WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:02.959 Well, Merry Christmas from me to you. 00:00:03.040 --> 00:00:14.400 I think there is something that is just so great and appropriate about being at church on the day that we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 00:00:14.480 --> 00:00:20.640 And so I am excited to be with you here this morning and to see you all out here is just such a huge blessing to me. 00:00:20.719 --> 00:00:25.760 And I would encourage you right now, if you've got a copy of God's Word, to turn there to Luke chapter 2. 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:27.760 Luke chapter 2 is where we're gonna be. 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:36.240 And as you're turning there, I want to let you know that I got my Christmas shopping done this year on uh on Friday. 00:00:36.719 --> 00:00:37.439 On Friday. 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:39.520 So pretty last minute, right? 00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:40.320 Pretty last minute. 00:00:40.399 --> 00:00:42.000 That's the what, the 23rd, right? 00:00:42.079 --> 00:00:43.920 But I'm just kind of curious here. 00:00:44.079 --> 00:00:50.960 Um, anyone here uh get your Christmas shopping done yesterday on Christmas Eve? 00:00:51.039 --> 00:00:52.240 We got we got a couple here. 00:00:52.560 --> 00:00:55.600 Anybody ever get your Christmas shopping done on Christmas Eve? 00:00:55.679 --> 00:00:57.119 A couple of kind of, there we go. 00:00:57.280 --> 00:00:59.200 Some brave hands, got your hands up. 00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:00.320 I I love that. 00:01:00.479 --> 00:01:04.480 Now, if you were to ask any, well, let's just be honest, guy, right? 00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:09.840 If you were to ask any man about that, uh, about shopping on Christmas Eve, they're like, what's wrong with that? 00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:11.359 What's wrong with that? 00:01:11.519 --> 00:01:16.879 They're you know, it it's it's a pretty it's a pretty good move to do your Christmas shopping then, because you think about it for a few reasons. 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:20.480 Uh one of them is that the roads are generally clearer, right? 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:22.640 You don't have to deal with the traffic as much. 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:29.920 Most people have gotten all their shopping done, and so it's uh, you know, they can just kind of make it more efficiently uh to the store, to the mall. 00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:32.640 Speaking of malls, they're usually emptier, right? 00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:34.079 You don't have to like elbow your way. 00:01:34.159 --> 00:01:37.200 I see a lot of nods, the guys in the room are totally clicking with this, right? 00:01:37.519 --> 00:01:41.120 You don't have to elbow your way through crowds and the lineups are a lot shorter and all of that. 00:01:41.200 --> 00:01:42.560 Here's another really good thing. 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:47.200 You only have to hide the presents from your family for like one night, right? 00:01:47.359 --> 00:01:48.959 So I mean it it is it is a great move. 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:55.920 You might even you might even say it's a veteran move, okay, to do your shopping uh on uh Christmas Eve. 00:01:56.079 --> 00:02:00.079 Okay, for a guy, especially, I think, uh it's just like the perfect timing. 00:02:00.159 --> 00:02:01.519 It's a perfect timing. 00:02:01.680 --> 00:02:07.599 Well, our passage this morning actually uh talks about perfect timing as well. 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:16.639 Uh Luke chapter 2, uh verse 6 says this as the time, okay, the time came for her to give birth, speaking of Mary. 00:02:16.719 --> 00:02:30.800 And so what we're gonna do here this morning is just spend a few moments together, um, really talking about how Jesus came into the world as a child who would become the Messiah at just the right time. 00:02:31.439 --> 00:02:33.120 Okay, the timing was perfect. 00:02:33.360 --> 00:02:39.680 Now you might be kind of wondering, what do we mean by that when we say that Christ came at just the right time? 00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:47.039 Well, uh, what we mean is that the Lord, okay, the Lord God sovereignly chose the time. 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:58.400 He chose He chose the the place, the the setting, he He set the stage uh for uh Him to enter into uh His creation. 00:02:58.719 --> 00:03:03.599 Okay, none of it was by accident, none of it was random. 00:03:03.759 --> 00:03:10.080 He didn't come too soon, and he certainly did not enter into his creation uh too late. 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:18.560 Okay, none of that, you know, and whereas last week we talked about the whole reason that he came, and that was to save his people, save us from our sins. 00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:20.400 Matthew chapter one says that. 00:03:20.639 --> 00:03:32.080 Today is all about kind of the perfect timing and the time that God chose to come and unveil his rescue plan here and how the his orchestration of all of that impacts you and I. 00:03:32.159 --> 00:03:35.039 It impacts all people for all eternity. 00:03:35.280 --> 00:03:38.639 Alright, so we're gonna read this now, uh, Luke chapter 2. 00:03:38.719 --> 00:03:44.000 You can follow along with me uh in your Bible, uh, reading verse 1 down to verse 7. 00:03:44.240 --> 00:03:52.960 Here's what it says It says, In those days, right, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 00:03:53.199 --> 00:04:00.960 This was the first registration when Corinius was governor of Syria, and all went to be registered, each to his own town. 00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:15.680 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:20.399 And when they were there, here it is, the time came for her to give birth. 00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:30.959 And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:33.839 Lord, we come before you today. 00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:50.720 Um, such a great day to be gathered as the body of Jesus Christ to come and recognize and celebrate you, Lord, how you came to earth uh as a child, Lord, in the most humble, uh, nondescript way ever, Lord. 00:04:50.800 --> 00:04:55.040 But you had such an epic plan in place, and this is the start of all of it. 00:04:55.279 --> 00:05:03.199 And so, God, I pray that as we focus our hearts and our minds on these things, I pray that our our hearts would be filled with such joy at this news. 00:05:03.519 --> 00:05:08.879 God, I pray that we would we would rejoice in the initiation of the gospel here. 00:05:09.199 --> 00:05:17.519 Lord, I pray that that this would indeed be uh the main reason, the main thing that we are excited about and passionate about this Christmas season. 00:05:17.759 --> 00:05:28.240 Lord, we pray that as we walk through all of this, Lord, illuminate our eyes, Lord, open up our eyes, remove the veil, Lord, that you would be worshipped, Lord, that you would get glory. 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:31.759 We pray all of this in the name of Jesus Christ. 00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:32.639 Amen. 00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:33.279 Amen. 00:05:33.439 --> 00:05:35.360 All right, so you ready to get into this here this morning? 00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:38.079 We got three things, three things, all right? 00:05:38.319 --> 00:05:44.560 Jesus came to us at just the right time because life's hard and we're desperate. 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:46.720 Okay, life's hard and we are desperate. 00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:47.839 Take a look at verse one. 00:05:48.079 --> 00:05:48.959 Look what it says. 00:05:49.199 --> 00:05:56.959 It says, In those days, all right, in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 00:05:57.199 --> 00:06:05.839 This was the first registration when Corinius was governor of Syria, and all went to be registered, each to his own town. 00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:11.920 Alright, so what this does, what this information does, it gives us kind of a real sense of what was going on here. 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:20.319 The kind of the political vibe, the socioeconomic situation that Mary and Joseph uh found themselves in. 00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:27.759 Alright, so Mary and Joseph, they lived in uh Nazareth, which was under the governance of Rome at the time. 00:06:27.920 --> 00:06:29.680 Or it was under Roman rule. 00:06:29.920 --> 00:06:32.160 And so Caesar Augustus, what does he do? 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:39.680 He issues a decree, it says there, that everyone under Roman rule, so including them, was to be registered. 00:06:39.920 --> 00:06:43.040 Now they were to be registered for tax purposes. 00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:44.560 That was kind of the whole point of all of this. 00:06:44.639 --> 00:06:47.040 We'll kind of unpack that as we go. 00:06:47.360 --> 00:06:51.920 Now it says there, this was the first registration when Corinius was governor of Syria. 00:06:52.160 --> 00:06:57.759 Okay, but if you have uh the ESV, the English Standard Version Bible, that's the one that I'm preaching out of here today. 00:06:57.839 --> 00:07:19.199 I'm not sure which which translation you have, um, but if you uh see that there, there's a little note, there's a little number two uh by the word uh when, when Corinius, which is just kind of saying there, there's an explanation at the bottom saying that this is this might be better translated as the first registration before, okay, not when, but before Corinius was governor. 00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:24.879 Now, all of that to say that that translation probably makes the most sense. 00:07:25.040 --> 00:07:36.560 Because history, it records Corinius as the governor at actually a later time, and he actually oversaw another uh census as well that actually Acts chapter 5, verse 37 mentions. 00:07:36.720 --> 00:07:41.920 Anyways, just making sure that we kind of all understand that and get the timeline, and you're not confused by some of those notes there. 00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:44.160 Okay, but all of that kind of just aside for a second. 00:07:44.319 --> 00:07:46.480 Hey, think about the scene that's unfolding here. 00:07:46.720 --> 00:07:47.839 Okay, think about this. 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:49.439 Put yourself in their shoes. 00:07:49.600 --> 00:07:52.560 I mean, Mary and Joseph, what are they dealing with here? 00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:54.319 Well, first of all, they're dealing with what? 00:07:54.480 --> 00:07:58.720 The optics of her getting pregnant out of wedlock. 00:07:58.879 --> 00:08:02.800 Now, you remember we talked about this uh last weekend uh a little bit. 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:08.800 Now, I mean, we know, we know because we talked about it, that the Lord Himself orchestrated all of these things. 00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:11.839 She was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:18.240 But can you just kind of imagine the difficulty of this for Mary and for Joseph? 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:19.839 I mean, think about it. 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:26.319 You know, she was she was unwed and yet she was pregnant under Jewish law. 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:28.560 This was a huge, huge no-no. 00:08:28.959 --> 00:08:33.440 And so just picture kind of how people would have handled that around her. 00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:38.159 Do you think people would have been like real kind about it, or maybe not so much? 00:08:38.480 --> 00:08:39.600 Maybe not so much. 00:08:39.759 --> 00:08:43.840 Just picture like the the gossip that they would have had to endure. 00:08:44.080 --> 00:08:44.399 Right? 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:46.639 The you know, the relationships that they had with people. 00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:48.159 People, I'm sure they would have scattered. 00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:50.000 We don't want anything to do with you. 00:08:50.159 --> 00:08:54.320 They would have felt alone, the relational discord that was going through all of this. 00:08:54.480 --> 00:08:57.279 They're trying to watch how's Joseph's gonna handle all of this. 00:08:57.440 --> 00:09:00.480 They're expecting a divorce anytime now, and it wasn't happening. 00:09:00.639 --> 00:09:03.840 And so there probably would have been a lot of chatter. 00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:14.960 You think about how awful that would have been for them emotionally as they're trying to follow the Lord and obey him, and they didn't know everything yet and how this was all gonna play out exactly. 00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:18.559 There would have for sure been some fear involved. 00:09:18.799 --> 00:09:24.799 Okay, but then on top of all of that, they often now also now have to deal with being taxed heavily. 00:09:24.960 --> 00:09:26.960 That was this whole registration thing. 00:09:27.120 --> 00:09:32.080 So think about Mary and Joseph, they're betrothed, they're getting ready to be kind of officially married, right? 00:09:32.240 --> 00:09:35.519 And now they've got like a financial burden put in place. 00:09:35.840 --> 00:09:45.519 And think about it, if you're married here, you know that finances can just be one of the biggest stresses in your married relationship between you and your spouse. 00:09:45.679 --> 00:09:49.519 I mean, I think today it's like the leasing leading cause of divorce. 00:09:49.759 --> 00:09:50.879 It's finances. 00:09:51.039 --> 00:09:55.759 And so you see these things kind of mounting and and building up. 00:09:55.919 --> 00:09:59.519 Okay, but then on top of all of that, what do they have to do? 00:09:59.759 --> 00:10:08.720 They have to travel from Nazareth south, but it was actually up, okay, I'm gonna explain, to to Bethlehem. 00:10:08.879 --> 00:10:15.679 And the reason it says that they're gonna go up, we're gonna see that in a second here, is because Bethlehem was on a mountain. 00:10:15.919 --> 00:10:19.039 And so think about this, ladies, like any of you that have kids. 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:23.279 Okay, picture yourself, you know, nine months pregnant, right? 00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:30.159 I'm sure like the first thing that you're thinking is like, hey, I could I I would love to do some mountain climbing right now. 00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:30.639 Right? 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:32.720 You would love the la that's the last thing, right? 00:10:32.799 --> 00:10:35.840 You just want to stay in bed, you probably don't want to leave the house, right? 00:10:36.080 --> 00:10:37.440 You're feeling uncomfortable. 00:10:37.600 --> 00:10:46.879 And now, now, Mary, she has to do this like 70, 80 mile trek up a mountain, okay, with her husband. 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:55.360 Now, I mean, we've all seen the movies, we've seen you know the pictures and you know the Christmas cards with Mary sitting on what kind of an animal usually? 00:10:55.600 --> 00:10:57.840 Right, like a like a donkey or something like that. 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:01.200 Now, that's not exact that's not even recorded in scripture, so I don't know where we got that. 00:11:01.279 --> 00:11:02.720 That's like an extra biblical thing. 00:11:02.799 --> 00:11:09.440 Okay, now she might, she might have been on a donkey or like a camel or a colt or something like that, but we're not not too sure. 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:14.559 But I mean, even even if she was, right, how comfy of a ride do you think that is when you're nine months pregnant? 00:11:14.720 --> 00:11:16.159 You're like, get me out of here. 00:11:16.320 --> 00:11:16.480 Right? 00:11:16.559 --> 00:11:17.600 That's that's totally weird thing. 00:11:17.679 --> 00:11:18.639 So just just picture this. 00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:20.399 Like, life was hard. 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:32.000 Life was was really difficult, and they would have been feeling very much desperate at this point, probably just craving some kind of some kind of comfort, some kind of relief. 00:11:32.320 --> 00:11:35.840 That's what they were looking for, and yet think about the timing. 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:37.200 Think about the timing. 00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:38.720 Okay, God, what was he doing? 00:11:38.799 --> 00:11:47.440 He was working powerfully behind the scenes to unfold what would be the greatest miracle of all time. 00:11:48.159 --> 00:11:49.759 Pretty incredible to think about. 00:11:49.919 --> 00:12:01.200 See, God knew that as long as sin was reigning supreme in the heart of man and mankind, he knew that life was always going to be hard and desperate. 00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:03.200 It always was going to be. 00:12:03.440 --> 00:12:05.759 Now, do you ever feel that? 00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:07.919 Do you ever feel the difficulty of life? 00:12:08.080 --> 00:12:11.200 Do you ever feel kind of the desperation of it all? 00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:12.639 Of course we do. 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:27.120 We live in such a broken and fallen world, and I think all of us, you know, in a quiet moment, we probably all get to the have gotten to the place, maybe multiple times, where you're like, man, I just feel like life is supposed to be better than this. 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:27.679 Right? 00:12:27.840 --> 00:12:33.840 Like, I just, you know, things aren't working out the way that I kind of envision and the way that I desire. 00:12:34.399 --> 00:12:36.320 You know, I'm sick. 00:12:36.559 --> 00:12:39.440 You know, I I'm constantly tired. 00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:41.279 I my body breaks down. 00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:45.360 Again, there's there's financial burdens and stress of life. 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:50.399 You know, my family isn't maybe as tight-knit as I would like it to be. 00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:57.919 Maybe even for you, this Christmas season is one of one of challenge and hardship and desperation. 00:12:58.159 --> 00:12:58.399 Right? 00:12:58.559 --> 00:13:03.679 It's not, you know, you're like, I wish it was like this merry and bright stuff that I see on Instagram everywhere, right? 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:06.480 But my family, you know, my life, it doesn't feel like that. 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:10.240 Life is hard and and it's desperate. 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:15.519 But hey, isn't it amazing that the Lord came to us in that moment? 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:16.240 Right? 00:13:16.320 --> 00:13:17.039 He came to us. 00:13:17.200 --> 00:13:18.559 I mean, what could he have done? 00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:20.720 He could have done nothing at all. 00:13:21.039 --> 00:13:21.279 Right? 00:13:21.919 --> 00:13:27.840 Or he could have let us squirm and and suffer and and and all of that for eons. 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:33.679 And he and he could have let it just be awful for for so long, but he didn't. 00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:36.480 He came at the right time. 00:13:37.200 --> 00:13:38.559 And why did he come? 00:13:39.200 --> 00:13:49.039 Well, it was ultimately to heal us, to heal his people, to bring forgiveness, and to and and to heal our suffering. 00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:52.159 And he wanted to do that ultimately for all eternity. 00:13:53.120 --> 00:14:10.000 Now the gospel tells us, the gospel tells us that that the core, the core reason behind all of our suffering, the the core reason behind the the hardships, the the difficulty in life, the fact that the earth itself is breaking down. 00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:12.720 The core reason behind all of that is sin. 00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:14.960 And that is why God came. 00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:18.159 He came to make all things new. 00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:20.879 He came to make all things right. 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:29.039 Now, do you realize that he didn't just come to deal with sin in like a very general sense, but he came to deal with yours. 00:14:29.600 --> 00:14:32.240 He came to deal with mine as well. 00:14:32.639 --> 00:14:36.639 And the Bible tells us that the wages of sin is what? 00:14:37.200 --> 00:14:38.000 It's death. 00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:38.720 It's death. 00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:43.360 In other words, that's what your sin, that's what my sin earns. 00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:47.360 That's what we have coming to us because of our sin. 00:14:47.600 --> 00:14:53.840 It's death, it's spiritual death, it's separation from God forever and ever. 00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:56.720 That's what our sin brings us. 00:14:56.960 --> 00:14:58.879 And so what did Jesus come and do? 00:14:59.200 --> 00:15:02.159 He came and he entered into the mess. 00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:13.840 He entered into the fray and to ultimately go to the cross at some point and take the punishment that we deserve, take the death that we deserved on himself on the cross. 00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:14.720 And why? 00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:21.200 Why, because of God's love for us, because the Lord is like, I don't want to have to punish them even though they deserve it. 00:15:21.360 --> 00:15:22.320 I love them so much. 00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:24.879 They're the ones that I cherish, they're the ones that I love. 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:32.480 And so I'm gonna pour this all of my wrath, all of the punishment once and for all on my only son. 00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:35.200 That's why Christ went to the cross. 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:36.720 It was for you. 00:15:37.039 --> 00:15:39.759 And you realize that it is a gift. 00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:45.440 Salvation, knowing Jesus Christ personally, is a gift of grace. 00:15:45.679 --> 00:15:48.399 It is not something that you and I can earn. 00:15:48.639 --> 00:15:49.440 It's not. 00:15:49.679 --> 00:15:55.759 All of the behavior, all of the good works, all of the way that we're kind of naturally wired, that doesn't cut it. 00:15:56.639 --> 00:15:58.639 God has gifted us salvation. 00:15:58.879 --> 00:16:01.679 And so I would really challenge you this morning here. 00:16:01.919 --> 00:16:09.840 If you do not know Jesus Christ personally, if you are not a Christ follower, today could be the day. 00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:12.960 I mean, what an amazing day it would really be, right? 00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:17.919 Christmas Sunday, that you could come to know the Lord, to have your sins forgiven. 00:16:18.159 --> 00:16:27.919 It really just requires understanding what I just said, and and admitting your sin before the Lord and receiving salvation, asking him to be your Savior. 00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:31.360 That is what salvation is all about. 00:16:31.759 --> 00:16:34.639 Okay, that's why Christ came. 00:16:35.840 --> 00:16:37.360 Okay, here's the second thing. 00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:38.480 Here's the second thing. 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:43.200 Jesus came to us at just the right time, as he promised he would. 00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:44.720 Okay, as he promised he would. 00:16:44.879 --> 00:16:46.000 Verse 4, take a peek. 00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:48.720 Verse 4 says this Joseph also went up, okay. 00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:49.919 There's the part there. 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:55.120 He went up to the mountain, okay, from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth. 00:16:55.279 --> 00:17:00.960 So this town is ultimately where you know Joseph and Mary and then Jesus, when he was born, they would go back. 00:17:01.039 --> 00:17:03.200 And this is where Jesus would grow up. 00:17:03.360 --> 00:17:04.319 Okay, keep going. 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:10.559 He says he went from the town of Nazareth to Judea to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem. 00:17:10.720 --> 00:17:12.559 Now you might be thinking, hold on a second. 00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:16.480 Isn't Jerusalem typically known as the city of David? 00:17:16.720 --> 00:17:19.440 Because that's where his palace was and that's where he reigned. 00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:20.319 And yes, that's true. 00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:25.519 Okay, but Bethlehem was actually the town that David himself grew up, and so hence the title here. 00:17:25.759 --> 00:17:31.680 Okay, also, also, Bethlehem was the ancestral town of Joseph. 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:36.160 And that's where you had to go when it came to uh the registration. 00:17:36.240 --> 00:17:40.240 You had to go back to your ancestral town uh to register. 00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:42.240 Okay, and so that's what was happening. 00:17:42.400 --> 00:17:53.119 Okay, keep going, because he, that's Joseph now, he was of the house and lineage of David to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who is with child. 00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:55.839 Now, that can easily breeze over us. 00:17:56.000 --> 00:17:58.559 You kind of read that and you're like, hmm, information. 00:17:58.880 --> 00:17:59.839 Do not miss this. 00:17:59.920 --> 00:18:00.720 This is huge. 00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:07.680 Because what this all is, is actually the fulfillment, okay, the fulfillment of multiple prophecies. 00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:08.480 This is incredible. 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:08.880 Do you know this? 00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:11.200 Micah 5, verse 2, this is what it says. 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:14.720 But you, O Bethlehem, okay, catch that. 00:18:14.880 --> 00:18:26.160 You, O Bethlehem, Ephratha, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel. 00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:28.079 Okay, this is this is amazing. 00:18:28.319 --> 00:18:37.200 This is prophesying the birth of Jesus Christ, and that it would happen in this little tiny town of Bethlehem. 00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:47.039 Now, I don't know if you realize this, but this prophecy in Micah chapter 5, verse 2 actually happened 700 years before Christ was born. 00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:53.519 Pretty amazing that God would give us this kind of this minutiae, this detail. 00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:55.119 Okay, but how about these? 00:18:55.279 --> 00:19:02.160 Isaiah 11, verse 1, Jeremiah 33, 15, Ezekiel 37, 24, Hosea 3, verse 5. 00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:03.920 Okay, he just kind of threw that at you. 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:10.079 Okay, all of those prophesy that the Messiah would be born in David's royal line. 00:19:10.319 --> 00:19:12.400 Okay, in King David's royal line. 00:19:12.480 --> 00:19:13.680 And what does our passage tell us? 00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:14.880 Remember, you just saw it. 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:19.759 It says that Joseph was of the house and lineage of who? 00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:21.279 Big surprise. 00:19:21.599 --> 00:19:22.240 David. 00:19:22.720 --> 00:19:24.160 Okay, all amazing. 00:19:24.319 --> 00:19:37.039 All of this, okay, all of this was showing us that the Lord promised that the Savior was coming and that Christ was the fulfillment of that and multiple those promises. 00:19:37.599 --> 00:19:37.920 Right? 00:19:38.079 --> 00:19:38.799 Incredible. 00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:46.640 Okay, I think when I think about this, I've been thinking about this this week, okay, this just shows to me just the depth of the love of God. 00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:47.119 Right? 00:19:47.279 --> 00:19:48.319 It's incredible. 00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:49.759 Because what could God have done? 00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:59.920 He could have, okay, just, if I can say it like that, he could have just come and been born in a manger without all of the prophecy. 00:20:00.480 --> 00:20:03.440 He didn't have to necessarily give us all of that. 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:05.599 And if he hadn't, it still would have been incredible. 00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:07.359 It would have been amazing. 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:17.839 Okay, but the fact that he promises the Messiah multiple times in such incredible detail, like Bethlehem. 00:20:17.920 --> 00:20:28.240 It's kind of this like nowhere town, and he would do it hundreds and hundreds of years before, just shows us like just another layer of God's love. 00:20:28.880 --> 00:20:29.119 Right? 00:20:29.279 --> 00:20:33.200 And that's God's love for me, and it's his love for you. 00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:35.920 Glory in that. 00:20:36.319 --> 00:20:37.279 Glory in that. 00:20:37.440 --> 00:20:38.640 Absorb it. 00:20:39.039 --> 00:20:41.519 Be filled with wonder. 00:20:43.119 --> 00:20:45.039 God makes promises. 00:20:45.279 --> 00:20:50.400 He didn't want to leave us hanging, he wanted us to have some anticipation for this. 00:20:50.480 --> 00:20:54.319 And when he finally came, it was like, yes, it's about time. 00:20:54.480 --> 00:20:55.759 It's the perfect time. 00:20:55.920 --> 00:20:56.960 Can't wait for this. 00:20:57.119 --> 00:21:01.039 So need Jesus Christ, need my sins dealt with. 00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:03.599 Okay, God makes promises. 00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:08.000 And listen, he fulfills every single one of them. 00:21:08.799 --> 00:21:09.920 Every one of them. 00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:12.319 Here's the last thing. 00:21:13.119 --> 00:21:13.680 Last thing. 00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:19.839 Jesus came to us at just the right time, in the most understated way possible. 00:21:20.240 --> 00:21:21.759 Most understated way ever. 00:21:21.920 --> 00:21:23.680 Okay, verse 6, take a look at this. 00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:34.799 It says, While they were there, okay, the time came for her to give birth, and she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger. 00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:35.440 Why? 00:21:35.680 --> 00:21:39.039 Because there was no place for them in the inn. 00:21:39.440 --> 00:21:50.880 Now, one of the things that just so jumped out at me this week as I was looking at this is just how this whole passage is just so uh amazingly understated. 00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:52.880 It's so understated. 00:21:53.039 --> 00:21:59.759 You know, here we have you know God Himself coming to earth in the form of man, which again, great. 00:22:00.640 --> 00:22:01.759 Event ever. 00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:02.240 Right? 00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:03.920 This is the greatest thing ever. 00:22:04.160 --> 00:22:06.000 But what do you see here? 00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:12.400 A complete lack of of pomp and and circumstance. 00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:18.880 You know, but there was nothing really epic about this in any sense of showy type way. 00:22:19.359 --> 00:22:19.680 Right? 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:28.480 If you and I were God, if we were in charge of kind of of rolling out the incarnation, there's no way we would have drawn it up like this. 00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:32.559 You know, we would have done it in like, you know, the flashiest way possible. 00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:36.319 We would have had some like sweet soundtrack playing in the background. 00:22:36.400 --> 00:22:40.720 There would have been, you know, like smog machines going and lasers and lights. 00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:48.480 There would have been, you know, it would have been a party, it would have been confetti, it would have been gunshots, we would have like F-15 Eagles, you know, flying over. 00:22:48.640 --> 00:22:50.319 It would have been, it would have been a party, right? 00:22:50.400 --> 00:22:51.839 It would have been celebration. 00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:53.200 You know, look what I'm doing. 00:22:53.279 --> 00:22:54.160 I'm coming. 00:22:54.400 --> 00:22:56.160 That's what we would have done. 00:22:56.559 --> 00:23:00.000 But the Lord, he does, he does none of it. 00:23:00.160 --> 00:23:00.400 Right? 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:02.319 At least not in this instance. 00:23:03.359 --> 00:23:09.359 We have plenty of examples of miraculous miracles and just wondrous works. 00:23:09.440 --> 00:23:30.160 And I mean, all it takes for us is just to go outside and gaze at creation and look at a starry night or or a landscape and realize, wow, God, you are you are amazing, you are marvelous, and all of that shouts and screams of a creator, all of it is his master plan, his handiwork. 00:23:30.720 --> 00:23:35.440 Okay, but the Lord, he doesn't do anything like that here. 00:23:36.319 --> 00:23:40.079 And it really says something about our God, doesn't it? 00:23:40.400 --> 00:23:41.599 It really does. 00:23:41.839 --> 00:23:48.000 You know, though he could have chosen the grand entrance when he came to us, he could have done all of that. 00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:51.440 And again, he does impress us many, many times. 00:23:51.680 --> 00:23:53.119 Uh, what does he do here? 00:23:53.599 --> 00:23:54.880 He comes humbly. 00:23:55.599 --> 00:23:56.799 He comes humbly. 00:23:57.200 --> 00:24:00.240 And it was really a sign of things to come, wasn't it? 00:24:00.960 --> 00:24:16.960 It was a sign that, you know, at some at some point here, you know, fast forward about 30 plus years, he would die a humble, and you could say humiliating, awful, horrific death on a cross for sinful men. 00:24:17.279 --> 00:24:20.400 A death that he did not deserve. 00:24:20.640 --> 00:24:22.319 And why did he do that? 00:24:22.640 --> 00:24:25.039 He did it so that we could be lifted up. 00:24:25.599 --> 00:24:36.880 He did it so that so that we could be made new, so that we could have our sinful, messy, awful, gross record of sin completely wiped clean. 00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:38.960 So that we could be adopted. 00:24:39.119 --> 00:24:43.519 Think about this, adopted as sons and daughters of the king. 00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:47.599 We could be included in now as royalty. 00:24:47.839 --> 00:24:49.519 That's why he did it. 00:24:49.759 --> 00:24:59.839 And you know, as you think about these things, just like a profound sense of awe should be flooding your mind and flooding your soul. 00:25:00.079 --> 00:25:02.000 You know, like, wow, Lord. 00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:06.319 You know, you came to earth at just the right time. 00:25:06.559 --> 00:25:10.000 You know, mankind, we were just we were so desperate, right? 00:25:10.079 --> 00:25:19.440 We were spinning our wheels and struggling and and getting nowhere in in life's hardships and and all of that, of course, caused by our sin. 00:25:19.839 --> 00:25:21.599 You know, and you promised, right? 00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:27.519 You you foreshadowed that these things were gonna take place and they were gonna happen in these ways. 00:25:27.920 --> 00:25:32.319 And just the the understated nature of all of it, what did it do? 00:25:32.400 --> 00:25:35.039 It showcased your humility, Lord. 00:25:35.119 --> 00:25:37.920 It it showcased your your grace, Lord. 00:25:38.079 --> 00:25:38.720 Thank you. 00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:40.559 Thank you for all of this. 00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:43.759 Would you join me now as we as we pray? 00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:54.480 I'm gonna pray that we would get our hearts and our minds so overwhelmed with this, so blown away by God's goodness to us. 00:25:54.720 --> 00:26:08.160 And then we were gonna sing, we were gonna worship, and we were gonna do this with hearts that are sold out, with hearts that are so grateful to the Lord for how he came at just the right time. 00:26:08.640 --> 00:26:10.160 Lord, we come before you now. 00:26:10.319 --> 00:26:21.200 We we want to thank you, God, for not just kind of giving us some attention, Lord, but giving us your very self. 00:26:22.079 --> 00:26:26.799 Lord, we thank you that uh you didn't let us sputter. 00:26:27.279 --> 00:26:34.319 Lord, you didn't let your creation all totally, completely just go to hell. 00:26:34.559 --> 00:26:38.799 But Lord, instead you you came up with a plan to rescue us from all of that. 00:26:39.519 --> 00:26:43.920 Lord, I pray that gratitude would be the thing on our hearts, Lord. 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:46.319 I pray that gratitude would be on our minds, Lord. 00:26:46.400 --> 00:26:51.839 I pray that that we would be so thankful that it would come off our lips, Lord, for the gospel. 00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:55.279 Lord, thank you that you humbled yourself. 00:26:55.599 --> 00:26:57.279 Lord, you didn't need to do that. 00:26:57.519 --> 00:27:10.799 You could have stayed in glory with your Father and enjoyed the awesome relationship that you had, and said you came down here to be with us, to rescue us from our brokenness. 00:27:11.039 --> 00:27:12.559 Lord, we give you praise. 00:27:12.799 --> 00:27:19.839 Lord, we give you honor, Lord, all glory be to you, for you are good, you are our King. 00:27:20.160 --> 00:27:27.839 We want to pray all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, the name that is truly above all names. 00:27:28.640 --> 00:27:29.279 Amen.