[Mile2Test]

MATTHEW CHAPTER 1 – SEED OF GOD

“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20-21

The person, Jesus the Christ is likely the most controversial figure in the history of man. Controversial because the Christian movement has historically amassed billions of followers by a person some say never existed. Although some hold to this view, many more believe that Jesus did exist, but believe He was not God, that He was merely just a very good man. This ideology only deepens the mystery of the Christian movement as the religion is centered around a man who was not only impeccable in nature (sinless) but claims to be born of God.

Such controversy demands our greatest attention. Who is Jesus and what makes Him different than any other man in history?

Matthew understood that before any question could be answered that he first needed to establish Jesus’s undeniable genealogy. In doing so, Matthew was able to not only silence His critics but was able to unveil a startling truth in Matthews introduction.  That although Jesus was physically born from Mary, She was not impregnated by the seed of Joseph but the seed of the Holy Spirit. When the angel of God disclosed this mystery to Mary, the angel explained to her that “the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

In doing so, Jesus would not inherit the Adamic nature, or as some scholars understand it, the sinful nature of Adam. Instead, Jesus would possess the nature of God; “holy, undefiled and free from any sin whatsoever.”

This revelation is one of the cornerstones to the Christian faith. Why may you ask? Because God demands sin to be paid for.  And God will not cease from His judgment until a sinless offering is given. Jesus became that “sin” offering over 2000 years ago for the transgressions you and I could not pay.

CHALLENGE

Because we are born in sin, from the Adamic line, we are not only “plagued” by sin, but we have the sentence of death linger over our head. Christ came to save us and pay for Gods righteous demand.

As we venture to understand who Jesus is, I would urge you to contemplate questions such as: Who do you say Jesus is? What does He mean to you? And what will you do with Him? Will you receive Him as your Lord and Savior, or will you deny Him and perish forever in your sins?

And if you do know Jesus as your personal savior, I would like to challenge you with questions such as:

What have you done with the Lord since your salvation day? Are you exercising your spiritual gifts daily? Have you been growing in His word through reading and interfacing with the saints of God?

There is so much to learn and so much Joy we can experience in this gloomy world. Please Join me on this incredible journey to discover Jesus in all His glories. I promise you; He will change your life, forever!

[Eugene Estes]

One of the most significant Christian truths, the identity of Jesus Christ, is introduced in the first chapter of Matthew. According to the scripture, Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit rather than by common human means. Because of this, He was unique among all people born into the earth. Jesus was born pure and sinless, but all of humanity inherited Adam’s sinful nature. Because only a sinless Savior could atone for human sin, this truth serves as the cornerstone of the Christian faith.
The dispute around Jesus is also highlighted in this chapter. Many have argued over who He really is throughout history. While some reject His existence, others think He was merely a prophet or wise teacher. But Matthew portrays Jesus as much more than that. He demonstrates that Jesus is the Son of God and the prophesied Messiah by establishing His lineage. This indicates that Jesus came with divine authority and a mission to save humanity from sin rather than just imparting moral lessons.
The gravity of sin is another crucial lesson from this chapter. It is said that humans are born into sin and estranged from God. Due to His holiness, God is unable to overlook or overlook sin. According to the devotional, no regular person could satisfy God’s righteous judgment, which is why Jesus became the ideal sacrifice for sin. Believers are promised forgiveness, salvation, and reconciliation with God via His death and resurrection.
Additionally, the challenge part promotes introspection. It challenges people to think about what Jesus means to them individually. Understanding Jesus is insufficient because it is up to each individual to choose whether or not to accept Him. The question of whether Christians are developing spiritually, making use of their skills, and truly serving God is an even greater challenge. Transformation and a proactive dedication to God’s plan should result from salvation.

[Seth Brumfield]

I enjoyed reading the reflection on Matthew chapter 1 because it emphasizes not only who Jesus is, but why His coming matters to humanity. The statement that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit highlights the supernatural nature of God’s plan of redemption. From the very beginning, God established a way for mankind to be reconciled back to Him through Christ.

At church yesterday, we kind of covered the same thing. The Holy Spirit, God the Father, and Jesus are all the same being in different forms. Moses approached the burning bush and God said “I am who I am”, like our words can not encompass all that God and Jesus is. To me Jesus is the sacrificial lamb who died for our sins, and loves us. He loves us like a parent who loves his child, and he is there for us when we need him and he will keep approaching us even when we don’t want him. Much like a parent, I don’t think he likes to see us struggle.

[Lenay Nichols]

The fact that Jesus was conceived through the Holy Spirit shows us that He came without sin and became the perfect sacrifice for us. That alone is powerful because it means God already had a plan to save us long before we even understood we needed saving. Joseph chose obedience even when things did not make sense. He trusted God anyway. I do believe God at times calls us to trust Him even when we do not fully understand the outcome. I reflect on my own relationship with Christ even now. Am I growing in His word? Am I using the gifts He gave me? In a society that can feel heavy and confusing, it’s comforting to know that Christ came to bring hope, peace, and salvation.

[Rodnika Brown]

“I enjoyed reading Matthew I agree that Jesus is one of the most important figures in history and that understanding who He is matters. I liked how they explained that Jesus was born through the Holy Spirit and came without sin to save us. Your post was also a good reminder to reflect on our relationship with God and ask ourselves if we are growing in faith and using our spiritual gifts.

[Logan Krape]

Reviewing Matthew 1 is always a good reminder of why, as Christians, we are so blessed. Jesus came from the Holy Spirit and was a gift to us to save us from our sin. We are born sinners, and knowing that we have the opportunity to accept the greatest gift given to humanity is such a relief. His love for us is unlike any other love, and I think Matthew 1 shows a clear example of his love for us. My goal in my faith is to be a better Christian than I was the day before and to share my love for God and my story with others. Every day isn’t easy, and sometimes I feel like I’m going backwards, but I know that God will always be there for me to help me through those days that bring challenges. The young adults’ men’s group that I attend has helped me and the other guys around me grow so much. It’s really helped me to open up and be able to share my faith with others as well as how to encounter difficult conversations. I’m super grateful to have a group of guys who support me and push me to be a better Christian throughout each and every week.

[Lenay Nichols]

Since my salvation day, I have been growing as a person and in my walk with God. I cannot say that I have exercised my spiritual gifts as much as I should, and this devotional challenged me to think about that. I know I can slow down more, spend more time in God’s Word, and continue to strengthen my prayer life. While I am not perfect, I truly do my best each day to live in a way that honors God and serves the people He places in my life. As I continue to grow in my faith, I want to be more intentional about using the gifts God has given me and spending time with Him. I am reminded, spiritual growth is an ongoing journey, and I am thankful God continues to guide me every step of the way.

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