Matthew 2
November 24, 2022
“When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.’” (v13)
Jesus was a threat to the throne of Herod, because He was the true King of the Jews. But Herod refused to relinquish the throne - even going so far as to kill all the baby boys of Bethlehem - to maintain his kingship. It might sound odd to say, but we’re more like Herod than we want to admit. We may not murder to maintain our kingship over our lives, but like Herod, we so often resist Jesus’ kingship, so that we can stay in control of our lives.
Lord Jesus, I praise You because You are the true King of kings, the rightful Ruler, who sits on the throne. Forgive me for the times when I am like Herod, trying to maintain control of my little life, instead of relinquishing the throne of my life completely to You. In this moment, I confess my tendency to live as though I’m the king of my life, and I surrender to Your kingship, acknowledging that You are a good King, who will rule in my best interests.
— Pastor Joshua Brooks
Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…
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Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
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Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
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➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?
