Friday, December 3rd, 2021
Verse of the Day • Matthew 2:4
Jesus came not as an anointed one, but as the Anointed One. In the Old Testament “anointed” meant [being set aside for service] specifically as a king or priest. Jesus came as the Anointed One, both King and Priest, set apart not by man but by God Himself.
God also sent John the Baptist as a forerunner to Christ. John the Baptist was an interesting individual in the New Testament, “John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.” (Matthew 3:4). John was preaching to the people and baptizing them, calling people to repent and making preparations for the Messiah. Many of the people who gathered believed that John was the Messiah and he repeatedly told them he was not, he was the forerunner, the messenger sent from God. The story of a Messiah is foretold in prophecies throughout the Old Testament. Upon the arrival of the Anointed One, many were in disbelief. Jesus was not at all what the people had expected. He was not a warrior with a large army that would defeat the Roman rule and oppression placed on the Jews. Nope, Jesus was a man with a quiet spirit and a meek disposition. He was born under suspicious circumstances, and He had no possessions. He was welcoming, He spent time with outcasts, sinners, tax collectors, and prostitutes. He was not their idea of a great Jewish leader. Many were just plain disappointed in Jesus. After all, this Jesus is the focal point of their belief system, the hinge of all their history. God had answered the prayers of the Israelites, Jesus is the Messiah and they rejected Him.
Today, all people who are believers in Jesus as the Christ, as the Anointed One can celebrate Him. The season of Advent is a period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas and also of preparation for the Second Coming of Christ.
“He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
— John 1:11-12 —
🔺 🔻 CHALLENGE 🔻 🔺
♦️ Have you ever tried to fit Jesus into your idea of who He should be or how he should act?
I have no doubt that I had tried to fit Jesus into what is convenient in my life on more than one occasion. It is interesting to me as I look at my life and the different stages it has gone through to include the straying away from God and failure to do what is right [sin]; I have found it’s always best to return to the foundation of my faith. Specifically, I have a focal point that takes me back to the night I ask God to forgive me and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I am immediately taken back in time and I’m asking my mom about salvation and she drives me to our pastor’s home where we talked and prayed.
🔷 🤔 🔷 🧐 🔷 🤔 🔷 🧐 🔷 🤔 🔷 🧐 🔷
💬 Take time this season to read through the Gospels.
💬💬 Reacquaint yourself with Jesus.
💬💬💬 Marvel at His miracles.
💬💬💬💬 Chuckle at His witty responses to the Pharisees’ snide remarks.
💬💬💬💬💬 Weep as His people reject Him and as He walks towards Golgotha.
Go beyond surface familiarity with the stories and engage with the Anointed One as He is revealed in the pages of Scripture.
Prayer ~
God of Heaven and earth, thank you for sending your son Jesus, the Messiah, the Anointed One. Forgive us for assuming we have all the right answers, for trying to fit Jesus into “into a box” our idea of who we want Him to be instead of who He actually is. Thank you for the privilege of being called your children, your sons and daughters. Continue to feed us with your word, you are our Hope. Please bless the person reading this prayer, I ask all these things in Jesus the Anointed One, the Messiah. Amen.
➡️ • ➡️ • ➡️ • FOR FURTHER STUDY
• Job 19:25 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Job%2019:25&version=NIV
• Daniel 9:25 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Daniel%209:25&version=NIV
• Matthew 2:4 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Matthew%202:4&version=NIV
• Matthew 16:16 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Matthew%2016:16&version=NIV
• Luke 9:20 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Luke%209:20&version=NIV
• John 1:41 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=John%201:41&version=NIV
Thank you so much for stopping by my blog space today. I hope you will consider joining me as I continue to journey through Advent. 🤍
~Charlotte, Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.
References :
https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/?amp
An Advent Devotional — Unwrapping the Names of Jesus by Asheritah Ciuciu
HOPE SEEKER 
Not what they expected…except for the wise men who understood the sign in the stars. This still gets my heart spinning. 💫⭐️✨
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