WEBVTT
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This program is made possible by the giving
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of the God called partners
of Renner Ministries.
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Get ready for a teaching
that feeds your spirit
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and your mind, where the
word is the anchor in
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uncertain times
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and doctrine doesn't bend to culture.
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We keep it simple,
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but dive deep revealing a
truth that strengthens us,
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a love that emboldens,
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and a mission that touches the
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world. Let's join
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Rick Renner.
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Welcome to today's program.
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My name is Rick Renner
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and today we're going
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to be discussing - Why did God choose Mary?
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There were a lot of girls who
were old enough to give birth
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to the son of God, so was
there a special reason why God
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chose Mary?
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And on the screen behind me,
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you can see a beautiful illustration,
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which is from my new book called Christmas,
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The Rest of the Story.
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But in that illustration it shows Mary's father, Joachim,
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who is instructing his little
girl in the Word of God
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with her mother with her hands on her shoulders,
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that is in Mary's home
where she's being taught
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and instructed in the things of God.
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But hey, I want you to order
the entire brand new series,
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which is called Christmas, The Rest of the Story.
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It's 15-parts. It is just thrilling to learn all of this.
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The subtitle says,
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Amazing insights about Christmas you've never heard before.
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And today you're gonna
really hear brand new things.
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And this series comes
with a huge study guide.
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It's just enormous
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and it's filled with all
the points, the principles,
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the Greek words, the history,
everything in the series so
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that you can read it while you're seeing it or hearing it.
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And of course, we're offering you my book,
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which is called Christmas, The Rest of the Story:
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nearly 300 illustrated pages about the birth of Jesus
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and all the details
surrounding the birth of Jesus
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that you may have never heard
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before. When I was growing up,
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I heard the same story every year,
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but when I became an adult
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and I became educated enough to learn how
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to use the Greek New Testament
to really study, I began
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to unearth things I
had never heard before.
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And they are just thrilling.
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And all of it is in this book Christmas, The Rest
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of the Story.
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But you can order all these
things by going online
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or by giving us a call right now,
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and we're waiting to hear from you.
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And when you reach out to
us, please let us know how
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to pray for you.
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We're waiting for the
phone to ring right now
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or for your email to
show up in our inbox so
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that we can see what's on your heart
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and we begin to pray with
you and we really will.
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But hey, watch this and then
I'll be back in just a moment.
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Do you think you know the Christmas story - a babe
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and a manger: 3-wise men and a few lowly shepherds?
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But did you know that's just part
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of the story? In Rick Renner's
timeless new book, Christmas -
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The Rest of the Story, Rick
uncovers the stunning details
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of the nativity story
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you've never heard like -
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How many wise men there could have been:
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How far they would've traveled,
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and, Why Herod was troubled at the news
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of the birth of a new king.
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When I was growing up, I
heard the same Christmas story
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year after year
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and I loved it. When I got older,
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I found treasures in the Christmas story
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that no one had shared with me.
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That's what is in this book,
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and I wrote it to share with you
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and for you to share
with those whom you love.
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When you call or go online
right now to order this book
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for just $45,
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you'll receive the timeless
story of Christmas.
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Now, beautifully told in this
landmark Christmas keepsake.
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Through his detailed watercolor illustration, Christmas -
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The Rest of the Story - invites families
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to explore the true meaning of Christmas as they interact
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with the story across the stunning hand-drawn pages bound in
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a hardcover large format book.
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You'll create a family tradition that will last
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for generations. Great as a gift
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or for enhancing your own traditions,
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order the book today: Christmas - The Rest of the Story,
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for just $45.
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Call now or go to renner.org to order.
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Don't miss this special Christmas
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offer. Today we're gonna be looking at
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the question - Why did God choose Mary?
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There were a lot of
girls who were old enough
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to give birth to the son of God.
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So was there a special
reason why God chose Mary?
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And the goal of today's program is
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to really look at this question,
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why did God tap Mary on the shoulder
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for this monumental assignment?
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And today we're gonna find out
clues which may give us the
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answer to that question.
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But I want us to begin today with Luke 1,
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and we're going to read verses 26-30
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where the Bible says,
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And in the sixth month,
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the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city
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of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused
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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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And the angel came in unto her
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and said, Hail thou that art highly favored.
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So according to this verse,
she was highly favored.
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Why was she highly favored? Then
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the angel said, the Lord is
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with thee: blessed art thou among women.
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And when she - that's Mary - saw him,
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she was troubled at his saying
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and cast in her mind what manner
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of salutation this should be.
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And the angel said unto
her, Fear not Mary,
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for thou has found favor with God.
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What an amazing story.
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A small town, a virgin that is espoused
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to a man named Joseph.
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And suddenly she discovers
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that she has found special favor with God.
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But what do we know about Mary's earliest beginnings in life
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that may give us possible clues as to why God chose Mary out
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of all the other girls in the land of Israel
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and we have to begin with a village of Nazareth.
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The scripture tells us that Gabriel came
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to Mary when she was in the little obscure town
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called Nazareth.
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What do we know about Nazareth?
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Well, even though Nazareth is
named in the New Testament,
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very little is known
about Nazareth outside
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of the New Testament, and
very little is even known from
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ancient sources because
it was just so obscure
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and so unknown.
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What we do know is that it was
a small agricultural village
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and archeological research concludes that
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during the time Mary
and Joseph lived there
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and Jesus was born, there
was probably about 120
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to 150 people who lived there.
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Though there is one historian
whose speculates maybe as many
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as 480 - but I think you get the point.
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It was a very small obscure little town. Wow!
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But it was so far off the beaten track
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that no one would've gone there
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unless they intended to go there.
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It wasn't on any main road,
it was off the beaten track,
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just a little obscure town.
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In fact, it was so inconsequential
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that Nathaniel asked the question in John 1:46,
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Can anything good come out of Nazareth?
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But what else do we know about Nazareth?
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Well, the name Nazareth is derived from the Hebrew word
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netzer, a word that means a shoot or a branch.
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And this is very, very profound.
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We read in Isaiah 11:1,
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A shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse
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and a branch from his
roots will bear forth.
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And in this verse, this word
branch is the same word
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netzer, from which we derive the name Nazareth.
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And scholars concur that
Nazareth was so called
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because a branch of
Jesse's family, a branch
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of the Davidic line, had moved to the city of Nazareth
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and it seems that they relocated there
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about the year 100 BC; a clan
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of David's dynasty moved to Nazareth.
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It really was a branch
of the Davidic line.
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And the angel Gabriel said to Mary
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that her son would sit up on the throne
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of his father, David.
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That's because both Mary
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and Joseph were descendants of David,
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which means Jesus was literally born into the royal Davidic
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line that remarkably lived in the little obscure town
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of Nazareth.
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In Luke 2:4, it tells us that Joseph was
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of the house and of the lineage of David,
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even Joseph was of the lineage of David.
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But in Luke 1:32, Gabriel said clearly
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that Mary would give birth as a virgin
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which means Jesus was born
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with no male involvement.
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He was born of God
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and that meant that Mary also was of the Davidic line.
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And in Luke 1:32,
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the angel said he will be given the throne of his father,
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David. In Luke 1:69, the angel said
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that God would reign up a horn of salvation
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to us in the house of his servant David.
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In Romans 1:3, the apostle Paul wrote
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that Jesus was born of the
seed of David according
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to the flesh.
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Well, Joseph really was
of the seed of David,
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but in order for Jesus to be
born of the seed of David,
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it meant that Mary also had to be in the Davidic
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royal dynasty.
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So Christ was conceived without man's sexual involvement.
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And it means Mary, his mother, had
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to carry royal blood in her veins as well.
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Both of them were members
of David's family.
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But in Luke 1:26, the Bible says,
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And in the sixth month,
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the angel Gabriel was
sent from God unto a city
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of Galilee named Nazareth
to a virgin espoused
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to his man whose name was
Joseph of the house of David.
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So now we know that both Mary
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and Joseph, both of them
were of the house of David,
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thus Jesus sprang from a royal line.
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He really is the king of the Jews.
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But there's something
else we have to know.
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We need to understand
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that Nazareth was near to the city of Sepphoris.
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The little town of
Nazareth sat on the side
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of a hill about 400 feet above a valley.
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And from Nazareth,
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you could look in the
distance about four miles away
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and there was a hill.
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And on the top of that
hill was a very pristine,
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splendid city called Sepphoris.
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This is very important
to the story of Jesus.
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When Herod the Great died,
his kingdom was divided
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between his 3 sons: Herod Archelaus, Herod Philip,
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and Herod Antipas.
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Herod Antipas,
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the 3rd of the sons became the Tetrarch of Galilee.
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And when he was proclaimed
the Tetrarch of Galilee,
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he proclaimed Sepphoris as the capital
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of his new northern kingdom.
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And because it was
going to be his capital,
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he launched an enormous
campaign to embellish it,
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to develop it, to make it
the most splendid city in
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the Middle East.
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He wasted no money, he spared no expense,
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as he began to embellish the lavish city of Sepphoris.
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Josephus tells us that Sepphoris was the largest
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and most beautiful city in the region
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and in the city of Sepphoris there also was a very beautiful
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and luxurious synagogue.
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And the city of Sepphoris became the largest center
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for sacred Jewish roles.
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And in fact, this collection
of roles was so significant
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that after the destruction
of the temple in Jerusalem,
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the year 70 AD, the Sanhedrin
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and all the theological leaders relocated to the city
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of Sepphoris where this huge collection
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of roles was kept there in that magnificent,
259
00:12:03.310 --> 00:12:05.380
luxurious synagogue.
260
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Wow. But what is the connection of Sepphoris
261
00:12:09.730 --> 00:12:11.230
with the story of Mary
262
00:12:11.230 --> 00:12:15.400
and why God chose her to
bring Jesus into the world?
263
00:12:15.400 --> 00:12:16.780
Well, we have to go back
264
00:12:16.780 --> 00:12:21.780
and learn about Mary's earlier life in Jerusalem.
265
00:12:21.910 --> 00:12:24.790
And we know from early Christian writers
266
00:12:24.790 --> 00:12:27.610
that Mary's parents whose name were Joachim
267
00:12:27.610 --> 00:12:30.310
and Anne were very wealthy and they were benefactors
268
00:12:30.310 --> 00:12:33.340
and gave much of their resources to the work of God.
269
00:12:33.340 --> 00:12:35.740
We also have early hints
270
00:12:35.740 --> 00:12:39.280
that Joachim was a scroll scholar and they prayed
271
00:12:39.280 --> 00:12:41.860
and prayed - God, please give us a child.
272
00:12:41.860 --> 00:12:43.540
But they were already elderly.
273
00:12:43.540 --> 00:12:44.890
They had no child,
274
00:12:44.890 --> 00:12:47.590
but they made a promise
very similar to the promise
275
00:12:47.590 --> 00:12:51.340
that Hannah made to God in the book of 1st Samuel.
276
00:12:51.340 --> 00:12:54.310
And they said, God, if you give us a child, we will dedicate
277
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that child to you and that child will serve you all the days
278
00:12:58.060 --> 00:12:59.830
of that child's life.
279
00:12:59.830 --> 00:13:01.780
Well, Anne gave birth
280
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and she gave birth to a little girl named Mary.
281
00:13:05.980 --> 00:13:08.530
It was the answer to their prayers.
282
00:13:08.530 --> 00:13:10.840
And early Christian writers tell us
283
00:13:10.840 --> 00:13:14.200
that her parents officially
dedicated her to God
284
00:13:14.200 --> 00:13:15.730
as an infant
285
00:13:15.730 --> 00:13:19.780
and from her childhood they
begin to instill into her
286
00:13:19.780 --> 00:13:22.300
that she had been brought into the world
287
00:13:22.300 --> 00:13:24.580
for a special purpose
288
00:13:24.580 --> 00:13:28.150
and that she was to be
the handmaid of the Lord,
289
00:13:28.150 --> 00:13:32.620
to obey whatever God's will was for her life.
290
00:13:32.620 --> 00:13:34.120
And to help her grow spiritually,
291
00:13:34.120 --> 00:13:36.760
we're told by early Christian writers
292
00:13:36.760 --> 00:13:40.300
that her parents enrolled
her in a special school in
293
00:13:40.300 --> 00:13:43.720
Jerusalem near the temple
grounds that was designed
294
00:13:43.720 --> 00:13:47.890
for the training of young
girls in the scriptures.
295
00:13:47.890 --> 00:13:49.480
This is so very important
296
00:13:49.480 --> 00:13:51.190
and it reminds us of the importance
297
00:13:51.190 --> 00:13:53.200
of instilling into our children
298
00:13:53.200 --> 00:13:55.120
that they are not an afterthought,
299
00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:57.460
they were not brought into the world by accident,
300
00:13:57.460 --> 00:13:59.650
that God has a plan for them.
301
00:13:59.650 --> 00:14:02.500
And I want to ask you - Are you instilling in your own
302
00:14:02.500 --> 00:14:04.540
children or grandchildren - Hey,
303
00:14:04.540 --> 00:14:08.620
God brought you into this world for a special purpose.
304
00:14:08.620 --> 00:14:12.430
Have you dedicated your child
or your grandchildren to God?
305
00:14:12.430 --> 00:14:14.380
That is what Mary's parents did.
306
00:14:14.380 --> 00:14:16.510
And not only that, they made sure
307
00:14:16.510 --> 00:14:19.210
that the scripture was placed in her.
308
00:14:19.210 --> 00:14:22.060
They did all they could
to develop her spiritually
309
00:14:22.060 --> 00:14:26.950
and to teach her that she was
to be the handmade of the Lord
310
00:14:26.950 --> 00:14:28.870
and she was to do the will of God
311
00:14:28.870 --> 00:14:32.680
whatever the will of God was
for her life. They instilled
312
00:14:32.680 --> 00:14:34.330
that into her.
313
00:14:34.330 --> 00:14:37.750
And spiritually, her
parents began to shape her
314
00:14:37.750 --> 00:14:42.250
and form her to say yes to
God's plan for her life.
315
00:14:42.250 --> 00:14:45.400
So if we're looking for a reason why God chose Mary, first
316
00:14:45.400 --> 00:14:49.150
of all, we can see that Mary's
parents had intentionally
317
00:14:49.150 --> 00:14:52.460
reared her to be spiritually sensitive.
318
00:14:52.460 --> 00:14:55.010
They taught her to love the word of God,
319
00:14:55.010 --> 00:14:56.360
and they instructed her
320
00:14:56.360 --> 00:14:59.360
and made her to understand
that she was the handmaid
321
00:14:59.360 --> 00:15:00.890
of the Lord and she was to be willing
322
00:15:00.890 --> 00:15:03.800
to do whatever God ever asked her to do.
323
00:15:03.800 --> 00:15:05.750
So when Gabriel showed up
324
00:15:05.750 --> 00:15:09.440
and spoke a surprise word to her, rather than argue
325
00:15:09.440 --> 00:15:13.550
with the angel, Mary surrendered to the call of God.
326
00:15:13.550 --> 00:15:15.950
Why? Because it had been taught to her
327
00:15:15.950 --> 00:15:18.380
that she was brought into the
world to do a special job,
328
00:15:18.380 --> 00:15:19.700
whatever it was.
329
00:15:19.700 --> 00:15:23.120
And in Luke 2:38, she simply said
330
00:15:23.120 --> 00:15:25.880
to Gabriel - Be it unto me according
331
00:15:25.880 --> 00:15:28.910
to thy word.
332
00:15:28.910 --> 00:15:30.830
And my friends, in the same way,
333
00:15:30.830 --> 00:15:34.820
you can intentionally help develop your children to say yes
334
00:15:34.820 --> 00:15:37.940
to the will of God for their lives.
335
00:15:37.940 --> 00:15:39.080
You can train them
336
00:15:39.080 --> 00:15:43.040
and spiritually prepare their
hearts to become a vessel
337
00:15:43.040 --> 00:15:46.190
that God can work through. My friends,
338
00:15:46.190 --> 00:15:48.380
we see in this example of Mary that
339
00:15:48.380 --> 00:15:50.780
what her parents did was very intentional
340
00:15:50.780 --> 00:15:52.400
and it may be one
341
00:15:52.400 --> 00:15:56.420
of the reasons why God knew he could use Mary.
342
00:15:56.420 --> 00:15:59.300
But what do we know about Mary's father?
343
00:15:59.300 --> 00:16:01.160
What early Christian records state
344
00:16:01.160 --> 00:16:03.830
that Mary's parents were
wealthy benefactors,
345
00:16:03.830 --> 00:16:04.880
they gave a lot to the work
346
00:16:04.880 --> 00:16:08.270
of God while they were
living in Jerusalem.
347
00:16:08.270 --> 00:16:09.890
But another early record tells us
348
00:16:09.890 --> 00:16:13.340
that Mary's father eventually
moved his family to the city
349
00:16:13.340 --> 00:16:14.690
of Sepphoris.
350
00:16:14.690 --> 00:16:18.080
And this is the connection of
Sepphoris to the whole story
351
00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:19.430
of Jesus.
352
00:16:19.430 --> 00:16:21.890
Sepphoris had the largest collection
353
00:16:21.890 --> 00:16:25.130
of sacred roles in the land of Israel.
354
00:16:25.130 --> 00:16:27.050
And in fact, it was so important
355
00:16:27.050 --> 00:16:30.320
that it became the headquarters for the Jewish Sanhedrin
356
00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:33.110
after the destruction of the temple in 70 AD.
357
00:16:33.950 --> 00:16:35.570
Wow, that is amazing.
358
00:16:35.570 --> 00:16:38.540
But there are early hints
359
00:16:38.540 --> 00:16:41.600
that Mary's father participated in the keeping
360
00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:45.260
of the sacred roles that
were stored in the synagogue,
361
00:16:45.260 --> 00:16:47.360
in Sepphoris.
362
00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:49.130
In Christian terms, we could say
363
00:16:49.130 --> 00:16:51.980
that Mary's father was a man of the word.
364
00:16:51.980 --> 00:16:54.350
He was a churchgoing man,
365
00:16:54.350 --> 00:16:57.380
and he with his wife Anna,
were committed to do the will
366
00:16:57.380 --> 00:16:59.510
of God and their lives were built
367
00:16:59.510 --> 00:17:02.780
around the sacred
commandments of the scripture.
368
00:17:02.780 --> 00:17:06.680
These were people really
committed to the word of God.
369
00:17:06.680 --> 00:17:09.110
And of course, Mary would've
been very influenced
370
00:17:09.110 --> 00:17:11.810
by her parents who are
deeply committed to the Bible
371
00:17:11.810 --> 00:17:14.660
and who regularly attended synagogue.
372
00:17:14.660 --> 00:17:16.940
And by the way, this
makes me think of parents
373
00:17:16.940 --> 00:17:18.770
who send their kids to church,
374
00:17:18.770 --> 00:17:21.170
but they don't go themselves. My friends,
375
00:17:21.170 --> 00:17:24.500
you're sending a wrong
signal to your kids.
376
00:17:24.500 --> 00:17:28.460
Mary's parents, Joachim, Anne, they went themselves.
377
00:17:28.460 --> 00:17:30.110
They read the Bible themselves.
378
00:17:30.110 --> 00:17:32.480
They didn't just tell their
kids what they needed to do,
379
00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:35.570
they set the parental example themselves.
380
00:17:35.570 --> 00:17:38.750
And I want to ask you, are
you setting the right example
381
00:17:38.750 --> 00:17:39.800
for your children?
382
00:17:39.800 --> 00:17:42.830
If not, then decide to do it today.
383
00:17:42.830 --> 00:17:44.990
But when we look at the examples of Mary
384
00:17:44.990 --> 00:17:48.020
and her parents, we see that their example
385
00:17:48.020 --> 00:17:50.940
and involvement in teaching
Mary was influential in
386
00:17:50.940 --> 00:17:54.780
spiritually preparing
Mary's heart to say yes
387
00:17:54.780 --> 00:17:56.580
to the will of God.
388
00:17:56.580 --> 00:17:58.740
But wait, what else do we know about Mary?
389
00:17:58.740 --> 00:18:01.770
Well, the Bible tells us she was a virgin.
390
00:18:01.770 --> 00:18:06.240
Matthew 1:18 says she was a virgin who was a espoused
391
00:18:06.240 --> 00:18:08.580
to a man named Joseph.
392
00:18:08.580 --> 00:18:11.370
And the fact that she was
a virgin was a fulfillment
393
00:18:11.370 --> 00:18:14.130
of Isaiah 7:14, which says,
394
00:18:14.130 --> 00:18:18.000
therefore, the Lord himself
shall give you a sign.
395
00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:21.060
Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son
396
00:18:21.060 --> 00:18:25.860
and shall call his name Emmanuel, which means God with us.
397
00:18:25.860 --> 00:18:27.540
And today there are skeptics who say
398
00:18:27.540 --> 00:18:30.450
that this word virgin just means an unmarried girl:
399
00:18:30.450 --> 00:18:32.760
but my friends, that simply is wrong.
400
00:18:32.760 --> 00:18:36.900
The word virgin is a Greek word which specifically describes
401
00:18:36.900 --> 00:18:40.050
a young girl that has never experienced a sexual
402
00:18:40.050 --> 00:18:42.990
relationship, not ever with a man;
403
00:18:42.990 --> 00:18:45.180
but it's impossible for somebody
404
00:18:45.180 --> 00:18:48.480
to be pregnant without a sexual relationship.
405
00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:51.570
And this is why we read in Luke 1:29 -
406
00:18:51.570 --> 00:18:54.030
And when she, Mary saw him, Gabriel,
407
00:18:54.030 --> 00:18:55.500
she was troubled in his saying
408
00:18:55.500 --> 00:19:00.240
and cast in her mind what manner salutation this should be.
409
00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:04.080
And we read in Luke 31 to 34 that Gabriel said,
410
00:19:04.080 --> 00:19:07.620
And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb
411
00:19:07.620 --> 00:19:10.410
and bring forth the son and
shall call his name Jesus.
412
00:19:10.410 --> 00:19:11.670
He shall be great and shall be
413
00:19:11.670 --> 00:19:12.960
called the son of the highest.
414
00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:15.330
And the Lord God shall
give unto him the throne
415
00:19:15.330 --> 00:19:16.410
of his father, David,
416
00:19:16.410 --> 00:19:19.920
and he shall reign over
the house of Jacob forever
417
00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:21.690
and ever and of his kingdom,
418
00:19:21.690 --> 00:19:25.710
there shall be no end.
419
00:19:25.710 --> 00:19:28.950
And in this one statement, Mary discovered that she is going
420
00:19:28.950 --> 00:19:31.230
to become supernaturally pregnant.
421
00:19:31.230 --> 00:19:34.710
And in Luke 1:34, Mary said unto the angel,
422
00:19:34.710 --> 00:19:37.140
How shall this be, seeing
423
00:19:37.140 --> 00:19:40.860
I know not a man. Notice
that she didn't argue.
424
00:19:40.860 --> 00:19:43.470
She simply asked for clarification.
425
00:19:43.470 --> 00:19:46.710
She wanted to understand how
is this going to take place?
426
00:19:46.710 --> 00:19:48.720
And the reason she didn't argue is
427
00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:52.020
because it had been instilled
in her from an infant,
428
00:19:52.020 --> 00:19:54.900
she was to do the will of God with her life.
429
00:19:54.900 --> 00:19:59.820
And when we read Luke 1:26 to 35 & 38, the angel answered
430
00:19:59.820 --> 00:20:03.330
and said unto her - The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee
431
00:20:03.330 --> 00:20:05.610
and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee.
432
00:20:05.610 --> 00:20:08.670
Therefore also that holy
thing which shall be born
433
00:20:08.670 --> 00:20:10.470
of thee shall be called the Son of God.
434
00:20:10.470 --> 00:20:15.330
And Mary said - Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
435
00:20:15.330 --> 00:20:18.090
That's what she'd been taught
all of her life, that she was
436
00:20:18.090 --> 00:20:19.320
to be the servant of the Lord,
437
00:20:19.320 --> 00:20:21.090
to do whatever God wanted her to do.
438
00:20:21.090 --> 00:20:22.950
And now Mary says, it's my moment,
439
00:20:22.950 --> 00:20:26.310
here I am. Behold the handmade of the Lord,
440
00:20:26.310 --> 00:20:28.920
be it unto me according to thy word.
441
00:20:28.920 --> 00:20:31.320
And the angel departed.
442
00:20:31.320 --> 00:20:33.180
Notice that Mary referred to herself
443
00:20:33.180 --> 00:20:35.430
as the handmade of the Lord.
444
00:20:35.430 --> 00:20:37.620
That's what she had been
taught from the time
445
00:20:37.620 --> 00:20:38.700
that she was an infant.
446
00:20:38.700 --> 00:20:40.830
And now her moment has come,
447
00:20:40.830 --> 00:20:42.330
she's discovered the will of God.
448
00:20:42.330 --> 00:20:45.480
And rather than argue, she
simply says, be it unto me,
449
00:20:45.480 --> 00:20:47.440
according to thy word.
450
00:20:47.440 --> 00:20:50.890
But when we come to Matthew 1:18,
451
00:20:50.890 --> 00:20:53.260
we read something else very important.
452
00:20:53.260 --> 00:20:56.560
It says: Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise when
453
00:20:56.560 --> 00:20:59.380
as his mother, Mary was espoused to Joseph
454
00:20:59.380 --> 00:21:04.300
before they came together, she was found with child
455
00:21:04.300 --> 00:21:07.930
of the Holy Ghost, which means she was a espoused.
456
00:21:07.930 --> 00:21:09.430
What does it mean to be a espoused?
457
00:21:09.430 --> 00:21:12.400
Well, the spousal period was very serious
458
00:21:12.400 --> 00:21:13.960
among the people of Israel.
459
00:21:13.960 --> 00:21:15.580
When you were going to
get married, you went
460
00:21:15.580 --> 00:21:16.810
through an espousal period,
461
00:21:16.810 --> 00:21:19.570
which basically was a legal engagement.
462
00:21:19.570 --> 00:21:22.780
In fact, it was so legal
you could only break it off
463
00:21:22.780 --> 00:21:23.920
with a divorce.
464
00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:25.600
And during that period,
465
00:21:25.600 --> 00:21:27.820
the young girl would
usually move into the home
466
00:21:27.820 --> 00:21:30.700
of her future spouse's parents.
467
00:21:30.700 --> 00:21:34.210
But she had no sexual relationship with the husband.
468
00:21:34.210 --> 00:21:35.680
It was a year of purity.
469
00:21:35.680 --> 00:21:38.050
And during that one year preparing
470
00:21:38.050 --> 00:21:40.600
for the final moment when
they would be joined together,
471
00:21:40.600 --> 00:21:43.990
they went through a time of
preparation for marriage.
472
00:21:43.990 --> 00:21:48.010
They took marriage so serious,
they did not rush into it,
473
00:21:48.010 --> 00:21:51.880
which may be one reason why so
many marriages failed today.
474
00:21:51.880 --> 00:21:54.340
But they studied and they
prepared for one year,
475
00:21:54.340 --> 00:21:57.700
and it was to be a year of sexual purity.
476
00:21:57.700 --> 00:21:59.350
And it was during that year that they were
477
00:21:59.350 --> 00:22:01.900
to be sexually pure, that Mary was found to be
478
00:22:01.900 --> 00:22:03.700
with child - huh?
479
00:22:03.700 --> 00:22:06.670
Well, this could have been a bad moment,
480
00:22:06.670 --> 00:22:08.350
but we're gonna find
out in the next program,
481
00:22:08.350 --> 00:22:12.130
there's a reason why God
chose Joseph as well.
482
00:22:12.130 --> 00:22:13.270
But the Bible tells us
483
00:22:13.270 --> 00:22:17.230
before they came together,
Mary was found with child
484
00:22:17.230 --> 00:22:19.570
of the Holy Ghost.
485
00:22:19.570 --> 00:22:24.310
So what have we found clues
as to why God chose Mary.
486
00:22:24.310 --> 00:22:27.700
1st: Mary descended from the house of David,
487
00:22:27.700 --> 00:22:29.320
and that was a requirement.
488
00:22:29.320 --> 00:22:32.800
No.2: Mary was presented by her parents to the Lord
489
00:22:32.800 --> 00:22:36.100
and dedicated as an infant to do the will of God.
490
00:22:36.100 --> 00:22:39.280
No.3: Mary had been serving God,
491
00:22:39.280 --> 00:22:41.230
she had been developing her heart spiritually,
492
00:22:41.230 --> 00:22:44.290
and God had been watching all along.
493
00:22:44.290 --> 00:22:48.250
And God knew this was a girl who would say yes
494
00:22:48.250 --> 00:22:50.110
to his call.
495
00:22:50.110 --> 00:22:52.180
What does God know about you?
496
00:22:52.180 --> 00:22:55.030
Does God know if he taps you
on the shoulder, you'll say,
497
00:22:55.030 --> 00:22:57.970
be it under me according to thy word.
498
00:22:57.970 --> 00:23:00.430
And my friends, God is watching you.
499
00:23:00.430 --> 00:23:04.330
He knows if you will say,
be it unto me, according
500
00:23:04.330 --> 00:23:08.020
to thy word, I'll do
whatever you want me to do.
501
00:23:08.020 --> 00:23:11.440
God does not choose people by accident.
502
00:23:11.440 --> 00:23:14.620
There are specific reasons why God chooses people.
503
00:23:14.620 --> 00:23:18.700
And if you look at the story
of Mary, we find clues as
504
00:23:18.700 --> 00:23:20.140
to why God chose her.
505
00:23:20.140 --> 00:23:21.910
But in the next program,
506
00:23:21.910 --> 00:23:24.760
we're gonna find out why God chose Joseph
507
00:23:24.760 --> 00:23:27.250
to be the foster father of Jesus.
508
00:23:27.250 --> 00:23:28.750
I'll be back in just a moment.
509
00:23:37.300 --> 00:23:40.510
This is Rick Renner, and somebody has asked the question -
510
00:23:40.510 --> 00:23:43.420
Was Joseph rich or poor?
511
00:23:43.420 --> 00:23:47.510
Well, we read about Joseph in Matthew 1:18,
512
00:23:47.510 --> 00:23:49.460
where the Bible says - Now the birth
513
00:23:49.460 --> 00:23:53.360 line:15%
of Jesus Christ was on this wise: when as his mother,
514
00:23:53.360 --> 00:23:55.850
Mary was espoused to Joseph,
515
00:23:55.850 --> 00:23:57.800
before they came together, she was found
516
00:23:57.800 --> 00:23:59.510
with child of the Holy Ghost.
517
00:23:59.510 --> 00:24:04.510
And verse 19 says that Joseph,
her husband, was a just man.
518
00:24:04.790 --> 00:24:07.370
But because of the writings
of early church fathers and
519
00:24:07.370 --> 00:24:09.020
because of the New Testament,
520
00:24:09.020 --> 00:24:10.640
we know quite a lot about Joseph.
521
00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:13.460
He was not a poor carpenter,
522
00:24:13.460 --> 00:24:15.320
and in fact, he was not a carpenter at all.
523
00:24:15.320 --> 00:24:18.590
The Greek word which is used in the New Testament translated
524
00:24:18.590 --> 00:24:21.140
carpenter, is actually the Greek word tekton.
525
00:24:21.140 --> 00:24:22.910
It describes a highly skilled,
526
00:24:22.910 --> 00:24:25.280
advanced technological worker.
527
00:24:25.280 --> 00:24:27.560
And in the 1st Century, these kinds
528
00:24:27.560 --> 00:24:30.170
of workers were handsomely paid.
529
00:24:30.170 --> 00:24:32.300
Joseph was a successful man.
530
00:24:32.300 --> 00:24:33.650
He had proven himself,
531
00:24:33.650 --> 00:24:36.350
and that's one reason why God tapped him
532
00:24:36.350 --> 00:24:39.080
to be the foster father of Jesus.
533
00:24:39.080 --> 00:24:43.790
This week, you can order all
Renner products for 25% off.
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00:24:43.790 --> 00:24:45.470
Take advantage of our Cyber Sale
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this holiday season.
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It's the perfect time to invest in your spiritual growth
538
00:24:52.730 --> 00:24:54.230
or bless someone you love.
539
00:24:55.850 --> 00:24:58.040
Do you really know the story of Christmas?
540
00:24:58.040 --> 00:25:00.230
Is there more to the story about the birth
541
00:25:00.230 --> 00:25:02.570
of our savior than what you've been told? In this
542
00:25:02.570 --> 00:25:03.590
series, Christmas -
543
00:25:03.590 --> 00:25:06.560
The Rest of the Story, Rick Renner dives deep into the parts
544
00:25:06.560 --> 00:25:09.350
of the Christmas story that
most people have never heard.
545
00:25:09.350 --> 00:25:12.380
Rick says - I've studied this story for decades
546
00:25:12.380 --> 00:25:15.500
and I found fabulous treasures
no one ever shared with me.
547
00:25:15.500 --> 00:25:18.380
In this series, we explore the Bible, history,
548
00:25:18.380 --> 00:25:19.580
historical writings,
549
00:25:19.580 --> 00:25:23.060
and so much more so we can really understand all the events
550
00:25:23.060 --> 00:25:25.580
that took place surrounding
the birth of Jesus.
551
00:25:25.580 --> 00:25:28.820
Rick answers questions like - Why did God choose Mary?
552
00:25:28.820 --> 00:25:30.740
Was Joseph really a carpenter?
553
00:25:30.740 --> 00:25:33.710
Why was Herod so troubled by Jesus' birth?
554
00:25:33.710 --> 00:25:35.090
Who were the Magi
555
00:25:35.090 --> 00:25:37.760
and what was the estimated value of their gifts?
556
00:25:37.760 --> 00:25:41.240
This 15-part documentary type series is available in digital
557
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or physical format, starting at just $24.
558
00:25:44.660 --> 00:25:47.330
And we are excited to also
offer you Rick's stunning new
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book - Christmas, The Rest of the Story.
560
00:25:49.730 --> 00:25:51.605
It's a book you'll want
to share with friends
561
00:25:51.605 --> 00:25:53.570
and family at this time of the year.
562
00:25:53.570 --> 00:25:57.500
This hardcover 300 page fully illustrated book is a keepsake
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that friends and family will
pass on to future generations.
564
00:26:00.920 --> 00:26:03.950
Don't miss this special offer - the series, Christmas,
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00:26:03.950 --> 00:26:05.150
The Rest of the Story,
566
00:26:05.150 --> 00:26:08.390
and the beautiful book - Christmas, The Rest of the Story.
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00:26:08.390 --> 00:26:09.860
Call the number on your screen now
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00:26:09.860 --> 00:26:11.660
or go to renner.org to order.
569
00:26:11.660 --> 00:26:13.160
Call or go online now.
570
00:26:15.050 --> 00:26:18.170
Well, we have covered a
lot of material today looking
571
00:26:18.170 --> 00:26:21.230
for clues as to why God chose Mary,
572
00:26:21.230 --> 00:26:24.950
and tomorrow we're going
to see why God chose Joseph
573
00:26:24.950 --> 00:26:26.930
to be the foster father of Jesus.
574
00:26:26.930 --> 00:26:28.520
Don't miss tomorrow's program
575
00:26:28.520 --> 00:26:31.610
because you're gonna discover Joseph was not a
576
00:26:31.610 --> 00:26:33.110
poor carpenter.
577
00:26:33.110 --> 00:26:35.120
It's gonna be quite eye-opening,
578
00:26:35.120 --> 00:26:38.450
but I'm offering you the series which is called - Christmas,
579
00:26:38.450 --> 00:26:39.920
The Rest of the Story.
580
00:26:39.920 --> 00:26:41.210
The subtitle says,
581
00:26:41.210 --> 00:26:45.420
Amazing Insights about Christmas you've never heard before,
582
00:26:45.420 --> 00:26:48.690
and my friends, it comes with this wonderful study guide,
583
00:26:48.690 --> 00:26:51.420
and we're also offering you
my book that I really want you
584
00:26:51.420 --> 00:26:55.170
to order Christmas, The Rest of the Story: nearly 300 pages
585
00:26:55.170 --> 00:26:57.360
that are fully illustrated.
586
00:26:57.360 --> 00:26:59.520
You will dive into this book.
587
00:26:59.520 --> 00:27:01.830
It will just be a treasure for you.
588
00:27:01.830 --> 00:27:03.690
But I wanna pray for you right now.
589
00:27:03.690 --> 00:27:05.550
Please put your hand on your heart.
590
00:27:05.550 --> 00:27:08.190
Father, thank you that
you extend your call
591
00:27:08.190 --> 00:27:09.810
to each one of us.
592
00:27:09.810 --> 00:27:12.390
Help us Lord, to become
so spiritually attuned
593
00:27:12.390 --> 00:27:14.160
that when you reveal your will to us,
594
00:27:14.160 --> 00:27:16.230
we will not argue with you,
595
00:27:16.230 --> 00:27:20.430
but like Mary, we'll simply say - all right Lord, I'm yours.
596
00:27:20.430 --> 00:27:24.060
Be it unto me according to your word.
597
00:27:24.060 --> 00:27:28.200
We pray this in Jesus' wonderful name - Amen.
598
00:27:29.130 --> 00:27:31.470
Well, tomorrow is really going to be good,
599
00:27:31.470 --> 00:27:36.270
but please remember Ecclesiastes 8:4,
600
00:27:36.270 --> 00:27:38.940
a powerful verse which says, "Where the word
601
00:27:38.940 --> 00:27:41.040
of a king is, there's power."
602
00:27:41.040 --> 00:27:43.170
So grab hold of the word of God
603
00:27:43.170 --> 00:27:47.160
and let it release its
power in your life today.
604
00:27:47.160 --> 00:27:49.440
If you've never received
Jesus as your Savior
605
00:27:49.440 --> 00:27:53.820
and Lord, now is the time for
you to experience a new life
606
00:27:53.820 --> 00:27:55.980
Jesus has to give you.
607
00:27:55.980 --> 00:28:00.060
Pray this prayer with me right now - Lord,
608
00:28:00.060 --> 00:28:04.080
I repent of my sin and receive you as my Savior
609
00:28:04.080 --> 00:28:07.050
and Lord. Wash away my sin
610
00:28:07.050 --> 00:28:10.050
and make me completely new.
611
00:28:10.050 --> 00:28:13.860
I thank you that my sin is removed
612
00:28:13.860 --> 00:28:18.860
and Satan no longer has any right to lay claim on me.
613
00:28:19.410 --> 00:28:23.400
I faithfully promise that I will serve you as my Lord
614
00:28:23.400 --> 00:28:25.080
for the rest of my life.
615
00:28:25.950 --> 00:28:26.783
Amen.