Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 1:1-4
Jesus is the Son of God
Daily Devotion – December 24, 2017
Devotion based on Romans 1:1-4
See series: Devotions
Who is Jesus Christ? That’s a fair question to ask this time of year, isn’t it? After all, Christmas is the most popular holiday of the year. People from all over the world celebrate it, and, whether they recognize it or not, Jesus Christ is the very reason for and cause of the celebration! So who is this world-famous baby lying so meekly and mildly in the manger of Bethlehem? Who is Jesus Christ?
Depending on whom you ask, you might hear a few different answers to that question. “Jesus Christ was a great prophet, the greatest to ever live!” “Jesus Christ was a great pioneer, a visionary who started one of the most popular religions in the world!” “Jesus Christ was a great hero who gave up his life for a noble cause!”
But all those descriptions fall short, because none of them give Jesus Christ credit for who he truly is. The apostle Paul’s description of Jesus Christ, however, does not fall short. His description here in Romans chapter one is both true and beautiful. Jesus Christ is true man, “a descendant of David,” Paul says. But Paul also confesses the truth that Jesus Christ is the very “Son of God”. It was this Jesus, the one true God made flesh, who willingly gave up his life in order to pay for the sins of the world with his blood.
But how do we know this for certain? How do we know that this man who died on a cross just thirty-three years after his birth wasn’t just some great prophet, some great pioneer, some great hero who gave up his life for a noble cause? How do we know that this man was also the one true God whose death truly forgave all of our sins?
Paul’s answer is simple. We know because this man who died did not stay dead. Rather, he “was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead.”
So who is this world-famous baby lying so meekly and mildly in the manger of Bethlehem? Who is Jesus Christ? The complete answer does not lie in his manger, for his manger was only the beginning. The answer truly lies in his empty tomb. Jesus Christ is the one true God who willingly became true man and then lived, died, and rose to save us from our sins.
May this beautiful truth resound throughout your Christmas celebration this year!
Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, by your resurrection from death, you have proven yourself to be the one true God who has forgiven all our sins. As we celebrate your birth this Christmas season, may the beautiful truth of your resurrection remain in our hearts and minds as well. Amen.
This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.
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