03/08/2026 Jesus Was Born (Matthew 1; Luke 1-2)

Matthew and Luke’s accounts of Jesus’ birth showcase God’s faithfulness in sending us His Son. Long before Mary and Joseph embarked on their journey to Bethlehem, God had already promised to redeem His creation through the long-awaited Savior. Now, God was ready to make good on His promise of salvation—in an unexpected setting, at a seemingly inopportune time, and through the most unlikely of people.

The earthly arrival of God in human form caught many by surprise. From Jesus’ virgin birth to His first night spent in a manger, the lowliness of this humble King seemed counterintuitive to most people’s expectations of how the Messiah would arrive. The joyous birth of Jesus, however, was such a miraculous occasion that God sent angels to prepare the hearts of those who would behold the newborn King—not only Mary and Joseph, but also the shepherds in the field who believed by faith.

Despite all that seemed to go wrong in this story—from the decree of Caesar Augustus, the timing of Mary’s pregnancy and delivery, and there being no guest room for Jesus—God orchestrated every detail of this birth narrative so He would be glorified through the humble arrival of His Son. Through His angels, God spoke words of comfort, encouragement, and guidance to Jesus’ parents and the shepherds, leading them to trust Him with each next step.

Many Old Testament prophecies had shed light on how the Messiah would arrive. The prophet Isaiah spoke of a virgin giving birth to a son named Immanuel and later predicted a child with the title, Mighty God (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6). Meanwhile, Micah, a contemporary prophet to Isaiah, had predicted the Messiah would come from Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). These were only the beginning of many Old Testament prophecies Jesus would fulfill.