Daily Devotional
Jesus Was Born Sinless
Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus” (Luke 1:30-31).
Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you…” (Luke 1:34-35).
Luke 1:30-35
December 2, 2020
Ponder This
Do you believe in the virgin birth of Jesus? And why would a virgin birth even be necessary? I’ll tell you why.
When God created Adam and Eve and put them in the Garden of Eden, He gave Adam dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26). They were to rule it (Psalm 8:6-8). Yet by choosing to believe the serpent rather than God, they sinned and yielded their God-given authority over to Satan, the ultimate con artist. Instead of ruling as God intended, they became slaves of sin (Romans 6:16). And to everyone who came after them, they passed down the same sin nature: “For since by man came death…. For as in Adam all die….” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).
But why does all that require Jesus to be born of a virgin? How is it connected? Because if Jesus had been born of an earthly father, he would have inherited the same sin nature as his natural father, a son of Adam, and been just as much a slave to sin as Adam was—and as we all are until we are born again.
Jesus came to earth as a man, but not one with Adam’s sin nature. Because the Holy Spirit came upon Mary, and the power of God overshadowed her, Jesus was born with the sinless nature of His Father, God.
Our authority on earth was lost by a man, Adam. Jesus came as a man, born of a virgin, to redeem us and to win back that lost authority. This is the reason for the virgin birth.
Practice This
Read Philippians 2:5-8 and meditate upon what Jesus Christ did for you.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
