The Incarnation of Jesus and What That Means For Prolife Ministry

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.600 --> 00:00:05.799 I Am Yours, I am yours, I am yours s and me, 2 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:10.949 Lord, I am yours. Welcome to the Gospel Center Pro Life Podcast, 3 00:00:11.150 --> 00:00:14.589 and this episode we're going to talk about the incarnation of Jesus and the Christmas 4 00:00:14.630 --> 00:00:18.149 story and what that has to do with pro life ministry. Hope you're blessed 5 00:00:18.230 --> 00:00:28.260 is you continue to listen, stay tuned. I felt show passish touch your 6 00:00:28.820 --> 00:00:36.409 heart. Welcome to the Gospel Center pro life podcast. Micky and I are 7 00:00:36.450 --> 00:00:43.289 here just talking through some things about the incarnation of Jesus. It's Christmas time, 8 00:00:44.090 --> 00:00:46.770 it's the time that we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, 9 00:00:46.850 --> 00:00:52.240 Jesus, and we thought that there are some theological and practical implications of the 10 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:55.799 incarnation of Jesus, some things that would bless you, guys, and some 11 00:00:55.880 --> 00:00:58.679 scriptures that we're going to talk about that have to do with you know this. 12 00:00:59.719 --> 00:01:03.399 You know what I had said was an unplanned pregnancy. Unplanned according to 13 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:07.950 according to Mary. She certainly didn't plan Jesus coming into her womb, right, 14 00:01:08.549 --> 00:01:12.310 but God did. So, yeah, there really are no unplanned pregnancies 15 00:01:12.430 --> 00:01:17.670 like ever, right according to God, but according to man there certainly are. 16 00:01:17.750 --> 00:01:19.299 We deal with those on a regular basis and those who are in pro 17 00:01:19.379 --> 00:01:23.340 life ministry. That's what you deal with, and unplanned pregnancies by but hopefully, 18 00:01:23.340 --> 00:01:26.019 as we as we talk through some of this that has to do with 19 00:01:26.060 --> 00:01:30.859 the Christmas story and the incarnation of Jesus, it'll have some application, thank 20 00:01:30.900 --> 00:01:34.849 you, will have some application to just your daily ministry in your walk with 21 00:01:34.930 --> 00:01:38.930 the Lord. So so let's hop into it. Yeah, well, I'll 22 00:01:38.930 --> 00:01:42.090 tell you when you introduce this subject and said, what do you think about 23 00:01:42.090 --> 00:01:48.760 talking about this? My understanding and how I view the Christmas story and the 24 00:01:48.840 --> 00:01:56.120 birth of Jesus and his incarnation it has really changed over the past six years 25 00:01:56.400 --> 00:02:01.510 as I have been very involved in in pro life ministry. So I look 26 00:02:01.549 --> 00:02:08.949 at I look at it with new eyes and I look and it colors even 27 00:02:09.150 --> 00:02:15.310 how I look at the women who are coming to abort their children. Okay, 28 00:02:15.669 --> 00:02:19.460 so I'm really glad that we're talking about this because I think it's I 29 00:02:19.580 --> 00:02:24.180 think it's a very important story, yeah, and truth for people in Pro 30 00:02:24.379 --> 00:02:28.620 Life Ministry to explore. Yeah, and think about. Yeah, I think 31 00:02:28.620 --> 00:02:32.930 if we just sort of best we can look back into history and look back 32 00:02:34.050 --> 00:02:37.689 into the story not just of Jesus, but the story of Mary herself. 33 00:02:37.770 --> 00:02:42.889 Yeah, I know one one movie that we've watched as a family past couple 34 00:02:42.930 --> 00:02:46.919 of years and on if you've watched this movie, but the Nativity story movie. 35 00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:50.479 It's sort of a modern movie. I've when it was made in the 36 00:02:50.520 --> 00:02:53.599 tooth. I haven't seen it, I've seen the advertisements. Yeah, yes, 37 00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:57.039 should, because it really brings you back to that day and age. 38 00:02:57.039 --> 00:03:00.069 I think they do a really good job of sort of laying out the historical 39 00:03:00.110 --> 00:03:04.469 picture of what it was like for Mary and what she experienced. You know, 40 00:03:04.669 --> 00:03:10.710 the Romans were there, had control over Israel and over Jerusalem and oppressing 41 00:03:10.789 --> 00:03:15.219 the people, and that was the historical context that was Mary, that Mary 42 00:03:15.340 --> 00:03:21.219 was in. Also the Jewish context there of what could potentially happen to an 43 00:03:21.259 --> 00:03:23.219 unwed woman who was pregnant. Yeah, and a lot of US know that. 44 00:03:23.300 --> 00:03:29.250 We've heard about. You know what what Mary must had suffered and must 45 00:03:29.370 --> 00:03:32.409 had at least been thinking about in the back of her mind while she's carrying 46 00:03:32.449 --> 00:03:36.409 this baby? Any what she may have been thinking about whenever the angel came 47 00:03:36.449 --> 00:03:40.050 to her and told her that she was going to conceive. Yeah, it 48 00:03:40.370 --> 00:03:46.520 can help us appreciate Mary and in a hundred way. Yeah, second price 49 00:03:46.599 --> 00:03:52.000 that she made and willfully submitting. We'll probably get into that scripture, hopefully 50 00:03:52.319 --> 00:03:54.710 in a little bit, about how she willfully submits herself to this plan of 51 00:03:54.830 --> 00:04:00.710 God and it can have some application to the some of the women that we 52 00:04:00.789 --> 00:04:03.469 deal with now quite a bit different than Mary herself because she was pure and 53 00:04:03.550 --> 00:04:06.030 she was a virgin, but some of the women that we deal with who 54 00:04:06.069 --> 00:04:10.740 are in difficult situations, she was in a difficult situation that we deal with 55 00:04:10.780 --> 00:04:14.620 her, in dire situations, yeah, mostly because of their own sin. 56 00:04:14.939 --> 00:04:17.699 She certainly was not in her situation because of her sin, but it can 57 00:04:17.779 --> 00:04:21.420 help us to because this is a real world scenario. Yeah, and in 58 00:04:23.420 --> 00:04:28.209 Biblical text especially, we're looking at a biblical stories. We can disconnect ourselves, 59 00:04:28.250 --> 00:04:31.730 I think, from the fact that these are real people with real struggles 60 00:04:31.769 --> 00:04:36.050 and to try to just take our minds back to that era and what she 61 00:04:36.170 --> 00:04:40.160 dealt with and kind of put ourselves in that scenario, I think is helpful. 62 00:04:40.199 --> 00:04:43.600 Yeah, I s to Adnifi, with with I agree. I sudrive, 63 00:04:43.839 --> 00:04:46.639 I'm working with a well, she's I'm no longer working with her. 64 00:04:46.680 --> 00:04:50.839 She actually did not save her child. But a teen? Yeah, who? 65 00:04:51.560 --> 00:04:55.470 Who would have been about Mary's age? Okay, and when I you 66 00:04:55.550 --> 00:05:00.430 know, and I kept thinking as I was reading through the the text, 67 00:05:00.470 --> 00:05:04.310 about when the angel came to Mary and how she responded and, like you're 68 00:05:04.310 --> 00:05:09.060 saying, the the context, the the world in which she lived, and 69 00:05:09.259 --> 00:05:16.540 then how the teen that that I was working with, how she responded to 70 00:05:16.860 --> 00:05:25.970 the struggles and and it made Mary more real to me and what happened in 71 00:05:26.209 --> 00:05:30.930 her life even more astonishing, and the decisions that she made because she was 72 00:05:31.050 --> 00:05:33.769 young, right. Yeah, I mean, what do they say? A 73 00:05:34.009 --> 00:05:39.000 young teen? Yeah, yes, some folks say thirteen, fourteen, maybe 74 00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:43.120 fifteen years old. The scripture doesn't say exactly how old she was, but 75 00:05:43.240 --> 00:05:46.120 the impasion is she was. Yeah, she was young. Yeah, but 76 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:51.629 we know she's she's betrothed. So she's engaged at to be married. She's 77 00:05:51.670 --> 00:05:57.509 a virgin. And can you imagine, I mean, being alone in your 78 00:05:57.629 --> 00:06:03.860 room and this stranger appears and an angel? But yeah, and I don't 79 00:06:03.860 --> 00:06:06.779 know if she knew it was an angel instantly. Maybe the text tells us, 80 00:06:06.779 --> 00:06:10.620 and I just don't remember, if initially she knew. Yeah, well, 81 00:06:10.699 --> 00:06:13.060 I didn't say that in particular. I'll read the text. Okay, 82 00:06:13.100 --> 00:06:15.740 let's do that and and we'll talk about okay, yes, is in Luke, 83 00:06:15.740 --> 00:06:20.449 chapter one, okay, and it says now in this is verse Twenty 84 00:06:20.490 --> 00:06:24.209 Six, Luke, Luke one hundred and twenty six is where we'll begin. 85 00:06:24.290 --> 00:06:27.769 Down the six month. The Angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city 86 00:06:27.810 --> 00:06:30.889 of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was 87 00:06:30.970 --> 00:06:34.759 Joseph of the House of David. The Virgin's name was Mary and, having 88 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:38.319 come in, the angel said to her, rejoice, highly favored one, 89 00:06:38.399 --> 00:06:42.040 the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women. But when she 90 00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:45.759 saw him she was troubled at his saying, and consider what manner of greeting 91 00:06:45.800 --> 00:06:48.470 this was. So seems maybe she didn't know it was an angel just so 92 00:06:48.589 --> 00:06:51.269 what are you thinking? Here's my first question. What she thinking? There's 93 00:06:51.269 --> 00:06:56.949 a strange man, yes, standing room saying you are highly favored. Yeah, 94 00:06:56.990 --> 00:07:00.110 well, at least he didn't, he didn't speak angrily to her, 95 00:07:00.110 --> 00:07:02.740 apparently. Yeah, highly favored. Since then the Lord said to her, 96 00:07:02.779 --> 00:07:05.139 do not be afraid, or the angel, I'm sorry, said to her, 97 00:07:05.180 --> 00:07:08.980 do not be afraid Mary, for you have found favor with God. 98 00:07:09.100 --> 00:07:12.899 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son and she'll 99 00:07:12.939 --> 00:07:15.250 call his name Jesus. He will be great and he will be called the 100 00:07:15.490 --> 00:07:18.410 son of the most high, the Lord. God will give him the throne 101 00:07:18.449 --> 00:07:23.410 of his father David, and he will reign over the House of Jacob forever 102 00:07:23.610 --> 00:07:25.889 in his kingdom, of his kingdom. There will be no end. And 103 00:07:26.730 --> 00:07:29.129 then Mary said to the angel, how can this be, since I know 104 00:07:29.290 --> 00:07:32.120 no man? So here she has. He's having this exchange with this angel. 105 00:07:32.720 --> 00:07:35.480 He's told her a lot of stuff. He's not just given her a 106 00:07:35.560 --> 00:07:39.079 little a little picture of what's got. He's given her a sort of the 107 00:07:39.240 --> 00:07:43.839 big picture. This this she's been given her that. He's even given her 108 00:07:43.839 --> 00:07:46.870 the name of this son that you're going to conceive. And then this prophecy 109 00:07:46.910 --> 00:07:50.149 about him. He's going to rule over his people. That the you know. 110 00:07:50.949 --> 00:07:55.509 You know the Kingdom is of his kingdom there there's going to be no 111 00:07:55.629 --> 00:07:59.060 ends. You've got a king in your womb. Let me ask you. 112 00:07:59.379 --> 00:08:01.259 I honestly I don't know the answer. I hope you do, but don't. 113 00:08:01.300 --> 00:08:07.379 Would Mary have been well versed enough in scripture that would she have recognized 114 00:08:07.980 --> 00:08:13.170 that this was the angel was talking about the Messiah. You know, I 115 00:08:13.250 --> 00:08:16.889 don't know actually, because I know in that day and age, certainly they 116 00:08:16.970 --> 00:08:20.930 were Biblical text that were read and they study the scriptures. Jewish people were, 117 00:08:22.569 --> 00:08:24.610 you know, made to study the scriptures. Now, the peasants, 118 00:08:24.649 --> 00:08:28.319 I don't know that they would have had that sort of knowledge, and especially 119 00:08:28.319 --> 00:08:31.279 a woman. In that day and age they did not sew a lot into 120 00:08:31.879 --> 00:08:35.879 theologically and as far as the scriptures concerned, into women. It was mainly 121 00:08:35.960 --> 00:08:41.789 men, young men were were trained in the scripture. But her being a 122 00:08:41.830 --> 00:08:43.789 peasant, her being a woman, she may not have. I don't know, 123 00:08:45.029 --> 00:08:48.789 maybe she would have. Presumably net right, presumably she would have. 124 00:08:48.110 --> 00:08:52.750 You know, she probably celebrated Passover. Yeah, and and so there certainly 125 00:08:52.950 --> 00:08:58.100 is. Anyone celebrating Passover knows that the Messiah's going to come. That's what 126 00:08:58.259 --> 00:09:03.460 they're they're waiting for. So I just I wondered that if because she doesn't 127 00:09:03.460 --> 00:09:07.940 ask anything, at least it's not recorded except one thing. How can this 128 00:09:09.100 --> 00:09:13.250 be done? Yeah, because I'm a virgin. She doesn't ask unless you 129 00:09:13.289 --> 00:09:16.490 would think if there were other questions it would have been recorded. Maybe not, 130 00:09:16.690 --> 00:09:20.409 but anyway, were you done reading the yeah, yeah, maybe we'll 131 00:09:20.409 --> 00:09:26.279 kind of kind of Pauls right there. And because there's another big why the 132 00:09:28.519 --> 00:09:35.080 you know, why did God in in all the ways that he could have 133 00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:41.710 sent the savior of the world to Earth? Why as a little baby in 134 00:09:41.830 --> 00:09:45.990 the womb? Yeah, that is a big question. You think about it, 135 00:09:46.070 --> 00:09:50.269 because as we think about Christmas and we think about and maybe the theology 136 00:09:50.309 --> 00:09:54.139 of Christmas or whatever, we might gloss over because we just this is the 137 00:09:54.179 --> 00:09:58.620 story that we know about RSIAH come. He came as a baby and whatever. 138 00:09:58.820 --> 00:10:01.379 Yeah, what we mayb don't put thought to. Could he have come 139 00:10:01.460 --> 00:10:05.100 other ways? I. Could the Messiah have come to this earth? You 140 00:10:05.179 --> 00:10:09.009 know, you mentioned, as we talked about this before, that Adam was, 141 00:10:09.769 --> 00:10:13.090 seems to be a full grown human being when he was put into this 142 00:10:13.250 --> 00:10:18.850 world. Right, right, could in the Messiah? Couldn't Jesus have come 143 00:10:18.970 --> 00:10:24.080 as just a full grown man? And I guess I don't see any theological 144 00:10:24.120 --> 00:10:28.360 reason why he couldn't have. In the sense if that's what God intended, 145 00:10:28.440 --> 00:10:31.480 if that's how the son of God was to come into the world, I 146 00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:35.039 guess he could have. Right. He didn't. Yeah, he didn't. 147 00:10:35.080 --> 00:10:37.470 So they're in. You know, we know nothings by accident. Right, 148 00:10:37.750 --> 00:10:41.110 God, God, the Eternal Plan of God. This is his plan and 149 00:10:41.470 --> 00:10:46.710 and I think it. Well, I guess we don't know. I think 150 00:10:46.830 --> 00:10:52.220 there are things that we can kind of guess from, you know, make 151 00:10:52.299 --> 00:10:56.179 educated guesses. Yeah, I from you digging in the scripture. We talked 152 00:10:56.179 --> 00:11:00.980 about some of these scriptures earlier and he brews. Hebrews is rich and full 153 00:11:01.179 --> 00:11:05.769 of verses that talk about the humanity of Jesus also about the divinity of Jesus. 154 00:11:05.850 --> 00:11:09.490 He brewises one of my favorite books of the Bible, and Hebrews Chapter 155 00:11:09.529 --> 00:11:13.850 Two, in verse fourteen, which is a scripture you mentioned to me earlier, 156 00:11:13.529 --> 00:11:16.730 and it says inasmuch as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, 157 00:11:16.809 --> 00:11:20.720 he's talking about human beings partaken a flesh and blood. He himself is talking 158 00:11:20.759 --> 00:11:24.120 about the son of God. Is talking about Jesus here. If you read 159 00:11:24.200 --> 00:11:28.440 that larger context, he himself likewise shared in the same the human flesh, 160 00:11:28.759 --> 00:11:33.789 flesh and blood that through death he might destroy him who had the power of 161 00:11:33.950 --> 00:11:37.350 death, that is the devil. And we can rabbit trail on that and 162 00:11:37.509 --> 00:11:39.149 do a big thing logical discussion about that, but we won't do that. 163 00:11:39.230 --> 00:11:43.950 We'll keep reading that, maybe for another podcast or for a theological podcast with 164 00:11:45.070 --> 00:11:48.340 this is a this is a prolife podcast. That will try to keep it 165 00:11:48.419 --> 00:11:52.299 on that and release from those. This is verse fifteen, through fear of 166 00:11:52.419 --> 00:11:54.340 death, where all the life, all their lifetime, subject to bondage. 167 00:11:54.379 --> 00:11:58.379 For indeed, he does not give to aid to angels. So he didn't. 168 00:11:58.460 --> 00:12:01.850 He wasn't born of an angel or anything like that. He doesn't give 169 00:12:01.850 --> 00:12:05.610 aid to angels. He gives a the implication is to human beings. But 170 00:12:05.730 --> 00:12:09.850 he does give aid to the seat of Abraham. Therefore, in all things 171 00:12:09.889 --> 00:12:13.730 he had to be made like his brethren. He had to be made like 172 00:12:13.889 --> 00:12:18.080 his brethren in all things and all think that's critical. Yes, important thing 173 00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:20.639 that is. That is an important point. That has especially as it has 174 00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:24.679 to do with human beings, a human life and even conception, which will 175 00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:28.320 look at him just a little bit, that he might be a merciful and 176 00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:33.149 faithful high priests in things pertaining to God, to make propagation for the sins 177 00:12:33.149 --> 00:12:37.950 of the people, for in that he himself has suffered being tempted. He 178 00:12:37.070 --> 00:12:43.149 is able to aid those who are tempted. Then I believe this thought continues 179 00:12:43.269 --> 00:12:48.179 on even into chapter four here in a verse fifteen, and this is an 180 00:12:48.220 --> 00:12:50.379 important point. This is like, this is phenomenal to me. This, 181 00:12:50.659 --> 00:12:56.139 this, this fact that the eternal God would be a partaker of human flesh, 182 00:12:56.179 --> 00:13:01.409 would come in the filth, in the in the in just the depravity 183 00:13:01.250 --> 00:13:07.929 of human society and humanness is amazing to me and it shows the grace and 184 00:13:09.009 --> 00:13:11.250 the mercy of God. And in Verse Fifteen, this is part of that 185 00:13:11.409 --> 00:13:15.720 says, for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our 186 00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:18.759 weaknesses. Is talking about Jesus. So our high priest. He can sympathize 187 00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:24.000 with our weaknesses. He's not so distant so far that he doesn't know our 188 00:13:24.039 --> 00:13:28.190 struggles in the stuff that we're going through. But here's the power point here 189 00:13:28.750 --> 00:13:33.230 of Verse Fifteen. But was tempted, or was in all things tempted, 190 00:13:33.269 --> 00:13:37.990 as we are, yet without sins, all the stuff that we experience as 191 00:13:37.070 --> 00:13:43.220 temptations, he himself experienced, he submitted himself to those experiences. And again 192 00:13:43.259 --> 00:13:46.700 we can go on a theological rabbit trail, and it would be a good 193 00:13:46.700 --> 00:13:50.379 one, that's to talk about temptation and how Christ was tempted. How could? 194 00:13:50.539 --> 00:13:54.019 How could divinity be tempted? God can't be tempted. And we getting 195 00:13:54.019 --> 00:13:56.690 all that in their other podcast for that. Yeah, and people do with 196 00:13:56.769 --> 00:14:01.330 that. Subjects a good subject to deal with. But yeah, but what 197 00:14:01.490 --> 00:14:05.769 we're talking about is the humanity that Jesus took on. Yeah, and the 198 00:14:07.049 --> 00:14:11.960 experience that he had in temptation, but also the experience that he had in 199 00:14:11.159 --> 00:14:13.600 the womb, in the womb, and that's where, you know, my 200 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:18.440 thoughts have really gone and since we started thinking about this is okay, so 201 00:14:18.679 --> 00:14:24.909 he's in the womb and conceived. The angels said that Mary would conceive right, 202 00:14:26.389 --> 00:14:31.230 and and so you know, presumably from the moment of conception, Jesus 203 00:14:31.830 --> 00:14:35.110 is in the womb. Yeah, and you know, develops as any baby 204 00:14:35.350 --> 00:14:41.620 in the womb develops. And what there is a reason for that. We 205 00:14:41.779 --> 00:14:45.740 don't necessarily know the reason, but we know God has a reason for that. 206 00:14:46.100 --> 00:14:50.100 And you know, some of the thoughts that went through my mind was, 207 00:14:50.779 --> 00:14:54.210 well, number one, that there are experiences in the womb that are 208 00:14:56.129 --> 00:15:01.889 essential, yeah, to being human and and that Jesus, if he was 209 00:15:01.009 --> 00:15:07.960 going to be, what was the word all that, that he was in 210 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:13.120 all things that he became like us. Yeah, then that includes whatever these 211 00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:18.440 developmental things going on in the womb that are critical for whatever, for whatever 212 00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:24.389 reason, so that he could fully identify with us. And so it, 213 00:15:24.830 --> 00:15:28.990 you know, for part of the reason, I think, is explained in 214 00:15:30.029 --> 00:15:33.269 the text, so that he would fully identify with us. But I think 215 00:15:33.350 --> 00:15:39.620 something that you can you can surmise based on this, is that God values 216 00:15:41.299 --> 00:15:45.460 that unborn child. Yeah, why would he have brought his own son to 217 00:15:45.659 --> 00:15:54.129 Earth as an unborn child unless there was value and an importance in that unborn 218 00:15:54.169 --> 00:16:00.809 child and the experience, yeah, the womb. And it's in such sharp 219 00:16:00.929 --> 00:16:07.200 contrast to to what we see the the value placed on the unborn child in 220 00:16:08.360 --> 00:16:14.000 an abortion minded world. Yeah, yeah, yeah, world. I mean 221 00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:18.320 it's a culture of death that we live in, where sort of abortion for 222 00:16:18.440 --> 00:16:22.710 some people is the default position. Yeah, I mean, could you see 223 00:16:22.870 --> 00:16:26.909 Mary saying well to the Angel, you know? Well, you know, 224 00:16:27.350 --> 00:16:33.539 it sounds like you mean well, and I understand. You know, maybe 225 00:16:33.620 --> 00:16:37.860 you need a good vessel to carry the baby Jesus in. But do you 226 00:16:37.940 --> 00:16:42.059 know my situation? Right? I'm unmarried, I'm poor, I've got neighbors 227 00:16:42.100 --> 00:16:45.259 who might stone me for finding me pregnant. I mean that was a real 228 00:16:45.259 --> 00:16:48.049 danger. It was a real dangerous she could have died, she could have 229 00:16:48.090 --> 00:16:53.289 been killed for adultery. The betrothal in that day was the same as as 230 00:16:53.450 --> 00:17:02.080 marriage in terms of faithfulness to, you know, to your betrothed and and 231 00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:06.039 you know this young team. What were her parents going to say? So 232 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:14.160 you know the she faced some terrible, terrible things and and and she she 233 00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:18.789 still didn't challenge the angel and say God must have it wrong. Yeah, 234 00:17:18.829 --> 00:17:25.109 in contrast to so many of the an abortion minded woman, yeah, who 235 00:17:25.230 --> 00:17:27.670 is saying? This is the thing? Stay here, you say this statement 236 00:17:27.750 --> 00:17:32.940 here in Luke Chapter One, because yet you do have that attitude. We're 237 00:17:32.980 --> 00:17:37.900 dealing with abortion mind of women's almost like and on, since they recognize that 238 00:17:37.099 --> 00:17:40.700 God doesn't make mistakes, because we ask them and they say, well, 239 00:17:40.980 --> 00:17:45.049 no, but stakes God. But in this situation I think maybe he missed 240 00:17:45.089 --> 00:17:47.809 it. You know, it's kind of what what they're saying when they're when 241 00:17:47.809 --> 00:17:49.769 they're willing to take the innocent life of their baby, even though they know 242 00:17:49.890 --> 00:17:55.450 that it's wrong. Right. There's almost no abortion minded woman that I've encountered 243 00:17:55.890 --> 00:17:57.880 that, at least in some measure, didn't agree that abortion is wrong. 244 00:17:57.960 --> 00:18:03.079 It's wrong, but there's always that but attached to it. Right, yeah, 245 00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:07.000 but here in the story, in Luke Chapter One, as the angel 246 00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:11.839 gives this, you know, this proclamation of what a what's going on? 247 00:18:12.630 --> 00:18:18.269 And but what does Mary say? She says in Verse Thirty, in Verse 248 00:18:18.349 --> 00:18:21.789 Thirty Seven, it says for with God. This is as after she asks, 249 00:18:21.829 --> 00:18:23.990 how is it possible that I can conceive, because I've never been with 250 00:18:25.069 --> 00:18:27.619 a man like I don't understand how this is going to work. But she 251 00:18:27.700 --> 00:18:33.460 doesn't argue no, because the angel answers for God, with God, nothing 252 00:18:33.740 --> 00:18:37.579 will be impossible. Then Mary said, behold the maid, servant of the 253 00:18:37.700 --> 00:18:41.730 Lord. Basically, I'm your servant. You know, if you say that's 254 00:18:41.970 --> 00:18:47.609 the right, that's God's plan, then I'm beholding to it. Let it 255 00:18:47.769 --> 00:18:51.650 be to me according to your word. Let it be to me according to 256 00:18:51.730 --> 00:18:55.529 your word. One of the most beautiful lines in sure picture, I think. 257 00:18:55.759 --> 00:19:00.119 Well, so to to not rabbit trail but to debunking idea that I've 258 00:19:00.200 --> 00:19:07.480 heard. Some of our pro abortion friends says like God raped Mary. Even 259 00:19:07.559 --> 00:19:10.430 heard that. That is I have. I have so ridiculous. It's like, 260 00:19:10.910 --> 00:19:15.150 okay, how blasphemous and how how irreverent, if for you even to 261 00:19:15.230 --> 00:19:21.309 sacre even say that right. But the fact is that married submitted herself to 262 00:19:21.430 --> 00:19:23.460 this by her own volition. The plan was laid out. The Angel didn't 263 00:19:23.500 --> 00:19:26.539 just come and say you're already pregnant and blah, blah, Blah Blah, 264 00:19:26.539 --> 00:19:30.180 and he said here's what's going to happen, right, and it's possible. 265 00:19:30.220 --> 00:19:33.779 I mean, we don't see any reason. There's no reason to believe that 266 00:19:33.859 --> 00:19:37.099 she would have been against this plan, because obviously God knew he was picking 267 00:19:37.259 --> 00:19:41.809 right. Her heart was prepared beforehand and whatever. But she says, let 268 00:19:41.809 --> 00:19:45.690 it be according to your will. She is bowing her wheel to the will 269 00:19:45.730 --> 00:19:48.170 of God. She said, if that's God's plan, on submit myself to 270 00:19:48.289 --> 00:19:52.680 it. So this idea that sort of God took advantage of her or something 271 00:19:52.839 --> 00:19:57.240 like that, is utterly ridiculous. She, of her own volition, submitted 272 00:19:57.240 --> 00:20:03.559 herself to the plan of God. She showed completely her faith was beautifully displayed 273 00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:07.630 in her trust. Yeah, and her trusted. Okay, let it be 274 00:20:07.750 --> 00:20:11.710 done to me. I don't understand it. I'm sure there was part of 275 00:20:11.829 --> 00:20:14.390 her that was thinking, I'm not sure I like it. Because there's a 276 00:20:14.390 --> 00:20:17.509 lot of scary stuff I'm going to face, but let it be done to 277 00:20:17.549 --> 00:20:22.460 me, as you have said. So that the the true, the absolute 278 00:20:22.539 --> 00:20:27.180 trust, that that it was going to be okay. Yeah, that she 279 00:20:27.460 --> 00:20:32.259 needed and wanted to submit to the will of her heavenly father. And this 280 00:20:33.299 --> 00:20:37.130 remarkable. Yeah, it's markable. It's amazing, especially again considering the scenario 281 00:20:37.289 --> 00:20:40.769 there and what could have happened to her. She could have been stoned to 282 00:20:40.809 --> 00:20:44.690 deaths you could have been rejected by the people who she loved the most, 283 00:20:44.769 --> 00:20:48.410 or family and whatever, even by Joseph. We see it was a certainly 284 00:20:48.529 --> 00:20:51.119 temptation for Joseph, even though he was a humble man. He was going 285 00:20:51.119 --> 00:20:52.640 to put her away secretly. He's going to divorce her, you know, 286 00:20:52.759 --> 00:20:57.599 break off the the betrothal secretly. But, but, but, it, 287 00:20:57.759 --> 00:21:02.519 that indicates that he didn't believe her at first. Right, he clearly didn't 288 00:21:02.519 --> 00:21:06.670 believe her. I assume she went and said this angel gave to my room 289 00:21:06.789 --> 00:21:10.349 and and this is what he told me. Well, you know, again, 290 00:21:10.430 --> 00:21:15.829 putting yourself in that situation, who would believe that? I wouldn't believe 291 00:21:15.910 --> 00:21:18.460 that, sure, man. Yeah, right, yeah, so he didn't 292 00:21:18.740 --> 00:21:22.859 initially and then what happens in angel comes to him, right, yeah, 293 00:21:22.180 --> 00:21:26.420 dream is a matter of fact. Actually are one of our pastors preached on 294 00:21:26.539 --> 00:21:30.099 this last Sunday where he talked about, you know, how God can speak 295 00:21:30.140 --> 00:21:33.809 through dreams, and God spoke to Joseph. It says that the Lord came 296 00:21:33.890 --> 00:21:37.650 to him in a dream. Yeah, and and told him this plan. 297 00:21:37.930 --> 00:21:41.849 Yeah, and then Joseph again shows the trust and the faith that that this 298 00:21:42.289 --> 00:21:47.799 revelation to him through the dream is is true, yeah, and that he 299 00:21:48.039 --> 00:21:52.640 then is going to take on this incredibly difficult situation. Yeah. Well, 300 00:21:52.720 --> 00:21:56.720 I'll read the passage jays Matthew and verse, Chapter One, Verse Twenty. 301 00:21:57.440 --> 00:22:00.119 But while he thought about these things, where he's talking about putting a her 302 00:22:00.119 --> 00:22:03.509 away, secretly backing off the betrothing. But while he thought about these things, 303 00:22:03.549 --> 00:22:07.349 behold an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying 304 00:22:07.430 --> 00:22:11.150 Josephs of Joseph, Mary was in this struggle, right, she was in 305 00:22:11.230 --> 00:22:12.750 the struggle in her heart of this plan and how's this going to happen? 306 00:22:12.829 --> 00:22:17.940 And Oh, this anxiety involved in her, but also there's some anxiety involved 307 00:22:17.980 --> 00:22:21.940 in Joseph. was. You don't just get that he's he finds out about 308 00:22:22.059 --> 00:22:25.180 this, that she's pregnant, and it's like, okay, that's a bad 309 00:22:25.220 --> 00:22:27.660 thing and he moves on. No, he's wrestling with he's struggling, he's 310 00:22:27.660 --> 00:22:33.250 probably having a hard time sleeping at night because he loved this woman and in 311 00:22:33.410 --> 00:22:37.809 one sense it's going to put him to shame because he's accused probably of having 312 00:22:37.849 --> 00:22:41.890 had sex with her prematurely, before they actually were married, in the midst 313 00:22:41.890 --> 00:22:44.559 of the Betrothal, with the back, which of would have been shameful as 314 00:22:44.599 --> 00:22:48.400 right. Yeah, so he's accused of that. Possibly he's also thinking, 315 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:52.599 okay, who's been with my betrothed? Right, because I'm not the father 316 00:22:52.759 --> 00:22:56.160 he has, and so there's a lot going on in his mind, right. 317 00:22:56.720 --> 00:22:59.910 He still obviously is a humble man, because he could have called it 318 00:22:59.990 --> 00:23:03.549 for her to be stoned immediately, but he didn't. So he's contemplating these 319 00:23:03.589 --> 00:23:07.309 things as he thought about these things. That's what it says that angel came 320 00:23:07.349 --> 00:23:11.670 to him and dream saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be 321 00:23:11.789 --> 00:23:17.059 afraid to take Mary to you're you're not be afraid to take you mary, 322 00:23:17.220 --> 00:23:21.220 your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit 323 00:23:21.940 --> 00:23:23.660 and she will bring forth a son and you will call his name Jesus, 324 00:23:25.259 --> 00:23:32.130 for he will save his people from their sins. And so God reaffirms Joseph 325 00:23:32.170 --> 00:23:36.210 in the midst of this unplanned pregnancy, unplanned for Mary and for Joseph, 326 00:23:37.490 --> 00:23:40.410 speak to him in a dream, the reaffirming this plan, that this is 327 00:23:40.490 --> 00:23:45.440 God's plan. It's unconventional according to man, but it's God's way and it's 328 00:23:45.480 --> 00:23:49.640 God's plan. Yeah, and it's what the whole Christmas story centers around. 329 00:23:49.640 --> 00:23:52.720 Yeah, yeah, which is Awesome Plan of God. Yeah, and it 330 00:23:53.119 --> 00:24:00.390 follows a we mentioned this be earlier, that it follows God's kind of the 331 00:24:00.430 --> 00:24:06.190 way he works throughout the Bible is he chooses. He seems to in many 332 00:24:06.230 --> 00:24:15.259 cases choose the weakest, the most vulnerable nation people to promote his purpose. 333 00:24:15.299 --> 00:24:19.259 Yeah, and and I think Mary is a perfect example. Yea, that, 334 00:24:19.579 --> 00:24:22.900 yes, we were talking this through. You mentioned, you know, 335 00:24:22.019 --> 00:24:26.930 God could have chosen a queen. Yeah, I to have, yeah, 336 00:24:26.369 --> 00:24:30.650 Gina Palace and all the things that you would need and all the baby supplies 337 00:24:30.730 --> 00:24:36.609 you'd need and, you know, gold studded diapers and whatever. But you 338 00:24:36.690 --> 00:24:38.359 know, he this was a baby born to a poor family that had to 339 00:24:38.400 --> 00:24:41.799 be wrapped in swaddling close so there's no room, and could have chosen to 340 00:24:42.559 --> 00:24:45.799 for the s I had to come, you know, in as a full 341 00:24:47.319 --> 00:24:49.640 grown man. I guess he could have chosen, if he was going to 342 00:24:49.680 --> 00:24:53.670 choose the baby route, he could have chosen to have this baby born in 343 00:24:53.710 --> 00:25:00.990 a palace and all this. So our wisdom and conventional wisdom is oftentimes not 344 00:25:00.230 --> 00:25:04.190 God's. With them, it's not God's will. Often in front of the 345 00:25:04.230 --> 00:25:10.140 abortion center, do be here it I can't have this baby. My situations 346 00:25:10.220 --> 00:25:14.900 too terrible. It's not the right time. Yeah, and contrast that to 347 00:25:15.819 --> 00:25:18.740 marry. Well, it is their situation really any worse than Mary's and most 348 00:25:18.819 --> 00:25:25.289 cases, honestly know, but ails in comparison, because very few would be 349 00:25:25.289 --> 00:25:30.809 under threat of being stoned at that's for sure. So you know another interesting 350 00:25:30.849 --> 00:25:36.960 passage that you're probably none. Yeah, let's we're not stone and I'm we 351 00:25:37.119 --> 00:25:41.559 guarantee. But but you know at right after Mary and Joseph, Well, 352 00:25:41.640 --> 00:25:45.680 Mary has this encounter with the angel then, I think it's in Luke one 353 00:25:45.759 --> 00:25:52.710 hundred and forty four where, and it says that she hurries to her cousin 354 00:25:52.750 --> 00:25:59.349 Elizabeth. It uses the word hurries after this. And and look at what 355 00:25:59.430 --> 00:26:03.230 happens in that passage because because, I think again, it's so much speaks 356 00:26:03.309 --> 00:26:07.619 to me as someone in pro like ministry. Okay, for indeed, as 357 00:26:07.660 --> 00:26:10.259 soon as the voice of this is a luke one hundred and forty four, 358 00:26:10.380 --> 00:26:14.299 for indeed, soon is the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, 359 00:26:14.380 --> 00:26:17.380 the baby leaped in my womb for joy. So this is Elizabeth, this 360 00:26:17.500 --> 00:26:22.289 is Mary. Had hurried to her cousin Elizabeth's House and she's pregnant with Jesus 361 00:26:22.329 --> 00:26:26.849 at that point. Elizabeth is pregnant with John The baptizer at that point, 362 00:26:27.250 --> 00:26:32.690 and when she heard Mary's Voice, the baby apparently heard the voice to and 363 00:26:32.769 --> 00:26:36.400 leaped in the whom the babe leaped in the womb? So a lot of 364 00:26:36.480 --> 00:26:40.240 things. First of all, she hurries to Elizabeth, and actually it was 365 00:26:40.279 --> 00:26:42.799 actually my sister that mentioned this to me, that you know, Elizabeth is 366 00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:48.549 here with basically an unplanned pregnancy herself. Yeah, right, she was. 367 00:26:48.750 --> 00:26:52.269 She was very surprised to because she was old. Yeah, and so she 368 00:26:52.910 --> 00:26:56.869 didn't think that child bearing years were over. Yeah. So look at the 369 00:26:56.910 --> 00:27:02.220 contrast here. Yeah, there's Mary, who's really too young, not married 370 00:27:02.579 --> 00:27:06.099 and totally not thinking I want to have a baby. And then there's Elizabeth, 371 00:27:06.140 --> 00:27:10.180 who's past childbearing years, who's old, and who finds herself in this 372 00:27:10.299 --> 00:27:17.250 unplanned or unexpected, yeah, pregnancy. And and they come together and the 373 00:27:17.529 --> 00:27:23.809 two babies, unborn babies, two of the most pivotal, important babies in 374 00:27:25.009 --> 00:27:27.329 history. Yeah, right. We've got John The baptist. Yeah, Jesus 375 00:27:27.329 --> 00:27:30.599 said of John the Baptist that he was the greatest, greatest of all the 376 00:27:30.720 --> 00:27:36.039 prophets. So there's no man born that was greater than John The baptist. 377 00:27:36.079 --> 00:27:40.319 That was Jesus testimony later on in his ministry. And he's coming as an 378 00:27:40.480 --> 00:27:47.509 unborn baby also. Yeah. And and so here's this unborn John The baptist, 379 00:27:47.549 --> 00:27:52.630 who is going to Harold the coming of the Messiah, and then the 380 00:27:52.990 --> 00:27:56.390 baby Jesus. And what happens when they meet? And I know there's a 381 00:27:56.430 --> 00:28:03.779 meme out on facebook now which is the first person to greet our Lord and 382 00:28:03.940 --> 00:28:07.859 Savior was an unborn baby. Yeah, it was John the Baptist in the 383 00:28:07.980 --> 00:28:12.250 womb of his mother, Elizabeth. And what does he do? He the 384 00:28:12.369 --> 00:28:18.569 Scripture says, he leaps for joy. Yeah, and Elizabeth describes the baby 385 00:28:18.769 --> 00:28:25.450 as leaping for joy in her womb. That to me they clearly a little 386 00:28:25.490 --> 00:28:33.319 unborn baby is described as having emotion, yeah, and leaping for joy and 387 00:28:33.559 --> 00:28:38.559 greeting the savior of the world, another unborn baby, and there's some obviously 388 00:28:38.599 --> 00:28:44.349 the the scripture says there's a recognition, yeah, be in these two babies, 389 00:28:44.750 --> 00:28:51.789 unborn babies. Yeah. So that to me is like just again speaks 390 00:28:51.869 --> 00:28:57.299 of God's sacred value of the unborn child and that there's a lot going on 391 00:28:57.460 --> 00:29:03.140 in that womb. That that some of which we do know and and some 392 00:29:03.339 --> 00:29:07.700 of which we probably don't know. Yeah, you know, one of the 393 00:29:07.700 --> 00:29:12.210 things that speaks to you. We've mentioned before, I believe in previous podcast. 394 00:29:12.329 --> 00:29:18.730 We're sort of given an apologetic for what the Bible says about unborn children. 395 00:29:18.769 --> 00:29:22.089 We mentioned the scripture. We mentioned that word that used here, the 396 00:29:22.170 --> 00:29:26.599 Greek word that used in verse forty four. The Babe leaped in the womb. 397 00:29:26.599 --> 00:29:30.359 That Greek word for babe. What's the Greek word? Breafos, Brefsos, 398 00:29:30.599 --> 00:29:36.039 and that word is also used in other passages to describe unborn children, 399 00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:38.549 but also born children. So the Bible does not make a distinction, just 400 00:29:38.670 --> 00:29:41.309 like we don't. We say it's a baby. When we look at an 401 00:29:41.349 --> 00:29:45.710 ultrasound, that's a baby, right, and when we hold an infant, 402 00:29:45.789 --> 00:29:48.390 we say that's a baby. Right. It's a word that sort of we 403 00:29:48.470 --> 00:29:51.630 use for all those things. Well, in fact, go back to I 404 00:29:51.710 --> 00:29:53.539 mean you don't have to turn back there, but think about what the angel 405 00:29:53.700 --> 00:29:59.500 said. To marry, you will conceive a son, yeah, right, 406 00:29:59.579 --> 00:30:04.099 yeah, a son, not a Zygoat, yeah, not a Gambria, 407 00:30:04.299 --> 00:30:07.890 not, not an embryo, not a clump of cells, but he gave 408 00:30:08.009 --> 00:30:15.450 personhood to that unborn baby. Yeah, from the earliest moment, you will 409 00:30:15.490 --> 00:30:18.730 bear a yeah, son. Yeah, you will conceive a son. So 410 00:30:18.890 --> 00:30:22.000 it wasn't she would bear a son. Right, she would conceive, right, 411 00:30:22.039 --> 00:30:25.200 a son. Yeah. So that that at its smallest. Yeah, 412 00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:27.920 that sort of brings brings it around in my mind, to a question that 413 00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:32.839 we talked about before we started the podcast, which is when did Jesus take 414 00:30:32.960 --> 00:30:36.230 on human flesh? And I think this is an important point. Yeah, 415 00:30:36.269 --> 00:30:40.349 it's like the son of God is going to come and the likeness, as 416 00:30:40.390 --> 00:30:44.230 the Bible says in those at Philippians, and likeness and the likeness of sinful 417 00:30:44.269 --> 00:30:48.829 flesh he's going to come. Well, when did he take on this likeness 418 00:30:48.869 --> 00:30:52.859 of human beings? Yeah, when did the son of God become human? 419 00:30:55.539 --> 00:30:59.099 And if we were to go and one train of thought, who he became 420 00:30:59.220 --> 00:31:02.779 human? When he was born, right when he passed through the birth canal, 421 00:31:02.940 --> 00:31:06.250 and that's when his humanity was was in dued on him. That's one 422 00:31:06.329 --> 00:31:11.250 train of thought. But I think the obvious biblical train of thought is at 423 00:31:11.289 --> 00:31:14.250 the moment of conception. I think that's what the angel says. When the 424 00:31:14.329 --> 00:31:18.480 angel says conceive a son, I think at conception you will conceive and that 425 00:31:18.640 --> 00:31:22.599 is your son. Yeah, and that is Jesus, and that is when 426 00:31:22.759 --> 00:31:27.839 the eternal son of God. He's got to recognize in in the scriptural context, 427 00:31:29.000 --> 00:31:33.390 that there is within the Godhead, the Trinity, the Father, Son 428 00:31:33.509 --> 00:31:38.069 and Holy Spirit, all three, or coeternal code, equal in power and 429 00:31:38.190 --> 00:31:44.430 in glory and in Majesty. Each has a different role, right, the 430 00:31:44.470 --> 00:31:48.019 Holy Spirit has his role, the son has his role and the father has 431 00:31:48.099 --> 00:31:52.740 his role, but the son of God, in his role, comes in 432 00:31:52.980 --> 00:31:59.740 human flesh. The Jesus exists eternally, right, he always is. He's 433 00:31:59.779 --> 00:32:02.410 not a created being, right. Yeah, he's not a creature. He 434 00:32:02.569 --> 00:32:09.609 is the eternal Sun, and so he existed in eternity forever. But yet 435 00:32:09.890 --> 00:32:15.680 his humanity began in the womb of Mary. His humanity, him taking on 436 00:32:15.799 --> 00:32:22.480 human flesh, happened at the moment of conception, right yeah. And then 437 00:32:22.599 --> 00:32:28.000 we see in the Scripture and that Hebrews Chapter two passage, that he took 438 00:32:28.039 --> 00:32:30.670 on this sinful flesh of that he might are not sinful flesh in the likeness 439 00:32:30.710 --> 00:32:36.710 of sinful flesh, right, but he was a partaker of flesh and blood, 440 00:32:36.950 --> 00:32:39.750 as it says at Hebrews passage, so that he threw death. So 441 00:32:39.910 --> 00:32:44.819 his his flesh, he took on so that he could ultimately lay it down 442 00:32:44.859 --> 00:32:47.059 and die. Right yeah, so that he could destroy him who had the 443 00:32:47.140 --> 00:32:50.940 power of death, and the Bible says that that is the devil, and 444 00:32:51.059 --> 00:32:54.500 also so that he can identify with our humanity. Right right. So I 445 00:32:54.819 --> 00:32:57.940 don't know where, where and when we want to get into this, but 446 00:32:57.980 --> 00:33:00.650 it's I think I just a really was a good time. Wonderful. Point 447 00:33:00.930 --> 00:33:07.490 is also at the moment of conception, and I think this is fairly recent 448 00:33:07.609 --> 00:33:12.009 that scientists have discovered that and they've got pictures of it. At the moment 449 00:33:12.089 --> 00:33:16.119 of conception. Conception, a meet sperm and there's a flash of light in 450 00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:21.880 the WOMB. Yeah, a flash of light. So you know, as 451 00:33:21.880 --> 00:33:23.519 I was thinking about that and looking at the pictures, and there's pictures, 452 00:33:23.599 --> 00:33:30.190 you can absolutely can see these pictures of this. Well, what is Jesus 453 00:33:30.430 --> 00:33:34.549 called? He's called the light of the world, light of the world. 454 00:33:34.710 --> 00:33:38.670 And when God what was the first words? Well, among the first words 455 00:33:39.029 --> 00:33:44.259 that God said, as he's creating the universe, let there below, let 456 00:33:44.339 --> 00:33:49.859 there be light. And so, you know, here's the the the conception 457 00:33:50.259 --> 00:33:55.289 of the savior of the world is, is a spark of light. Presumably, 458 00:33:55.809 --> 00:33:59.730 if that's true, of all babies as they're born in the womb or 459 00:33:59.769 --> 00:34:05.450 as they're conceived in the womb, and and so, you know, again, 460 00:34:05.809 --> 00:34:14.280 to me it speaks again of their that moment of conception was supremely wonderful 461 00:34:14.800 --> 00:34:23.199 and all that follows to birth is is wonderful and sacred and and so important. 462 00:34:23.789 --> 00:34:29.789 And then coming to the moment of birth is, you know, again, 463 00:34:30.110 --> 00:34:35.269 the probably the pivotal physical event in a human beings life. You're born, 464 00:34:35.550 --> 00:34:39.579 you physically enter, you leave the womb and enter the world, and 465 00:34:40.860 --> 00:34:46.340 and and in so much of the Bible. Nearly every physical event has a 466 00:34:46.539 --> 00:34:53.650 spiritual parallel, and you look at that. The the description of when we 467 00:34:53.809 --> 00:34:59.690 come to faith. Is Born again, John Chapter three, and listen, 468 00:34:59.809 --> 00:35:01.929 and is born again, feign against see the Kingdom of God. Yeah, 469 00:35:02.210 --> 00:35:06.969 the scripture that comes to mind is in John, the Gospel John, in 470 00:35:07.050 --> 00:35:10.480 Chapter Fourteen. It starts out verse one. Many of you guys probably know 471 00:35:10.639 --> 00:35:14.360 this passage. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with 472 00:35:14.519 --> 00:35:17.440 God and the word was God. So obviously showing the divinity of this one 473 00:35:17.480 --> 00:35:22.670 who's called the word, which is obviously Jesus. And it talks about light 474 00:35:22.750 --> 00:35:25.030 in verse five and John Chapter One. The light shines in the darkness and 475 00:35:25.110 --> 00:35:29.349 the darkness does not comprehend it. So that's along the lines of what what 476 00:35:29.469 --> 00:35:31.909 you're saying. He was, he was the true light that came into the 477 00:35:31.949 --> 00:35:36.659 world. In verse fourteen that it says the word became flesh, HMM, 478 00:35:36.780 --> 00:35:39.139 and dwelt among us. We beheld his glory, the Glory as of the 479 00:35:39.260 --> 00:35:43.019 only begotten other father, full of grace and truth. So this word, 480 00:35:43.219 --> 00:35:47.099 this this eternal word, who was with God and was God, who, 481 00:35:47.460 --> 00:35:52.210 Bible says, all things were made through him and without him, nothing was 482 00:35:52.329 --> 00:35:57.010 made. That was made so through the eternal Sun all things were created. 483 00:35:57.050 --> 00:36:01.610 All things, all creation, flowed from this uncreated son of God. But 484 00:36:01.769 --> 00:36:07.639 the word, this word became flesh, he took on flesh, and I 485 00:36:07.719 --> 00:36:12.320 think that says a couple of things. It says that God is willing to 486 00:36:12.599 --> 00:36:16.760 enter in to our humanity, to enter into our experiences. So that's one 487 00:36:16.840 --> 00:36:21.269 thing. It enter into our mess. Yeah, man enter and enter into 488 00:36:21.309 --> 00:36:24.429 a sinful and deprave the world. But the second thing it says is that 489 00:36:24.550 --> 00:36:29.750 God values human beings enough to do that. Right, because he didn't do 490 00:36:29.949 --> 00:36:32.500 it, as we reread in that Hebrews passage, for God does not give 491 00:36:32.820 --> 00:36:36.380 for he did it for the the the the Sun. I think the word 492 00:36:36.420 --> 00:36:39.099 is does not give aid to angels. So it doesn't mean that God doesn't 493 00:36:39.099 --> 00:36:43.019 care about angels, but it's what it's talking about. In in a salvific 494 00:36:43.179 --> 00:36:47.690 way. God does not intervene on behalf of angels, he doesn't, but 495 00:36:47.809 --> 00:36:52.369 he does on behalf of fallen human beings. He intervenes. He intervened in 496 00:36:52.570 --> 00:36:55.130 such a way that he became one of us. He didn't become an angel. 497 00:36:55.489 --> 00:37:00.769 Right, Jesus is not an angel when never was an angel, regardless 498 00:37:00.809 --> 00:37:05.960 of what some false religions like who is, who's witnesses teach that he's Michael, 499 00:37:06.000 --> 00:37:08.280 the Archangel. Yes, not what the Bible teaches, that he's the 500 00:37:08.360 --> 00:37:15.429 eternal son that took on that became human flesh. Right, and and so 501 00:37:15.510 --> 00:37:19.989 it again, it does show us the humanity or the value of humanity. 502 00:37:20.510 --> 00:37:24.789 It shows us God's willingness to come and to be a partaker in what we 503 00:37:24.989 --> 00:37:30.019 experience so that we can have, as it says in Hebrews. Later on 504 00:37:30.099 --> 00:37:36.260 it says we have a high priest that can sympathize with our weakness. He 505 00:37:36.739 --> 00:37:43.619 knows the stuff that we're going through. HMM, which is massively comforting for 506 00:37:43.699 --> 00:37:45.969 us to know that this eternal God who, who, the Bible says, 507 00:37:45.969 --> 00:37:52.289 dwells an unapproachable light, who was holly unapproachable in the sense that he is 508 00:37:52.650 --> 00:37:58.130 majesty and His glory will feel the earth, but he stoops down, becomes 509 00:37:58.170 --> 00:38:00.519 a human being and allows us to approach him. Yeah, it allows us 510 00:38:00.519 --> 00:38:04.639 to come into his presence and have fellowship. But yeah, yeah, and 511 00:38:04.760 --> 00:38:07.440 you know, another thought that just came to me as you were speaking was 512 00:38:07.159 --> 00:38:13.510 God, we are made in the image of God and one of God's most 513 00:38:13.750 --> 00:38:16.829 obvious attributes is as creator. He created the universe, he created all life, 514 00:38:16.869 --> 00:38:29.500 he created us. And when we conceive children and there's this life growing 515 00:38:29.619 --> 00:38:36.340 within us and then eventually this life comes forth into our actual world outside of 516 00:38:36.420 --> 00:38:44.289 the womb, I think we have a small taste of what it is to 517 00:38:44.690 --> 00:38:52.250 create and to create something as miraculous as life. We don't create it right. 518 00:38:52.409 --> 00:38:58.119 We conceive that that child God is the creator of all life, but 519 00:38:58.239 --> 00:39:04.679 I think it gives us kind of a little bit of an understanding of the 520 00:39:04.800 --> 00:39:10.190 magnificence of God, because I don't know really any woman who has given birth 521 00:39:10.510 --> 00:39:16.110 who has not described it as utterly miraculous. It is miraculous. It is 522 00:39:16.190 --> 00:39:20.510 what brought me to the Lord. Honestly, was was the birth of my 523 00:39:21.110 --> 00:39:25.860 first son Onders that made me recognized there has to be a God. And 524 00:39:27.019 --> 00:39:30.500 so I gues again. I going back to why. Why? I know 525 00:39:30.659 --> 00:39:35.019 God usually doesn't answer wise, nor do I need this answered, but it's 526 00:39:35.059 --> 00:39:39.530 something that's kind of interesting to think about. Why did he bring Jesus to 527 00:39:40.250 --> 00:39:45.090 to Earth as an unborn child and and to a moment of birth? And 528 00:39:46.889 --> 00:39:54.800 I think that that might be part of the answer is understanding and us being 529 00:39:54.840 --> 00:40:00.840 able to understand a little bit more about God. Yeah, yeah, well, 530 00:40:01.599 --> 00:40:06.480 you know, I think maybe, hopefully you guys have your listening have 531 00:40:06.760 --> 00:40:09.670 joined in some of our ramblings and are going on about the Christmas story and 532 00:40:09.710 --> 00:40:14.989 about the Majesty of God and the Mercy of God coming in the likeness of 533 00:40:15.110 --> 00:40:17.110 sinful flesh. Hopefully this has been a blessing to you. I want to 534 00:40:17.150 --> 00:40:22.179 end out, though, with a you know, the holidays, Christmas time, 535 00:40:22.900 --> 00:40:27.980 is it awesome time to proclaim the Gospel. Picture is and this passage 536 00:40:28.260 --> 00:40:31.699 in Luke in chapter two, as I share with you this is one of 537 00:40:31.739 --> 00:40:36.969 my favorite of all time passage of scripture. It's very, very short, 538 00:40:37.130 --> 00:40:40.489 so it's easy to memorize and it's in Luke Chapter two, in verse fourteen, 539 00:40:40.489 --> 00:40:45.170 and this is the proclamation of the heavenly host of the angels, and 540 00:40:45.289 --> 00:40:50.239 here's what they say. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, 541 00:40:50.840 --> 00:40:53.920 goodwill toward man. And when I read that scripture, actually I get 542 00:40:53.920 --> 00:40:59.119 till bumps a lot because I think about when we see God in the Bible, 543 00:40:59.519 --> 00:41:02.440 when we see the majesty is a described earlier the majesty, The holiness 544 00:41:02.480 --> 00:41:08.309 of this God, this God who made everything, and this God who would 545 00:41:08.309 --> 00:41:13.670 be perfectly justified in, you know, wiping us all out. He did 546 00:41:13.710 --> 00:41:15.630 it in one time. He did it with with the story of Noah and 547 00:41:15.710 --> 00:41:20.219 his family and save them, but wiped out the rest of humanity, and 548 00:41:20.380 --> 00:41:23.460 he was perfectly justified in doing so. No one's his accuser. He did 549 00:41:23.539 --> 00:41:27.139 wrong, he did evil. People try to be as accuser. He's God, 550 00:41:27.739 --> 00:41:31.460 he made everything. Yeah, he has the the authority over everything. 551 00:41:31.539 --> 00:41:34.969 Right, and when his creation rebelled, agains him of that time. He 552 00:41:35.250 --> 00:41:39.130 wiped him out and it seems, though, in that story, even God's 553 00:41:39.170 --> 00:41:43.130 will was a good will toward man. He makes the ark big enough. 554 00:41:43.210 --> 00:41:46.400 Every human being could have fitted that thing and he offers. Noah was a 555 00:41:46.480 --> 00:41:51.719 preacher who offered, appealed, it seemed. He built this art for a 556 00:41:51.760 --> 00:41:53.320 hundred, twenty years in the middle of the desert as a testimony of the 557 00:41:53.360 --> 00:41:57.000 people. They could have come in and got salvation, but they didn't. 558 00:41:57.400 --> 00:42:00.960 That ark was just a picture, though, the foreshadowing of Jesus, who 559 00:42:00.960 --> 00:42:04.389 would be the Ark of salvation for all of humanity that would come into him. 560 00:42:05.349 --> 00:42:08.550 And we see God through bringing Jesus into this earth as the savior. 561 00:42:08.630 --> 00:42:12.750 Yeah, that was the proclamation of the angel that came to marry. He 562 00:42:12.869 --> 00:42:15.630 will save his name will be Jesus, he will save them, as the 563 00:42:15.710 --> 00:42:19.059 proclamation the angel that came to Joseph. His name will be Jesus, for 564 00:42:19.179 --> 00:42:22.739 real save his people from their sins. We see in the Christmas story this 565 00:42:23.260 --> 00:42:27.860 glory to God in the highest. So God is glorified in this story, 566 00:42:28.980 --> 00:42:31.530 but through his peace on earth and goodwill toward man, that he has a 567 00:42:31.650 --> 00:42:36.650 good desire for lost humanity. And Yeah, I think some of the Jews 568 00:42:36.690 --> 00:42:39.769 at the time of Jesus miss the point that God's good will was not just 569 00:42:39.849 --> 00:42:44.760 toward the Jewish people but toward all men, that all men would come into 570 00:42:44.800 --> 00:42:49.800 this this relationship with God through Christ and could be saved. Yeah, but 571 00:42:49.880 --> 00:42:53.559 we see in this the disposition of God towards humanity, toward lost, depraved, 572 00:42:54.199 --> 00:43:00.349 sinful humanity. was good that, he said, the savior into the 573 00:43:00.469 --> 00:43:04.670 world, Jesus says, the son of men comes to seek and to save 574 00:43:05.150 --> 00:43:07.710 that which is lost. And so as we go through this Christmas season and 575 00:43:08.550 --> 00:43:14.219 we might buy presents and put up our Christmas tree and all of that and 576 00:43:14.460 --> 00:43:21.340 celebrate Christmas and Christmas time and be with family. We cannot forget God's desire 577 00:43:21.739 --> 00:43:23.460 toward all human beings to be saved. We can't forget, when we're with 578 00:43:23.539 --> 00:43:28.610 our family and people who are lost, to share with them the hope of 579 00:43:28.769 --> 00:43:31.289 Jesus Christ. We did a podcast some weeks ago about how to share with 580 00:43:31.329 --> 00:43:34.889 your family members. If you haven't listened to that, go back and listen 581 00:43:34.929 --> 00:43:37.889 to that, because I think it will be massively helpful during this season to 582 00:43:37.929 --> 00:43:42.119 share with your family members. But yeah, don't forget the reason. It's 583 00:43:42.159 --> 00:43:45.320 become a Cliche, the reason for the season. It is Jesus Christ. 584 00:43:45.199 --> 00:43:49.119 We appreciate all those who listen. Appreciate you guys joining in with us. 585 00:43:49.119 --> 00:43:52.000 Share this podcast with your family members, with your friends. Shoot US over 586 00:43:52.119 --> 00:43:55.710 a tech or, I was gonna say a tax and email. I am 587 00:43:55.750 --> 00:44:00.630 at d parks at cities for lifecom. That's my email, addressed parks at 588 00:44:00.670 --> 00:44:06.829 cities for lifecom. Vickie is v Kassi Org at cities for lifecom. As 589 00:44:06.869 --> 00:44:09.820 always, we encourage you guys to go to our website, www dot sidewalks 590 00:44:09.980 --> 00:44:14.059 number, the number for Lifecom, where you can get trained and equipped to 591 00:44:14.059 --> 00:44:17.420 do sidewall counseling. We recently just put an article out a hostage situation at 592 00:44:17.460 --> 00:44:21.260 the abortion center. They gives an allegory of what we're dealing with and we're 593 00:44:21.260 --> 00:44:22.860 dealing with an abortion minded woman. That we think would be a blessing to 594 00:44:22.900 --> 00:44:28.489 you guys, but we hope that you're blessed about this podcast and hope that 595 00:44:28.610 --> 00:44:34.090 you continue to listen to future podcast God, bless and Merry Christmas. Amen, 596 00:44:35.929 --> 00:44:57.630 use, mil use, give me. Will cost me my life, 597 00:45:00.909 --> 00:45:02.110 but nothing's too precious.