Jesus came to give us a new beginning. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit to mark that new beginning. The momentum of multi-generational negative patterns in behaviour and attitudes had to be put to a stop. In Hebrew culture, to be ‘the son’ of someone was to share in the same nature as that person. Jesus was adopted by Joseph, but by his divine conception, he was most truly the Son of God. He therefore marked a new beginning. The chain of corrupt human nature was broken by an act of the Holy Spirit in conceiving Jesus in the womb of Mary. A new history of human beings began here; a new genealogy was established. This new genealogy is not based on genetic relationship to an earthly father but a spiritual relationship with our heavenly father. God himself gives us a ‘new birth’ into this new family line when his Spirit first comes into our hearts (John 3:3). When we give our lives to Christ, we receive a new beginning. The momentum of the patterns of the past can be broken. On this Christmas day when you meet with your family members, remember now that you also belong to a spiritual family. And if you have no physical family to gather with, celebrate that you are part of a spiritual family. You have been given a new and royal spiritual birth. You have a new and great lineage in God. You belong to Christ. That is the greatest gift of all.
Celebrate the gift of new beginnings in Jesus today.
Read Matthew 1:18-25
