WEBVTT 00:00:09.740 --> 00:00:13.320 Hello, and welcome to the Kalamazoo church of Christ podcast. 00:00:13.539 --> 00:00:14.839 Thank you so much for listening. 00:00:15.300 --> 00:00:16.199 We're startup church. 00:00:16.280 --> 00:00:23.460 We just planted in September, 2020 and at the Kalamazoo church, we believe that Christianity is done best when it is done together. 00:00:23.559 --> 00:00:32.299 And so if you live in the Kalamazoo area, we would love to connect, be it coming to a Sunday service, one of our small groups, or even just grabbing coffee with a member to learn more. 00:00:32.500 --> 00:00:36.439 You can visit Kalamazoo.church in order to do that. 00:00:36.840 --> 00:00:40.399 We pray that you are inspired by what you hear today. 00:00:42.500 --> 00:00:43.460 Merry Christmas. 00:00:44.079 --> 00:00:46.719 Welcome to the Kalamazoo church of Christ. 00:00:47.420 --> 00:00:50.399 People are wondering if I was going to wear the Santa hat today. 00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:52.060 So there you have it. 00:00:52.460 --> 00:00:56.200 I'm going to take it off because it's a little distracting here. 00:00:56.200 --> 00:01:02.179 But today is a little bit special because it is Christmas Eve, 2023. 00:01:03.140 --> 00:01:07.140 Today's message is both Christmas themed and space themed. 00:01:07.700 --> 00:01:10.219 We're all take a look at the star of Bethlehem. 00:01:10.519 --> 00:01:12.120 This lesson has two parts. 00:01:12.540 --> 00:01:18.260 First, I'm going to show you how God precisely, meticulously designed our planet. 00:01:18.859 --> 00:01:23.200 This uniqueness allows for intelligent life to exist on earth. 00:01:23.760 --> 00:01:29.599 You'll also see that God's design allows for humans to make scientific discovery. 00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:37.040 And then from this discovery in part two, we can see Jesus's mark in all of it. 00:01:37.239 --> 00:01:39.000 And it is amazing. 00:01:40.060 --> 00:01:45.420 My hope is that you will be in awe of God's power and forethought. 00:01:45.920 --> 00:01:52.359 And ultimately, this will encourage you, us, to seek him and know him more deeply. 00:01:53.079 --> 00:01:56.319 First, let's go to Psalm 19. 00:01:56.620 --> 00:01:58.840 I'm going to read verses one through four. 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:02.819 It says, the heavens proclaim the glory of God. 00:02:03.319 --> 00:02:05.939 The skies display his craftsmanship. 00:02:06.599 --> 00:02:08.479 Day after day, they continue to speak. 00:02:08.680 --> 00:02:10.419 Night after night, they make him known. 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:14.020 They speak without a word or sound. 00:02:14.020 --> 00:02:22.240 Their voice is never heard, yet their message has gone throughout the earth and their words to all the world. 00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:26.319 God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. 00:02:28.460 --> 00:02:32.680 Notice these words that the heavens and skies do. 00:02:33.780 --> 00:02:42.039 We will explore how the heavens proclaim the glory of God and how the skies display his craftsmanship. 00:02:42.509 --> 00:02:45.620 They speak, but their voice is not heard. 00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:49.500 Their message is loud and impactful. 00:02:50.520 --> 00:02:55.219 I'm going to help us see their message more clearly today. 00:02:56.120 --> 00:02:59.319 Part one is the privileged planet. 00:02:59.659 --> 00:03:10.020 In part one, we will review some of the factors that allow for complex intelligent life versus simple life forms like bacteria or protozoa. 00:03:10.979 --> 00:03:20.439 God has designed the universe in such a way that humans can also make scientific discovery and we'll look at that too. 00:03:21.080 --> 00:03:25.360 The first part is based on a movie that you can watch for free on YouTube. 00:03:26.060 --> 00:03:27.939 Just type in the privileged planet. 00:03:28.539 --> 00:03:31.240 I encourage you to watch it if you're interested in this topic. 00:03:31.379 --> 00:03:33.240 It's an hour and 30 minutes long. 00:03:33.800 --> 00:03:38.979 My challenge is I'm going to condense all of that into less than 10 minutes. 00:03:39.340 --> 00:03:42.759 Now let's go back to Psalm 19 in verse 4. 00:03:43.539 --> 00:03:44.800 It talks about the sun. 00:03:45.300 --> 00:03:48.879 God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. 00:03:49.439 --> 00:03:51.819 For us to survive, we need the sun. 00:03:52.539 --> 00:03:54.159 And it can't just be any star. 00:03:54.319 --> 00:03:58.060 It has to be the right size and the right type of star. 00:03:58.840 --> 00:04:05.080 So what we have is called a spectral type G2 main sequence star. 00:04:05.879 --> 00:04:14.599 It's a certain size and temperature and brightness because all of that affects something called the habitable zone. 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:21.939 We nickname this habitable zone the Goldilocks zone because it's not too hot. 00:04:22.120 --> 00:04:22.939 It's not too cold. 00:04:23.060 --> 00:04:24.240 It's just right. 00:04:25.259 --> 00:04:31.680 If Earth was 5% closer, it would be too hot, 900 degrees Fahrenheit like Venus and we couldn't live on it. 00:04:32.139 --> 00:04:42.839 Or if it was 20% further away, we'd have cycles of ice and cold, ice and cold, just like on Mars and it would be uninhabitable. 00:04:43.639 --> 00:04:46.699 We have the right temperature for liquid water. 00:04:47.259 --> 00:04:49.120 If it was too hot, it would evaporate. 00:04:49.220 --> 00:04:50.500 If it's too cold, it would freeze. 00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:57.420 We also have an atmosphere with the right combination of gases. 00:04:57.420 --> 00:05:01.540 The atmosphere is made up of oxygen and nitrogen. 00:05:02.420 --> 00:05:08.540 Our atmosphere measures less than 1% of the Earth's diameter, which is super thin like the skin of an apple. 00:05:09.500 --> 00:05:13.540 It's a mix of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. 00:05:14.300 --> 00:05:21.579 That combination not only allows for liquid water, but it also provides protection from the sun's radiation. 00:05:22.189 --> 00:05:28.579 We also need to live on a terrestrial planet, which has a rocky, compact surface. 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:36.279 The Earth's crust ranges 4-30 miles, which is paper thin in comparison to the whole Earth. 00:05:37.420 --> 00:05:43.500 There are dozens of plates that are in constant motion, that's plate tectonics. 00:05:44.060 --> 00:05:47.480 This is necessary to regulate the Earth's temperature. 00:05:48.339 --> 00:05:51.120 The Earth's core is made up of liquid iron. 00:05:51.660 --> 00:05:55.660 This flowing liquid iron makes the magnetic field around the Earth. 00:05:56.420 --> 00:06:03.139 Yes, it's great for compasses, but that magnetic field also shields us from the destructive solar winds. 00:06:03.620 --> 00:06:09.660 If we didn't have this magnetic field, we'd be wiped out because the solar winds would strip away our atmosphere. 00:06:11.439 --> 00:06:14.079 We have a relatively large moon. 00:06:14.500 --> 00:06:16.819 It's a quarter of the size of the Earth. 00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:22.620 This size moon is needed to stabilize the Earth's rotation on its axis. 00:06:22.740 --> 00:06:25.399 It is at a constant 23.5 degree tilt. 00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:32.579 This gives us our moderate seasons and also helps to regulate the Earth's surface temperature. 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:37.579 Earlier we talked about the Goldilocks zone in our solar system. 00:06:37.920 --> 00:06:42.160 Similarly, our location in our galaxy matters. 00:06:42.500 --> 00:06:45.759 There's a Goldilocks zone in our Milky Way galaxy. 00:06:47.480 --> 00:06:56.279 If we lived in the center of our galaxy, then there exists explosions and stars forming and crashing into each other. 00:06:57.680 --> 00:07:06.180 There's also, in the center of it, this massive black hole that eats up stars and sucks everything in. 00:07:06.180 --> 00:07:11.160 It has this incredible strong gravitational pull. 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:17.779 If we were located in the center of the universe, it would be far too dangerous for us to survive. 00:07:19.019 --> 00:07:28.319 Now on the flip side, if we lived at the outer edge of our galaxy, well there's much less gravity there. 00:07:28.519 --> 00:07:37.279 So there's not the abundance of iron, magnesium, silicone, and oxygen that our Earth is made up of. 00:07:37.759 --> 00:07:42.980 So you can see here that there is a Goldilocks zone in our Milky Way galaxy. 00:07:44.139 --> 00:07:56.800 Inside of the spiral arms, there's supernova explosions and too much galactic dust that we couldn't see much beyond that dust. 00:07:57.740 --> 00:08:00.040 Location, location, location, right? 00:08:00.579 --> 00:08:02.920 It's key, just like in real estate, right? 00:08:03.540 --> 00:08:06.060 See that bright star there? 00:08:06.660 --> 00:08:08.699 That is our solar system. 00:08:09.379 --> 00:08:26.180 We are located in the habitable zone of our galaxy, and in between two spiral arms, which has much less dust, and that allows us to observe other galaxies out in the universe and to see beyond our own galaxy. 00:08:26.980 --> 00:08:34.538 This location between the arms also allows us to see the spiral arm of our own galaxy in the night sky. 00:08:34.960 --> 00:08:37.279 If you've ever seen it, it's just beautiful. 00:08:38.519 --> 00:08:48.100 And we can see the makeup of our own galaxy, and we see that it's a spiral disk galaxy that we live in. 00:08:48.820 --> 00:08:52.460 Now it's pretty amazing that we can observe that. 00:08:55.950 --> 00:09:04.710 Albert Einstein said, The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible. 00:09:06.129 --> 00:09:11.789 God didn't have to make it so we could understand and comprehend the universe for our survival. 00:09:12.830 --> 00:09:21.350 But he allows mankind to have intelligence and curiosity to discover the math and the science and to make logical sense of it. 00:09:21.879 --> 00:09:26.830 He wants us to discover his incredibly precise design. 00:09:27.860 --> 00:09:33.490 It's almost like he's showing off and he's proud of how awesome he made the universe. 00:09:34.129 --> 00:09:36.190 Our God is an awesome God. 00:09:36.769 --> 00:09:42.809 One awesome design of God's is the total solar eclipse. 00:09:43.450 --> 00:09:46.769 Earlier we talked about having the right size sun and the right size moon. 00:09:47.289 --> 00:09:53.529 Even though our sun is 400 times bigger than our moon, it's also 400 times further away. 00:09:54.029 --> 00:09:59.210 If the moon was too large, then it would cover the sun in the corona completely. 00:09:59.889 --> 00:10:05.169 If the moon was too small, it wouldn't cover enough of the sun for us to see the corona. 00:10:06.149 --> 00:10:08.950 Now the corona is important. 00:10:09.669 --> 00:10:16.009 The corona is that light around the sun during a total solar eclipse, as you see here. 00:10:16.500 --> 00:10:22.429 So both the sun and the moon must be the same apparent size in our sky. 00:10:22.850 --> 00:10:24.730 Which it is, and that's amazing. 00:10:25.429 --> 00:10:34.629 During a total solar eclipse, it allows us to see what's called the flash spectrum when the sun is viewed through a prism during the eclipse. 00:10:35.610 --> 00:10:45.070 Now studying this flash spectrum allows us to study the makeup of the sun and how its light is produced in the sun's atmosphere. 00:10:48.440 --> 00:10:49.480 I'll throw this out there. 00:10:50.299 --> 00:10:55.820 The next total solar eclipse is going to be on April 8th of 2024. 00:10:57.000 --> 00:11:01.639 And you can go, you can travel as close as Indiana to see it. 00:11:01.840 --> 00:11:04.259 So it's a pretty great experience. 00:11:04.779 --> 00:11:06.220 My family's going to go. 00:11:06.460 --> 00:11:09.259 So if you're wanting to go, please let me know. 00:11:09.320 --> 00:11:10.259 It's going to be a good time. 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:12.600 Let's keep going. 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:17.080 Other factors that allow life. 00:11:17.820 --> 00:11:20.759 We have large planets in our solar system. 00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:28.799 There's Jupiter and Saturn and they act as bodyguards and you know they'll suck up comets that are trying to hit us. 00:11:30.340 --> 00:11:32.820 Gravity strength is the right amount. 00:11:33.399 --> 00:11:44.259 If the strength of gravity was 1% stronger, anything larger than the size of a pea would be crushed because it distorts the space-time continuum. 00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:45.679 I mean it's crazy stuff. 00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:49.159 The speed of light has to be the right speed. 00:11:49.639 --> 00:11:54.659 The weight of neutrons and protons and electrons have to be right. 00:11:55.419 --> 00:12:00.879 Nuclear force that holds the atoms together, that also has to be right. 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:03.799 We are privileged. 00:12:04.480 --> 00:12:14.179 God designed the factors that allow complex and intelligent life to be the same factors that allow for scientific discovery. 00:12:15.779 --> 00:12:33.000 In Romans 1.20, For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. 00:12:35.320 --> 00:12:38.820 This scripture means more to me now after learning about this science. 00:12:39.480 --> 00:12:41.659 People are without excuse. 00:12:42.379 --> 00:12:44.460 The creation testifies to God. 00:12:45.220 --> 00:12:48.740 It says that he is clearly seen from the creation. 00:12:50.700 --> 00:12:58.759 There is a verse from the Old Testament, Job 38.33. Do you know the laws of the universe? 00:12:59.379 --> 00:13:01.879 Can you use them to regulate the earth? 00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:09.340 To regulate the earth's temperature, plate tectonics, the magnetic field, and the tilt. 00:13:10.059 --> 00:13:11.139 It's so cool. 00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:13.399 God is so powerful. 00:13:14.620 --> 00:13:18.639 With this background, we're going to start moving into part 2. 00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:21.399 Let's read a scripture in Genesis 1. 00:13:22.139 --> 00:13:24.840 Now we're going to pick this up on the fourth day of creation. 00:13:25.200 --> 00:13:36.440 And God said, Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times and days and years. 00:13:38.019 --> 00:13:39.700 God made the stars to do what? 00:13:40.340 --> 00:13:43.559 To serve as signs and mark sacred times. 00:13:44.360 --> 00:13:53.100 We will see how they mark important times in Jesus' life, his conception, his birth, and his death. 00:13:55.389 --> 00:14:00.009 In part 2, we will look at the star of Bethlehem and the birth of Christ. 00:14:00.750 --> 00:14:02.169 Rick Larson made this movie. 00:14:02.169 --> 00:14:04.470 You can also find this free on YouTube. 00:14:05.269 --> 00:14:06.450 This is his work. 00:14:06.929 --> 00:14:10.169 If this topic interests you, I encourage you to watch it. 00:14:10.549 --> 00:14:16.009 Again, I'm going to condense about 60 minutes of content into about 10 minutes. 00:14:16.509 --> 00:14:18.909 Please turn your Bibles to Matthew 2. 00:14:19.070 --> 00:14:20.629 We're going to spend most of our time there. 00:14:22.490 --> 00:14:24.590 First, I'm going to give you some background. 00:14:25.230 --> 00:14:29.230 Johannes Kepler discovered the laws of planetary motion. 00:14:29.789 --> 00:14:31.169 He figured out the math. 00:14:31.169 --> 00:14:33.269 This math is very accurate. 00:14:34.230 --> 00:14:40.289 Kepler started to look for the star of Bethlehem, but he could not find it because he looked in the wrong years. 00:14:41.509 --> 00:14:44.409 There was some misinformation about when Herod died. 00:14:45.149 --> 00:14:48.190 We know from Scripture that King Herod tried to kill baby Jesus. 00:14:49.629 --> 00:14:54.370 Kepler was trying to look for the star in 5 and 6 BC and couldn't find anything. 00:14:54.929 --> 00:15:01.889 But now, there's new information that came out recently, just in 1996, about Herod's death. 00:15:02.710 --> 00:15:05.909 Now, we will look in 2 and 3 BC. 00:15:07.269 --> 00:15:10.129 This math has been put into software. 00:15:10.690 --> 00:15:13.509 I have a program called Starry Night on my laptop. 00:15:13.929 --> 00:15:15.789 If you want to mess around with it, it's pretty cool. 00:15:16.029 --> 00:15:16.470 Let me know. 00:15:17.330 --> 00:15:21.470 This math makes the universe operate like a giant clock. 00:15:22.110 --> 00:15:29.809 With this software, you can rewind or fast forward to any date and see exactly what the sky looks like. 00:15:30.529 --> 00:15:35.309 And you can also ask it to show you the sky from any location on the earth. 00:15:36.110 --> 00:15:40.570 So with that, we will start to look for the star of Bethlehem. 00:15:40.909 --> 00:15:43.929 But first, we have to look for clues in Scripture. 00:15:44.889 --> 00:15:48.029 So, Matthew 2, let's start in verse 1. 00:15:48.889 --> 00:16:01.110 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? 00:16:01.590 --> 00:16:05.289 We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. 00:16:06.389 --> 00:16:13.629 In the ESV, there is a footnote for rose, meaning rising in the east, just like our sun rises in the east. 00:16:14.450 --> 00:16:17.269 This talks about the Magi, the wise men. 00:16:17.269 --> 00:16:19.330 They came from the east. 00:16:20.309 --> 00:16:25.889 There was an eastern school of Magi started in Babylon, which is today called Iraq. 00:16:26.690 --> 00:16:30.690 It was basically a school of respected, intelligent scientists. 00:16:31.250 --> 00:16:37.210 We will see nine total clues about the star from Matthew 2. 00:16:37.750 --> 00:16:41.269 Now, there's four clues right here in these two verses. 00:16:41.789 --> 00:16:44.250 We see that it talks about a birth. 00:16:44.909 --> 00:16:47.490 We see it talks about the Jewish nation. 00:16:48.309 --> 00:16:53.110 We also see kingship, and it's also rising in the east. 00:16:53.490 --> 00:16:59.149 Now, that's important because not all stars rise, like pulsars don't rise and shooting stars don't. 00:17:00.490 --> 00:17:11.150 This is Jupiter in the night sky in September of 3 BC, and we're looking 60 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq. 00:17:11.990 --> 00:17:14.970 There's a red tail here, so you can see its path better. 00:17:15.809 --> 00:17:18.269 Jupiter is rising in the east. 00:17:18.430 --> 00:17:24.130 It looks like one star, but let's zoom in, and you can see that there's another star. 00:17:24.750 --> 00:17:30.430 The two are so close together that it looks like one really bright star to the naked eye. 00:17:31.230 --> 00:17:40.990 Jupiter is called the king planet because it's the largest of our planets, and Regulus is the king star, and that's where we get our word regal. 00:17:41.150 --> 00:17:41.890 Meaning king. 00:17:42.809 --> 00:17:44.569 Now, let's go back to Matthew 2. 00:17:45.630 --> 00:17:52.970 In verse 3, it reads, King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 00:17:53.349 --> 00:18:00.470 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, where is the Messiah supposed to be born? 00:18:02.230 --> 00:18:03.710 Here's clue number five. 00:18:04.009 --> 00:18:05.829 Herod was deeply disturbed. 00:18:06.109 --> 00:18:08.329 He had to ask and learn about the star. 00:18:08.970 --> 00:18:15.650 This is a clue of what the star was not, because if it had been a comet, it would have been the talk of the town. 00:18:16.190 --> 00:18:18.529 Comets were thought to be omens of doom. 00:18:19.269 --> 00:18:25.150 If it had been a nova, an exploding star, it would have been recorded in Chinese records. 00:18:25.789 --> 00:18:28.410 Novas are recorded, and so are comets. 00:18:29.150 --> 00:18:30.529 Now, let's keep reading in Matthew. 00:18:31.549 --> 00:18:38.130 In verse 5, In Bethlehem in Judea, they said, For this is what the prophet wrote. 00:18:38.589 --> 00:18:45.069 And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah. 00:18:45.869 --> 00:18:50.829 For a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel. 00:18:51.970 --> 00:18:53.990 This is the prophecy about Jesus. 00:18:54.529 --> 00:18:58.609 And Herod didn't want another king to rise up against him. 00:18:58.990 --> 00:19:02.009 So that's why he tried to kill baby Jesus. 00:19:04.269 --> 00:19:14.049 In verse 7, it continues, Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 00:19:14.349 --> 00:19:18.430 Then he told them, Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. 00:19:18.789 --> 00:19:23.130 And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go worship him too. 00:19:24.650 --> 00:19:28.069 Again, Herod had to learn about the star from the wise men. 00:19:28.410 --> 00:19:30.609 He wanted to know where the child was. 00:19:31.150 --> 00:19:33.970 And we know that he had some bad intentions. 00:19:34.869 --> 00:19:37.670 The Magi gives us clue number 6. 00:19:37.930 --> 00:19:40.410 They talk about when the star first appeared. 00:19:41.250 --> 00:19:43.230 It had to be the brightest star. 00:19:43.869 --> 00:19:50.569 The star had to be significant enough for the Magi to pack up their bags and go for a journey that would take weeks. 00:19:51.970 --> 00:19:53.569 We continue in verse 9. 00:19:54.029 --> 00:20:03.849 The Bible reads, After this interview, the wise men went their way, and the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. 00:20:03.970 --> 00:20:09.549 It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 00:20:10.670 --> 00:20:13.390 Here we see three more clues. 00:20:13.910 --> 00:20:14.710 Clue number 7. 00:20:14.930 --> 00:20:21.509 The star went ahead of them from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, which is due south five miles. 00:20:22.430 --> 00:20:26.289 It had been in the southern part of the sky. 00:20:27.269 --> 00:20:28.430 Clue number 8. 00:20:28.789 --> 00:20:33.269 The star is described as stopped over Bethlehem. 00:20:33.269 --> 00:20:35.230 So how does a star stop? 00:20:36.849 --> 00:20:37.509 Clue number 9. 00:20:38.309 --> 00:20:40.130 The star endured over time. 00:20:40.829 --> 00:20:46.970 It was in the east as they traveled to Jerusalem, and then the south as they journeyed to Bethlehem. 00:20:47.750 --> 00:20:51.190 So for contrast, like shooting stars don't endure over time. 00:20:51.609 --> 00:20:55.690 You might know that they're just asteroids that burn up as they enter our atmosphere. 00:20:56.490 --> 00:21:00.589 So the question is, how can a star stop? 00:21:01.390 --> 00:21:04.789 The answer is retrograde motion. 00:21:06.289 --> 00:21:09.869 We are viewing the stars from a moving platform, which is the earth. 00:21:10.349 --> 00:21:16.490 When you are observing from a moving platform, the object that is moving may appear to be stopped. 00:21:16.970 --> 00:21:24.710 For example, when you're driving on the highway, if you're going the same speed, the other car looks like it's not moving at all. 00:21:25.089 --> 00:21:31.869 Or if you speed up and pass that car, the other car looks like it's going backwards when we know it's not. 00:21:32.009 --> 00:21:33.029 It's just going slower. 00:21:33.670 --> 00:21:35.829 There's a tail here for Jupiter again. 00:21:36.869 --> 00:21:42.430 And you can see that it gets very close to Regulus, that it seems like one bright star. 00:21:42.930 --> 00:21:46.470 And then it turns around and makes a second approach. 00:21:46.890 --> 00:21:51.150 And then it turns around and makes a third, which is very rare. 00:21:52.109 --> 00:21:55.710 So you have king planet, king star. 00:21:55.710 --> 00:22:01.210 And if you stretch it, you can say that Jupiter is forming a halo around Regulus. 00:22:01.950 --> 00:22:05.430 In case you're wondering, we're zipping through several weeks of time. 00:22:05.589 --> 00:22:08.990 So sometimes you'll see the sun and the moon zip by occasionally. 00:22:10.789 --> 00:22:13.930 But where do you get the Jewish nation from the stars? 00:22:14.509 --> 00:22:15.329 Let me ask. 00:22:16.109 --> 00:22:18.690 What is the tribe that Jesus came from? 00:22:19.150 --> 00:22:19.990 It's Judah. 00:22:20.730 --> 00:22:24.230 And what animal figure is associated with Judah? 00:22:24.930 --> 00:22:26.069 A lion. 00:22:26.549 --> 00:22:28.769 Jesus is called the Lion of Judah. 00:22:29.529 --> 00:22:34.410 Now, could something be happening in the constellation Leo, the lion? 00:22:36.109 --> 00:22:37.390 Well, yes. 00:22:38.009 --> 00:22:39.950 The constellations are turned on here. 00:22:40.589 --> 00:22:49.150 And you can see that the king planet, Jupiter, is crowning the king star Regulus inside the constellation Leo, the lion. 00:22:49.869 --> 00:22:52.950 It's truly magnificent what God did in the sky. 00:22:53.589 --> 00:22:55.730 Please turn to Revelations 12. 00:22:56.490 --> 00:23:01.769 Now, while all this is going on at night, something else is happening in the daytime. 00:23:03.390 --> 00:23:09.009 Revelation 12, 1 through 2 says, A great sign appeared in the heaven. 00:23:09.769 --> 00:23:16.349 A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of 12 stars on her head. 00:23:16.950 --> 00:23:20.849 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 00:23:22.190 --> 00:23:25.009 John is writing about a sign in the sky. 00:23:25.690 --> 00:23:31.710 He writes this towards the end of his life to a Christian audience to remind them of what happened in the past. 00:23:32.430 --> 00:23:34.509 Let's break down some points here. 00:23:35.450 --> 00:23:37.710 Now, who is the woman giving birth? 00:23:38.490 --> 00:23:40.269 Well, that's Mary, the virgin. 00:23:40.750 --> 00:23:45.029 And she's clothed with the sun, with the moon at her feet. 00:23:46.710 --> 00:23:50.769 There is the constellation Virgo, the virgin. 00:23:51.490 --> 00:23:52.950 Clothed with the sun. 00:23:54.210 --> 00:23:57.829 And the moon rising at her feet. 00:23:58.289 --> 00:24:01.170 This is what John is writing about in Revelation. 00:24:01.829 --> 00:24:05.210 The moon is a barely crescent moon. 00:24:05.450 --> 00:24:08.690 You can barely see it here because it's daytime. 00:24:09.430 --> 00:24:16.990 But this is a new moon in September, which marked the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanah, meaning a new life. 00:24:17.890 --> 00:24:23.130 This is believed to be when the angel appeared to Mary and Joseph and Mary conceived. 00:24:23.990 --> 00:24:29.150 A new moon of the new year, marking the new life of the new king. 00:24:30.589 --> 00:24:39.069 Logically, it would make sense that if this is when Mary conceived, then something should be happening about nine months later, right? 00:24:39.549 --> 00:24:41.329 So it's September now. 00:24:41.650 --> 00:24:46.170 Let's fast forward and go to June 17th of 2 BC. 00:24:47.509 --> 00:24:55.190 On June 17th, 2 BC, two bodies come extremely crazy close together. 00:24:55.690 --> 00:25:02.309 One is Jupiter, the king planet, and the other is the brightest object in the night sky besides the moon. 00:25:03.369 --> 00:25:04.829 Can anyone guess what that is? 00:25:05.809 --> 00:25:08.650 Well, it's Venus, the mother planet. 00:25:09.170 --> 00:25:14.210 The king planet and the mother planet come intimately close together. 00:25:14.990 --> 00:25:15.890 And what do you get? 00:25:16.990 --> 00:25:17.950 Baby Jesus. 00:25:18.690 --> 00:25:21.450 Wow, I mean, God is so poetic and beautiful. 00:25:21.970 --> 00:25:23.630 The symbolism is tremendous. 00:25:24.769 --> 00:25:28.289 Now this image is really zoomed in. 00:25:28.509 --> 00:25:34.130 Jupiter and Venus get so close that the naked eye views them as one bright star. 00:25:34.650 --> 00:25:38.750 Now notice that they don't overlap each other so they don't block each other's light. 00:25:39.730 --> 00:25:43.349 Both of their lights shine together as one. 00:25:43.349 --> 00:25:52.349 This was the brightest star that those people have ever seen to mark the birth of Jesus. 00:25:53.430 --> 00:26:02.670 With that, the Magi see this and they take off from Babylon to Jerusalem to see and worship their new king. 00:26:04.789 --> 00:26:09.430 Now here's Jupiter again in the southern sky and it stops and reverses course. 00:26:11.069 --> 00:26:15.730 This clip shows the dates of its movements over a week's time. 00:26:16.509 --> 00:26:25.109 Here we are spitting out dates and then it stops on December 25th of 2 BC over the town of Bethlehem and reverses course. 00:26:25.809 --> 00:26:29.369 What's significant about December 25th? 00:26:29.470 --> 00:26:35.690 Could that be the date that the Magi reached Jesus and gave gifts to the new king? 00:26:36.490 --> 00:26:38.369 Could that be the first Christmas? 00:26:39.299 --> 00:26:40.849 I think that's very possible. 00:26:42.230 --> 00:26:44.470 Please turn to Acts 2. 00:26:45.470 --> 00:26:51.130 Now we're going to transition to discussing the cross and crucifixion of Jesus. 00:26:52.529 --> 00:27:01.190 In Acts 2, 19 reads, I will show wonders in the heavens above and the signs on the earth below. 00:27:01.670 --> 00:27:04.529 Blood and fire and billows of smoke. 00:27:04.690 --> 00:27:08.009 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood. 00:27:08.009 --> 00:27:11.750 Before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 00:27:12.569 --> 00:27:15.990 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:22.200 Here Peter is preaching a sermon to a large group of people. 00:27:22.940 --> 00:27:25.740 He quotes from Joel the prophet. 00:27:27.140 --> 00:27:32.539 Peter is talking about, this is about 50 days after Jesus died during Pentecost. 00:27:32.880 --> 00:27:38.359 He's reminding these people, you've seen these signs on the day Christ died. 00:27:38.359 --> 00:27:39.420 You were there. 00:27:40.400 --> 00:27:43.339 It happened as the prophet Joel predicted. 00:27:44.140 --> 00:27:48.319 The sun did turn to darkness for three hours when Jesus hung on the cross. 00:27:49.440 --> 00:27:51.859 And Joel also talks about a blood moon. 00:27:52.660 --> 00:27:54.619 Well, first of all, what is a blood moon? 00:27:55.440 --> 00:27:56.940 It's a lunar eclipse. 00:27:57.940 --> 00:28:02.480 Here's a photo of a moon in eclipse when it travels into the earth's shadow. 00:28:03.420 --> 00:28:08.279 So the next question is, was there a blood moon on the day of the cross? 00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:11.799 Well, first of all, we need to know what day to look in, right? 00:28:13.180 --> 00:28:15.859 So here's some things we know from the Bible. 00:28:16.579 --> 00:28:18.220 When did Jesus die? 00:28:19.140 --> 00:28:21.940 Well, it had to be on a Friday, which is preparation day. 00:28:22.039 --> 00:28:24.079 You can reference Luke 23, 54. 00:28:24.759 --> 00:28:28.680 It had to be just before the Passover feast, John 13, 1. 00:28:29.160 --> 00:28:33.519 It had to be the 14th day of the first month, which is Nisan. 00:28:34.299 --> 00:28:38.160 Which occurs either in March or April, because, you know, it's the lunar calendar. 00:28:38.759 --> 00:28:42.619 But we use a calendar based on the sun and a solar calendar. 00:28:43.380 --> 00:28:46.460 And that's a command from Leviticus 23, 5. 00:28:47.240 --> 00:28:49.839 It had to be during Pilate's rule. 00:28:49.980 --> 00:28:54.380 And from history, we know that Pilate ruled from 26 AD to 36 AD. 00:28:54.960 --> 00:28:57.700 And you can reference Matthew 27, verse 2. 00:28:58.440 --> 00:29:03.240 And it also has to be at least 33 years after his birth. 00:29:03.339 --> 00:29:06.259 So that would put us 31 AD or after. 00:29:06.440 --> 00:29:10.339 You can reference Luke 3, 23 in the book of John. 00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:17.500 The date that fits is April 3, 33 AD. 00:29:18.359 --> 00:29:22.240 This is the date that most people agree that Jesus died. 00:29:23.579 --> 00:29:29.660 So was there a blood moon on April 3, 33 AD? 00:29:30.859 --> 00:29:32.779 Well, yes, there was. 00:29:33.400 --> 00:29:38.980 So here we're looking at April 3, 33 AD on the date that Jesus died. 00:29:39.460 --> 00:29:41.140 There is a blood moon. 00:29:41.619 --> 00:29:46.700 And then again, it's at the foot of the constellation Virgo, the virgin. 00:29:47.720 --> 00:29:53.700 Now remember at the conception of Christ, it was a new moon and a new life. 00:29:54.420 --> 00:29:58.680 Now it's a full moon for a life fully lived. 00:29:58.680 --> 00:30:03.140 And it's in eclipse because he shed blood for us on the cross. 00:30:04.140 --> 00:30:09.859 Now the moon went into eclipse at the time Jesus died at 3 PM. 00:30:10.220 --> 00:30:11.059 But that was daytime. 00:30:11.319 --> 00:30:17.359 So you couldn't see it yet until it rose from the horizon at night. 00:30:18.839 --> 00:30:23.720 In summary, God has made a planet that supports complex life. 00:30:24.279 --> 00:30:27.539 Those same factors allow for scientific discovery. 00:30:28.130 --> 00:30:32.500 The universe is like a giant clock that is very precise. 00:30:33.680 --> 00:30:41.680 When God spoke the universe into existence, he had it planned out the day the angel would appear to Mary to conceive Jesus. 00:30:42.140 --> 00:30:45.140 The day Jesus would be born in a manger. 00:30:45.759 --> 00:30:50.819 The day he would be the Passover sacrificial lamb on the cross. 00:30:51.920 --> 00:30:56.500 Why would God do all of this for you? 00:30:57.539 --> 00:30:59.319 What does this mean for you? 00:31:01.809 --> 00:31:04.529 He wants us to seek him and love him. 00:31:04.809 --> 00:31:08.109 Even though we haven't seen him yet with our physical eyes. 00:31:09.109 --> 00:31:17.390 We have no excuse because of the magnificent and amazing universe that he created for us. 00:31:17.970 --> 00:31:21.890 So that we could seek him and perhaps find him. 00:31:22.630 --> 00:31:23.230 Let's pray. 00:31:27.109 --> 00:31:30.549 Glorious, poetic, loving father in heaven. 00:31:31.069 --> 00:31:36.269 We praise you today for making the universe and the earth amazing. 00:31:37.170 --> 00:31:41.809 We thank you for the meticulous planning to bring Jesus to us. 00:31:42.190 --> 00:31:44.809 To walk this earth and to die for our sins. 00:31:45.549 --> 00:31:50.289 You allow us a way to seek you and find you and to know you. 00:31:50.890 --> 00:31:54.670 I pray for the faith of all those listening to this message today. 00:31:54.829 --> 00:32:00.349 That you prompt us to seek you more closely in your word and to obey your commands. 00:32:01.190 --> 00:32:03.470 Please guard us from the devil's schemes. 00:32:04.109 --> 00:32:09.329 And draw near to us as we celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas season. 00:32:10.029 --> 00:32:11.490 In Jesus's name we pray. 00:32:12.170 --> 00:32:12.470 Amen. 00:32:13.970 --> 00:32:18.630 Thank you so much for listening to the Kalamazoo Church of Christ podcast. 00:32:18.910 --> 00:32:22.309 If you're in the Kalamazoo area, we'd love to get connected. 00:32:22.569 --> 00:32:29.950 Please go to kalamazoo.church and fill in your information to come to a Sunday service or any other event that we have going on. 00:32:29.950 --> 00:32:32.549 In any case, you'll be hearing from us next week.