“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”
– Luke 2:4–7
When you read this story, in Luke about Joseph going up from Galilee, from Nazareth, to Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, you realize, every single detail of this story is playing out just as God had said. Every single detail. There is no accident here.
Everything is by, in this sense, divine appointment. You realize that Jesus coming, just think about what was happening. In this story, his birth had literally been prophesied, promised, down to the details, for centuries. As we think about the coming of Christ this Advent season, be amazed by the promises that led to Jesus’ birth.
As we think about the coming of Christ this season, be amazed by the promises that led to the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ. All of this happened just as God had said.
Luke 2:4–7 Reminds Us There is No One Like Jesus
And not just his birth, but everything that flowed after that, his life, his death, his resurrection, all pointed to over hundreds and hundreds of years before he even came. There is no one like Jesus. And just as we see all throughout God’s word, God’s word always proves true. So indeed with the details of Jesus’ life, it’s all happening just as God said.
So, God, we praise you for your word. We praise you for the truth in it. God, we praise you for your promises over centuries, that came to fruition in the coming of Jesus, in the details of his birth. Jesus, we praise you as the fulfillment of all of those promises. And we read this story, and are absolutely amazed, awed, overwhelmed, and encouraged by your word.
This Verse Reminds Us to Depend on God’s Word
By its power, by its authority, by its reliability, and we bank our lives on it. Oh God, we praise you for your word, we praise you for your promises, knowing that all the things you have promised in it, either have come about just as you have said, or will come about just as you have said.
So as we are in this Christmas season and are approaching Christmas day, we praise you for your word, for your promises, and for the rock that they are in our lives, and our families, and in your church, and in the world around us. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
