An Example

Thursday, November 13th, 2025

6:18 pm

Good evening! This morning I was in Matthew 2:19-23 and Luke 2:39-40. After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared again to Joseph in a dream. This time the angel told him to get up, and take his family back to Israel because the people that were trying to kill Jesus had died. So they returned back to Israel stopping in Nazareth, where Jesus would grow up. Luke tells us that Mary and Joseph stayed until they had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord. And Jesus grew up healthy and strong, filled with wisdom, and God's favor was on Him.

Short little sections, but I love how Luke said that Mary and Joseph stayed until they fulfilled all the requirements of the Lord's law. Back then, there were several laws that the Lord's people had to follow. You can see that back in the first several books of the Old Testament. These laws helped to keep His people separate and holy, instead of them being like the pagan nations around them. So, this was important for God's Son.

Mary and Joseph being obedient and faithful to the Lord helped Jesus grow up to be the man He became. He was raised in a house devoted to God. Raised in the Lord's Word. Which makes me think of us today. Jesus watched and learned from His parents, just like our children learn from us. But not just our children, but people around us. Just like Mary and Joseph was a living example to Jesus on how to be obedient and faithful to God, we are living examples to the people around us. Whether we like it or not. People are always watching what we do and how we act. If we are acting like the world, then we are teaching others that see us that it is okay to be like the world. But the Lord tells us throughout His Word that we are to be set apart, different than the world. But if we are living life for God, we should be modeling Jesus for those around us. We are to look at Jesus and God's Word for how to live a life worthy of being His child. That is a very hard thing to do in our own strength, because like Paul said our flesh is weak, but with Jesus we are made strong. That does not mean we are perfect by no means, but God helps us every step of the way.

Are you an example for God, or are you an example of the world?

That is a hard question, because it really makes us have to look at our lives critically. And at some point before becoming a Christian, you were worldly. But have you allowed God to transform you into a new creation when you decided to follow Him? Most of the time we are not automatically transformed, sometimes it takes a long time to get to that point. But it is not too late to become the new creation. But in order to get there, you have to spend time with Him, in His Word, in prayer, worshiping, and at times fasting. We have to recognize the things of the world that are in our lives that we put before God, that keep us separate from Him and who we were created to be. God created each of us with a specific purpose, and those sins in our lives will keep us from fully realizing His purpose in our lives. Sin will blind us to God. But God can change that if you are willing. God wants to make you a new creation, freeing you from the sin that keeps you in chains. He wants you to live for Him, being an example, pointing people to Him. Its not to late.