Daily Guide 24th December 2023 | Scripture Union Devotional
Do You Know That? Daily Guide Reading is published by Scripture Union Press & Books Ltd, an arm of Scripture Union Nigeria. Daily Guide is a true nondenominational, interdenominational Christian Bible engagement/reading aid – meditate on the Bible without denominational colorations. May the Lord bless you as you study!
Today’s Topic: The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
Opening Prayer: Grant me grace dear Lord to apply what you will teach me today as I read this passage.
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 1:1-17
Question(s) for Reflection
• Q 1: What does the passage teach about God the Father, or God the Son or God the Holy Spirit?
• Q 8: Is there any other Biblical passage that can help me understand this passage better?
Outline For Scripture Union Daily Guide 24 December 2023
Matthew took the pains of recording for us the detailed human genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ. By tracing His human existence from Abraham, through Rahab and Ruth, he brings the entire humanity into focus. The genealogy included Gentiles, represented by Ruth and people of questionable character, represented by Rahab.
There are people of questionable birth, represented by Perez and Zerah (Genesis 38), and even from illicit marriage like Solomon, by Uriah’s wife. The coming of Jesus brought hope to the hopeless and the outcast became children of the King. The downtrodden were lifted to enviable positions.
Read v.12 again and note that being carried into captivity did not truncate God’s plans. Jesus’ birth undoubtedly changed the course of the entire world history.
Note that v.16 did not use begot for Jesus but “of whom was born”, probably to show that He was not begotten of natural generation (See Luke 1:34-35).
For Reflection
For reflection: What is the meaning of BC and AD in dating years? By this the entire world acknowledged the universality of His existence, intentionally or otherwise.
• Any new insight or reinforcement of what you already know?
Closing Prayer
Thank you Lord, for the hope that Jesus Christ brought into the world. May many more come to His light.
Offer a prayer of faith in line with 2 Corinthians 5:7
Isaiah 62, 63; Psalms 148; Revelation 7.
NATIONAL PRAYER BULLETIN FOR 24TH DECEMBER 2023
PRAYER FOCUS: FAMILIES
I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Gen. 18:19
THANK GOD FOR:
►Families in the Scripture Union.
►Helping us to represent His kingdom well in the earth
PRAY FOR:
►Parents to be good examples of home and abroad
►The children to be obedient and to grow up in sound knowledge of God.
►Unity in our homes
►Our homes to be beacons of light to the world
►The prosperity of our families (each member in particular, and the family
►of as a whole)
PRAY AGAINST:
►Ill-health of members of our families
