseph supposed to think? How could he understand My mother’s pregnancy? He thought that there was only one way for her to be carrying a baby: she had betrayed him sexually. There was no other way, except… Joseph believed what My mother told him. Joseph believed what the angel told him. Joseph believed that I — the Messiah, the Son of God — was conceived by the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit. He believed that My mother was not only pure and faithful to him but also that both of them together were chosen to parent their Savior, Christ the Lord — Me. Incredibly, Joseph accepted this truth by faith. He knew he would be tested all the days of his life for his faith. People would talk behind his back. People would say he wasn’t My father and that My mother had “stepped out” on him and been unfaithful to him. He chose to accept this ridicule and he also accepted taking care of Me with all of the associated risks, hardships, and impenetrable mysteries. Joseph passed all these tests and helped Me be ready when My time came to serve. So here’s my message for you today: You never know who will be blessed — even saved — by the character and compassion you show while you go through your tests! I know this may seem hard to believe. So remember Joseph. Please remember that My situation on earth depended — and your faith depends — on Joseph’s faithfulness. Also remember this: Someone is watching and depending upon you to pass your test! Hang in despite the hardship… keep your faith despite the pain… I’m with you and won’t ever forsake you… and your testing will not be wasted. Your character and your compassion will be blessings to others — some of whom you will never know till you share in eternal glory with them. When you remember Me, please remember these truths! Verses to Live Here are some Scriptures I want you to think about as you face your tests and remember Joseph’s test. The first one comes from my half-brother James, who with the Spirit’s help learned the lesson about tests from Joseph, too! The second comes from Matthew. He tells the story of my birth and the struggle of Joseph very clearly and simply. The third set of verses comes from Luke’s gospel. Luke shares the story of My conception with a little bit different focus from Matthew’s account. Notice how the wonder and amazement of Luke’s story pairs beautifully with the testing Joseph faced as recorded in Matthew’s story. When you recognize the challenges that Joseph faced in taking My mother as his wife, you have to recognize that both My mother and Joseph were people of amazing faith! Don’t run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line — mature, complete, and wanting nothing. (James 1:2-4) So here, finally, is the story of the birth of Jesus the Anointed (it is quite a remarkable story): Mary was engaged to marry Joseph, son
An Outsider’s Story
Note from Jesus Dear Friend, You just have to love the apostle Levi! You may know him better as Matthew since that is the name of the first gospel in your New Testament — same guy, just known by both names. My choosing Matthew as one of My 12 apostles was a big surprise to many folks. He had a good, priestly, Jewish name — Levi. However, his profession was considered anything but Jewish. He was a tax collector, and tax collectors were hated by Jewish people in the first century. People assumed that tax collectors were unclean, sharing in an anti-pious lifestyle. Most Jewish tax collectors in Matthew’s time had sold out to the Romans and financially preyed upon their fellow Jews. They also ran around with people generally considered to be sinners. So when Matthew became My disciple, he also threw a big party for his “sinful” friends so they could meet Me (Matthew 9:9-13). Whew! That party created a lot of negative chatter. It also revealed plenty about Matthew’s heart, and also Mine! Notice two things today about Matthew. Both reflect the heart of the Father. First, Matthew cared about those who were left out. If you read My story from the Gospel of Matthew, you will notice that Matthew wants to show that all kinds of people came to know Me. There were magi from far away, people from all nations becoming disciples, a Roman centurion with great faith, a humble Syrian woman who had a seriously ill child and who gave a clever response to Me, and a lost sheep that needed to be found. Second, Matthew may have been considered an outsider, but he connected My story to the Father’s promises told centuries before I came. Over 15 times, Levi reminds you that My coming was foretold by the prophets. Bottom line: Matthew wants you to know that God — Father, Son, and Spirit — has always had the plan to bring everyone, including outsiders, true HOPE. That plan was spoken by the prophets centuries before I came. That plan was fulfilled in Me! My coming was not an afterthought. My association with sinners and tax collectors was not a mistake. My death was not a miscalculation. My resurrection was not a last minute fix. Levi wants you to know that no matter how far on the outside you may feel, I came for you. That’s God’s long-term plan — the very plan that I came to fulfill! Verses to Live Notice just two of the many references to Me from the ancient prophets of Israel that Levi (the apostle Matthew) shares in My story. These references to the prophets can help you see God’s long-term plan to include you. The Father has had the plan to reclaim you that goes back a long way before the miracle of My birth! Joseph woke up from his dream and did exactly what the messenger had told him to do: he married Mary and brought her into his home as his wife (though he did not consummate their marriage until after her son was born). And when the baby was born, Joseph named Him Jesus, Savior. Years and years ago, Isaiah, a prophet of Israel, foretold the story of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus: A virgin will conceive and bear a Son, and His name will be Immanuel (which is a Hebrew name that means “God with us”). (Isaiah 7:14 in Matthew 1:22-25) But you, Bethlehem of Ephrathah, of the clans of Judah, are no poor relation — From your people will come a Ruler Who will be the shepherd of My people, Israel, Whose origins date back to the distant past, to the ancient days. (Micah 5:2 quoted in Matthew 2:6) Response in Prayer Holy God and loving Shepherd, thank You for having the plan to include all of us who felt we were on the outside and without hope. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for choosing someone like Matthew to be one of Your 12 apostles and using him to write Your story in a way that includes us all. Thank You for including me in Your family of grace. Thank You, in Jesus’ name. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.