Not What You Would Expect:
Isaac (Not Ishmael), Genesis 17:19
Jacob (not Esau), Genesis 28:14
In a Jewish patriarchal society, the first-born son is typically the expected choice for lineage and inheritance.
But God’s ways are not always our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). God seems to take surprising delight in sometimes doing the unexpected.
Much about the coming of Jesus was unexpected:
- His lineage is traced through a line that did not always follow the first-born.
- He was born of a virgin. (How is that possible, one might ask!)
- He came from Nazareth. (Can anything good come out of Nazareth, was asked more than once.)
Christ’s birth, His life, and His death all defy human expectations, human logic, and even common sense.
But God.
- God became man.
- God responded with love to our sin.
- God embraced us when we rejected Him.
- God gives us His righteousness because we have none of our own.
- God’s sacrifice covers over our sin.
- God came to us because we are unable to get to Him.
- God brings us peace when we declared war.
- God loves us.
He may not be what we would expect. But He’s absolutely what we need.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
Peace. We long for it – crave it even. Especially at Christmas. Does it feel elusive? Unattainable? Unrealistic?
Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
He came to bring peace to the world. And peace to you and to me.
Do you know my Jesus? Do you know peace? Do you want to?
Know Jesus, know peace. No Jesus, no peace.
The Old Testament is filled with prophecy about the Messiah to come … and when those dots are all connected, the image that emerges is Jesus. Only He “checks the box” on every single one. We invite you to listen to this week’s devotional video as Laura talks about geography and taxes. Then, celebrate how God is sovereign over both! Only God could orchestrate events and circumstances to ensure that Jesus of Nazareth was also the Messiah born in Bethlehem!
