Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, but a body You have prepared for Me; in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me)

“A battered reed He will not break off, and a smoldering wick He will not put out, until He leads justice to victory.” (Matthew 12:20, NASB) At first blush this verse seems to be out of place in the Christmas devotional booklet, but it has everything to do with the birth of the Lord Jesus.

“For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, ‘Therefore I will give praise to You among the Gentiles, and I will sing

“‘…AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,’ which translated means, “‘GOD WITH US’” (Matthew 1:23, NASB). Immanuel—God with us! This thought is incomprehensible. Yet it has always been God’s desire to dwell with humans. After Adam and Eve sinned, the first words of God to Adam were, “Where are you?” Instance after instance, too many

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10 NASB). The title, “Son of Man,” was the Lord’s favorite name. He used it of Himself eighty-four times in the four Gospels. Never does anyone else in the Gospels refer to Jesus Christ as the Son of Man.