Zondervan - Niv, Gift of Christmas: 14 Days of Devotions

ZONDERKIDZ

The Gift of Christmas: 14 Days of Devotions

Copyright 2015 by Zonderkidz

EPub edition NOVEMBER 2015 ISBN: 978-0-310-75246-2

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The Jesus Bible, NIV
ISBN: 978-0-310-72600-5 Copyright 2013 by Zonderkidz
ePub ISBN: 978-0-310-72651-7 Copyright 2013 by Zonderkidz

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Table of Contents

Fourteen Little Words

1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:2 I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way3 a voice of one calling in the wilderness,Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.

Mark 1:13

These are the words Mark chose to begin the story of Jesus. And theres a ton of information packed into these fourteen little words!

The good news! The word gospel means good news. Mark was saying, Hey readers and listeners, I have really good news to share with you! And this was certainly news. Jesus story was still spreading around the world. People were still hearing of this life-changing, history-changing story. Mark was like a journalist delivering the best news in history.

Jesus the Messiah. No beating around the bush there. Mark declared it right up front: Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior whom God had promised for hundreds of years, the Savior everyone was waiting for. Here he is!

The Son of God. In the first line of his story, Mark declared Jesus deity. Jesus wasnt just a good teacher. He wasnt just a nice guy. He wasnt just a soldier and king who came to save the people from oppression. He was God. He was God in human form. This is what Mark wanted us to understand!

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for the Bible. I am so grateful that your Word teaches me about Jesus. Help me to spread the good news around my world today. Amen.

Jesus Forever

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
26 Then God said, Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them

Genesis 1:12, 2627

Can you say to a pile of Legos or wooden boards, Form a house, and then watch them jump into place? Of course not. You have to pick up each piece and build the house with your hands. But God can speak anything into existence.

Before there was an earth, God was. He simply spoke, and the heavens and earth formed. He created the stars in the sky and filled the oceans with water.

God has always existed. In the beginning there was God, his Spirit (see Genesis 1:2), and his Son, Jesus. John 1:1 says that Jesus, called the Word, was not only with God in the beginning but he was God. Isnt it amazing to know that Jesus existed as God even before the creation of earth?

Many years after creation, Jesus left his home and his Father in heaven and came to live on earth. He came to die on the cross and rise from the dead so you could have eternal life with him and have a relationship with God.

As Jesus was present when the earth was first formed, he is with you now too. There has never been a time when Jesus wasnt around and there never will be. Jesus will always be. Yesterday, today, foreverJesus never changes.

Prayer

Thank you, God, for creating a beautiful world. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for loving me so much that you came so that I might live. Amen.

The Word

1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples,but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn5 Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy;the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come20 Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more;the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.

Isaiah 60:13, 5, 20

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

John 1:15, 9

Jesus Revealed

Jesus is the light that gives light to everyone. This was prophesied in Isaiah 60:1-3, 5, 20.

Jesus, the Son of God

I will proclaim the LORDs decree:He said to me, You are my son; today I have become your father.

Psalm 2:7

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeths pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgins name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over Jacobs descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.34 How will this be, Mary asked the angel, since I am a virgin?35 The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.