Bible Verse for Today

[Zechariah said,] "Praise be to the Lord, God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he said through his holy prophets long ago."
— Luke 1:68-70 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...What God does in Jesus is not a surprise. Yes, it was unexpected, but the "hints" and prophecies of his coming are found all over the Old Testament. The holy prophets had spoken about it "long ago." But more...

 

An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
— Matthew 1:20-21 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Jesus first had to become the sins of the people before he could save them (us) from those sins (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 John 4:10). His...

 

Mary said, "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior ... the Mighty One has done great things for me - holy is his name."
— Luke 1:46-49 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...While Mary's submission to God's will costs her in ways we can never imagine, for Jesus to come to life in the hearts of people today our attitude must be the same as her attitude was on this night of miracle and mystery. We too, must be willing to be the Lord's servant and offer him the...

 

The angel said to [Mary], "Do not be afraid, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever."
— Luke 1:30-33 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Jesus is identified by many names stated or implied in the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). Notice...

 

God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
— Luke 1:26-28 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Wow! Such a familiar sentence packed with emotion. An angel comes to Nazareth to visit and speak with a young woman engaged to be married. Before the history shattering news is...

 

When [King Herod] had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"
— Matthew 2:4-6 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse..."The first will be last and the last...

 

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, ... that we might receive the full rights of sons.
— Galatians 4:4-5 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...God waited till history reached his appointed time and sent Jesus. Just the right time -- Roman rule, Jewish subordination, good roads, freedom, a degree of safety, a common trading language, cruel and barbaric punishment accompanied by religious infighting. In times such as these, he sent his Son to...

 

The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
— Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...God is interested in us personally. So much so, that he personally gives us this sign. Because of Matthew's explanation of the meaning of the name Immanuel, we know what that sign was - Jesus coming to live as God with us. His presence is God's presence. His life is God's sign. The miracle of his conception is...

 

The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like [Moses] from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.
— Deuteronomy 18:15 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Jesus is that prophet like Moses. He has come and taught us God's truth. He has taught us with his words recorded in the Gospels. He has taught us with his example, through the deeds he has done. He is teaching us through his abiding presence in us and through the Spirit he has given us. But he teaches us most effectively...

 

[Jesus said,] "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ... This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."
— John 15:5,8 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...We take on Jesus' character (bear fruit) by remaining intimately connected to him. The distance between heaven and earth is not so great when heaven lives within us. In John 14, Jesus reminded...