WEBVTT

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<v ->Hey friends, this is Rick Renner</v>

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and I'm coming to you from our living room

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in Moscow, Russia.

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This really is our living room

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and it's almost Christmas time,

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and every Christmas, all

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of the renters gather
together in this room

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and we have a family tradition,

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and that's what I want
to share with you today.

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We read the Christmas story,
and I got this from my daddy

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because when I was a little bitty boy,

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before we would open our
gifts, my daddy would read

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to us the Christmas story.

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And when I became a father,
I said to Denise, that's

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what I want us to do with our kids.

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I want them to understand

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that Christmas is not just about gifts,

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it's about the birth of Jesus.

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So when our boys were young,
we made the decision that

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before we unwrapped a single
gift first we were going

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to read the Christmas story

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and we took it as an opportunity to teach.

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We would go through the Christmas
story, we would read it,

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we would comment, and year

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by year it became such a
fun moment in our lives

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because the boys began to understand

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what every point in the
Christmas story meant.

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And today we do it with
them, with their wives

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and with their kids,
and it is just a blast.

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We look forward to it every single year,

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and it's so much fun to see
our grandkids in anticipation

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just waiting for the moment
when they can add their comments

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to what these verses mean.

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And if you do not have
a Christmas tradition

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for your family, I
encourage you to form one.

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And if you don't know how to
go through the Christmas story,

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then use this video with
your family on Christmas Day

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or on Christmas Eve.

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But I want to turn today
to Luke chapter one

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and begin to read and to
comment on the Christmas story.

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And we're going to begin in
Luke chapter one, verse 26,

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when the Bible says,
and in the six months,

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the angel Gabriel was sent from
God ue the city of Galilee,

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named Nazareth.

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Then it says in verse
27, to a virgin espouse

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to a man whose name was
Joseph of the house of David,

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and the Virgin's name was Mary.

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Twice. In that verse, the Bible tells us

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that Mary was a virgin.

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It's the Greek word parnoss,
which means a young girl

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that has never had a sexual relationship.

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It's interesting, the
same word could be used

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to describe a young man
who was also a virgin,

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but this word described anyone
that was sexually clean.

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They had never had a sexual relationship.

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But this verse says that she was espoused

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to a young man whose name was Joseph.

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What does that mean? Well,

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the espousal process was very
important among the Jews.

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They took marriage so seriously

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that they did not rush into marriage.

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And you know, if we didn't
rush into marriage today,

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probably there would be fewer divorces.

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But they took marriage so seriously

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that when they became engaged,

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it was like a legal arrangement.

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And in fact, engagement was
so serious that if you wanted

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to break it off, you
had to file for divorce.

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But it wasn't really actually marriage,

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it was the espousal process,

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which was consummated a year later when

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there was a ceremony.

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And during that year, the male

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and the female took time to train

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and to prepare for marriage.

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And during that time,
they were not permitted

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to have any kind of sexual contact.

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That was the period for Joseph

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and Mary that the Bible is
now describing in this verse.

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So they were espoused to each other.

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They were training and they
were preparing for marriage.

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They were walking in the fear of the Lord

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and they were sexually pure

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and they were getting ready
for their marriage ceremony,

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which would come much later.

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And the Bible says in verse 28,

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and the angel came in under her

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and said, hail thou,
thou are highly favored.

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The Lord is with thee.
Blessed are thou among women.

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Verse 29. And when she saw
him, that word saw means

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to look at in shock, of
course she was shocked.

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She was just a young girl,
possibly 12, 13 or 14 years old,

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and an angel appears under
her, not just an angel,

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but it's Gabriel, a mighty angel.

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And when she saw him, she
was troubled at his saying

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and was cast in her mind, what manner

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of salutation this should be verse 30.

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And the angel set under
her fear, not Mary,

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for thou hast found favor with God.

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Verse 31, and behold,

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that word behold in Greek is the word ew.

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It carries the idea of shock
or amazement or bewilderment.

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It's almost like the
angel is injecting his

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own sentiment into the statement.

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And wow, it is amazing.

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You are going to

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conceive in your womb and
shall bring forth a son

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and shall call his name Jesus.

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When the angel says you're
going to conceive in your womb,

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it's really meaning
this is going to bypass

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the natural product of conception.

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This is something
supernatural that's going

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to take place without a man.

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She's going to conceive
supernaturally in her womb

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and you will call his name Jesus.

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And the word Jesus means
savior or deliverer.

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He shall be great and shall be

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called the son of the highest.

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And the Lord God shall
give unto him the throne

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of his father David,

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and he shall reign over
the house of Jacob forever

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and ever and of his kingdom.

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There shall be no end.

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Then said Mary unto the angel,
verse 34, how shall this be

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seen that I know not a man.

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She wasn't arguing we're
never to argue with the Lord

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or to argue with an angel,

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but she was asking for clarification.

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And dear friend, God never gets upset when

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we ask for an answer.

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We're told in James
chapter one, verse five,

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if you lack wisdom, ask of God.

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Well, that's what she did. She
wasn't saying, this can't be.

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She was just saying, please
explain to me how can this be

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seeing that I know not a man.

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She was a virgin verse 35.

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And the angel answered

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and said unto her, the Holy
Ghost shall come upon thee

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and the power of the highest
shall overshadow thee.

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Therefore, that holy
thing that shall be born

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of thee shall be called the son of God.

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And the angel said, you're going

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to become impregnated by the Holy Spirit.

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That is amazing. Then in
verse 37, the angel said, for

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with God, nothing shall be impossible.

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Of course we know that
naturally this is impossible,

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but with God, nothing shall be impossible.

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And then in verse 38, Mary
said, behold the handmade

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of the Lord be unto me

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according to thy word.

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And in that moment, Mary was
impregnated by the Holy Spirit.

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She received the word of God,

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and when the word of God came into her,

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she conceived Jesus in her womb.

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Isn't that amazing?

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Then when you come to Luke
chapter two verse one,

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it says, and it came to pass in those days

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that there went out a
decree from Caesar Augustus

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that all the world should be taxed.

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All the world doesn't mean Africa,

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it doesn't mean the Americas,
it means the inhabited world.

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And it is a special word which
described the Roman empire,

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that all the Roman empire should be taxed.

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The word tax really means registered,

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or this was a worldwide
census so they could determine

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how many taxes they could
collect from the empire.

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And this taxing was first made when Ceres

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was governor of Syria.

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And there are skeptics who
say, well, you know what?

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When you look at the rule of
Ceres of Syria, the Governor,

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there's no evidence in historical records

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that there was ever a taxation

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that took place during that time.

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But they missed the fact
that he was governor twice.

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And this taxation really
did take place during one

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of those periods and all
went to be taxed everyone

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to his own city.

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And Joseph also went up
from Galilee out of the city

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of Nazareth in Ju Judea
into the city of David,

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which is called Bethlehem
because he was of the house

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and the lineage of David.

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And of course the prophecies were

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that the Messiah would
be born in Bethlehem

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that was prophesied by the prophet Micah,

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but Mary

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and her spouse, husband Joseph,

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they did not live in Bethlehem.

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They lived to the North.

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Mary's family was from the city of Seres.

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Near Seres was a worker's village,

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a sleeping village called Nazareth.

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The people who lived in
Nazareth worked next door in

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the city of Seres.

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That's where Joseph lived.

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There was no natural reason
for them to go to the city

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of Bethlehem.

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Why would they want to go there?

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And not only that, Bethlehem
was just a small village.

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It was barely a dot on the map,

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but the prophecies said

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that the Messiah would
be born in Bethlehem.

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So God did the unthinkable.

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He moved the entire
world just to get the Son

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of God born in Bethlehem.

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Mary and Joseph had no reason to go there.

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So a decree was issued that
the whole world should return

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to their own original cities.

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Well, because David Joseph
was of the house of David,

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he had to go to Bethlehem.

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So now God is moving them to Bethlehem.

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And you know what this tells me?

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God will move the whole world

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to get you where you need to be.

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That is amazing to me.

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Can you imagine the griping

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and the complaining that
was going on at the world at

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that time when people said,
Ugh, why do we have to go back

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to our original cities to be registered?

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Why can't we just do
it there where we live?

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But no, we have to go
back to our original town

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that is the decree.

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Businesses were closed, people
spent money on a vacation

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they didn't want to take.

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The whole world is in movement.

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God is in conveniencing the
entire world just to get Joseph

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and Mary where they need to be.

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And I take such comfort in
that, that God will do anything

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to get me where I need to be.

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He will even discomfort me
to get me where I need to be.

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And my friends, God is

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so serious about fulfilling
his plan in your life.

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He'll do whatever he has to do to get you

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where you need to be.

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And that's what he did
with Joseph and Mary.

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And it goes on and says
in verse five, to be taxed

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with Mary, his wife, who was
great with child verse six.

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And so it was that while they were there,

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the days were accomplished

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that she should be delivered, verse seven.

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And she brought forth her firstborn son.

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Now, why does it say firstborn?

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Well, first of all,
because she was a virgin.

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She had never had sex with anyone.

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This was her firstborn son, a son

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that she supernaturally conceived

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that the reason he's called firstborn is

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because she later had other children.

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We read in Matthew 13, verse 55

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and verse 56, that Jesus had brothers

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and he had sisters that
were born after him.

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Now, Jesus was born of God.

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His brothers and sisters were
the result of a sexual union

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between Mary and Joseph.

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00:11:29.115 --> 00:11:32.825
They were his half brothers
and half sisters in that way.

255
00:11:32.825 --> 00:11:34.945
He had a brother whose name was James.

256
00:11:34.945 --> 00:11:36.325
He had a brother whose name was Jude.

257
00:11:36.325 --> 00:11:38.585
Both of them wrote books
of the New Testament.

258
00:11:38.585 --> 00:11:40.605
He had a brother whose name was Joseph,

259
00:11:40.605 --> 00:11:42.145
a brother whose name was Simeon.

260
00:11:42.145 --> 00:11:45.305
And according to Matthew 13, verse 66,

261
00:11:45.305 --> 00:11:47.265
he had sisters, it's plural.

262
00:11:47.265 --> 00:11:49.915
So he had at least two six sisters

263
00:11:49.915 --> 00:11:52.225
that he was the first born in the family.

264
00:11:52.225 --> 00:11:56.265
He was born of God, and
Jesus was the son of God,

265
00:11:56.265 --> 00:11:58.765
and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes

266
00:11:59.665 --> 00:12:02.475
and laid him in a manger

267
00:12:02.475 --> 00:12:05.625
because there was no
room for them in the end.

268
00:12:05.625 --> 00:12:08.045
You know, when I was a little
boy, I used to read this

269
00:12:08.045 --> 00:12:11.705
and I would think they wrapped
him in swaddling clothes.

270
00:12:11.705 --> 00:12:15.905
We even sang songs about rapping
him in swaddling clothes.

271
00:12:15.905 --> 00:12:17.725
But I never knew what
swaddling clothes were.

272
00:12:17.725 --> 00:12:20.485
Nobody ever told me what
were swaddling clothes.

273
00:12:20.485 --> 00:12:23.845
I just liked the phrase because
we were taught to say it

274
00:12:23.845 --> 00:12:28.045
and to say it in public meetings
on stage when we recited

275
00:12:28.045 --> 00:12:30.555
the Christmas story, they
wrapped him in swaddling clothes.

276
00:12:30.555 --> 00:12:32.045
Well, what are swaddling clothes?

277
00:12:32.955 --> 00:12:36.955
Swaddling clothes describes
the little bandages

278
00:12:36.955 --> 00:12:41.115
that shepherd Jews to wrap
the legs of newborn lambs.

279
00:12:41.115 --> 00:12:46.065
Well, you have to understand
where Jesus was born.

280
00:12:46.065 --> 00:12:50.315
The Bible says there was no
room for them in the inn.

281
00:12:50.315 --> 00:12:51.425
Well, people read that

282
00:12:51.425 --> 00:12:53.565
and they religiously think, well,

283
00:12:53.565 --> 00:12:56.685
that means they were too
poor to afford a hotel room.

284
00:12:56.685 --> 00:12:58.585
Doesn't mean that at all. They were

285
00:12:58.585 --> 00:13:01.565
so late in arriving in
the city of Bethlehem

286
00:13:01.565 --> 00:13:04.545
that all the spaces were already taken.

287
00:13:04.545 --> 00:13:06.945
And as I've told you, Bethlehem was small,

288
00:13:06.945 --> 00:13:10.505
so there weren't a lot of
small spaces to start with.

289
00:13:10.505 --> 00:13:13.235
But when they arrived, they
were all already taken.

290
00:13:13.235 --> 00:13:15.485
Well, they began looking for
a place where they could go

291
00:13:15.485 --> 00:13:17.785
because Mary is about to give birth.

292
00:13:17.785 --> 00:13:20.645
And there was a cave in Bethlehem,

293
00:13:20.645 --> 00:13:25.625
and caves were typically used
for barns back in those days.

294
00:13:25.625 --> 00:13:29.315
And by early, early Christian
writers, it was written

295
00:13:29.315 --> 00:13:32.765
that God appeared in a cave in Bethlehem.

296
00:13:32.765 --> 00:13:35.605
And today you can still visit that cave.

297
00:13:35.605 --> 00:13:38.705
If you go to the church of
the nativity in the city

298
00:13:38.705 --> 00:13:40.325
of Bethlehem, it is still there.

299
00:13:40.325 --> 00:13:42.925
And you can go there today,
it's covered with a lot

300
00:13:42.925 --> 00:13:44.745
of religious decoration,

301
00:13:44.745 --> 00:13:46.605
but there are caves all around Bethlehem.

302
00:13:46.605 --> 00:13:47.845
And if you go to those other caves

303
00:13:47.845 --> 00:13:49.285
and look, you'll see what

304
00:13:49.285 --> 00:13:51.585
that cave looked like when Jesus was born.

305
00:13:51.585 --> 00:13:56.165
It was just a raw cave filled
with animals, with cows,

306
00:13:56.165 --> 00:14:00.125
with goats, with sheep, with
travelers, all kinds of people

307
00:14:00.125 --> 00:14:01.985
who were looking for a place to stay.

308
00:14:01.985 --> 00:14:05.545
And way back in the
back of that cave, Mary

309
00:14:05.545 --> 00:14:09.865
and Joseph huddled together
and she gave birth to a baby.

310
00:14:09.865 --> 00:14:13.325
And when he was born,
they looked for something

311
00:14:13.325 --> 00:14:17.165
to wrap him in while he was in
the cave, he was in the barn,

312
00:14:18.145 --> 00:14:21.645
and all around them were
bandages, which shepherds would

313
00:14:21.645 --> 00:14:26.105
normally use to wrap the
legs of new little lambs.

314
00:14:26.105 --> 00:14:29.825
And so now we find this
amazing thing taking place

315
00:14:29.825 --> 00:14:33.635
as prophetically not even
understanding what they're doing.

316
00:14:33.635 --> 00:14:35.705
They take swaddling clothes,

317
00:14:35.705 --> 00:14:38.405
the bandages you would
usually use to wrap the legs

318
00:14:38.405 --> 00:14:40.145
of newborn lambs,

319
00:14:40.145 --> 00:14:43.945
and they wrap Jesus in
these swaddling clothes.

320
00:14:43.945 --> 00:14:47.505
And the first time Jesus
appears in scripture,

321
00:14:47.505 --> 00:14:50.985
it means he appears as a newborn lamb.

322
00:14:50.985 --> 00:14:55.465
He is the lamb of God that
takes away the sin of the world.

323
00:14:55.465 --> 00:14:59.545
And in his very first appearance
in Bethlehem, he appears

324
00:14:59.545 --> 00:15:03.055
as a lamb wrapped in swaddling clothes.

325
00:15:03.055 --> 00:15:07.145
Isn't that amazing?
But wait, there's more.

326
00:15:07.145 --> 00:15:08.985
It says in verse eight,

327
00:15:08.985 --> 00:15:12.115
and there were in the
same country, shepherds

328
00:15:12.115 --> 00:15:14.765
abiding in the field, keeping watch over

329
00:15:14.765 --> 00:15:16.025
their flock by night.

330
00:15:16.025 --> 00:15:17.905
Who were these shepherds

331
00:15:17.905 --> 00:15:19.525
and why did the angels appear

332
00:15:19.525 --> 00:15:21.485
to this particular group of shepherds?

333
00:15:21.485 --> 00:15:22.985
There were shepherds all over Israel.

334
00:15:22.985 --> 00:15:24.795
Why this particular group?

335
00:15:24.795 --> 00:15:27.885
Because right near Bethlehem was a field

336
00:15:28.735 --> 00:15:30.845
where sheep were kept that were

337
00:15:30.845 --> 00:15:33.265
to be used in temple sacrifices.

338
00:15:33.265 --> 00:15:36.865
And these particular shepherds
were Levitical shepherds

339
00:15:36.865 --> 00:15:39.075
who were watching over lambs

340
00:15:39.075 --> 00:15:42.255
that would be used in temple sacrifice.

341
00:15:42.255 --> 00:15:45.655
These were not just any sheep,
it wasn't just any flock.

342
00:15:45.655 --> 00:15:48.385
These were sacrificial lambs.

343
00:15:48.385 --> 00:15:52.505
And it was to those very
shepherds that the angel appeared.

344
00:15:52.505 --> 00:15:53.985
And the Bible says in verse nine

345
00:15:53.985 --> 00:15:55.925
and low, that word low again carries the

346
00:15:55.925 --> 00:15:57.425
idea of bewilderment.

347
00:15:57.425 --> 00:16:00.945
Wow. The angel of the Lord came upon them

348
00:16:00.945 --> 00:16:04.105
and the glory of the Lord
shone round about them.

349
00:16:04.105 --> 00:16:07.145
It describes like a beam of
light that came down upon them

350
00:16:07.145 --> 00:16:08.325
and they were so afraid.

351
00:16:09.345 --> 00:16:11.385
And the angel said unto them, fear or not.

352
00:16:11.385 --> 00:16:14.065
For behold, the word behold again means,

353
00:16:14.065 --> 00:16:15.385
wow, this is amazing.

354
00:16:15.385 --> 00:16:18.885
I'm so excited to tell you
I bring you good tidings

355
00:16:18.885 --> 00:16:22.765
of great joy, which shall be
to all the people for unto you

356
00:16:24.225 --> 00:16:28.295
is born this day in the
city of David, a savior,

357
00:16:28.295 --> 00:16:30.285
which is Christ the Lord.

358
00:16:30.285 --> 00:16:32.225
Do you remember what the name Jesus means?

359
00:16:32.225 --> 00:16:35.665
It means savior, it means deliverer.

360
00:16:35.665 --> 00:16:39.105
The angel said a savior,
which is Christ, the Lord,

361
00:16:39.105 --> 00:16:41.985
the word Christ, the Greek word,
Christos, which is the word

362
00:16:41.985 --> 00:16:45.345
for the Messiah, they
were announcing the birth

363
00:16:45.345 --> 00:16:47.185
of the Messiah, the anointed one,

364
00:16:47.185 --> 00:16:50.825
and then the angels
remarkably said in verse 12,

365
00:16:50.825 --> 00:16:54.235
and this shall be a sign unto you,

366
00:16:54.235 --> 00:16:56.155
unto you in Greek is very strong.

367
00:16:56.155 --> 00:17:01.155
This is a sign specifically for
you guys, you guys unto you.

368
00:17:01.625 --> 00:17:05.345
And who was the angel speaking
to Levitical Shepherds

369
00:17:05.345 --> 00:17:08.005
who are watching over sacrificial lambs.

370
00:17:08.865 --> 00:17:12.215
And the angel said, this shall be a sign,

371
00:17:12.215 --> 00:17:14.045
especially unto you guys.

372
00:17:15.105 --> 00:17:19.045
You shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes,

373
00:17:20.775 --> 00:17:22.325
lying in a manger.

374
00:17:23.465 --> 00:17:25.375
That means when they come

375
00:17:25.375 --> 00:17:29.225
and see this baby, they're
going to find a baby

376
00:17:29.225 --> 00:17:31.865
that is wrapped like a little lamb.

377
00:17:31.865 --> 00:17:34.695
Well, these shepherds
would understand that,

378
00:17:34.695 --> 00:17:38.035
and the angel said, this will
be a special sign to you.

379
00:17:39.055 --> 00:17:42.235
You'll find the baby wrapped
in swaddling clothes when you

380
00:17:42.235 --> 00:17:45.295
see him, he's going to
look like a little lamb

381
00:17:45.295 --> 00:17:49.385
of God lying in the manger
that it was the equivalent

382
00:17:49.385 --> 00:17:51.885
of the angels saying, Hey guys,

383
00:17:53.305 --> 00:17:55.625
you're looking at the wrong lamb.

384
00:17:55.625 --> 00:17:58.885
You're looking at those lambs
out in the shepherd's field

385
00:17:58.885 --> 00:18:00.625
that eventually will be sacrificed,

386
00:18:00.625 --> 00:18:05.405
but the real lamb of
God has just been born

387
00:18:05.405 --> 00:18:06.885
and it will be a sign to you.

388
00:18:06.885 --> 00:18:10.625
You'll know him because
when you see him remarkably,

389
00:18:10.625 --> 00:18:14.045
you're going to find a baby
wrapped like a little lamb lying

390
00:18:14.045 --> 00:18:18.465
in a manger, and this will
be a special sign unto you.

391
00:18:19.315 --> 00:18:22.685
Isn't that amazing? And the Bible says,

392
00:18:22.685 --> 00:18:25.965
and suddenly there was
with the angel, a multitude

393
00:18:25.965 --> 00:18:29.245
of the heavenly host, heavenly host.

394
00:18:29.245 --> 00:18:32.345
The word host is the
Greek word for armies.

395
00:18:32.345 --> 00:18:35.085
These were heavenly angelic armies.

396
00:18:35.085 --> 00:18:38.535
Why did all the armies of heaven show up?

397
00:18:38.535 --> 00:18:41.965
Because the great commander had been born.

398
00:18:41.965 --> 00:18:46.455
And do you know what is amazing?
We're told in one Timothy

399
00:18:46.455 --> 00:18:50.735
chapter three, great is
the mystery of godliness

400
00:18:50.735 --> 00:18:55.735
that God appeared in a body
and was seen by angels.

401
00:18:56.115 --> 00:19:00.215
Until this moment, no angel
had ever looked into the

402
00:19:00.215 --> 00:19:01.975
face of God.

403
00:19:01.975 --> 00:19:04.485
They were not allowed
to look into God's face.

404
00:19:04.485 --> 00:19:06.765
But when Jesus was born,

405
00:19:06.765 --> 00:19:09.725
not only was the great
commander born as a baby,

406
00:19:09.725 --> 00:19:13.145
but for the very first time,
angels were going to be able

407
00:19:13.145 --> 00:19:17.125
to look at the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.

408
00:19:17.125 --> 00:19:20.925
And the heavens were filled
with a multitude of armies

409
00:19:20.925 --> 00:19:23.925
who came to salute their
commander at his birth.

410
00:19:23.925 --> 00:19:28.105
And because for the very
first time angels were going

411
00:19:28.105 --> 00:19:30.805
to be allowed to look into the face

412
00:19:30.805 --> 00:19:32.025
of God, think about that.

413
00:19:32.025 --> 00:19:33.765
When you look at images of Jesus

414
00:19:33.765 --> 00:19:35.585
or in your mind, you believe you know

415
00:19:35.585 --> 00:19:37.105
what Jesus looked like,
think about the fact

416
00:19:37.105 --> 00:19:39.025
that people could look
into the face of Jesus.

417
00:19:39.885 --> 00:19:43.505
Angels had never had the
privilege of looking into the face

418
00:19:43.505 --> 00:19:45.925
of God until Jesus was born.

419
00:19:45.925 --> 00:19:50.225
So they all showed up so
they could look into the face

420
00:19:50.225 --> 00:19:53.925
of God and the angels said,
glory to God and the highest

421
00:19:53.925 --> 00:19:57.845
and on earth, peace and
goodwill toward men.

422
00:19:57.845 --> 00:20:00.735
And it came to pass as the
angels were gone away from them

423
00:20:00.735 --> 00:20:03.885
into heaven, the shepherd
said one to another.

424
00:20:03.885 --> 00:20:06.645
Let us go now even under Bethlehem

425
00:20:06.645 --> 00:20:09.345
and see this thing which has come to pass,

426
00:20:09.345 --> 00:20:12.005
which the Lord has made known unto us.

427
00:20:12.005 --> 00:20:16.725
And they came with haste
and found marrying Joseph

428
00:20:16.725 --> 00:20:19.065
and the babe lying in the manger.

429
00:20:19.065 --> 00:20:21.495
It's even interesting
that it says they found,

430
00:20:21.495 --> 00:20:24.765
because the word found is the
Greek word risco, which means

431
00:20:24.765 --> 00:20:26.255
to search to find.

432
00:20:26.255 --> 00:20:28.235
It's where we get the word for Eureka.

433
00:20:28.235 --> 00:20:30.845
There were many, many caves in that area.

434
00:20:30.845 --> 00:20:33.585
It pictures them going from
cave to cave to cave, trying

435
00:20:33.585 --> 00:20:36.675
to find the location where
this amazing event has taken

436
00:20:36.675 --> 00:20:38.705
place and bam, eureka.

437
00:20:38.705 --> 00:20:41.935
Finally they found it.
And what did they see?

438
00:20:41.935 --> 00:20:46.935
Mary and Joseph and the
babe lying in a manger, just

439
00:20:47.345 --> 00:20:49.305
as the angel had said,

440
00:20:49.305 --> 00:20:52.285
and when they had seen it, they
made known abroad the same,

441
00:20:52.285 --> 00:20:54.685
which was told them
concerning the Si child.

442
00:20:56.305 --> 00:20:59.565
And all they that heard it
wondered at those things which

443
00:20:59.565 --> 00:21:01.605
were told them by the shepherds.

444
00:21:01.605 --> 00:21:03.165
Listen to verse 19. This is amazing.

445
00:21:04.185 --> 00:21:08.685
But Mary kept all these things
pondering them in her heart.

446
00:21:08.685 --> 00:21:10.725
You know what the Greek says? It says

447
00:21:10.725 --> 00:21:13.025
that Mary laid these things side

448
00:21:13.025 --> 00:21:16.995
by side in chronological
order in her heart.

449
00:21:16.995 --> 00:21:20.505
Well, Luke was not there
when this event takes place.

450
00:21:20.505 --> 00:21:22.915
How does Luke know this story so well?

451
00:21:22.915 --> 00:21:26.355
Because we're told that Luke visited

452
00:21:26.355 --> 00:21:28.445
with Mary when she was living in the city

453
00:21:28.445 --> 00:21:30.665
of Ephesus much later in her life,

454
00:21:30.665 --> 00:21:32.265
and she had kept all these things

455
00:21:32.265 --> 00:21:34.305
chronologically in her heart.

456
00:21:34.305 --> 00:21:36.245
It tells me that we
need to really remember

457
00:21:36.245 --> 00:21:38.265
what God has done in our lives.

458
00:21:38.265 --> 00:21:40.585
We should keep it in chronological order.

459
00:21:40.585 --> 00:21:43.345
We should repeat it to
ourselves, share it with others.

460
00:21:43.345 --> 00:21:44.985
That's what Mary did

461
00:21:44.985 --> 00:21:49.145
and that's why we have this
account in the gospel of Luke.

462
00:21:49.145 --> 00:21:53.185
And verse 20 says, and the
shepherds returned to glorifying

463
00:21:53.185 --> 00:21:56.225
and praising God for all the
things that they had heard

464
00:21:56.225 --> 00:21:59.235
and seen as it was told unto them.

465
00:21:59.235 --> 00:22:01.305
Then in verse 21,

466
00:22:01.305 --> 00:22:04.365
and when eight days were
accomplished for the circumcising

467
00:22:04.365 --> 00:22:08.765
of the child, his name was
called Jesus, which was so named

468
00:22:08.765 --> 00:22:11.785
of the angel before he
was conceived in the womb.

469
00:22:11.785 --> 00:22:14.885
And when the days of her
purification according to the law

470
00:22:14.885 --> 00:22:18.625
of Moses were accomplished,
they brought him to Jerusalem

471
00:22:18.625 --> 00:22:21.635
to present him to the Lord.

472
00:22:21.635 --> 00:22:24.945
What a gift that they
could present to the Lord.

473
00:22:24.945 --> 00:22:28.065
The word present, the Greek
Paris tomy. And guess what?

474
00:22:28.065 --> 00:22:32.365
It is the same word used in
Romans chapter 12 in verse one,

475
00:22:32.365 --> 00:22:35.305
when the apostle Paul says,
we should present our bodies

476
00:22:35.305 --> 00:22:38.395
as living sacrifices to the Lord,

477
00:22:38.395 --> 00:22:41.105
just like they presented
Jesus to the Lord.

478
00:22:41.105 --> 00:22:44.385
We are called upon by God
every day of our lives

479
00:22:44.385 --> 00:22:49.305
to present ourselves as a
gift to present ourselves,

480
00:22:49.305 --> 00:22:52.025
to be available to God
in any way that he wants.

481
00:22:52.025 --> 00:22:55.265
And that's what they did with Jesus.

482
00:22:55.265 --> 00:22:59.525
And we know the story that
Simeon came in and Anna came in

483
00:22:59.525 --> 00:23:01.245
and they prophesied over Jesus.

484
00:23:02.105 --> 00:23:05.945
Wow, what an event that
was in the temple that day.

485
00:23:05.945 --> 00:23:09.705
But the whole process of purification

486
00:23:09.705 --> 00:23:12.905
for Mary lasted about 40 days.

487
00:23:12.905 --> 00:23:17.325
And at the end of those 40
days, the Bible tells us

488
00:23:18.265 --> 00:23:22.585
in Luke chapter two, verse 39,

489
00:23:22.585 --> 00:23:25.905
and when they had performed
all things according to the law

490
00:23:25.905 --> 00:23:27.905
of the Lord, they were very careful

491
00:23:27.905 --> 00:23:29.265
to obey the law of the Lord.

492
00:23:29.265 --> 00:23:30.685
And we need to be very careful

493
00:23:30.685 --> 00:23:33.065
to obey God's word in our life.

494
00:23:33.065 --> 00:23:35.385
And when they had performed
all things according

495
00:23:35.385 --> 00:23:36.885
to the law of the Lord, listen to this.

496
00:23:38.595 --> 00:23:41.725
They returned into
Galilee to their own city.

497
00:23:42.635 --> 00:23:46.695
Nsra end of the story it
seems. But there's a problem.

498
00:23:46.695 --> 00:23:48.425
Where are the wise men?

499
00:23:48.425 --> 00:23:52.645
The wise men are not here
according to Luke's account,

500
00:23:52.645 --> 00:23:53.945
which is very factual.

501
00:23:53.945 --> 00:23:56.145
He leaves nothing out.

502
00:23:56.145 --> 00:24:00.465
The wise men do not come to Bethlehem,

503
00:24:00.465 --> 00:24:02.025
but we know there were wise men.

504
00:24:02.025 --> 00:24:04.835
So where are the wise men?

505
00:24:04.835 --> 00:24:09.225
Well, the wise men are
in Matthew chapter two.

506
00:24:09.225 --> 00:24:10.795
So let's go to Matthew chapter two.

507
00:24:10.795 --> 00:24:12.125
This is what we do with our kids

508
00:24:12.125 --> 00:24:14.745
and with our grandkids every Christmas.

509
00:24:14.745 --> 00:24:16.185
Please do this with your family.

510
00:24:16.185 --> 00:24:18.425
If you don't know how, use this video.

511
00:24:18.425 --> 00:24:20.125
You can use this with your family.

512
00:24:21.065 --> 00:24:25.245
But in Matthew chapter two
verse one, it says, now,

513
00:24:25.245 --> 00:24:28.705
when Jesus was born in
Bethlehem of Judea, in the days

514
00:24:28.705 --> 00:24:33.465
of Herod the king, behold there
came wise men from the east

515
00:24:33.465 --> 00:24:35.455
to Jerusalem.

516
00:24:35.455 --> 00:24:38.545
Herod the king was also
called Herod the Great.

517
00:24:38.545 --> 00:24:40.565
And the reason he was
called Herod the great is

518
00:24:40.565 --> 00:24:42.105
because everything he did was

519
00:24:42.105 --> 00:24:45.555
so huge when he built a
building, it was huge.

520
00:24:45.555 --> 00:24:48.225
When he did something
bad, he really did it bad.

521
00:24:48.225 --> 00:24:49.845
He was great in every way.

522
00:24:49.845 --> 00:24:52.585
He had a great temper,
he had great emotion.

523
00:24:52.585 --> 00:24:56.105
He was just Herod the
great in every level.

524
00:24:56.105 --> 00:24:59.535
And Herod the Great was so paranoid

525
00:24:59.535 --> 00:25:02.395
about somebody taking the kingdom from him

526
00:25:02.395 --> 00:25:05.185
that he even killed his own sons

527
00:25:05.185 --> 00:25:07.585
who he thought were
conspiring against him.

528
00:25:07.585 --> 00:25:09.285
He killed his wife, Maryanne.

529
00:25:09.285 --> 00:25:10.755
But he loved so much

530
00:25:10.755 --> 00:25:12.805
because she thought that he thought

531
00:25:12.805 --> 00:25:14.985
that she was in cahoots with his sons.

532
00:25:14.985 --> 00:25:16.545
He just killed people.

533
00:25:16.545 --> 00:25:19.285
And every time there was a rumor

534
00:25:20.355 --> 00:25:23.055
that a Messiah had been born in Jerusalem,

535
00:25:23.055 --> 00:25:25.625
Herod began killing people.

536
00:25:25.625 --> 00:25:27.515
He just started killing people

537
00:25:27.515 --> 00:25:32.425
because he didn't want anyone
coming to take his throne.

538
00:25:32.425 --> 00:25:35.685
Now, the Magi are coming from the east

539
00:25:37.065 --> 00:25:40.265
and it says, behold, the word
behold is very important.

540
00:25:40.265 --> 00:25:42.725
You know why? Again, it
is this Greek word you do,

541
00:25:42.725 --> 00:25:45.545
which means wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.

542
00:25:45.545 --> 00:25:49.365
It is amazing. There
came wise men from the

543
00:25:49.365 --> 00:25:50.565
east to Jerusalem.

544
00:25:50.565 --> 00:25:53.845
And the word wise does not
give you the real meaning.

545
00:25:54.705 --> 00:25:59.575
It is the word Magi. Magi.
These weren't just wise men.

546
00:25:59.575 --> 00:26:04.575
These were Magi. Magi. Just say Magi.

547
00:26:04.685 --> 00:26:06.475
Well, what is a magi?

548
00:26:06.475 --> 00:26:09.115
And Magi was a very elite cast

549
00:26:09.115 --> 00:26:11.575
of Midian priests from the east.

550
00:26:12.645 --> 00:26:16.525
They were king makers.
They were so powerful.

551
00:26:16.525 --> 00:26:20.405
They were more powerful
than the king of Babylon,

552
00:26:20.405 --> 00:26:25.405
more powerful than any kings
in the Midea with one word,

553
00:26:25.525 --> 00:26:28.095
they could install a brand
new king with one word.

554
00:26:28.095 --> 00:26:30.165
They could depose a king.

555
00:26:30.165 --> 00:26:32.235
They were the most powerful

556
00:26:32.235 --> 00:26:35.235
and wealthiest people in the mid East.

557
00:26:35.235 --> 00:26:36.515
And I'll give you an example.

558
00:26:36.515 --> 00:26:41.175
One time it was rumored that
magi were coming to Rome

559
00:26:42.455 --> 00:26:44.345
to see Nero.

560
00:26:44.345 --> 00:26:45.615
Nero, who was brutal

561
00:26:45.615 --> 00:26:49.905
and didn't seem to be afraid
of anybody, trembled with fear.

562
00:26:49.905 --> 00:26:53.415
When he heard that magi
were coming from the east

563
00:26:53.415 --> 00:26:56.305
to the city of Rome, he
rolled out the red carpet,

564
00:26:56.305 --> 00:26:58.955
gave them gifts because he
didn't know why they were coming.

565
00:27:00.015 --> 00:27:03.225
He knew they were so
powerful that with a word

566
00:27:03.225 --> 00:27:04.945
they could depose him.

567
00:27:04.945 --> 00:27:08.135
That is how powerful magi were.

568
00:27:08.135 --> 00:27:12.075
Not only that, but Herod
earlier had fought a

569
00:27:12.075 --> 00:27:13.695
battle with Magi.

570
00:27:13.695 --> 00:27:15.695
He had already had an experience with him,

571
00:27:15.695 --> 00:27:19.215
and when he heard they
were coming, he crumbled.

572
00:27:19.215 --> 00:27:22.495
And that's why the Bible
says, behold, it is amazing

573
00:27:22.495 --> 00:27:24.905
of everybody who could come.

574
00:27:24.905 --> 00:27:29.695
Magi were coming. Well, this
would've just set Herod off.

575
00:27:29.695 --> 00:27:31.815
He would've wondered, why are they coming?

576
00:27:31.815 --> 00:27:35.215
Are they coming to depose
me? What is their intent?

577
00:27:35.215 --> 00:27:40.165
And notice what the Bible
says, verse two saying,

578
00:27:40.165 --> 00:27:43.295
where is he that is born king of the Jews

579
00:27:43.295 --> 00:27:45.615
for we've seen his star in the east

580
00:27:45.615 --> 00:27:48.225
and we're come to worship him?

581
00:27:48.225 --> 00:27:49.235
Well, guess who one

582
00:27:49.235 --> 00:27:53.455
of the magi had been in a
much earlier age, Daniel.

583
00:27:53.455 --> 00:27:57.255
Daniel was one of the magi in Babylon.

584
00:27:57.255 --> 00:28:01.815
And Daniel had prophesied
that a Messiah would be born.

585
00:28:01.815 --> 00:28:06.545
And he even taught that a
star would appear in the sky

586
00:28:06.545 --> 00:28:10.495
that would announce the birth
of this great world leader.

587
00:28:10.495 --> 00:28:14.055
And the magi in that part
of the world had held on

588
00:28:14.055 --> 00:28:18.175
to the teachings of Daniel
for all of those years.

589
00:28:18.175 --> 00:28:21.385
And there was a belief among the magi

590
00:28:21.385 --> 00:28:23.135
that a great king would be born,

591
00:28:23.135 --> 00:28:24.735
the greatest king ever born.

592
00:28:24.735 --> 00:28:28.535
And when he would be born, a
sign would appear in the sky.

593
00:28:28.535 --> 00:28:31.295
It would be a star that
would announce his birth.

594
00:28:31.295 --> 00:28:34.935
And the magi prophetically
had been waiting

595
00:28:34.935 --> 00:28:37.415
for the fulfillment of what
Daniel had taught them.

596
00:28:37.415 --> 00:28:40.255
And now suddenly this
sign appears in the sky

597
00:28:40.255 --> 00:28:41.675
and they know this is

598
00:28:41.675 --> 00:28:44.675
what the prophet Daniel
warned us about in advance,

599
00:28:44.675 --> 00:28:45.985
they were elated

600
00:28:45.985 --> 00:28:49.515
because finally they knew this
star meant the greatest world

601
00:28:49.515 --> 00:28:53.615
leader ever born has been born.

602
00:28:53.615 --> 00:28:57.215
The appearance of that star
meant it's already happened.

603
00:28:57.215 --> 00:28:58.835
He has been born.

604
00:28:59.855 --> 00:29:02.835
And the Bible says, when Herod
the king heard these things,

605
00:29:03.775 --> 00:29:07.355
he was troubled and
all Jerusalem with him.

606
00:29:07.355 --> 00:29:09.175
Why was he troubled? Because in his mind,

607
00:29:09.175 --> 00:29:10.675
Ugh, here we go again.

608
00:29:10.675 --> 00:29:13.455
Somebody is gonna try to take my throne.

609
00:29:13.455 --> 00:29:15.875
And the reason that Jerusalem
was troubled with him is

610
00:29:15.875 --> 00:29:17.705
because Jerusalem knew, ah,

611
00:29:17.705 --> 00:29:19.795
he's gonna start killing people again.

612
00:29:20.835 --> 00:29:24.345
Verse four. And when Herod
had gathered all the chief

613
00:29:24.345 --> 00:29:27.345
priests and scribes of the
people together, he demanded

614
00:29:27.345 --> 00:29:29.985
of them, where should the Christ be born?

615
00:29:29.985 --> 00:29:33.255
The word demanded means he
interrogated them very adamantly.

616
00:29:33.255 --> 00:29:36.585
Tell me, I'm telling you,
you've got to answer me.

617
00:29:36.585 --> 00:29:39.765
Tell me exactly where is the Messiah,

618
00:29:39.765 --> 00:29:41.105
the Christ going to be born?

619
00:29:41.975 --> 00:29:46.145
Verse five. And they said unto
him, in Bethlehem of Judea,

620
00:29:46.145 --> 00:29:48.175
for thus, it is written by the prophet.

621
00:29:48.175 --> 00:29:50.565
Verse six, and now Bethlehem

622
00:29:50.565 --> 00:29:52.855
and the land of Judah are not the least

623
00:29:52.855 --> 00:29:54.205
among the princes of Judah.

624
00:29:54.205 --> 00:29:57.435
For out of thee shall come a governor

625
00:29:57.435 --> 00:30:00.465
that shall rule my people Israel.

626
00:30:00.465 --> 00:30:02.545
Wow. Now he has the answer.

627
00:30:02.545 --> 00:30:05.575
The Messiah's going to
be born in Bethlehem.

628
00:30:05.575 --> 00:30:08.715
Verse seven, then the
Greek is very emphatic.

629
00:30:08.715 --> 00:30:11.395
Then at that very moment, Herod,

630
00:30:11.395 --> 00:30:16.395
when he had ply called the Magi,
inquired of them diligently

631
00:30:16.475 --> 00:30:19.625
what time the star appeared.

632
00:30:19.625 --> 00:30:22.195
Now, why did he want to know
what time the star appeared?

633
00:30:22.195 --> 00:30:26.995
Because he knows the star
appeared at the moment

634
00:30:26.995 --> 00:30:28.505
that the child was born.

635
00:30:28.505 --> 00:30:31.475
And if he can determine
when the star appeared,

636
00:30:31.475 --> 00:30:35.705
then he can figure out how
old is the baby that he needs

637
00:30:35.705 --> 00:30:38.525
to look for so he can execute that child.

638
00:30:39.505 --> 00:30:40.925
So he says, please tell me.

639
00:30:40.925 --> 00:30:45.625
I want to know exactly
when did the star appear.

640
00:30:45.625 --> 00:30:48.925
He was just trying to
determine the age of the baby.

641
00:30:50.425 --> 00:30:54.225
And the Bible says, and verse eight,

642
00:30:54.225 --> 00:30:57.205
and he sent them to Bethlehem and said, go

643
00:30:57.205 --> 00:30:59.245
and search diligently for the young child.

644
00:31:00.145 --> 00:31:02.405
And when you have found
him, bring me word again

645
00:31:02.405 --> 00:31:05.185
that I may also come and worship him.

646
00:31:05.185 --> 00:31:08.145
But there's a problem. They
didn't go to Bethlehem.

647
00:31:08.145 --> 00:31:13.145
We have the full account by
Luke in Luke chapter two.

648
00:31:13.385 --> 00:31:17.045
The Magi never came to Bethlehem.

649
00:31:17.045 --> 00:31:20.715
And my friend Luke was a
scientist. Luke was a doctor.

650
00:31:20.715 --> 00:31:21.865
Luke was a historian.

651
00:31:21.865 --> 00:31:25.155
He would not have left a detail
like that out of the story.

652
00:31:25.155 --> 00:31:27.885
They are not in Luke chapter two.

653
00:31:27.885 --> 00:31:30.075
They didn't go to Bethlehem,

654
00:31:30.075 --> 00:31:32.415
but the Bible says he
sent them to Bethlehem.

655
00:31:32.415 --> 00:31:34.855
He said, go and search
diligently for the young child.

656
00:31:34.855 --> 00:31:38.395
And by the way, the word young
child are affirms for us that

657
00:31:38.395 --> 00:31:42.045
by this time Jesus was no longer a baby.

658
00:31:42.045 --> 00:31:44.255
Time had passed this word.

659
00:31:44.255 --> 00:31:47.975
Young child, the Greek word
REOs describes a toddler.

660
00:31:48.915 --> 00:31:52.135
By this time, Jesus was
already learning to walk.

661
00:31:53.075 --> 00:31:55.565
A substantial amount of time had passed

662
00:31:55.565 --> 00:31:56.995
since he was born in Bethlehem.

663
00:31:56.995 --> 00:31:59.985
And now, now he's a toddler.
He's beginning to walk.

664
00:31:59.985 --> 00:32:01.555
He's beginning to learn how to speak.

665
00:32:02.535 --> 00:32:04.435
And when you have found
me, bring me word again

666
00:32:04.435 --> 00:32:05.675
that I may come and worship him.

667
00:32:05.675 --> 00:32:07.795
Also, of course, he had no
intention to worship him.

668
00:32:07.795 --> 00:32:09.035
He wanted to kill him.

669
00:32:10.055 --> 00:32:11.835
And verse nine says, when they heard the

670
00:32:11.835 --> 00:32:13.575
king, they departed.

671
00:32:13.575 --> 00:32:15.815
Now notice this, they departed

672
00:32:15.815 --> 00:32:18.095
and low, there's that word low again.

673
00:32:18.095 --> 00:32:19.195
Wow. Wow.

674
00:32:20.095 --> 00:32:22.595
The star, which they saw in the east went

675
00:32:22.595 --> 00:32:24.495
before them, till they came

676
00:32:24.495 --> 00:32:27.915
and stood over where the young child was.

677
00:32:29.075 --> 00:32:31.815
And here's what we find.
This is remarkable to me.

678
00:32:32.665 --> 00:32:33.935
Herod sent them one place,

679
00:32:35.425 --> 00:32:37.445
but the star led them somewhere else.

680
00:32:39.825 --> 00:32:41.755
Herod said, you go to Bethlehem.

681
00:32:41.755 --> 00:32:44.235
But lo, the star led them

682
00:32:44.235 --> 00:32:47.755
and it did not lead them
to the cave in Bethlehem

683
00:32:47.755 --> 00:32:49.035
was two years later.

684
00:32:49.035 --> 00:32:51.445
By now, this child is no longer a baby.

685
00:32:51.445 --> 00:32:53.255
This is a little toddler learning

686
00:32:53.255 --> 00:32:55.475
to walk, learning how to speak.

687
00:32:55.475 --> 00:32:56.815
And it stood over the place

688
00:32:56.815 --> 00:32:59.495
where the young child was verse 10.

689
00:32:59.495 --> 00:33:01.175
And when they saw the star, they rejoiced

690
00:33:01.175 --> 00:33:02.675
with the exceeding great joy.

691
00:33:02.675 --> 00:33:05.875
And verse 11 tells us
where the young child was.

692
00:33:05.875 --> 00:33:10.695
Listen to this. And when they
were coming to the house,

693
00:33:11.595 --> 00:33:15.835
the house, and there's a
definite article, her the house.

694
00:33:15.835 --> 00:33:18.435
It was the house where Joseph

695
00:33:18.435 --> 00:33:22.155
and Mary lived the house
where the holy family lived.

696
00:33:22.155 --> 00:33:26.065
Not the cave in Bethlehem, the house

697
00:33:26.065 --> 00:33:28.375
which was in Nazareth.

698
00:33:29.355 --> 00:33:31.755
He sent them to Bethlehem,

699
00:33:31.755 --> 00:33:34.775
but the star led them to Nazareth.

700
00:33:34.775 --> 00:33:39.775
And when they walked in the
house, they saw the young child.

701
00:33:40.175 --> 00:33:42.555
And the word young
child again is this word

702
00:33:42.555 --> 00:33:44.975
that does not describe an infant.

703
00:33:44.975 --> 00:33:46.925
It describes a toddler.

704
00:33:46.925 --> 00:33:49.855
Jesus might have been standing
there as they walked in.

705
00:33:49.855 --> 00:33:51.625
That's amazing to me.

706
00:33:51.625 --> 00:33:53.175
They saw the young child

707
00:33:53.175 --> 00:33:57.335
or the toddler with Mary, his mother,

708
00:33:57.335 --> 00:34:01.475
and fell down, fell down in
Greek, means they collapsed.

709
00:34:02.385 --> 00:34:04.965
The the, the breath went out
of them, the strength went out.

710
00:34:04.965 --> 00:34:06.045
They just collapsed.

711
00:34:07.315 --> 00:34:10.605
Well, you have to understand,
these were Magi, magi.

712
00:34:10.605 --> 00:34:14.215
These were politicians.
These were king makers.

713
00:34:14.215 --> 00:34:16.405
These were princes of the Middle East.

714
00:34:17.305 --> 00:34:20.115
And Magi did not travel alone.

715
00:34:20.115 --> 00:34:23.605
They traveled in caravans, caravans.

716
00:34:24.835 --> 00:34:27.785
Most people think this was
three little lonely wise men.

717
00:34:27.785 --> 00:34:28.885
No, no, no, no, no.

718
00:34:28.885 --> 00:34:32.015
There were caravans
with every one of them.

719
00:34:32.015 --> 00:34:33.245
There could have been hundreds,

720
00:34:33.245 --> 00:34:36.395
there could have been
thousands traveling with them.

721
00:34:36.395 --> 00:34:38.625
Furthermore, they knew they were coming

722
00:34:38.625 --> 00:34:42.905
to see the greatest person
ever born in human history,

723
00:34:42.905 --> 00:34:45.145
the world leader of world leaders.

724
00:34:45.145 --> 00:34:46.545
And when they came into that house,

725
00:34:46.545 --> 00:34:50.415
you can be absolutely assured
they were dressed in the most

726
00:34:50.415 --> 00:34:54.885
royal regalia that they
possessed coming into

727
00:34:54.885 --> 00:34:58.705
that house wearing garments
that were simply sumptuous

728
00:34:58.705 --> 00:35:00.185
and crowns and jewelry.

729
00:35:00.185 --> 00:35:02.045
And when they saw the toddler,

730
00:35:02.905 --> 00:35:05.555
the Greek means the
strength went out of them.

731
00:35:05.555 --> 00:35:06.765
They just collapsed.

732
00:35:08.055 --> 00:35:11.925
So you can imagine them
lined flat on their faces

733
00:35:11.925 --> 00:35:15.075
with their royal garments
spread out all over the ground

734
00:35:15.075 --> 00:35:18.175
inside the house in front
of a toddler and his mother.

735
00:35:19.275 --> 00:35:22.995
And the Bible says they
fell down in, worshiped him.

736
00:35:22.995 --> 00:35:24.695
The word worshiped the Greek word kin,

737
00:35:24.695 --> 00:35:26.205
which means to fall toward him.

738
00:35:26.205 --> 00:35:29.615
Blow kisses. This was a time
when they intimately begin

739
00:35:29.615 --> 00:35:32.405
to adore and to worship
him with their worship.

740
00:35:32.405 --> 00:35:35.755
They were blowing kisses
toward the son of God.

741
00:35:35.755 --> 00:35:39.645
And it says, and when they
had opened their treasures,

742
00:35:40.595 --> 00:35:44.005
they presented unto him gifts,
gold, frankincense, and merr.

743
00:35:44.005 --> 00:35:46.395
But notice it says they opened.

744
00:35:46.395 --> 00:35:48.355
That word opened as a word

745
00:35:48.355 --> 00:35:51.445
that describes a very grand presentation,

746
00:35:51.445 --> 00:35:53.635
a very grand presentation.

747
00:35:53.635 --> 00:35:57.865
Furthermore, it says they
opened their treasures.

748
00:35:57.865 --> 00:36:00.665
The word treasures here is plural.

749
00:36:00.665 --> 00:36:02.995
It carries the idea of cargo.

750
00:36:02.995 --> 00:36:05.785
Then it says gold,
frankincense, and myrrh.

751
00:36:05.785 --> 00:36:07.825
And because it says gold, frankincense,

752
00:36:07.825 --> 00:36:11.465
and myrrh tradition says
there were just three magi.

753
00:36:11.465 --> 00:36:14.185
And every one of them was
carrying a different gift.

754
00:36:14.185 --> 00:36:16.245
One was carrying gold, one was carrying

755
00:36:16.245 --> 00:36:18.145
frankincense, one was carrying more.

756
00:36:18.145 --> 00:36:19.625
But the Bible does not say that.

757
00:36:19.625 --> 00:36:21.965
Do you know why we believe
that? I'll tell you why.

758
00:36:21.965 --> 00:36:26.365
It's very simple. In the Middle
Ages, when artists wanted

759
00:36:26.365 --> 00:36:28.345
to render this on a canvas

760
00:36:28.345 --> 00:36:30.465
and they wanted to put it in paint

761
00:36:30.465 --> 00:36:34.925
so everybody could see it,
they just put three princes,

762
00:36:34.925 --> 00:36:36.005
three magi, because

763
00:36:36.005 --> 00:36:38.285
that's all they could fit onto the canvas.

764
00:36:39.665 --> 00:36:43.115
And the artist portrayed
three lonely kings,

765
00:36:43.115 --> 00:36:44.545
each holding a little gift.

766
00:36:44.545 --> 00:36:47.665
One was holding a little
something of gold.

767
00:36:47.665 --> 00:36:49.065
The next one of frankincense,

768
00:36:49.065 --> 00:36:50.485
the next one of MEbA, my friends.

769
00:36:50.485 --> 00:36:52.205
That is not what the Bible says at all.

770
00:36:52.205 --> 00:36:54.325
That's just all they
could fit into the canvas.

771
00:36:55.395 --> 00:36:58.025
Also, if you look at those
canvases from the middle age,

772
00:36:58.025 --> 00:36:59.725
you'll find everything about it is wrong.

773
00:36:59.725 --> 00:37:02.945
There's an angel there.
There's no angel in this story.

774
00:37:02.945 --> 00:37:05.105
You'll find that the shepherds are there.

775
00:37:05.105 --> 00:37:06.795
The shepherds are not here.

776
00:37:06.795 --> 00:37:09.005
They just took everything
through it all together

777
00:37:09.005 --> 00:37:11.385
and put it on one piece of canvas.

778
00:37:11.385 --> 00:37:13.365
But that's not the way that it happened.

779
00:37:14.395 --> 00:37:17.385
When they came into
this room, they opened,

780
00:37:17.385 --> 00:37:20.645
it was a grand presentation.

781
00:37:20.645 --> 00:37:23.645
Servants begin to follow into
the room carrying elephant

782
00:37:23.645 --> 00:37:27.085
tusks, carpets, VAEs things made out

783
00:37:27.085 --> 00:37:30.625
of silver jewelry, all kinds of fabrics.

784
00:37:30.625 --> 00:37:34.345
It was a grand royal presentation.

785
00:37:34.345 --> 00:37:36.845
And do you know why it took
them two years to get there?

786
00:37:38.055 --> 00:37:42.945
Do you know why? Because they
understood they were coming

787
00:37:42.945 --> 00:37:45.985
to see the greatest world
leader that had ever been born.

788
00:37:45.985 --> 00:37:49.275
And they would not come empty handed.

789
00:37:49.275 --> 00:37:53.845
They took two years to
prepare their gifts.

790
00:37:54.825 --> 00:37:59.105
Two years. Let me ask you, what kind

791
00:37:59.105 --> 00:38:02.335
of preparation do you put into
what you give to the Lord?

792
00:38:02.335 --> 00:38:06.335
They put two years into their preparation,

793
00:38:06.335 --> 00:38:07.655
they brought the best.

794
00:38:07.655 --> 00:38:09.205
They had crafts, make gifts,

795
00:38:09.205 --> 00:38:11.705
and when they came,
they came loaded to bear

796
00:38:12.625 --> 00:38:14.585
caravans carrying gifts.

797
00:38:15.655 --> 00:38:20.045
They came really ready to worship grandly

798
00:38:20.045 --> 00:38:21.375
at the foot of this child.

799
00:38:21.375 --> 00:38:24.425
They opened their treasures
that were treasures,

800
00:38:24.425 --> 00:38:25.585
that Greek were the sars.

801
00:38:25.585 --> 00:38:29.165
It describes cargoes, treasure
upon treasure upon treasure.

802
00:38:29.165 --> 00:38:33.485
And among the treasures were
gold, frankincense, and bur.

803
00:38:33.485 --> 00:38:35.205
It doesn't mean that's
all that they brought.

804
00:38:35.205 --> 00:38:36.845
They brought an array of treasures.

805
00:38:36.845 --> 00:38:41.325
Again, carpets, tusks, ivory,
silver vases, ceramics,

806
00:38:41.325 --> 00:38:46.065
garments, fabrics just beyond
our imagination, wealth.

807
00:38:46.065 --> 00:38:48.285
And among them, gold,
frankincense, and mer.

808
00:38:48.285 --> 00:38:50.605
And these three gifts were prophetic

809
00:38:51.835 --> 00:38:55.885
because gold is a gift for a king.

810
00:38:55.885 --> 00:38:58.005
I love it when I share this with my kids

811
00:38:58.005 --> 00:38:59.325
and my grandkids at Christmas

812
00:38:59.325 --> 00:39:00.565
because they all put their hands up.

813
00:39:00.565 --> 00:39:03.035
They all wanna say what
these three gifts mean.

814
00:39:03.035 --> 00:39:06.805
Well, gold is the gift for a king.

815
00:39:06.805 --> 00:39:09.885
Frankincense describes
intercessory prayer.

816
00:39:09.885 --> 00:39:11.685
This is the gift for a priest.

817
00:39:11.685 --> 00:39:16.145
And myrrh was what you
used to embalm bodies.

818
00:39:16.145 --> 00:39:19.485
And in these particular
three gifts prophetically,

819
00:39:19.485 --> 00:39:21.175
it declared that Jesus was a king.

820
00:39:21.175 --> 00:39:22.465
Jesus was a priest.

821
00:39:22.465 --> 00:39:26.005
And from his very birth, it
was prophesied that myrrh,

822
00:39:26.005 --> 00:39:29.495
he would die for the
sins of the human race.

823
00:39:29.495 --> 00:39:31.765
Isn't that amazing? But let's go on

824
00:39:33.025 --> 00:39:35.875
and verse 12, being
warned of God in a dream

825
00:39:35.875 --> 00:39:38.395
that they should not return to Herod,

826
00:39:38.395 --> 00:39:40.965
they departed under their
own country, under their way,

827
00:39:40.965 --> 00:39:42.205
which was very simple for them

828
00:39:42.205 --> 00:39:45.445
because Nazareth was in the
East, was easier for them

829
00:39:45.445 --> 00:39:47.925
to take a shortcut and
just go on back home.

830
00:39:47.925 --> 00:39:51.345
And that's what they did. Verse 13.

831
00:39:51.345 --> 00:39:53.355
And when they were departed, behold,

832
00:39:53.355 --> 00:39:55.025
there's that word, behold again.

833
00:39:55.025 --> 00:39:56.085
Wow. It is amazing.

834
00:39:57.065 --> 00:40:01.615
The angel of the Lord appeared
to Joseph in a dream saying,

835
00:40:01.615 --> 00:40:04.465
arise, take the young child and his mother

836
00:40:04.465 --> 00:40:06.545
and flee into Egypt

837
00:40:06.545 --> 00:40:08.785
and be thou there until I bring the word

838
00:40:08.785 --> 00:40:13.355
for Herod will seek the
young child to destroy him.

839
00:40:13.355 --> 00:40:15.585
Well, first of all, the
word arise means do it

840
00:40:15.585 --> 00:40:17.605
and do it right now.

841
00:40:18.745 --> 00:40:22.425
And now we find out one
reason why God chose Joseph

842
00:40:22.425 --> 00:40:25.465
to be the foster father of Jesus.

843
00:40:25.465 --> 00:40:28.465
He was quick to obey. He had a dream.

844
00:40:28.465 --> 00:40:30.045
The angel of the Lord appeared unto him.

845
00:40:30.045 --> 00:40:31.205
He didn't say, Hmm,

846
00:40:31.205 --> 00:40:32.605
I wonder if this was really from the Lord

847
00:40:32.605 --> 00:40:34.605
or whether this is the
result of the spaghetti

848
00:40:34.605 --> 00:40:35.945
that I ate before I went to bed.

849
00:40:35.945 --> 00:40:39.105
He knew this was from the
Lord and he didn't argue.

850
00:40:39.105 --> 00:40:41.665
And the angel said, do
it and do it right now.

851
00:40:41.665 --> 00:40:44.315
And the Bible says, flee into Egypt.

852
00:40:44.315 --> 00:40:48.105
Well, fleeing into Egypt
couldn't happen overnight.

853
00:40:48.105 --> 00:40:52.175
The trip into Egypt was about 14 days.

854
00:40:52.175 --> 00:40:53.535
There were two routes.

855
00:40:53.535 --> 00:40:55.955
There was the shorter
route which went along the

856
00:40:55.955 --> 00:40:58.545
Mediterranean, but if
they took that route,

857
00:40:58.545 --> 00:41:02.685
it would be very easy for
Herod's spies to follow them.

858
00:41:02.685 --> 00:41:05.985
But there was the interior
route, which took 14 days.

859
00:41:05.985 --> 00:41:07.045
It was the longer route.

860
00:41:07.045 --> 00:41:09.505
It was the harder route,
but the safest route.

861
00:41:09.505 --> 00:41:12.025
And it appears that that is
the route that they took.

862
00:41:12.025 --> 00:41:15.355
But they began the journey that night.

863
00:41:15.355 --> 00:41:19.275
That night he said, flee into Egypt.

864
00:41:19.275 --> 00:41:21.825
It's called the flight into Egypt.

865
00:41:21.825 --> 00:41:23.885
And let me tell you, they were in

866
00:41:23.885 --> 00:41:25.165
Egypt for a number of years.

867
00:41:26.755 --> 00:41:28.005
Well, this was quite a dilemma

868
00:41:28.005 --> 00:41:31.505
because Joseph was a foreigner there.

869
00:41:31.505 --> 00:41:34.685
Joseph did not have a work
permit. He could not work there.

870
00:41:35.545 --> 00:41:38.085
You know what it's like to
go on a vacation takes a lot

871
00:41:38.085 --> 00:41:39.745
of money to go on vacation

872
00:41:39.745 --> 00:41:42.785
and to live in another
country for a couple of years.

873
00:41:42.785 --> 00:41:44.535
And furthermore, Egypt,

874
00:41:44.535 --> 00:41:48.825
Egypt was the most expensive
country in the world,

875
00:41:48.825 --> 00:41:52.245
the most expensive country
in the whole world.

876
00:41:53.105 --> 00:41:57.365
It was gonna take a lot of
money for them to live in Egypt.

877
00:41:57.365 --> 00:41:59.635
Where were they gonna
get that kind of money?

878
00:41:59.635 --> 00:42:02.165
Well, God made sure
money showed up in time

879
00:42:03.035 --> 00:42:04.325
when the Magi came.

880
00:42:04.325 --> 00:42:06.925
They gave everything
that was needed for them

881
00:42:06.925 --> 00:42:10.415
to have everything to pay the bills

882
00:42:10.415 --> 00:42:12.705
while they were in Egypt.

883
00:42:12.705 --> 00:42:15.285
And by the way, sometimes
people say, well, what happened

884
00:42:15.285 --> 00:42:16.555
to all of that money?

885
00:42:16.555 --> 00:42:18.595
They couldn't have taken
all of it with them.

886
00:42:18.595 --> 00:42:21.005
Well, the city of supporters,
which was right near

887
00:42:21.945 --> 00:42:23.225
to the city of Nazareth,

888
00:42:23.225 --> 00:42:25.545
was the banking center of the Middle East.

889
00:42:25.545 --> 00:42:29.155
All the money was put in
the bank. It stayed there.

890
00:42:29.155 --> 00:42:31.545
It's amazing. They took what they needed

891
00:42:31.545 --> 00:42:34.345
and they traveled the 14
day journey over into Egypt.

892
00:42:34.345 --> 00:42:36.085
And today, if you go to Egypt,

893
00:42:36.085 --> 00:42:40.505
and I have done this, you
can take a Coptic journey

894
00:42:40.505 --> 00:42:42.555
of the flight of the Holy Family in Egypt.

895
00:42:42.555 --> 00:42:45.125
It's amazing. When they
first came into Egypt,

896
00:42:45.125 --> 00:42:49.265
they settled in the Delta,
then they moved into Old Cairo.

897
00:42:49.265 --> 00:42:52.025
You can still go there today
and visit one of the sites.

898
00:42:52.025 --> 00:42:55.205
And they traveled for
several years up the Nile,

899
00:42:55.205 --> 00:42:57.385
going from one location
to another location

900
00:42:57.385 --> 00:42:59.925
to another location fleeing,

901
00:42:59.925 --> 00:43:04.585
because Herod's spies pursued
them throughout Egypt.

902
00:43:04.585 --> 00:43:06.905
That's why they didn't
just stay in one place.

903
00:43:06.905 --> 00:43:09.565
It was called the flight throughout Egypt.

904
00:43:09.565 --> 00:43:12.985
They kept moving the whole
time. That took a lot of money.

905
00:43:12.985 --> 00:43:15.765
But God made sure the money showed up on

906
00:43:15.765 --> 00:43:18.065
time for their assignment.

907
00:43:18.065 --> 00:43:19.925
And my friends, it's such a comfort to me

908
00:43:19.925 --> 00:43:22.805
and should be to you, that
if God's gonna give us an

909
00:43:22.805 --> 00:43:24.545
assignment, we don't
have the cash to do it.

910
00:43:24.545 --> 00:43:28.245
God will get us the cash and
he'll get us the cash on time.

911
00:43:28.245 --> 00:43:31.065
I prophesy that to you in Jesus' name.

912
00:43:31.065 --> 00:43:34.745
But the Bible says in
verse 14, and he arose

913
00:43:34.745 --> 00:43:37.265
and took the young child
and his mother by night

914
00:43:37.265 --> 00:43:39.195
and departed into Egypt.

915
00:43:39.195 --> 00:43:42.545
They were quick to obey verse 15,

916
00:43:42.545 --> 00:43:44.915
and was there until the death of Herod

917
00:43:44.915 --> 00:43:47.505
that it might be fulfilled,
which was spoken of the Lord

918
00:43:47.505 --> 00:43:49.405
by the prophet saying, out of Egypt,

919
00:43:51.315 --> 00:43:52.975
have I called my son?

920
00:43:52.975 --> 00:43:57.125
Verse 16. Then Herod, when
he saw that he was mocked

921
00:43:57.125 --> 00:44:01.345
of the wise men, was
exceedingly Roth and sent forth

922
00:44:01.345 --> 00:44:03.945
and slew all the children
that were in Bethlehem.

923
00:44:03.945 --> 00:44:06.485
And look at this, and in
the coast thereof in the

924
00:44:06.485 --> 00:44:09.785
neighborhood around
there from two years old

925
00:44:09.785 --> 00:44:11.645
and under, according to the time

926
00:44:12.535 --> 00:44:15.785
which he had diligently inquired
of the wise men, he knew

927
00:44:15.785 --> 00:44:17.595
how old the baby was

928
00:44:17.595 --> 00:44:21.245
because he had asked the Magi,
when did the star appear?

929
00:44:21.245 --> 00:44:22.665
It had been about two years.

930
00:44:22.665 --> 00:44:25.585
So he knew this baby
was about two years old,

931
00:44:25.585 --> 00:44:27.365
but he couldn't find the magi.

932
00:44:27.365 --> 00:44:29.895
They were gone. All he knew

933
00:44:30.755 --> 00:44:34.195
was the prophecy said the
Messiah would be born in

934
00:44:34.195 --> 00:44:35.475
Bethlehem, assuming

935
00:44:35.475 --> 00:44:38.525
that the baby was still in
Bethlehem, which he was not.

936
00:44:40.035 --> 00:44:42.555
He sent his troops into Bethlehem

937
00:44:42.555 --> 00:44:45.245
to slay all the babies that were there.

938
00:44:45.245 --> 00:44:47.315
Well, here we have
another interesting story.

939
00:44:47.315 --> 00:44:50.015
How many babies do you
think were in Bethlehem?

940
00:44:50.015 --> 00:44:51.615
Bethlehem was very, very small.

941
00:44:52.515 --> 00:44:55.845
One source said he killed 64,000 babies.

942
00:44:55.845 --> 00:44:57.565
Well, there's a real problem with that

943
00:44:57.565 --> 00:45:00.395
because there probably
were only about 2000 people

944
00:45:00.395 --> 00:45:02.125
who lived in Bethlehem.

945
00:45:02.125 --> 00:45:04.845
Bethlehem was just a dot on the map.

946
00:45:04.845 --> 00:45:07.155
It's possible that it
was somewhere between 10

947
00:45:07.155 --> 00:45:12.155
and 25 babies, but nonetheless,
it was a horrible slaughter.

948
00:45:12.335 --> 00:45:14.115
Somebody said, well,
if he really did this,

949
00:45:14.115 --> 00:45:16.835
why didn't Josephus record the slaughter

950
00:45:16.835 --> 00:45:19.335
of the innocence in Bethlem?

951
00:45:19.335 --> 00:45:24.125
Because Josephus had a lot
of horrible things to write

952
00:45:24.125 --> 00:45:26.115
that Herod did.

953
00:45:26.115 --> 00:45:29.895
And killing 10 to 25 babies
didn't rate very high on the

954
00:45:29.895 --> 00:45:32.605
scale of all the other atrocities

955
00:45:32.605 --> 00:45:34.235
that Herod did in his lifetime.

956
00:45:34.235 --> 00:45:37.155
So it didn't make it into
the writings of Josephus.

957
00:45:37.155 --> 00:45:40.275
But the Bible says, indeed, he
killed all the babies there.

958
00:45:40.275 --> 00:45:43.795
And this also shows me that
the devil is not so smart.

959
00:45:43.795 --> 00:45:44.975
He is not so smart.

960
00:45:45.875 --> 00:45:48.335
Qui did the devil so much credit

961
00:45:48.335 --> 00:45:49.735
the devil couldn't find the baby.

962
00:45:49.735 --> 00:45:51.795
The devil didn't even
know that Jesus had gone

963
00:45:51.795 --> 00:45:53.455
to Bethel, to Nazareth.

964
00:45:53.455 --> 00:45:55.015
The devil didn't know.

965
00:45:55.015 --> 00:45:57.335
If the devil knew, he would've told Herod,

966
00:45:57.335 --> 00:46:00.585
the devil does not know as
much as you think that he knows

967
00:46:00.585 --> 00:46:01.675
because he didn't know.

968
00:46:01.675 --> 00:46:02.875
He said, I guess we're gonna have

969
00:46:02.875 --> 00:46:06.115
to kill all the babies hoping
that we'll get the one.

970
00:46:06.975 --> 00:46:09.345
He didn't know. The one was already

971
00:46:09.345 --> 00:46:11.135
long gone somewhere else.

972
00:46:11.135 --> 00:46:15.675
Wow. Then the Bible says,
verse 17 then was fulfilled.

973
00:46:15.675 --> 00:46:17.155
That which was spoken by Jeremiah,

974
00:46:17.155 --> 00:46:20.185
the prophet saying in Rama
was there a voice heard

975
00:46:20.185 --> 00:46:21.475
lamentation and weeping.

976
00:46:21.475 --> 00:46:24.775
In great morning, Rachel
weeping for her children

977
00:46:24.775 --> 00:46:29.335
and would not be comforted
because they are not verse 19.

978
00:46:29.335 --> 00:46:34.055
But when Herod was dead, dead, behold,

979
00:46:34.055 --> 00:46:37.055
an angels of the Lord appeared in a dream

980
00:46:37.055 --> 00:46:39.215
to Joseph in Egypt.

981
00:46:39.215 --> 00:46:42.835
In Egypt. Here Joseph
again is spiritual enough,

982
00:46:42.835 --> 00:46:45.405
sensitive enough that
God can speak to him.

983
00:46:45.405 --> 00:46:48.555
Verse 20, Saint arise
and take the young child

984
00:46:48.555 --> 00:46:50.855
and his mother and go
into the land of Israel

985
00:46:50.855 --> 00:46:54.155
for they're dead, which
sought the young child's life.

986
00:46:54.155 --> 00:46:57.855
Verse 21. And he arose
and took the young child

987
00:46:57.855 --> 00:47:01.215
and his mother and came
into the land of Israel.

988
00:47:01.215 --> 00:47:05.355
But when he heard that AELs
did rain in Judea in the room

989
00:47:05.355 --> 00:47:08.475
of his father, Herod, he
was afraid to go hither.

990
00:47:08.475 --> 00:47:11.315
Notwithstanding being
warned of God in a dream,

991
00:47:11.315 --> 00:47:14.535
he turned his side into the
parts of Galilee and he came

992
00:47:14.535 --> 00:47:19.535
and dwelt in a city called Nazareth

993
00:47:19.785 --> 00:47:21.035
that it might be fulfilled,

994
00:47:21.035 --> 00:47:22.855
which was spoken by the prophets.

995
00:47:22.855 --> 00:47:25.875
He shall be called a Nazarene.

996
00:47:27.085 --> 00:47:29.085
Now, you know, when you
look at all of this, I,

997
00:47:29.085 --> 00:47:31.405
I think the story of Jesus' birth is one

998
00:47:31.405 --> 00:47:35.785
of the most amazing stories
that have ever been told.

999
00:47:35.785 --> 00:47:40.785
It is just amazing. There's a
star, there's a wicked king.

1000
00:47:41.115 --> 00:47:43.045
There's shepherds, there are angels.

1001
00:47:43.045 --> 00:47:47.445
A miraculous birth magi
bringing gold, frankincense,

1002
00:47:47.445 --> 00:47:50.265
and my, there's the story of an escape.

1003
00:47:50.265 --> 00:47:53.345
It is such an amazing story.

1004
00:47:53.345 --> 00:47:57.685
God put it all together
for the birth of his son.

1005
00:47:57.685 --> 00:48:01.715
That is remarkable. You are a son

1006
00:48:01.715 --> 00:48:03.075
and a daughter of God.

1007
00:48:03.075 --> 00:48:05.735
You are a joint heir with Jesus Christ.

1008
00:48:06.675 --> 00:48:11.385
And just like God took care of
his only begotten son Jesus,

1009
00:48:11.385 --> 00:48:13.065
God's gonna take care of you.

1010
00:48:13.065 --> 00:48:16.745
God's gonna make sure that
you are where you need to be.

1011
00:48:16.745 --> 00:48:19.355
He'll move everything
around you to get you there.

1012
00:48:19.355 --> 00:48:21.825
If you're not willing
to go there by yourself,

1013
00:48:21.825 --> 00:48:23.735
he'll get you all the cash you need

1014
00:48:23.735 --> 00:48:25.905
to do any job he ever gives you to do.

1015
00:48:25.905 --> 00:48:28.755
He'll provide for you protection
if you'll listen to him

1016
00:48:28.755 --> 00:48:30.665
and be sensitive to hear his voice.

1017
00:48:30.665 --> 00:48:32.945
He'll tell you when
you're free to come back.

1018
00:48:32.945 --> 00:48:36.255
He'll guide you every step along the way.

1019
00:48:37.155 --> 00:48:40.435
All of that is an amazing story

1020
00:48:40.435 --> 00:48:42.585
of Christmas.

1021
00:48:42.585 --> 00:48:44.535
Isn't that just amazing?

1022
00:48:46.085 --> 00:48:47.945
And every year at
Christmas we go through all

1023
00:48:47.945 --> 00:48:49.695
of this, all of this.

1024
00:48:49.695 --> 00:48:52.955
Then we open gifts and our kids

1025
00:48:52.955 --> 00:48:55.475
and our grandkids never say,
come on, can we get it over?

1026
00:48:55.475 --> 00:48:58.445
Can we get it over? Because
we go through the whole story.

1027
00:48:58.445 --> 00:49:01.815
This story is so thrilling.
They all want to participate.

1028
00:49:01.815 --> 00:49:04.415
They're raising their
hand, each of them vying

1029
00:49:04.415 --> 00:49:05.575
for the moment when they can say

1030
00:49:05.575 --> 00:49:06.975
what this means and what that means.

1031
00:49:07.965 --> 00:49:11.005
What a moment for us to
share the life of Jesus

1032
00:49:11.005 --> 00:49:13.655
with our family or with our friends.

1033
00:49:14.835 --> 00:49:17.115
That's what you can do this Christmas.

1034
00:49:17.115 --> 00:49:19.175
Use this video to do it
if you don't know how

1035
00:49:19.175 --> 00:49:20.935
to do it by yourself.

1036
00:49:21.995 --> 00:49:23.375
But I want to tell you that if you need

1037
00:49:23.375 --> 00:49:24.595
prayer, we're here for you.

1038
00:49:24.595 --> 00:49:25.975
We want to pray for you.

1039
00:49:26.865 --> 00:49:29.835
Never forget this is a
great time of the year

1040
00:49:29.835 --> 00:49:31.415
to take somebody to church

1041
00:49:31.415 --> 00:49:33.095
that normally would not go to church.

1042
00:49:34.045 --> 00:49:36.175
This is a moment when
people are spiritually open

1043
00:49:37.045 --> 00:49:40.095
that are not open at any
other time of the year.

1044
00:49:40.095 --> 00:49:42.515
Seizes the moment. Let this be a time

1045
00:49:42.515 --> 00:49:45.795
of the year when Christ is
born in somebody's heart this

1046
00:49:45.795 --> 00:49:48.035
year because you took them to church or

1047
00:49:48.035 --> 00:49:49.835
because you gave them
the good news of Jesus.

1048
00:49:50.975 --> 00:49:53.215
And if you want us to pray
for you, for that person

1049
00:49:53.215 --> 00:49:54.755
or persons, or for anything

1050
00:49:54.755 --> 00:49:56.075
that's on your heart, let us know.

1051
00:49:57.055 --> 00:49:59.075
And my friend, we're praying

1052
00:49:59.075 --> 00:50:03.055
that you have the most
wonderful, wonderful Christmas

1053
00:50:03.055 --> 00:50:05.365
and I want to pray for you right now.

1054
00:50:05.365 --> 00:50:07.345
Father, I thank you for the word of God.

1055
00:50:08.245 --> 00:50:13.065
I thank you that unto us, a
son is born. Oh, thank you.

1056
00:50:13.065 --> 00:50:15.725
And I thank you that Jesus
was not born to be a baby.

1057
00:50:16.585 --> 00:50:18.885
He was born as the lamb of God

1058
00:50:18.885 --> 00:50:21.345
that takes away the sin of the world.

1059
00:50:21.345 --> 00:50:25.145
And according to Philippians
chapter two, he took on flesh

1060
00:50:25.145 --> 00:50:30.145
and became a man and was
hung on a cross for us.

1061
00:50:30.435 --> 00:50:33.315
Lord, that's really
what Christmas is about.

1062
00:50:33.315 --> 00:50:36.925
It's not about gifts. It's
about you being sent on

1063
00:50:36.925 --> 00:50:39.635
assignment to die for us.

1064
00:50:39.635 --> 00:50:41.895
And because you were willing to say yes,

1065
00:50:43.625 --> 00:50:45.205
God highly exalted you

1066
00:50:45.205 --> 00:50:47.915
and gave you a name
that's above every name.

1067
00:50:47.915 --> 00:50:49.335
That is the name of Jesus.

1068
00:50:49.335 --> 00:50:50.405
Every niche should bow

1069
00:50:50.405 --> 00:50:54.225
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord

1070
00:50:54.225 --> 00:50:57.085
to the glory of God the Father.

1071
00:50:58.705 --> 00:51:02.555
Amen. Hey, thank you for
sharing this time with me.

1072
00:51:02.555 --> 00:51:04.265
Have a wonderful Christmas.

1073
00:51:04.265 --> 00:51:07.585
And one more thing this Christmas,

1074
00:51:07.585 --> 00:51:10.155
there's somebody who's alone.

1075
00:51:10.155 --> 00:51:12.145
They don't have a family member

1076
00:51:12.145 --> 00:51:13.865
or they've lost somebody that they love.

1077
00:51:13.865 --> 00:51:16.525
Or this year for some
reason, they're alone.

1078
00:51:16.525 --> 00:51:18.445
A lot of people have been sick.

1079
00:51:18.445 --> 00:51:21.395
This is your opportunity
to reach out to somebody

1080
00:51:21.395 --> 00:51:24.875
beyond your family and beyond your circle.

1081
00:51:24.875 --> 00:51:27.325
Invite them over. Have
them over for dinner.

1082
00:51:27.325 --> 00:51:28.615
Call them, send them a card.

1083
00:51:29.455 --> 00:51:32.915
Remember that there's somebody
sitting at home right now

1084
00:51:32.915 --> 00:51:37.205
who needs a touch, and you
can be the one to touch them.

1085
00:51:37.205 --> 00:51:38.205
Have a great season.

1086
00:51:53.865 --> 00:51:55.645
<v ->Hi friends. My name is Paul Renner.</v>

1087
00:51:55.645 --> 00:51:57.455
This is where the Moscow Good News Church

1088
00:51:57.455 --> 00:51:58.785
meets every Sunday to worship.

1089
00:51:58.785 --> 00:52:00.045
And right now we'd like to share

1090
00:52:00.045 --> 00:52:02.565
with you the song Blessing in Russian

1091
00:54:21.705 --> 00:54:22.055
<v ->Loves.</v>