The Treasure of Our Salvation | Resources
Discussion Questions
1. Consider the phrase “the birth of Jesus Christ.” Why is Christ’s birth so significant? Why didn’t He arrive on the scene as an adult?
2. A core doctrine of the Christian faith is the virgin birth. Why is this so foundational?
3. What do we know about the name Jesus?
4. Verse 21 teaches us that Christ would save His people from their sins. Do you think Joseph understood what this would mean? What do you think Joseph thought that would mean?
Memory Verse
“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 (CSB)
Devotional
I was ready to paint the bathroom with all the electrical outlets, switches, pipes, and bathtub taped up and my airless paint sprayer in hand. I was prepared to paint the whole house, for that matter. The only problem was that the bathroom had no working light or window. I should have grabbed my battery-powered workbench light, but I was ready to get started, and there was just enough light coming from the doorway to make my way around the room. A few minutes later, I thought I was done, but I couldn’t see for sure. I internally debated putting everything down for a moment to get my light, but only briefly.
Instead, I moved to the next room, then another room. Sometime later, the paint was drying, and I was ready to spot-check for areas I may have missed. I found my workbench light, turned it on, and entered the bathroom. There was just a little bit of touch-up to be done. If I moved on without using the light, the room would forever remind me of what I should have done before cleaning up the sprayer. The light illuminated and exposed the places I couldn’t see. The light gave me the information I needed to finish the job correctly.
How often do we move on without the light to expose the reality of our situation? Joseph was convinced he could see what happened. He planned to divorce Mary and move forward without looking back. But God turned on the light and exposed His plan. God gave Joseph just enough to trust in Him and obey.
What in your life do you need to illuminate and expose? What is God showing you to trust in Him and obey?