TRUTH: what the world needs - Week 2 (Monday Morning Devotions)
As we welcome in a new year, let us focus on God’s Word and HIS TRUTH, dedicating this year to the Lord.
What the world needs now - is not love, in my humble opinion, but Truth. Truth with a capital 'T'. Yes, what the world needs now is Truth.
Need to start at week 1? Find it here.
Let’s continue our conversation about 'Truth,' Transcendent Truth that comes from our Creator.
One of the truths Christians profess, which we just celebrated and is fresh in our minds, is of the virgin birth of God's Son, Jesus.
In the words of the Apostles' Creed, we profess Jesus "was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary." In the Nicene Creed, we profess Jesus "was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man;" And in the Athanasian Creed, we profess Jesus is God, "begotten from the substance of the Father before all ages; and He is man, born from the substance of His mother in this age."
The virgin birth of baby Jesus, celebrated on Christmas Day, has been brought into question by non-believers around the world. We turn to God's Sacred Word as our source of Transcendent Truth.
First, the prophet Isaiah writes: “Therefore YAHWEH 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)]
Scientifically, this is impossible, but with our Creator God all things are possible. We turn to the Good News writer, Matthew, for the fulfillment of this prophecy. Matthew records for us in his first chapter:
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). [Matthew 1:22–23 (ESV)]
This Jewish woman by the name of Mary was blessed by Creator God to be the mother of God, whose name is 'Jesus.' Jesus, in Hebrew is Yeshua which means 'God saves or rescues.'
There is one more text I would like you to turn your attention to. This from John, also in the first chapter of his Gospel:
And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory that belongs to the only [Son] from the Father, "The Full Gift of the Truth." [John 1:14 (Weinrich)]
God offers you the Full Gift of the Truth found in Jesus!
Jesus prayed for us - his followers - with these words to His heavenly Father:
"I am coming to you now . . . I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world." In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.