1 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:08,880 Can you guys, can you guys still take me seriously if I have this 2 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:13,440 Teagle Tumblr up here? All the men are like, all right, 3 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:17,160 pastor, that's a with the lipstick on it. 4 00:00:19,080 --> 00:00:27,440 I can't respect myself so bad body. 5 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:31,960 Turn in your Bible to Isaiah Chapter 9. 6 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:41,960 Everybody's Bible is well trained in Matthew at this 7 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:54,970 point, but the title of the sermon for my note takers, The 8 00:00:54,970 --> 00:01:02,850 Manger, the Light and the throne, Isaiah, Chapter 9. 9 00:01:03,370 --> 00:01:10,160 So Isaiah is, I mean, all the prophets are awesome. 10 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:12,200 Isaiah is an awesome prophet to read. 11 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:16,520 Isaiah gives you glimpses of here's the devastation and the 12 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:19,840 judgment that is well deserved. But here's the prophecy of the 13 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:22,960 hope and the promise. Here's the judgment and here's 14 00:01:22,960 --> 00:01:25,080 the promise. Here's the judgment and here's 15 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:26,840 the promise. That really is what we see 16 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:29,200 throughout Scripture. Is there anything to be afraid 17 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:30,440 of? Yeah, there's a lot to be afraid 18 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:31,680 of. Unless. 19 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:37,600 Except that he would come under the blood and be freed and be 20 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:41,280 saved. So Isaiah has been prophesying 21 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:44,800 the the judgment of the Lord that's coming, not because the 22 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:48,920 Lord is is just grumpy, but because the people are receiving 23 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:51,440 what they have sown. They have been sowing a 24 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:54,080 particular seed and now you have to reap that harvest. 25 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:56,480 This is the Lord's design and this is the Lord's way. 26 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,640 And yet hope comes, the prophecy comes. 27 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:01,800 This is a prophecy of the Messiah. 28 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:04,560 So the ancient Jews would have understood this passage to mean 29 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:07,080 there's good news coming, there's hope coming. 30 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:09,280 You and I, we've got hindsight 2020. 31 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,280 We get to look all the way back and go, of course, of course 32 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:14,160 that was Jesus. Of course that was Jesus. 33 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:18,560 We're going to do that here in Isaiah 9, in verse 2, the people 34 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:22,720 who walked in darkness have seen a great light. 35 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:27,480 Those who dwell in a land of deep darkness, on them has light 36 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:30,160 shone. You have multiplied the nation. 37 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:33,760 You have increased its joy. They rejoice before you as with 38 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:37,600 joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil 39 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:41,320 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the 40 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:44,560 rod of his oppressor you have broken as on the day of Midian. 41 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:48,840 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult, and 42 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:52,400 every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the 43 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:56,320 fire. For unto us a child is born, to 44 00:02:56,360 --> 00:03:00,400 us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his 45 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:03,360 shoulder, and his name shall be called. 46 00:03:03,640 --> 00:03:09,080 Wonderful Counsellor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince 47 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:13,080 of Peace, of the increase of his government and of peace. 48 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,360 There will be no end on the throne of David and over his 49 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:20,600 Kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with 50 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,320 righteousness. From this time forth and 51 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,160 forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts 52 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:29,280 will do this. God, thank you for your 53 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:31,040 prophecy. Thank you for your word that 54 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:34,160 came to Isaiah that day, wherever he was, as the Holy 55 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:38,440 Spirit spoke to him, told him to write it down, so that for 56 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:40,720 thousands of years we would still be able to look back and 57 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:45,000 rejoice at the God who keeps his word, at the God who is gracious 58 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:47,600 when he doesn't have to be, at the God who is kind when we 59 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:50,120 don't deserve kindness. Thank you for the light. 60 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:53,280 Thank you for the hope. Refresh us again today with 61 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:58,520 hope, with peace on earth, with peace in our hearts, because 62 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:01,160 you're the one who has made peace and reconciled us to 63 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:03,760 yourself. We thank you in Jesus name, 64 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:08,640 Amen. So you might have noticed what I 65 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:10,800 skipped was verse one. Look at verse one now. 66 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,440 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish in the 67 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:17,000 former time he brought her in contempt, in contempt in the 68 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,519 land of Zebulun and the land of Neftali. 69 00:04:19,959 --> 00:04:22,960 But in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the 70 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:28,080 sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee, O of the nations. 71 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:32,240 So it is prophesied that the Messiah will come out of and or 72 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:36,360 he will be in Galilee, which is interesting if you want to just 73 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,400 take a quick remembrance to Nicodemus. 74 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:42,320 Whenever Jesus is getting the sham trial in the middle of the 75 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:45,520 night, Nicodemus speaks up. He's one of the Pharisees. 76 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:48,360 He's one of the main guys. That's our same Nicodemus from 77 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:50,800 John chapter 3, who came to meet with Jesus privately. 78 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:54,720 So he's, he's stirred, he's moved, he's close. 79 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:56,760 Is he all the way in? He's going, guys, should we 80 00:04:56,760 --> 00:04:59,080 really, should we really bother with this Jesus? 81 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:01,280 Maybe, you know, he'll just be like everybody else and he'll 82 00:05:01,280 --> 00:05:03,760 vanish away. And the Pharisees who have much 83 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:08,160 of the Scriptures memorized, they know the Bible. 84 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:11,000 They say Nicodemus, what are you talking about? 85 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:13,520 Go see for yourself if a prophet comes out of Galilee. 86 00:05:16,280 --> 00:05:21,280 Well, Isaiah Chapter 9 makes very plain that a prophet comes 87 00:05:21,280 --> 00:05:23,800 out of Galilee. They knew what the Bible said, 88 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:26,880 but they still were blind. This is the problem with 89 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:28,920 spiritual blindness. This is the problem with hard 90 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:31,920 heartedness. You can know things but still 91 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:35,960 not know things. You can believe things but still 92 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:39,680 not believe things. You can acknowledge things but 93 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:43,840 still not acknowledge things. And this is what people who walk 94 00:05:43,840 --> 00:05:47,360 in darkness need. They need light to come. 95 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:52,200 So Galilee of the nations, the people who walked in darkness 96 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:54,800 have seen a great light. This is the prophecy. 97 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:57,160 This is the moment of breakthrough where all the 98 00:05:57,160 --> 00:05:59,720 readers of Isaiah are going, all right, this is good news. 99 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:03,760 Where are we without Jesus? So in context, yes, this is 100 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:06,520 talking to Israel, and in context, yes, this is also 101 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:09,360 preaching something for you and your heart and for me and my 102 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:11,560 heart. Without Jesus, we walk in 103 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:13,960 darkness. This is the issue that Jesus 104 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:18,800 comes to resolve. This set him apart and still 105 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:22,560 sets him apart from every philosophy or religious leader 106 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:26,400 that ever has been. He didn't just come to teach us, 107 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:30,560 He came personally to rescue us. That's different and that's 108 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:32,840 distinct. Hey everybody, follow me. 109 00:06:32,840 --> 00:06:34,440 I'll teach you some good stuff, all right? 110 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:36,600 Maybe they will. Hey everybody, I'll teach you 111 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:38,120 some good stuff, all right? Maybe they will. 112 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:41,320 Jesus comes saying I am the light of the world. 113 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:43,560 I am the resurrection in the life. 114 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:48,920 I am the bread of heaven. I am the Word made flesh. 115 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:53,000 So Jesus makes exclusive claims about himself. 116 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:57,160 But his coming proves automatically that we were lost. 117 00:06:57,320 --> 00:06:59,600 If we weren't lost, Jesus wouldn't have come. 118 00:06:59,960 --> 00:07:03,400 But God loves the people that he created, so he's come to rescue 119 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:04,840 us all. The people who walked in 120 00:07:04,840 --> 00:07:08,240 darkness, that was me, and that's you. 121 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:12,200 They've seen a great light, those who dwelt in the land of 122 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:16,120 deep darkness on them light has shown. 123 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:20,880 I want to read to you this passage from John chapter 3, the 124 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:24,560 famous conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, where Jesus 125 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:29,200 again, in true Jesus fashion says complicated and difficult 126 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:31,680 things. And in order to push you away. 127 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:33,960 No, in order to try and draw you in. 128 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:37,160 But your own pride or humility will determine what you do with 129 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:39,560 that. And Jesus tells a grown man, 130 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:42,280 it's a phrase you and I might be familiar with now, but it had 131 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:46,120 never been spoken before. You must be born again. 132 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:50,920 You and I are so familiar with that phrase at this point. 133 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:51,280 Really. Yeah. 134 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:52,000 Yeah. We know what he meant. 135 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:54,840 He meant like, born of that which is one of the flesh is one 136 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:56,000 of the flesh. But that which is one of the 137 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:58,360 spirit, it's one of the spirit. You were born once out of your 138 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:00,080 mom, but now you need to be born out of the Spirit of God. 139 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:02,120 We get it now. Well, yeah, congratulations. 140 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:04,120 You and I get it. But that made no sense to 141 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,720 Nicodemus. You must be born again. 142 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:10,600 Jesus, with his divisive content comment. 143 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:13,520 What does Nicodemus do? Remember, asks a wise and humble 144 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:15,920 and respectful question. How can this be? 145 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:18,520 Could you please explain? Do I go into my mother's womb 146 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:20,360 again? He submits himself to the 147 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:22,360 Master's teaching. I don't get it. 148 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:24,240 But you're the Master and I'm not. 149 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:27,440 So lead the way. And of course Jesus leads the 150 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:29,400 way. But we keep going into the most, 151 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:33,159 probably the most famous passage in all of Scripture, John 316. 152 00:08:33,159 --> 00:08:35,760 But we won't make the mistake of stopping only there. 153 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:38,039 Thank you, brother. We're going to go all the way 154 00:08:38,039 --> 00:08:41,360 through verse 21, John 316 through 21. 155 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:47,080 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that 156 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:50,920 whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal 157 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:54,040 life. For God did not send His Son 158 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:57,480 into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the 159 00:08:57,480 --> 00:08:59,880 world might be saved through him. 160 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:06,440 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not 161 00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:12,880 believe is condemned already because he has not believed in 162 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:16,800 the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgement. 163 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:18,440 So you go, everybody's already condemned. 164 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:21,920 Yes, What's the judgement? This is the judgement. 165 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:23,560 I'll tell you. Jesus is explaining. 166 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:27,520 The light has come into the world, and people love the 167 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:32,000 darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 168 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:36,440 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does 169 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:40,120 not come to the light, lest his work should be exposed, but 170 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:43,840 whoever does what is true comes to the light so that it may be 171 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:47,920 clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God. 172 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:54,240 Jesus says we are condemned already. 173 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:57,040 That's the people walking in the great darkness. 174 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:58,640 That's you and I. We need light. 175 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:02,560 We're condemned already. This is our default setting from 176 00:10:02,560 --> 00:10:05,200 birth. I think I was a pretty decent 177 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:10,040 person, except that your father, Adam, his sin travelled all the 178 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:15,120 way through all of the fathers until it came to you and to me. 179 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:17,720 So our default setting is sinful. 180 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:21,680 This is why Isaiah says we walk in darkness, and Jesus says more 181 00:10:21,680 --> 00:10:25,760 plainly, people love the darkness rather than the light 182 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:29,560 because their works are evil. Why don't I want the light on 183 00:10:29,560 --> 00:10:32,440 when I'm walking in evil? Well, because it's exposing me. 184 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:36,000 Now, if I, if there's humility there, I'll see the whole truth. 185 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:38,280 I'll see all of God's grace. We'll talk more about that in a 186 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:40,400 second. The people have seen a great 187 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:42,440 light. In Isaiah 9. 188 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:45,960 Jesus is the great light. He says so about himself when he 189 00:10:45,960 --> 00:10:48,640 declares I am the light of the world. 190 00:10:49,560 --> 00:10:52,680 That's good news. That could be bad news. 191 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:54,720 It depends on what you do with the news. 192 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:58,080 The light is on. It's going to expose everything. 193 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:00,880 Do you have something that you don't want to expose? 194 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:02,840 Yeah, I do too. We got a lot of things. 195 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:05,320 It's all of our sin. You go, I don't want anybody to 196 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:06,960 see that. Well, the Lord already sees it. 197 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:10,800 The Lord already knows about it. But the light does another 198 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:12,960 thing. The light also reveals the 199 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:16,480 fullness of God's grace. If you only see the sin, then 200 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:18,240 you're only hearing the voice of the accuser. 201 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:21,640 You only hear Satan say, look at that, look at this, look at the 202 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:25,040 sin, look at all the sin, and you go and you're crushed by it, 203 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:29,200 as we should be. And that leads us to the 204 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:32,880 humility, to the greatness of God's grace, the great light 205 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:36,640 that shines in the darkness. It reveals how dark and bad 206 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:38,920 things are. But that's what light does. 207 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:43,400 Light reveals everything. It reveals the true state of 208 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:46,480 things. Jesus in his light, he reveals 209 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:50,000 the true condition of the world. The light of Jesus reveals the 210 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,800 true condition of your heart. The light of Jesus reveals the 211 00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:55,840 true condition of your marriage. The light of Jesus reveals the 212 00:11:55,840 --> 00:11:58,400 true condition of your relationship with your children. 213 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:01,160 But thankfully, the light does not stop there. 214 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:03,840 It shows you the true depth of the love of God. 215 00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:07,440 It shows you the true length of His forgiveness. 216 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,360 It shows you the true width of His grace for the humble. 217 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:15,040 That leads to true joy. And you haven't known true joy 218 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:18,400 until you've seen both of those two things, the true nature of 219 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:22,040 your sin and the true nature of God's grace. 220 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:25,320 God's grace by itself will be meaningless to you if you don't 221 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:27,000 know how devastated you already are. 222 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:30,520 God loves you and he has a wonderful plan for your life. 223 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:33,160 I know I'm great. I'm super lovable. 224 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:37,480 Of course he does. You've missed the gospel. 225 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:41,400 If the gospel does not crush your ego, then you don't have 226 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:44,800 the gospel. If Jesus doesn't crush your ego, 227 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:48,120 then you don't have Jesus. Jesus gets to be the hero 228 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:52,760 because you needed to be saved. And to all the Christians who 229 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:56,960 go, Yep, I remember it well, good news, our lives are to be 230 00:12:56,960 --> 00:13:01,120 marked by repentance. So unfortunately, although we 231 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:04,200 thankfully, although we are no longer sinners in our identity, 232 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:07,440 we still have the capacity and the capability for sin. 233 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:10,040 So the Christian life will not be marked by perfection, 234 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:13,040 unfortunately, but it will be marked by repentance where I 235 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:18,480 continually come to the Lord and go, Lord, change me, change me. 236 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:20,320 Don't just take out this bad fruit. 237 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:24,000 It came from somewhere. Continue to work on me, continue 238 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:27,120 to renew my mind. Keep me close to you. 239 00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:31,120 That brings true joy, seeing the nature of my sin, and then 240 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:34,120 therefore the true nature of God's grace, because I actually 241 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:37,240 will be drawn to worship. What kind of God is this that 242 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:40,440 can forgive me? What kind of God is this that 243 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:44,680 would love me? You don't know who I am. 244 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:47,280 God says I do. Now it's time to believe the 245 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:49,520 gospel. Now it's time to believe the 246 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:52,160 love of God. Now it's time to believe in the 247 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:54,960 grace of God. Have you seen your despair? 248 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:57,200 Were you crushed by it? Only for a moment. 249 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:00,960 And you go running to the cross, and now you get elevated and 250 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:03,440 raised up with Him. Isaiah's walking us through all 251 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:05,000 of it. Verse 3. 252 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:08,800 This is the response for people who love the light. 253 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:12,720 You have multiplied the nation. You have increased its joy. 254 00:14:12,920 --> 00:14:16,440 They rejoiced before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are 255 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:21,240 glad when they divide the spoil. What happens? 256 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:24,800 Our works are exposed, but we're thankful to see the infection 257 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:26,920 because we're thankful for the good physician. 258 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:31,600 The baby in the Manger increases our joy because he delivers us 259 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:35,200 from evil, and we're made wealthy because we get to share 260 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:38,080 in his inheritance. He divides his spoil with us. 261 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:40,080 We didn't work for the harvest, He did. 262 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:43,000 It's his harvest. He's the Lord of the harvest and 263 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:47,640 He lets us share in it. Verse four in Isaiah 9 for the 264 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:51,760 yoke of his burden and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his 265 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:54,200 oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 266 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:58,520 So to clarify that the his in this passage would be the 267 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:00,240 people. So the people have been 268 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:02,120 oppressed, the people have been burdened. 269 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,440 So the yoke of their burden, the staff that's on their shoulder, 270 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:08,040 the rod of their oppressor, they're being beaten by the rod 271 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:11,320 of their oppressor. You have broken that as on the 272 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:13,920 day of Midian. So remember Midian, Remember 273 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:18,240 Gideon, Gideon and the 300 men who defeated the Midianites, 274 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:19,760 Really, they just surrounded them. 275 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:22,040 They obeyed the Lord, and then the Lord made the Midianites 276 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:24,640 defeat the Midianites. That was a great deliverance. 277 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:29,120 God used his judge, Gideon to set the people free and to 278 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:31,440 deliver his people. This Is Us. 279 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:34,280 We've been carrying heavy burdens, our sin and its 280 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:36,880 effects. They're a yoke, a heavy yoke, a 281 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:40,640 poor fitting yoke and we're working for our master, the 282 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:43,720 devil. We have an oppressor, we have an 283 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:47,560 accuser, but our God comes in. He breaks the yoke that weighs 284 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:50,240 us down. He breaks the rod that's beaten 285 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:55,160 us as on the day of Midian. He delivers us in verse 5 286 00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:58,960 continues to tell us what happens more detail when the 287 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:02,320 baby in the Manger comes and this prophecy keeps building 288 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:04,560 momentum. Every boot for the tramping 289 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:07,680 warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood 290 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:09,200 will be burned as fuel for the fire. 291 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:11,600 So he's talking about the oppression, the warfare. 292 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:15,920 He's saying I'm bringing an end to all the warfare in the 293 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:17,520 eternal Kingdom. All these things will be made 294 00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:21,280 perfectly finished right now they're perfectly finished for 295 00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:23,840 those who believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. 296 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:28,960 And now this thing swells to its most famous culmination, verse 6 297 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:33,920 for to us a child is born. So as the original readers are 298 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:36,400 going through this passage, they're going, what's changing? 299 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:37,680 What's changing, what's changing? 300 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:40,120 Verse 6, finally, this is the hook. 301 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:42,480 This is why all these things are going to happen. 302 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:45,320 This is the deliverance to us. A child is born. 303 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:48,600 Ah, this is it, the Messiah to us. 304 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:53,640 A son is given, and the government shall be upon his 305 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:56,640 shoulder, and his name shall be called. 306 00:16:56,640 --> 00:17:01,240 Wonderful counsellor, Mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince 307 00:17:01,560 --> 00:17:06,359 of Peace. Who's he born to? 308 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:08,800 He's born specifically to a virgin. 309 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:12,040 Why is it so important that Jesus was born to a virgin? 310 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:14,800 It's easy to miss this. I think a lot of believers do. 311 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:17,680 They go because God's awesome. He just does awesome miracles, 312 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:18,599 right? No. 313 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:21,480 Well, yes, God is awesome. Let me say yes to that part. 314 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:23,400 Does he just do awesome miracles? 315 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:26,560 Also yes. But does he do random miracles? 316 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:29,160 No. God doesn't just go on Christmas 317 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:32,320 magic. She'll be a virgin just because 318 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:33,560 I can. He can. 319 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:36,640 But it's not just that he, it's not just that he could, it's 320 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:39,800 that he had to. Jesus had to be born from a 321 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:41,200 virgin. It goes back to the point that I 322 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:45,080 made to you earlier, because sin travels through the Father. 323 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:48,120 So how was Jesus able to be born without a sinful nature? 324 00:17:48,120 --> 00:17:51,280 He was born to humankind. Well, because he wasn't born of 325 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:54,560 an earthly father. His mother was a sinful person 326 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:57,560 just like everybody else who's ever lived. 327 00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:01,120 But Jesus wasn't because sin did not travel through the Father. 328 00:18:01,120 --> 00:18:02,480 Why does sin travel through the Father? 329 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:06,200 It comes from our Father, Adam. When we look back in Genesis, we 330 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:08,200 are not plunged Into Darkness as humanity. 331 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:12,640 When Eve sins, Eve sins, and it's still, what are you going 332 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:14,840 to do, Adam? You're going to step in and go 333 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:18,360 to God and say, God, kill me and I'll spare Eve. 334 00:18:18,360 --> 00:18:20,680 That would have been ideal sacrifice. 335 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:22,840 I'll be the sacrifice so she can live. 336 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:25,400 And instead Adam plunges all of us Into Darkness. 337 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:29,000 The Scripture tells us through one man's sin we all were 338 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:31,160 plunged Into Darkness, and through one man's righteousness 339 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:34,640 we're all brought out. Jesus had to be born of a 340 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:36,760 virgin. If Jesus was not born from a 341 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:39,720 virgin, then you and I are doomed and there is no hope for 342 00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:43,640 anyone ever. Jesus was born of a virgin, and 343 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:47,600 this is important because the stain of sin travels through the 344 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:49,800 Father. But thankfully Jesus is born 345 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:54,960 sinless and thank God, just as importantly, he stays sinless 346 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:58,640 all the way through the cross. He is faithful and he stays 347 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:02,760 faithful, tempted, tried, tested in every way as we were. 348 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:06,120 But when he got to the cross, he was just as innocent on the 349 00:19:06,120 --> 00:19:08,400 cross as he was that night in the Manger. 350 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:11,640 It's a graphic thing. We're so used to images of 351 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:14,640 Christ on the cross, we familiarized ourselves with it. 352 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:17,720 We go, that's a man, that's a 30 something year old man that is 353 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:22,160 an excruciating death, literally excruciating from the cross. 354 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:27,040 And yet he was as innocent as a baby, more so than any other 355 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:28,800 baby you and I have ever held or loved. 356 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:32,960 He was just as innocent on the cross as he was in the Manger. 357 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:39,720 What else is happening here when the Scriptures describing the 358 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:43,680 shoulder in verse 6? For unto us a child is born, to 359 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:47,600 us, a son is given, and the government shall be upon his 360 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:51,640 shoulder. We've gone from our shoulder 361 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:53,600 that was being oppressed a couple verses earlier. 362 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:57,560 We're being oppressed with burdens, and now we've gone to 363 00:19:57,560 --> 00:19:59,880 his shoulder, but he's not oppressed. 364 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:03,200 He's walking in dominion. Dominion is what he carries on 365 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:04,560 his shoulder. That's where you carry things 366 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:07,120 that are really heavy. You throw it up there. 367 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:10,240 Bradley and Adam and Chris, they're laughing at me like this 368 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:12,040 guy hasn't worked in years. He doesn't know anything about 369 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:13,200 putting burdens on his shoulders. 370 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:18,720 I remember here when I was a young man, when I worked hard 371 00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:21,400 and it wasn't just the keyboard and the strain that comes from 372 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:25,120 the wrists. After a while, when you carry 373 00:20:25,120 --> 00:20:26,600 something heavy, it goes on your shoulder. 374 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:28,360 This is where the Lord's authority is. 375 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:32,160 All authority belongs to Jesus, all authority in heaven and on 376 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:35,000 earth. The burden of command, as it's 377 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:37,440 often called, belongs to the Lord. 378 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:40,800 It's what he carries. Everything belongs to him. 379 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:43,160 So this is the good news. Not only does he come in and 380 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:46,240 breaks the thing that was beating us, he's angry when he 381 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:48,320 does this. As the end of the passage tells 382 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:51,160 us, the zeal of the Lord will accomplish all of this. 383 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:56,680 So he comes in as a father. I could only imagine if if 384 00:20:56,680 --> 00:20:59,800 someone was harming or oppressing my children, with 385 00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:03,440 which we'll just call it zeal, that I would show up to, to 386 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:05,840 correct that situation. Every, every father could 387 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:08,680 imagine. Everybody who loves anybody can 388 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:11,520 imagine if a loved one was being oppressed. 389 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:15,480 How much more does God love you and how much more zeal does he 390 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:17,520 have than you do for your loved ones? 391 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:21,080 He comes in with anger. He comes in to crush our 392 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:24,040 enemies, to glorify His name and to love you. 393 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:27,480 And who is he? What is his name? 394 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:32,480 This perfect God, the Mighty 1? He is called the wonderful 395 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:35,960 counselor. Have you ever needed counsel? 396 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:40,400 Have you ever needed wisdom? Have you ever needed help? 397 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:45,960 Jesus is the wisdom of God. He's the king, wiser than 398 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:47,880 Solomon, and He has come to counsel you. 399 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:51,520 That's who the Savior is. That's who the baby in the 400 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:56,240 Manger is. So much so that remember when 401 00:21:56,240 --> 00:22:00,120 the guards were sent to arrest him, they said go get him and 402 00:22:00,120 --> 00:22:02,320 bring him to us and they come back and they say, where is he? 403 00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:03,200 Why didn't you bring him with us? 404 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:05,920 He said, never has a man spoken like this. 405 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:10,040 You were given a direct order. Go get Jesus and bring him back 406 00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:13,120 like there's there's something different. 407 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:15,400 The wonderful counselor, what else? 408 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:18,840 Who else is he? He is the mighty God In Jesus 409 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:22,080 all the fullness of the deity dwells bodily. 410 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:25,040 Jesus has a body. When we get to heaven, we will 411 00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:28,560 still see Jesus in the body that He walked in on earth, His 412 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:31,520 glorified body. That is the form that He has 413 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:33,080 taken. That is the form that He has 414 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:36,080 chosen to dwell in, and His in His mighty humility. 415 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:40,880 The mighty God is still fully man. 416 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:43,560 Who else is He? He is the everlasting Father. 417 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:49,480 This Son given to us fathers His people in that He protects them 418 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:51,920 and He provides for them by laying down His life. 419 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:56,960 He is the Prince of Peace. He brings us to peace with God. 420 00:22:57,080 --> 00:22:59,760 He brings permanent peace ultimately and eventually to the 421 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:01,760 world. He brings us personal peace 422 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:05,080 through the presence of the Holy Spirit who He sent to fill us. 423 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:09,560 Verse seven of the increase of his government and of peace. 424 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:13,960 There will be no end on the throne of David and over His 425 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:17,120 Kingdom to establish it, to uphold it with justice and with 426 00:23:17,120 --> 00:23:19,760 righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. 427 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:24,440 The Lord of hosts will do this. The zeal of the Lord of hosts 428 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:28,400 will do this. His Kingdom is perfect. 429 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:32,240 He will establish it fully forever for His glory and for 430 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:34,920 His people. That means endless abundance. 431 00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:38,480 That means endless excellence, endless joy, endless peace. 432 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:40,840 He will reign and His reign will have no end. 433 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:44,280 He will maintain justice. He will maintain righteousness 434 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:46,600 forevermore. And look at how God did it with 435 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:48,920 humility. God did not just come in and 436 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:50,680 flex. God came in and went small. 437 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:54,320 The zeal of the Lord will do this. 438 00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:56,880 This word for zeal is the word jealousy. 439 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:01,360 So another translation could say the jealousy of the Lord will do 440 00:24:01,360 --> 00:24:04,280 this. The Lord is jealous. 441 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:06,760 What does that mean? What's the jealousy of a good 442 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:09,360 husband? Our God will not share His 443 00:24:09,360 --> 00:24:12,200 bride, and He will not share His glory with another. 444 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:16,480 The Lord is passionate about His plan and His people, and this 445 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:19,080 passion drives him to accomplish everything that He's promised. 446 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:25,000 That is all of the context that brings us to Luke chapter 2. 447 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:26,080 Turn there in your Bible with me. 448 00:24:31,120 --> 00:24:32,680 Don't get nervous. That was not just an 449 00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:34,760 introduction. Like, wait a second, what's 450 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:42,960 that? That was my warm up, but this is 451 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:44,560 the context. So we often come straight to 452 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:47,080 Luke chapter 2 at Christmas. Luke chapter 2 is a great place 453 00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:49,720 to come at Christmas time. You should read it as a family, 454 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:53,120 meditate on it on your own all through the Christmas passages. 455 00:24:53,360 --> 00:24:54,960 They're going to bless you. They're going to edify you. 456 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:57,040 But this is the context that we come. 457 00:24:57,040 --> 00:25:01,040 Now we show up chapter 2 and verse one of Luke. 458 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:04,520 I'm going to read the the whole Christmas passage to you. 459 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:08,360 So settle in and enjoy. In those days a decree went out 460 00:25:08,360 --> 00:25:12,880 from Caesar Augustus that all in the world should be registered. 461 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:15,760 This was the first registration when Quinarius was governor of 462 00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:19,000 Syria and all went to be registered, each to his own 463 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:20,960 town. And Joseph also went up from 464 00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:24,280 Galilee, from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city 465 00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:26,680 of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the 466 00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:28,880 household of the lineage of David to be registered with 467 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:32,400 Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 468 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:36,080 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth, 469 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:39,240 and she gave birth to her first born son, and wrapped him in 470 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:42,800 swaddling clothes and laid him in a Manger, because there was 471 00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:47,480 no place for them in the inn. And in the same region there 472 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:51,120 were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock 473 00:25:51,120 --> 00:25:53,320 by night. And an Angel of the Lord 474 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:56,440 appeared to them. For the glory of the Lord shone 475 00:25:56,440 --> 00:25:59,400 around them, and they were filled with great fear. 476 00:25:59,880 --> 00:26:04,160 And the Angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you 477 00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:08,880 good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 478 00:26:09,120 --> 00:26:13,960 For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who 479 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:17,720 is Christ the Lord, and this will be a sign for you. 480 00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:21,080 You'll find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a 481 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:23,920 Manger. And suddenly there was with the 482 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:29,040 Angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and 483 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:33,080 saying glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace 484 00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:35,920 among those with whom he is pleased. 485 00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:38,240 What a joy for the angels. They've been looking forward to 486 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:41,160 this moment. They remember when God preached 487 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:44,280 the gospel in the garden for the first time, when he told Adam, 488 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:46,160 when he told Eve, and when he told the snake. 489 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:48,440 The seed is coming. He is. 490 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:51,200 You're going to bruise his heel. You'll bite him. 491 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:55,280 Jesus gets bit, but he will crush your head. 492 00:26:56,560 --> 00:27:00,280 It's finally happening. The head crusher has come, and 493 00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:04,960 he's in a Manger. Verse 15 When the angels went 494 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:08,480 away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 495 00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:11,040 Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has 496 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:13,320 happened, which the Lord has made known to us. 497 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:16,680 And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph and the 498 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:19,760 baby lying in a Manger. And when they saw it, they made 499 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:22,360 known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 500 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:25,800 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 501 00:27:26,120 --> 00:27:29,880 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her 502 00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:32,880 heart, and the shepherds returned, glorifying and 503 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:35,960 praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been 504 00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:39,240 told them. And at the end of eight days, 505 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:43,600 when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by 506 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:46,440 the Angel before he was conceived in the womb. 507 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:50,520 And when the time came for their purification, according to the 508 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:53,760 law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him 509 00:27:53,920 --> 00:27:55,600 to the Lord. As it is written in the law of 510 00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:58,440 the Lord, every male who first opens the womb shall be called 511 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:02,560 holy to the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice according to what is 512 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:05,720 said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtle doves, or two 513 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:08,760 young pigeons. Now there was a man in Jerusalem 514 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:12,640 whose name was Simeon, And this man was righteous and devout, 515 00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:14,880 waiting for the consolation of Israel. 516 00:28:15,360 --> 00:28:16,920 And the Holy Spirit was upon him. 517 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:21,000 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would 518 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:24,320 not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 519 00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:27,600 And he came in the Spirit into the temple. 520 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:31,400 And when the parents brought the child to Jesus to do for him 521 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:34,520 according to the custom of the law, he, Simeon, took him into 522 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:39,640 his arms and blessed God and said, Lord, now you are letting 523 00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:42,320 your servant depart in peace according to your word. 524 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:45,840 For my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared 525 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:49,840 in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the 526 00:28:49,840 --> 00:28:53,440 Gentiles and for glory to your people, Israel. 527 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:56,640 This man walks with God. This man has been told 528 00:28:56,640 --> 00:28:59,840 personally by the Lord, you will see the Messiah before you die. 529 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:03,000 And this man doesn't see the Messiah riding into Jerusalem on 530 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:05,280 a War Horse. He doesn't see him destroying 531 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:07,680 the Roman oppressors. He holds a baby. 532 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:09,560 And the Holy Spirit says this is him. 533 00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:11,360 And the man says, that's all I needed. 534 00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:14,120 Your servant can depart in peace. 535 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:16,360 I can die. I could die now. 536 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:19,280 That is that is a moment of deep satisfaction. 537 00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:20,760 You ever felt moments like that in life? 538 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:23,040 I could die. I'm good. 539 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:25,800 Maybe it was grandma's cooking over Thanksgiving. 540 00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:28,320 Maybe it's another meal you're looking forward to. 541 00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:31,560 It could be a host of pleasures that the Lord would give, but 542 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:33,520 this one would certainly be the greatest. 543 00:29:33,520 --> 00:29:36,160 Semi is going. You have satisfied me. 544 00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:40,600 You have kept your word and any of that sound from any of that 545 00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:43,120 sound familiar to you? A light for revelation to the 546 00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:46,560 Gentiles and for glory to your people, Israel. 547 00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:52,480 Interesting. Thankfully you and I the 548 00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:55,080 Gentiles get to receive this promise as well. 549 00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:59,920 Verse 33 And his father and mother marvelled at what was 550 00:29:59,920 --> 00:30:03,280 said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said 551 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:08,920 to his mother, Behold, this child is appointed for the fall 552 00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:14,160 and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed. 553 00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:19,160 And a sword will Pierce through your own soul also, so that the 554 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:22,040 thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. 555 00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:25,040 Verse 36. And there was a prophetess, 556 00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:28,440 Anna, the daughter of Faneuil, the tribe of the tribe of Asher. 557 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:30,800 She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband 558 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:34,320 seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow 559 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:37,120 until she was 84. She did not depart from the 560 00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:41,000 temple, worshipping with fasting and prayer, night and day. 561 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:44,880 And coming up that very hour, she began to give thanks to God, 562 00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:48,960 to speak to Him, all who were waiting for the redemption of 563 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:51,840 Israel. So God has blessed his people. 564 00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:55,080 God has kept his promise. It has been confirmed. 565 00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:58,600 Notice what Simeon said. And we're closing. 566 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:03,520 This child is destined to cause the falling and the rising of 567 00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:08,520 many in Israel and to be a sign that will be spoken against so 568 00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:11,080 that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. 569 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:15,000 It's exactly what we're saying. Jesus comes and he reveals it. 570 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:18,680 Well, is Jesus, is Jesus going to be my uprising or is Jesus 571 00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:20,680 going to be my downfall? That's yours. 572 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:25,000 That's your decision to make. Well, I have the fear of God. 573 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:27,960 As you should. As you should. 574 00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:30,200 Man, I just wanted to feel good. Christmas sermon, friend. 575 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:32,640 There is no better feeling than being right with God. 576 00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:36,920 There is no better feeling than having your sins washed away and 577 00:31:36,920 --> 00:31:42,400 being made a new creation with the entire new life as you enjoy 578 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:45,720 and know the wonderful Counsellor, the mighty God, the 579 00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:47,960 Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. 580 00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:52,240 Jesus says, Behold, I stand at the door and I knock. 581 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:56,280 If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into 582 00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:58,640 Him and eat with Him and He with me. 583 00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:03,120 It's been often noted that Bethlehem did not make room for 584 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:08,320 Him that night and we will have to throw things out of our lives 585 00:32:08,320 --> 00:32:12,440 in order to make room for Him. Jesus laid down his life. 586 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:15,320 Jesus surrendered to the Father and we must do the same. 587 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:19,920 Natalie's going to come now and sing and and bless us with 588 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:23,280 special music. There's a a video prepared to go 589 00:32:23,280 --> 00:32:27,800 along with that as well. I've got the remote Adam if you 590 00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:31,760 need it for any set up stuff.