December 24, 2011

Jesus, the Son of God

Matthew 3

A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:17

— 

Mary was a poor young woman, engaged to be married to a poor man, living in the impoverished city of Nazareth. One day, the angel Gabriel announced to her that she would be the Savior’s mother. The Holy Spirit would descend upon her, and Mary would be the mother of the Son of God (Luke 1:26-38).

At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Christ. But Jesus did not stop being God to become a human being. That baby born in Bethlehem and placed in a humble manger full of straw was the Son of the Most High.

Jesus is the Son of God because he is one with the Father. Whoever knows and loves Jesus knows and loves the Father, because Jesus is the expressed image of God.

But Jesus is also Mary’s Son. The “becoming flesh” (incarnation) of the Son of God is a glorious mystery. He who cannot be contained by the confines of the heavens emptied himself and became a baby wrapped in cloths and lovingly placed in a manger.

Why this amazing gift at Christmas? Jesus, the God-Man, came to build a bridge between heaven and earth. Jesus is the mediator between God and his fallen creation.

He’s also the bridge between God and you. Do you know this Jesus?

Dear God, as Christmas nears, I confess my belief in Jesus Christ, your only Son. I believe that Jesus is the only way I can come to you. In his name I pray. Amen.

About the author — Hernandes Lopes

Rev. Hernandes Dias Lopes grew up in a Christian home in Brazil. Following his 1981 graduation from Seminário Presbiteriano do Sul in Campinas, Brazil, he served two congregations of the Presbyterian Church in Brazil. In 2000, he earned a doctor of ministry degree from Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi. Rev. Lopes has been the voice of the television program Verdade e Vida (“Truth and Life”) since 2006. In 2010 he was appointed Portuguese ministry leader for Back to God Ministries International. Rev. Lopes and his wife, Tinha, have two college-age children.

Start your day with quick daily devotions.

See God's love, power, presence, and purpose in your life every day!