In His ImageSample

Day 24: Born without Sin

Discover: Jesus’ birth by the Virgin Mary is prophesied in the Old Testament and made known to Joseph in Matthew 1. Matthew 1:28 is a cross-reference to the foretelling of Jesus’ coming in Isaiah 7:14. At the beginning of today’s reading, Joseph quietly plans to divorce Mary because he believes she was unfaithful and conceived a child with another man. At this point, the angel intervenes to tell Joseph that this is not the case and that Mary conceived with the Holy Spirit. This child will be the prophesied Savior the people of Israel are waiting for, and His name is Jesus.

Learn: In day two’s study, we discussed the genealogies from Adam to Abraham and how everyone born after Adam was born with a sinful nature until Jesus. Through today’s verses, we learn Jesus is born of the Holy Spirit because He is God. He was born without inherent sin and subsequently lived an earthly life free of any sin despite his humanity. Understanding this truth is a necessary foundation for anyone’s salvation. Jesus needed to be born sinless to be a worthy sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. From the beginning of Creation, it is evident that God planned to send His Son to live a blameless life and triumph over sin and death on our behalf.

Apply: As we examine the differences between humanity’s nature and the nature of Jesus, we need to note a couple of key points. We first need to be aware of our sinful nature. Unlike Jesus, we are born with sin as an inheritance. Even as Christians with the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we are not excused from our sinful nature; rather, we are given the means to fight it. Understanding our nature helps us recognize that we are in battle every single day, a battle ultimately overcome by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We also need to be aware of the reality of the Virgin Birth. Understanding how Jesus serves as the Perfect Sacrifice sheds light on the detriment and reality of our sins that can only be cleansed by His blood. How aware are you of sin in your life? In what ways do you wrestle with your sinful nature?