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The Amazing Child of Christmas (Selected Scriptures) John MacArthur · THE BELIEVER'S CHURCH | Let’s Build Our Faith Together

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  Speaker 1: This morning, as we consider together the wonderful reality of
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  Speaker 1: the Christmas story, I want us to look at a
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  Speaker 1: text of Scripture found in the first couple of chapters
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  Speaker 1: of the Gospel of Luke. And I would invite you,
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  Speaker 1: if you will, to open your Bible to Luke. We're
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  Speaker 1: going to look at chapter 1, a portion of it,
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  Speaker 1: and chapter 2, a portion.
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  Speaker 2: Of that as well.
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  Speaker 1: I'm sure that all parents are convinced without question that
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  Speaker 1: their children are the most unique children that have ever
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  Speaker 1: been born. And I'm also sure that no child ever
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  Speaker 1: comes into the world without filling the hearts of their
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  Speaker 1: parents with a great amount of expectation.
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  Speaker 2: When our four children were born.
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  Speaker 1: We, of course, and even to this day, continue to
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  Speaker 1: have great hopes and great dreams and great desires that
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  Speaker 1: they might be everything that they can possibly be for
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  Speaker 1: the glory of God. But at best, when a child
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  Speaker 1: comes in the world, what we hope for is no
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  Speaker 1: more than hope. What we wish for is no more
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  Speaker 1: than a wish because the story is not yet written.
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  Speaker 2: We do not know what that child will become.
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  Speaker 1: And we wait for with great anticipation, with a great
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  Speaker 1: degree of anxiety and concern through the years of the
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  Speaker 1: unfolding of the life of that child to see what
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  Speaker 1: in fact that child will become. That was not true
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  Speaker 1: in the case of the Lord Jesus Christ. For at
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  Speaker 1: the birth of the child of Bethlehem, all that needed
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  Speaker 1: to be known about the child was revealed at the
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  Speaker 1: very beginning. There really wasn't any need for hope. There
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  Speaker 1: wasn't any need for a wish, a dream, imagining. All
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  Speaker 1: was told as to who the child was and why
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  Speaker 1: he came and what he would do and how.
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  Speaker 2: He would affect the world. So different.
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  Speaker 1: Two ordinary Jewish young people were faced with the most
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  Speaker 1: astounding child the world has ever known. A child whose
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  Speaker 1: life was already clearly laid out and delineated to them
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  Speaker 1: from the time of birth, unlike any other child. What
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  Speaker 1: child has his life and destiny and impact completely described
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  Speaker 1: before ever the life is lived? What child has all
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  Speaker 1: the details of character and accomplishment and effect clearly laid
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  Speaker 1: out before any of them ever find their place in history?
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  Speaker 2: A very, very unique birth.
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  Speaker 1: The only other child who comes with pre-written credentials is
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  Speaker 1: a child born just before the birth of Christ, namely
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  Speaker 1: John the Baptist. Much was said about him as well,
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  Speaker 1: which can also be found in the early part of
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  Speaker 1: Luke chapter 1. John the Baptist was to be born
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  Speaker 1: to a priest by the name of Zacharias, who.
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  Speaker 2: Had a wife named Elizabeth.
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  Speaker 1: But though much was said about the ministry of John
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  Speaker 1: the Baptist, there were still questions in the minds of people,
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  Speaker 1: such as in Luke 166, where the people who heard
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  Speaker 1: about this unique child said, what manner of child shall
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  Speaker 1: this be? It was still somewhat unclear, even in the
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  Speaker 1: case of John the Baptist, though much was said just
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  Speaker 1: exactly what that child would be. But the child born
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  Speaker 1: after John the Baptist, the child whose life and history
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  Speaker 1: is pre-written throughout not only the initial part of the
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  Speaker 1: New Testament announcement of his birth, but through all the
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  Speaker 1: Old Testament, is far more unique even than John. And
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  Speaker 1: so many astonishing and astounding things were said about Jesus
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  Speaker 1: Christ that we read in Luke 2.33, and Joseph and
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  Speaker 1: his mother were amazed at those things which were said
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  Speaker 1: about him.
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  Speaker 2: He brought even to Joseph.
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  Speaker 1: And Mary amazement because of what they were told by
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  Speaker 1: the angel about him. Now, precisely what was said about
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  Speaker 1: Jesus Christ at His birth that is so astonishing, that
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  Speaker 1: left His parents with such amazement and awe and wonder?
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  Speaker 1: The answer begins to unfold for us in the announcement
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  Speaker 1: of the angel to Mary, beginning in chapter 1 and
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  Speaker 1: verse 30.
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  Speaker 2: Let's notice it.
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  Speaker 1: And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary, for
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  Speaker 1: thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt
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  Speaker 1: conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and
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  Speaker 1: shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and
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  Speaker 1: shall be called the Son of the Most High. And
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  Speaker 1: the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of
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  Speaker 1: his father David, and he shall reign over the house
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  Speaker 1: of David forever, and of his kingdom there shall be
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  Speaker 1: no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall
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  Speaker 1: this be, seeing I know not a man? And the
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  Speaker 1: angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall
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  Speaker 1: come upon thee, and the power of the Most High
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  Speaker 1: shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that holy offspring shall be called.
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  Speaker 2: The Son of God.
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  Speaker 1: Now it was this announcement coupled with the announcement to
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  Speaker 1: Joseph by the angel that coupled with some things that
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  Speaker 1: are said of Christ at the end of chapter 2,
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  Speaker 1: or close to the end, in verses 34 to 38,
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  Speaker 1: these things were what amazed the parents. And I want
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  Speaker 1: us to focus on six of them in our examination
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  Speaker 1: of the Lord Jesus Christ this morning. First of all,
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  Speaker 1: in a general way, would you notice verse 32? And
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  Speaker 1: there we read this statement, he shall be great. He
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  Speaker 1: shall be great. That same statement was made in chapter 1,
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  Speaker 1: verse 15 of John the Baptist. For he shall be
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  Speaker 1: great in the sight of the Lord. John the Baptist
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  Speaker 1: was to be great. Jesus was to be great. The
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  Speaker 1: word can mean extraordinary, extraordinary. wonderful, splendid, magnificent, noble, distinguished, illustrious, eminent, powerful.
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  Speaker 1: It is intended to set one apart from all the rest.
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  Speaker 1: John the Baptist was great. He was great because he
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  Speaker 1: was the single greatest representative of the prophetic office, the
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  Speaker 1: forerunner of the Messiah. In fact, it is said of
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  Speaker 1: him that there had been none greater than John the Baptist.
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  Speaker 1: The Lord Jesus Christ also is great, that is, surpassing
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  Speaker 1: and eminent and preeminent and splendid and illustrious and prominent
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  Speaker 1: and all of those things the word implies, for reasons
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  Speaker 1: other than the greatness of John the Baptist, for reasons
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  Speaker 1: which are explained in this very same passage. What made
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  Speaker 1: Him great and what astounded and amazed His parents? We
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  Speaker 1: find here six things that identify Jesus Christ in his
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  Speaker 1: unique greatness from the very time of his birth. First
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  Speaker 1: of all, noticing verse 32. He shall be great and
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  Speaker 1: shall be called the Son of the Most High.
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  Speaker 2: Now that is to say, Jesus.
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  Speaker 2: Is God. Jesus is God.
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  Speaker 1: And that is the unmistakable truth that I want you
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  Speaker 1: to deal with in your mind as we begin our
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  Speaker 1: look at this passage.
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  Speaker 2: Jesus is God.
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  Speaker 1: Now Luke refers to God with the term, the Most High,
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  Speaker 1: or if you like, the Highest. Luke seems to favor
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  Speaker 1: that term in identifying God And so did the angel
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  Speaker 1: who made the announcement. In verse 35, the angel again says,
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  Speaker 1: Over in verse 76, And thou, child, shalt be called
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  Speaker 1: the prophet of the Most High. This is the testimony
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  Speaker 1: of Zacharias when filled with the Holy Spirit. So the
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  Speaker 1: angel calls God the Most High. The Holy Spirit, through Zacharias,
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  Speaker 1: calls God the Most High. This term speaks of the
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  Speaker 1: sovereignty of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ, in Luke 6, 35, says,
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  Speaker 1: you shall be the sons of the Most High. In
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  Speaker 1: Acts 7, 48, Luke, who writes the book of Acts also,
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  Speaker 1: chooses to use the same term, the Most High. There
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  Speaker 1: is even an occasion when the demons refer to God
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  Speaker 1: as the Most High or the Highest. Now, calling God
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  Speaker 1: the Highest, calling God the Most High, notes His majestic sovereignty.
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  Speaker 1: It is a statement of God's all-surpassing supremacy. It is
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  Speaker 1: to say there is no one higher than He is.
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  Speaker 1: There is no one on His level or above. The
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  Speaker 1: title In the Old Testament is El Elyon in the Hebrew,
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  Speaker 1: and it is used initially in Genesis 14, 18, and
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  Speaker 1: becomes a very common Old Testament title for God, El Elyon.
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  Speaker 1: And wherever it is used, it gives us the feeling
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  Speaker 1: of God's sovereign surpassing power, His ultimate supremacy. There is
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  Speaker 1: no one higher than He is. He is the highest
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  Speaker 1: in authority and in predestination. Now that use of that
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  Speaker 1: El Elyon, that term the most high, helps to point
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  Speaker 1: out the range of God's surpassing supreme sovereignty.
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  Speaker 2: For example, In Deuteronomy 32, 8, we read.
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  Speaker 1: The Most High divided to the nations their inheritance. In
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  Speaker 1: Psalm 47, 2, the Lord Most High is awesome.
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  Speaker 2: He is a great king over all the earth.
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  Speaker 1: And four times in Daniel's prophecy, he says the Most
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  Speaker 1: High rules in the earth and gives the kingdoms of
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  Speaker 1: men to whomsoever he will. Now all of those verses
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  Speaker 1: tell us that the Most High is sovereign over nations.
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  Speaker 1: He is sovereign over nations. Secondly, in 2 Samuel 22, 14,
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  Speaker 1: there is a description of God controlling the water and
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  Speaker 1: the clouds and the skies and the lightning and the
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  Speaker 1: thunders and the seas and the rain. And the text says,
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  Speaker 1: the Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered
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  Speaker 1: His voice. And there, the Most High is seen in
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  Speaker 1: His sovereignty over nature, His control over all the created universe.
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  Speaker 1: So He is sovereign over nations. He is sovereign over nature.
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  Speaker 1: In Psalm 717 and Psalm 9-2, there is a discussion
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  Speaker 1: of God's power over the wicked and God's power over
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  Speaker 1: those who rebel and disobey Him.
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  Speaker 2: And it says, sing praise.
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  Speaker 1: To the Most High for the reason that He is
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  Speaker 1: sovereign over the unrighteous.
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  Speaker 2: He is sovereign over the unrighteous.
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  Speaker 1: In Psalm 21, 7, it speaks of the mercy of
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  Speaker 1: the Most High, which is given in salvation to those
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  Speaker 1: who trust Him, which is to say He's not only
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  Speaker 1: sovereign over the unrighteous, but He is sovereign over the
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  Speaker 1: righteous as well, as He grants them the grace and
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  Speaker 1: mercy of salvation.
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  Speaker 2: In Psalm 46.
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  Speaker 1: 4, it refers to the tabernacles of the Most High,
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  Speaker 1: wherein God's people find protection, safety, security, and comfort, and
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  Speaker 1: that tells us He is sovereign over His own redeemed people.
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  Speaker 1: In fact, in Daniel 7, 18, it says we are
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  Speaker 1: the saints of the Most High. That is, the saints
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  Speaker 1: who belong to the sovereign God. In Lamentations 3, 37
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  Speaker 1: and 38, there is a totally comprehensive statement that says
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  Speaker 1: God is the most high, sovereign over all evil and
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  Speaker 1: all good. The title then sums up all of the
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  Speaker 1: elements of the sovereignty of God. He is sovereign in
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  Speaker 1: every dimension possible, sovereign over nations, sovereign over nature, over
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  Speaker 1: the unrighteous, over the righteous, sovereign over the people He
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  Speaker 1: has redeemed, and sovereign over all that is evil and
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  Speaker 1: all that is good. That is to say, He is
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  Speaker 1: the Most High. There is none as high as He is.
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  Speaker 1: He is God above any other gods. He is God supreme.
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  Speaker 1: Now why is that important? Look back at our text
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  Speaker 1: in Luke chapter 1 and notice verse 32. Here comes
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  Speaker 1: the message to Mary from the angel and the message is,
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  Speaker 1: the son you bear will be called the son of
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  Speaker 1: the most high. The son of the most high. In
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  Speaker 1: verse 35, at the end of the verse, the son
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  Speaker 1: of God. the Son of God. Now, what is such
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  Speaker 1: a title intended to indicate? Nothing less than the obvious.
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  Speaker 1: Its intent is to say Jesus is God. To say
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  Speaker 1: that Jesus is the Son of the Highest is to
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  Speaker 1: say that He bears the character, nature, and essence of
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  Speaker 1: the Highest. Son does not imply that God is a
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  Speaker 1: great God who begot a sub-God and Jesus is a sub-God.
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  Speaker 1: It is to say that Jesus bears the same life,
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  Speaker 1: the same essence, and the same nature as God.
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  Speaker 2: As Hebrews 1 says, He is.
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  Speaker 1: The express or the exact reproduction of God's image. Hebrews 1, 1,
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  Speaker 1: and 2 says that. God speaks to us through His Son,
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  Speaker 1: verse 3, who is the exact replica of Himself.
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  Speaker 2: He is the Son of God.
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  Speaker 1: That is to say, He bears His Father's life and nature.
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  Speaker 1: That is the essence of the use of that idea here. Now,
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  Speaker 1: no writer more clearly shows us the meaning of the
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  Speaker 1: Sonship of Christ than the writer John. So I would
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  Speaker 1: like you to turn to John 5 for just a moment.
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  Speaker 1: Two weeks ago, I met with someone and I suggested
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  Speaker 1: to them that what was needed in their life was
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  Speaker 1: a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. This was a
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  Speaker 1: Jewish man. And he said to me, I don't know
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  Speaker 1: who Jesus Christ is.
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  Speaker 2: I need to find out. I said that I want
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  Speaker 2: you to go home this week.
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  Speaker 1: And do one thing if you do nothing else, and
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  Speaker 1: that is read the gospel of John. Just read it.
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  Speaker 1: Sit down and read the gospel of John. To him,
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  Speaker 1: the word Jesus, the word Christ, was either profanity or
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  Speaker 1: something you didn't say. Jewish people rejecting the reality of Christ.
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  Speaker 1: And so he was reading the gospel of John that week,
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  Speaker 1: came back, and I said, did you read it?
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  Speaker 2: And he said, yes. And I said, what is your response?
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  Speaker 1: What is the dominating conclusion in your mind from reading.
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  Speaker 2: The gospel of John?
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  Speaker 1: Without hesitation, he said to me, who had never read
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  Speaker 1: the gospel of John before, he said, well, one thing
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  Speaker 1: is for sure.
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  Speaker 2: Jesus is more than just a man. Jesus is God.
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  Speaker 1: That from reading the Gospel of John because that in
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  Speaker 1: fact was John's intent in writing it.
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  Speaker 2: And no one.
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  Speaker 1: Better articulates who the Son of God is than John.
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  Speaker 1: And no place better articulates it than the fifth chapter.
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  Speaker 1: Let's look at verse 16. The Jews were persecuting Jesus
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  Speaker 1: and they actually sought to kill Him because He had
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  Speaker 1: done some healing on the Sabbath day.
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  Speaker 2: He had violated their.
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  Speaker 1: Man-made Jewish tradition by healing on the Sabbath and making
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  Speaker 1: a man carry his bed, which they thought to be
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  Speaker 1: a violation of their tradition. Now, Jesus responds to them.
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  Speaker 1: He answers them in verse 17, and His answer is
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  Speaker 1: an absolutely amazing affirmation of who He is. First of all,
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  Speaker 1: He says, My Father works in this way, and I work. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he
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  Speaker 1: not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that
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  Speaker 1: God was his Father, making himself, what?
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  Speaker 2: Equal with God.
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  Speaker 1: To the Jewish mind, to say God is my Father
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  Speaker 1: is to say that I'm of the same essence as God,
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  Speaker 1: and that's exactly what was intended to be said by
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  Speaker 1: the angel to Mary. Now what is so devastating to
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  Speaker 1: these Jewish people is that when Jesus says, my Father
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  Speaker 1: works and I work, He is claiming to be equal.
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  Speaker 2: In nature with God. Did you get that? Equal in
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  Speaker 2: nature with God. He is really saying this.
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  Speaker 1: Look, Mark 2.27 said it, Sabbath was made for man.
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  Speaker 1: The Sabbath was made for man, not for God. You say, well,
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  Speaker 1: what about when God created in six days and on
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  Speaker 1: the seventh day He rested? Listen, don't for a minute
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  Speaker 1: believe that on the seventh day God completely rested. All
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  Speaker 1: He rested from was the creation because it was finished.
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  Speaker 1: God rested from His creation. But if God had gone
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  Speaker 1: to sleep at all, everything that He created would have disintegrated.
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  Speaker 1: He upholds everything by the word of His power. God
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  Speaker 1: rested from the creative process. God didn't rest from doing
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  Speaker 1: what God must do to.
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  Speaker 2: Hold everything together.
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  Speaker 1: The second thing He says, not only does He claim
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  Speaker 1: to be equal in nature, but equal in works.
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  Speaker 2: Look at verse 19.
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  Speaker 1: Then answered Jesus and said to them, truly, truly, I
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  Speaker 1: say to you, The Son can do nothing by Himself,
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  Speaker 1: but what He sees the Father do, for whatever things
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  Speaker 1: He does, these also does the Son in the same manner.
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  Speaker 1: For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all
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  Speaker 1: things that He Himself does, and He will show Him
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  Speaker 1: greater works than these that you may marvel. Now he
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  Speaker 1: claims to be equal in works. He says, whatever I
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  Speaker 1: do is exactly what God does. And if you're going
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  Speaker 1: to indict me for breaking your Sabbath, then indict God.
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  Speaker 1: Tell God He broke your Sabbath because I'm only doing
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  Speaker 1: what God is doing. I follow God. He is the
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  Speaker 1: one working, and I am the one working, and what
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  Speaker 1: He does.
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  Speaker 2: I do.
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  Speaker 1: So if you accuse me, you accuse God. Credible statement.
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  Speaker 1: I don't do anything by myself. Whatever the Father does,
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  Speaker 1: that's exactly what I do. Whatever He wants me to do,
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  Speaker 1: He shows me to do. So your argument is with
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  Speaker 1: God because we're equal in works. Thirdly, he says, we
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  Speaker 1: are not only equal in nature and equal in work,
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  Speaker 1: but we are equal in power. Verse 21, for as
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  Speaker 1: the Father raises up the dead and gives them life,
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  Speaker 1: even so the Son gives life. He says, I have
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  Speaker 1: the same power to raise the dead physically and spiritually
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  Speaker 1: that God does.
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  Speaker 2: We are equal in power.
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  Speaker 1: In verse 26, as the Father has life, in Himself,
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  Speaker 1: so is He given to the Son to have life
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  Speaker 1: in Himself. It repeats the same idea. Jesus is making
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  Speaker 1: astounding claims. As the Son of the Highest, He bears
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  Speaker 1: the nature of the Highest, He does the works of
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  Speaker 1: the Highest, and He is equal in power. Fourthly, He
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  Speaker 1: says He has equal authority. At the end of verse 21,
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  Speaker 1: He says, the Son gives life to whom He will.
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  Speaker 1: He has equal authority. He can make determinations. He can
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  Speaker 1: do as He pleases. You'll notice also in verse 22,
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  Speaker 1: He is equal in judgment. The Father judges no man,
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  Speaker 1: but has committed all judgment to the Son. Verse 27
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  Speaker 1: says the same idea. He's given Him authority to execute judgment. Also,
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  Speaker 1: because He's the Son of Man, verse 30, I can
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  Speaker 1: of mine own self do nothing. As I hear, I judge.
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  Speaker 1: So God is judging. God commits the judgment to Christ.
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  Speaker 1: So really, God and Christ judge together. Therefore, they are
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  Speaker 1: equal in judgment. And then verse 23, that all men
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  Speaker 1: should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father.
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  Speaker 1: He that honors not the Son honors not the Father
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  Speaker 1: who has sent Him.
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  Speaker 2: The point is that they are equal in what? In honor.
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: Now notice the terminology all through this passage is father-son, father-son, father-son, father-son.
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: And what the father-son relationship of God and Christ intends
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: to communicate is equality of nature, equality of work, equality
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: of power, equality of authority, equality of judgment, and equality
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: of honor. That is to say, Jesus is God. Jesus
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: is God. And so when the angel says to Mary,
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: He shall be called the Son of the Highest, she
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: is saying this is the Son of God who is
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: equal in every way with God. And when Jesus claimed that,
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: the Jews knew that's what He was saying. The child
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: is God. What an incredible, what an amazing, what an
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: astonishing and astounding and almost unbelievable thing voice ringing in
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: their ears that your child, your little baby that you
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: bear in your womb and hold in your arms is
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: the living God. Matthew also records the birth of Christ
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: and emphasizes this. How is it that God could be
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: born in a human womb and Matthew 1.18 says, she
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: was found with child by the Holy Spirit. Verse 20 says,
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: that which is conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit.
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: And verse 23, the virgin shall be with child, shall
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: which being translated is God with us. The child is God.
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: And the child was conceived without a human father. God
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: planted a seed in Mary to create the Lord Jesus Christ.
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: In Luke 1, 43... Even Elizabeth says to Mary, why
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: is this granted to me that the mother of my
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: Lord should come to me? She recognizes that her relation,
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: her own kin, Mary, is to give birth to the
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: Lord Himself. And in chapter 2 of Luke and verse 11,
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: The angel announces to the shepherds that there will be
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: born this day in the city of David a Savior
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: who is none other than the Messiah, the Lord, the
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: Lord Himself. So the first amazing message that came to
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: the parents of Jesus was that this child would be God.
• 23:41
  Speaker 2: God, the Lord.
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: The writers of our Christmas carols have understood this through
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: the centuries. And every year we come around to this season,
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: we sing those songs, and almost without thinking, we don't
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: listen to what we are saying. So let me remind
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: you of the emphasis of the Christmas carols. Listen to
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: these familiar lines. Joy to the world, the.
• 24:03
  Speaker 2: Lord is come.
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning. Come
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: adore on bended knee Christ the Lord. Christ by highest
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: heaven adored, Christ the everlasting Lord, veiled in flesh the
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: Godhead see, hail the incarnate deity. Jesus our Emmanuel, yet
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: in the dark street shineth the everlasting light. We sing,
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel,
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: which means God with us. Jesus, Lord at thy birth,
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: We sing the virgin sweet boy is the Lord of
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: the earth. We sing word of the Father now in
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: flesh appearing. How that in Bethlehem was born the Son
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: of God by name. God with man is now residing.
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: Suddenly the Lord descending. We sing thou didst leave thy
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: throne and thy kingly crown when thou camest to earth
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: for me. And we often sing, and the father gave
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: his son, gave his own beloved one. And so the
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: writers of all the Christmas carols mark out for us
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: the reality that the child is God. The second and
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: amazing thing, and an equally amazing thing, is that the
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: child was also man.
• 25:32
  Speaker 2: Also man.
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: Back to Luke 1.31 again. And behold, says the angel
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: to Mary... you.
• 25:39
  Speaker 2: Will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son.
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: Now, it would be one thing for God to just
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: come into the world, just sort of fly down and arrive.
• 25:53
  Speaker 2: And God could certainly do that.
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: God came and went in the Old Testament without the
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: need of a human mother, without human birth. There are
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: many occasions in the Old Testament when God appeared. He
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: walked and talked in the garden with Adam and Eve.
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: God made appearances over and over again in the life
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: of Israel. He came down to Mount Sinai. He showed
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: Himself to Abraham. There are times and places where God
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: put on an appearance and He did not need to
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: be born of a woman. But that was because God
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: never before came into the world as man. And now
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: when He comes, He comes not only as fully God,
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: but as fully man, and therefore must be fully born
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: as men are born through the womb and the birth
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: canal of a human woman. And thou shalt conceive in
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: thy womb and bring forth a son is to emphasize
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: His humanness. By the way, in verse 36, regarding Elizabeth,
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: it says she also has conceived a son in her
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: old age, and this is the sixth month with her
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: who was called barren.
• 26:54
  Speaker 2: The parallel is obvious.
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: Elizabeth was carrying a child to which she would give birth,
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: just like Mary was carrying a child to which she
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: would give birth, and if John the Baptist was human,
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: then so would Jesus be. Fully God, yes, but fully man, yes,
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: as well. Look at For a moment, chapter 1 of
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: Matthew and verse 19. And Joseph, her husband, being a
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: just man and not willing to make her a public example,
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: was minded to divorce her. When he found her pregnant
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: and he knew he had never had a relationship with her,
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: he was going to divorce her thinking she'd been unfaithful
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: to him. And while he thought on these things, an
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph,
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: is of the Holy Spirit, and she shall bring forth
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: a son.
• 27:48
  Speaker 2: So Matthew says the same thing.
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: This conception took place in her, and she will bring
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: forth a son.
• 27:53
  Speaker 2: Now go to Luke 2, 6.
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: It says, and so it was that while they were there,
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: the days were accomplished, or the days were fulfilled, that
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: she should be delivered. Now, while they were in Bethlehem,
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: the days were fulfilled. That is to say, her nine-month
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: pregnancy had run its course. The normal nine-month period had
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: taken place. This is a very normal birth. It is
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: not a normal conception. Jesus Christ was conceived by the
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: work of the Spirit of God, but He was born
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: through the normal processes of the body of Mary. And
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: notice what it says in an almost offhanded way. In
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: verse 7, she brought forth her firstborn son. Now, it
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: just hits me that the phrase, her firstborn son, says
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: something very significant. She brought forth her firstborn son implies
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: that she also brought forth what?
• 28:53
  Speaker 2: Some more. And that is to say.
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: That her firstborn and all the rest were born in
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: the same way. In the normal process, she brought forth
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: her firstborn son. If you read the Gospel of Matthew,
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: you will find that the testimony of Matthew 12, 46,
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: and 47, the testimony of Matthew 13, 55, and 56,
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: the testimony of John 2, 12, John 7, verses 3, 5,
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: and 10, is that she had other children. Jesus had
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: brothers and sisters. In terms of her womb, she carried
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: many children. In giving birth, she brought forth many children.
• 29:33
  Speaker 2: This was only the first.
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: The point being that Jesus was born in a normal
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: human manner.
• 29:40
  Speaker 2: And so this is fully man.
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: And the amazing and astounding thing is, how can a
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: woman bring forth one who is totally human without the.
• 29:53
  Speaker 2: Aid of a human father?
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: That's as profound a mystery as how the child could
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: be God, for it demands the infinite miracle as well.
• 30:06
  Speaker 2: This is a real human being.
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: Look at chapter 2 and verse 12. The shepherds are
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: told that they'll find a real baby wrapped in strips
• 30:20
  Speaker 1: of cloth, lying in a manger. Notice verse 21. When
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child,
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: his name was called Jesus. Just like any other Jewish baby,
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: they wanted to be sure this one had the sign
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: of the covenant, circumcision, the cutting away of the foreskin.
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: That would be done to the little baby Jesus, just
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: like any other baby. This is not some bizarre, some strange,
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: weird creature that's come into the world. This is fully God, yes,
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: but fully man, yes, as well. And the circumcision which
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: was commanded from Genesis 17, 12, reiterated in Leviticus 12, 3,
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: as the law of God for the covenant people is
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: upheld in the case of this little one as well.
• 31:03
  Speaker 2: You will notice also.
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: In chapter 2 of Luke and verse 40, it says,
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: the child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom,
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: and the grace of God was upon him. That is
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: very similar to what is said in chapter 1, verse
• 31:17
  Speaker 1: 80 about John the Baptist. It says of John the Baptist,
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: and the child grew and became strong in spirit. As
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: John the Baptist grew, Jesus grew in a very normal
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: process of human growth. Jesus, it says in John 1, 14,
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: was the Word made.
• 31:36
  Speaker 2: Flesh that dwelled among us. In Hebrews....
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: Several places the Scripture delineates things about Christ that are essential.
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: For example, in Hebrews 2.17 it says, Wherefore, in all
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: things it was fitting for him to be made like
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: his brethren. In all things, made like his brethren. He
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: was in all points, Hebrews 4.15, tempted like as we are,
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: yet without sin. In Galatians 4.4, that wonderful testimony says,
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: in the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: made of a woman, made under the law. That is
• 32:25
  Speaker 1: to say, He was born like everybody else. He came
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: into the world like everybody else, from a woman, from
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: a woman, obligated as all human beings are to keep
• 32:35
  Speaker 1: the law of God, made like His brethren in all things.
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: If He was to substitute for man on the cross,
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: He had to be man. If He was to rise
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: from the dead for men, He had to be man.
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: That's why Paul so wonderfully says we have one mediator
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: between God and man, 1 Timothy 2, 5, the man
• 32:55
  Speaker 1: Christ Jesus. His parents were astounded that He was God.
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: They were astounded that He was man, fully God and
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: fully man, a miracle child. And I remind you again
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: of what you sing every year. This too is a
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: salient and essential theme of all the songs we sing.
• 33:19
  Speaker 2: Holy infant so.
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: Tender and mild, word of the Father now in flesh appearing.
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: See him in the manger lay, veiled in flesh the
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: Godhead see. What child is this who laid to rest
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: on Mary's lap is sleeping just like any other baby?
• 33:40
  Speaker 2: The babe, the son of Mary.
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: One writer says, but of lowly birth didst thou come
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: to earth in greatest humility. Another says he was born
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: of David's line, offspring of the virgin's womb, pleased as
• 33:54
  Speaker 1: man with men to dwell. Jesus, our Emmanuel, fully man.
• 34:02
  Speaker 2: We sing it. We give testimony to it.
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: The third amazing aspect of this child, back in chapter
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: 1 of Luke, again in verse 35, is the fact
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: that He was not only God and man, but He
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: was sinless. He was holy. He was perfect. The angel said,'
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: The Holy Spirit shall come upon you. The power of
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: the Most High overshadow you.' And that's really all we
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: know about how the virgin birth conception took place. Therefore also,
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: follow this, that holy offspring shall be called the Son
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: of God. This is a holy child.
• 34:45
  Speaker 2: Oh, what a remarkable statement. Think about it.
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: There has only been in the history of the human
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: race reproduction process one holy child born.
• 34:58
  Speaker 2: Only one.
• 34:59
  Speaker 1: No one has ever produced a holy child except Mary
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: by the power of the Spirit of God.
• 35:06
  Speaker 2: John the Baptist was filled with.
• 35:08
  Speaker 1: The Holy Spirit, Luke 1 15 says, and that's a
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: remarkable thing, but he was not holy. He was not sinless.
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: He was not perfect. He was not without flaw. What
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: a child. Imagine being told that the child you will
• 35:22
  Speaker 1: bring forth will be absolutely perfect. That presents no challenge
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: at all to your parenting process. None whatsoever. There was
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: never a moment in the life and experience of that
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: family where Jesus produced any unhappiness caused by something that
• 35:43
  Speaker 1: He did that wasn't as it ought to be. There
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: was never a disobedient word, thought, act. There was never
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: a bad attitude. There was never a thoughtless or unkind
• 35:54
  Speaker 1: or selfish act. He produced only awe and wonder and
• 35:59
  Speaker 1: respect and worship. There's no other such child. Peter's mother
• 36:05
  Speaker 1: had no holy child. The mother of James and John
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: had no holy children. The mother of Paul had no
• 36:14
  Speaker 1: holy children, he who was the chief of sinners, he
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: who battled the body of this death till he escaped
• 36:19
  Speaker 1: into the presence of Jesus Christ. You see, since Cain
• 36:24
  Speaker 1: and Abel, all children have been unholy. But the Holy Spirit,
• 36:29
  Speaker 1: in a miraculous way, produced a child of the substance
• 36:33
  Speaker 1: of Mary and strained out the sin, creating a holy child.
• 36:39
  Speaker 2: He entered.
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: Holiness at birth, which we will not know until death.
• 36:46
  Speaker 1: He starts where we end. He begins in a holiness
• 36:50
  Speaker 1: we wait for. He is in the fullness of His
• 36:53
  Speaker 1: holiness long before us. He entered into the full liberty
• 36:58
  Speaker 1: on the same day we enter into.
• 36:59
  Speaker 2: Our great bondage.
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: He began by being fully sanctified and we, by God's grace,
• 37:06
  Speaker 1: will end by being fully sanctified.
• 37:10
  Speaker 2: No child ever like him.
• 37:13
  Speaker 1: Hebrews says he is separate from sinners. He is undefiled.
• 37:19
  Speaker 1: He never needed discipline. He never needed correction. He never
• 37:21
  Speaker 1: needed forgiveness. He never needed salvation. Alexander White, the most
• 37:27
  Speaker 1: notable preacher in Scotland at the end of the 19th
• 37:30
  Speaker 1: and beginning of the 20th century, who was pastor of
• 37:33
  Speaker 1: Free St. George Church in Edinburgh, wrote of the Christ
• 37:37
  Speaker 1: child's holiness in relation to us in some very, very
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: beautiful terms.
• 37:42
  Speaker 2: Listen to what he said.
• 37:44
  Speaker 1: I will say this, that if you would have your
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: child not ceremonially and conventionally holy only, but personally and
• 37:51
  Speaker 1: really and everlastingly holy, and if you yourself know what
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: holiness is, you must set before yourself for your child
• 37:59
  Speaker 1: no less a holiness than that of the holy child himself.
• 38:04
  Speaker 1: And as often as you see the heartbreaking proof that
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: your child has not been born as Mary's child was born,
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: when you cannot but see and feel in your innermost
• 38:14
  Speaker 1: heart your child's fretfulness and quarrelsomeness and rudeness and sulkiness
• 38:20
  Speaker 1: and impudence and pride and anger and unbroken will, take
• 38:24
  Speaker 1: him apart and like Thomas Halliburton's mother, pray both with
• 38:28
  Speaker 1: him and for him. Pray that your child also may
• 38:32
  Speaker 1: be made of God, both to him and to you,
• 38:35
  Speaker 1: a twin brother of the holy child Jesus. Pray without
• 38:40
  Speaker 1: ceasing that your child may be sanctified with the self-same
• 38:44
  Speaker 1: sanctification as Mary's child. And if that may not be
• 38:48
  Speaker 1: perfected all at once as his sanctification was, pray that
• 38:52
  Speaker 1: at least it may be begun as long as you
• 38:55
  Speaker 1: are here to see it and to have a hand
• 38:57
  Speaker 1: in it. Take your child apart, as long as he
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: is docile and will go with you, and ask on
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: your knees and in his hearing something like this, O God,
• 39:08
  Speaker 1: the God and Father of the holy child Jesus, make
• 39:11
  Speaker 1: this my dear child a child of God with him,
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: and after I am gone, make him and keep him
• 39:17
  Speaker 1: a man of God like him. Take no rest yourself
• 39:21
  Speaker 1: and give God no rest till you see a seed
• 39:24
  Speaker 1: of God not only sown in your child's heart, but
• 39:27
  Speaker 1: till you see Him as Mary saw Him. her firstborn
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: son subject to her in everything in her house at
• 39:34
  Speaker 1: home and growing up every day in wisdom and stature
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: and in.
• 39:37
  Speaker 2: Favor with God and man. End quote. What a challenge.
• 39:42
  Speaker 2: What a challenge. The holy child.
• 39:47
  Speaker 1: Unlike any other child and the model for every child.
• 39:51
  Speaker 1: And don't we sing of that? Isn't that part of
• 39:53
  Speaker 1: our Christmas hymnology? Don't we sing, O morning stars, together
• 39:58
  Speaker 1: proclaim thy holy birth? Don't we sing, holy infant so
• 40:04
  Speaker 1: tender and mild? Don't we sing, radiant beams from thy
• 40:08
  Speaker 1: holy face? O holy child of Bethlehem, descend to us,
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: we pray. Don't we sing, but in Bethlehem's home was
• 40:16
  Speaker 1: there found no room for thy holy nativity? Yes, we
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: are still amazed that the child was sinless. Not only God, man,
• 40:30
  Speaker 1: and sinless, but fourthly, his parents were astonished because they
• 40:34
  Speaker 1: were told the child would also be the sovereign Lord,
• 40:37
  Speaker 1: that he would also be king. Back again, please, to
• 40:42
  Speaker 1: verse 32. The Lord God said, shall give unto him
• 40:47
  Speaker 1: the throne of his father David. He shall reign over
• 40:50
  Speaker 1: the house of Jacob forever. Of his kingdom there shall
• 40:53
  Speaker 1: be no end. He will have an eternal kingdom. The
• 41:00
  Speaker 1: Lord will give him that throne. This, of course, fulfills
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: the prophecy of 2 Samuel 7, 11 to 13, which
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: said David someday would have a greater son, one who
• 41:13
  Speaker 1: would come centuries later out of his loins, who would
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: take up the throne and reestablish the kingdom, and then
• 41:18
  Speaker 1: it would be a kingdom of righteousness and an eternal kingdom,
• 41:21
  Speaker 1: and that is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.
• 41:25
  Speaker 1: He was born into the Davidic line. You read the
• 41:28
  Speaker 1: genealogy of Joseph in Matthew 1. You read the genealogy
• 41:32
  Speaker 1: of Mary in Luke's Gospel, chapter 3, and you will
• 41:35
  Speaker 1: find that this is one born of parents who come
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: from David's loins. Both Mary and Joseph come in the
• 41:44
  Speaker 1: Davidic line. And they therefore carried royal blood, which comes
• 41:48
  Speaker 1: together in Christ, and he indeed is the rightful heir
• 41:51
  Speaker 1: to the throne of David. He is not born, as
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: was John the Baptist, to the house of Levi, the
• 41:57
  Speaker 1: priestly house. He is born to the royal house, the
• 42:00
  Speaker 1: house of kings, the house of David. And he has
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: the right to the throne of Israel, which becomes the
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: throne of the world, which becomes the throne of the universe,
• 42:11
  Speaker 1: which becomes the throne of the eternal new heavens and
• 42:14
  Speaker 1: new earth. He is sovereign Lord. This little child, they hear,
• 42:20
  Speaker 1: will receive the throne of his father David and reign
• 42:23
  Speaker 1: in an eternal kingdom.
• 42:25
  Speaker 2: What an announcement.
• 42:27
  Speaker 1: I mean, it would be enough for some of us
• 42:29
  Speaker 1: if the Lord just said, your child will grow up
• 42:30
  Speaker 1: to believe. Your child will grow up to be a
• 42:33
  Speaker 1: great missionary. Your child will grow up to be a
• 42:35
  Speaker 1: great teacher. But the influence of this child is absolutely
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: astounding and staggering, and his parents' minds find it hard
• 42:42
  Speaker 1: to even grasp the sweeping statements being.
• 42:45
  Speaker 2: Made about this small infant. the King of the universe,
• 42:51
  Speaker 2: King of kings and Lord of lords.
• 42:54
  Speaker 1: And Matthew sets out to show the significance of this
• 42:56
  Speaker 1: in the second chapter of his gospel. Verses 1 through 8,
• 43:00
  Speaker 1: he describes the Magi, or as we call them, the
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: wise men. The Magi were a hereditary group of priests
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: who had risen to great prominence in the Orient, in
• 43:10
  Speaker 1: Babylon and Media and Persia. And they were the official
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: kingmakers of the east. They were the ones who knew
• 43:18
  Speaker 1: the laws of the Medes and the Persians. They had
• 43:21
  Speaker 1: risen to such power that no king would be appointed
• 43:24
  Speaker 1: over the east in opposition to the great kings of
• 43:27
  Speaker 1: the west and the Roman Empire unless he was trained, approved,
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: and appointed by them. Now these Magi grew up in Babylon,
• 43:35
  Speaker 1: and even though they were Gentiles and pagan for a while,
• 43:39
  Speaker 1: the influence of Daniel and the Jews in captivity had
• 43:43
  Speaker 1: brought about among them some God-fearing Magi who truly sought
• 43:48
  Speaker 1: this Messiah, this great King who would come. And the
• 43:52
  Speaker 1: king of recent years was deposed, and the time for
• 43:56
  Speaker 1: seeking a new king had come.
• 43:58
  Speaker 2: The star appears.
• 43:59
  Speaker 1: They follow the star, seeking to see the fulfillment of prophecy,
• 44:03
  Speaker 1: no doubt related to them by Daniel and other believing
• 44:06
  Speaker 1: Jews in captivity.
• 44:07
  Speaker 2: And they go.
• 44:09
  Speaker 1: These are generations after the ones who were there when
• 44:11
  Speaker 1: Daniel was there, but the message is fresh with them,
• 44:14
  Speaker 1: passed on. They go to find this king. And the
• 44:17
  Speaker 1: point that Matthew wants us to note is that the
• 44:20
  Speaker 1: non-Jewish Gentile world, the official kingmakers of the East, come
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: to affirm.
• 44:26
  Speaker 2: That this indeed is the king.
• 44:29
  Speaker 1: Furthermore, Matthew also confirms that the Jewish world recognized him
• 44:33
  Speaker 1: as a king in a very unique way, through Herod's hostility.
• 44:37
  Speaker 1: If he wasn't a king, he wouldn't have been a
• 44:39
  Speaker 1: threat to Herod. By the very fact that Herod massacred
• 44:43
  Speaker 1: all the babies who were young in that region and
• 44:46
  Speaker 1: and created a holocaust of massive proportions predicted by the
• 44:50
  Speaker 1: prophet Jeremiah. Matthew is showing us that Herod also, representing
• 44:55
  Speaker 1: the hostile Jewish people, affirmed the kingliness of Jesus Christ
• 45:00
  Speaker 1: in an effort to stamp him out so that he
• 45:02
  Speaker 1: poses no threat to Herod. So whether from the positive
• 45:06
  Speaker 1: worship of the Magi or the negative hostility of Herod,
• 45:10
  Speaker 1: it is affirmed by the people that Jesus is indeed
• 45:14
  Speaker 1: a king. He had the right to rule. His genealogy
• 45:17
  Speaker 1: says it through Joseph. His genealogy says it through Mary.
• 45:21
  Speaker 1: And all the things going on around say it as well.
• 45:24
  Speaker 1: And the Scripture carries it out obviously. King of kings,
• 45:27
  Speaker 1: Lord of lords, the only potentate, the one who will
• 45:30
  Speaker 1: reign forever and supreme. Scripture is full of statements to
• 45:34
  Speaker 1: that effect.
• 45:34
  Speaker 2: Philippians 2 says.
• 45:35
  Speaker 1: Every knee will bow to Him of things in the earth,
• 45:38
  Speaker 1: under the earth. All creatures will bow in submission to
• 45:43
  Speaker 1: the kingliness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
• 45:45
  Speaker 2: And what an astounding thing.
• 45:48
  Speaker 1: I mean, it would be wonderful if when you received
• 45:50
  Speaker 1: your baby, you were told your child would be the
• 45:51
  Speaker 1: president of the United States or even the president of
• 45:54
  Speaker 1: a corporation. I mean, that would be wonderful to some
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: of us. A great leader. But to be king of
• 46:01
  Speaker 1: kings and lord of lords is more than... Mary can contain,
• 46:05
  Speaker 1: and it may be well why when we read of
• 46:08
  Speaker 1: her musings, she pondered all of these things in her heart,
• 46:12
  Speaker 1: unable to bring resolution because they superseded her capacity to conceive.
• 46:18
  Speaker 1: And the hymn writers celebrate this as well. We sing
• 46:21
  Speaker 1: it all the time. Joy to the world, the Lord
• 46:23
  Speaker 1: is come, let earth receive what?
• 46:26
  Speaker 2: Her king.
• 46:27
  Speaker 1: Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns. Come and behold Him,
• 46:32
  Speaker 1: born the King of angels. Come adore on bended knee
• 46:36
  Speaker 1: Christ the Lord, the newborn King. Hark the herald angels sing,
• 46:41
  Speaker 1: glory to the newborn King. And one writer says, born
• 46:46
  Speaker 1: a king in Bethlehem's plain, gold I bring to crown
• 46:51
  Speaker 1: Him again, King forever ceasing, never over the world to reign. This,
• 46:58
  Speaker 1: this is Christ the King. The King of kings, salvation brings,
• 47:03
  Speaker 1: let loving hearts enthrone Him. Born to reign in us forever,
• 47:09
  Speaker 1: rule in all our hearts alone, raise us to Thy
• 47:12
  Speaker 1: glorious throne. Come and worship, come and worship Christ the Lord,
• 47:17
  Speaker 1: the newborn King. For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a king.
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: Peace on earth, goodwill to men, from heaven's all-gracious King.
• 47:27
  Speaker 2: And so they go. And the amazement continues.
• 47:32
  Speaker 1: Not only God, man, sinless, sovereign, but fifthly, His parents
• 47:37
  Speaker 1: were told that He would be the Savior.
• 47:40
  Speaker 2: The Savior.
• 47:41
  Speaker 1: Verse 31... And you shall call His name Jesus. And
• 47:46
  Speaker 1: to Joseph it was said, recorded in Matthew 1.21, Call
• 47:49
  Speaker 1: His name Jesus, which means God saves, for He shall
• 47:53
  Speaker 1: save His people from their sins. I mean, it would
• 47:56
  Speaker 1: be enough for anyone to know they were going to
• 47:58
  Speaker 1: bear God, and then God who is fully man, and
• 48:01
  Speaker 1: who is absolutely holy, and who is the sovereign Lord
• 48:05
  Speaker 1: of the universe, and now to find also that He
• 48:07
  Speaker 1: is the Savior of all the human race who come
• 48:10
  Speaker 1: in faith.
• 48:12
  Speaker 2: Incredible child.
• 48:14
  Speaker 1: Chapter 2, verse 11, the angel announcing to the shepherd says,
• 48:19
  Speaker 1: unto you is born this day in the city of
• 48:21
  Speaker 1: David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. By the way,
• 48:26
  Speaker 1: that's the only place in the Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark,
• 48:29
  Speaker 1: and Luke, where Jesus is called Savior in that very term,
• 48:33
  Speaker 1: although it appears elsewhere in the New Testament.
• 48:35
  Speaker 2: He is born a Savior.
• 48:37
  Speaker 1: In chapter 2, verse 30, Simeon rejoices. He says, mine
• 48:43
  Speaker 1: eyes have seen thy salvation as he holds that child.
• 48:48
  Speaker 1: In verse 38, Anna the prophetess, who is a widow
• 48:51
  Speaker 1: of many, many years and has been in the temple
• 48:54
  Speaker 1: serving God with fasting and waiting for the coming of redemption,
• 48:57
  Speaker 1: rejoices for the redemption that has arrived in Jerusalem and
• 49:01
  Speaker 1: spreads the word to all who are looking for that redemption.
• 49:05
  Speaker 2: Yes, He came as a Savior.
• 49:06
  Speaker 1: Paul said Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.
• 49:10
  Speaker 1: This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance.
• 49:15
  Speaker 1: Jesus said in Luke 19 10, the Son of Man
• 49:17
  Speaker 1: has come to seek and save that which was lost.
• 49:21
  Speaker 1: And Hebrews 10 5 to 7 says that since the
• 49:23
  Speaker 1: blood of bulls and goats and all the animal sacrifices
• 49:26
  Speaker 1: couldn't take away sin, God formed a body for Christ
• 49:30
  Speaker 1: that He might come into the world to take away
• 49:33
  Speaker 1: our sin, to sanctify us, to remove our sin, to
• 49:37
  Speaker 1: destroy our enemy, to bring us to spiritual perfection, to
• 49:41
  Speaker 1: make us new creations. And we are complete in Him,
• 49:45
  Speaker 1: He says. For by one offering, He has sanctified us forever.
• 49:50
  Speaker 2: Yes, this is the Savior.
• 49:52
  Speaker 1: This is the one born to die for the sins
• 49:54
  Speaker 1: of the world. There is over the manger the shadow
• 49:57
  Speaker 1: of a cross, and that shadow remained all His life
• 50:00
  Speaker 1: long until He went to that cross. For this reason,
• 50:04
  Speaker 1: He said, I came into the world. I am come
• 50:09
  Speaker 1: to die. Because from the very start, He was to
• 50:15
  Speaker 1: be the Savior. The only way to save men from
• 50:17
  Speaker 1: sin is to pay the penalty of their sin, which
• 50:18
  Speaker 1: is death, and Jesus comes to die. Is it any
• 50:22
  Speaker 1: wonder when we sing the Christmas carols, we hear lines
• 50:25
  Speaker 1: like these, Christ the Savior is born, Christ the.
• 50:28
  Speaker 2: Savior is born?
• 50:30
  Speaker 1: I wonder sometimes what the world thinks they're saying when
• 50:34
  Speaker 1: they sing these songs. I wonder what they think when
• 50:37
  Speaker 1: they hear them being sung. It's as if all the
• 50:40
  Speaker 1: truth in them goes right on by. And I personally
• 50:44
  Speaker 1: believe that I suppose by God's design, Christmas carols have
• 50:49
  Speaker 1: maintained great theological integrity that surpasses many other familiar hymns.
• 50:56
  Speaker 2: They have profound truths.
• 50:59
  Speaker 1: To you in David's town this day is born of
• 51:02
  Speaker 1: David's line, the Savior who is Christ the Lord. Joy
• 51:06
  Speaker 1: to the world, the Savior reigns. Peace on earth and
• 51:09
  Speaker 1: mercy mild.
• 51:10
  Speaker 2: Why? God and sinners, what? Reconciled. Born, why?
• 51:17
  Speaker 1: To raise the sons of earth. Born to give them
• 51:20
  Speaker 1: second birth. Then let us all with one accord sing
• 51:24
  Speaker 1: praises to our heavenly Lord, who hath made heaven and
• 51:28
  Speaker 1: earth of naught, and with His blood mankind hath bought.
• 51:35
  Speaker 1: Another carol says, The King of kings salvation brings. Another one,
• 51:40
  Speaker 1: Good Christian men rejoice with heart and soul and voice.
• 51:44
  Speaker 1: Now ye need not fear the grave. Christ was born
• 51:48
  Speaker 1: to save. Christ was born to save. Another one says,
• 51:53
  Speaker 1: remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day to
• 51:58
  Speaker 1: save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray.
• 52:04
  Speaker 1: Thou comest, O Lord, with the living word that shall
• 52:07
  Speaker 1: set thy people free, but with mocking scorn and with
• 52:11
  Speaker 1: crown of thorn.
• 52:12
  Speaker 2: They led thee to Calvary.
• 52:16
  Speaker 1: Yes, there was astonishment at the birth of Christ because
• 52:19
  Speaker 1: of who the child was. And his parents were amazed
• 52:24
  Speaker 1: at what they were told. Finally, they were told by
• 52:31
  Speaker 1: Simeon in chapter 2, verse 34 and 35, that this
• 52:39
  Speaker 1: child would be the determiner of every human being's destiny.
• 52:47
  Speaker 1: He is the determiner of every person's destiny. And Simeon
• 52:53
  Speaker 1: blessed them and said to Mary his mother, Behold, this
• 52:57
  Speaker 1: child is set for the fall and rising again of
• 53:03
  Speaker 1: many in Israel and a sign which shall be spoken
• 53:06
  Speaker 1: against them. Yea, a sword shall pierce your own soul also,
• 53:09
  Speaker 1: that the thoughts of many.
• 53:11
  Speaker 2: Hearts may be revealed. He is a revealer of the heart,
• 53:15
  Speaker 2: and He is a determiner of destiny.
• 53:17
  Speaker 1: It is what you do with Jesus Christ that determines
• 53:20
  Speaker 1: whether you fall or rise again.
• 53:22
  Speaker 2: Your eternal destiny, your.
• 53:25
  Speaker 1: Falling into a pit of hell, your rising into the
• 53:29
  Speaker 1: glories of heaven depends upon Christ. I mean, it's one
• 53:33
  Speaker 1: thing to have an influential child. It's one thing to say, well,
• 53:37
  Speaker 1: my child has made a great impact on the world.
• 53:39
  Speaker 1: My child has had influence in this area or that
• 53:41
  Speaker 1: area or the other area. But imagine being told that
• 53:45
  Speaker 1: your child is the greatest influence in the world, so
• 53:49
  Speaker 1: influential that the destiny of every living human being is
• 53:53
  Speaker 1: dependent on their relationship to that child. Incredible statement. This
• 54:00
  Speaker 1: is no ordinary child. He that hath the Son hath what?
• 54:05
  Speaker 2: Life.
• 54:06
  Speaker 1: He that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
• 54:08
  Speaker 2: It's that clear cut. He is the determiner of every
• 54:13
  Speaker 2: human being's destiny.
• 54:15
  Speaker 1: Anyone who ever enters into heaven does so because of
• 54:18
  Speaker 1: the work of Jesus Christ in gracious provision for his sin.
• 54:22
  Speaker 1: Anyone who ever goes to hell goes to hell because
• 54:25
  Speaker 1: that work is not applied to them because of their unbelief.
• 54:28
  Speaker 1: You say, what about Old Testament saints before he died?
• 54:31
  Speaker 1: The Old Testament saints before he died... had their sins
• 54:35
  Speaker 1: covered by the death of Christ. If Jesus had never died,
• 54:40
  Speaker 1: they would never have gone to heaven. You say, well,
• 54:42
  Speaker 1: it hadn't happened yet. Well, it had in the mind
• 54:44
  Speaker 1: of God because there's no time with God. Everyone was
• 54:48
  Speaker 1: redeemed by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
• 54:50
  Speaker 2: You say, well, they didn't even know about that. That's right.
• 54:52
  Speaker 2: They believed God.
• 54:54
  Speaker 1: And in believing God, God applied that sacrifice to them
• 54:58
  Speaker 1: because of their faith. Abraham believed God, and it was
• 55:02
  Speaker 1: counted to him for righteousness. But it is the work
• 55:04
  Speaker 1: of Christ that paid the penalty for sin. It wasn't
• 55:07
  Speaker 1: the work of bulls and goats. That's for certain. So
• 55:11
  Speaker 1: every person's destiny is bound to Christ. And don't we
• 55:15
  Speaker 1: hear that? Think of the Christmas carols again. They're filled
• 55:18
  Speaker 1: with invitations. Come let us adore him. Then let us
• 55:24
  Speaker 1: all with one accord sing praises to our heavenly Lord.
• 55:27
  Speaker 1: Whatever your response is to Jesus Christ determines your destiny.
• 55:31
  Speaker 2: Come rich and poor to own Him. The King of
• 55:34
  Speaker 2: kings salvation brings.
• 55:36
  Speaker 1: Let loving hearts enthrone Him. O holy child of Bethlehem,
• 55:41
  Speaker 1: descend to us, we pray. Cast out our sin and
• 55:45
  Speaker 1: enter in. Be born in us today. O come to us,
• 55:50
  Speaker 1: abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel. Oh, come to my heart,
• 55:54
  Speaker 1: Lord Jesus. There is room in my heart for thee.
• 55:58
  Speaker 1: And I love these two. Be near me, Lord Jesus.
• 56:02
  Speaker 1: I ask thee to stay close by me forever and
• 56:05
  Speaker 1: love me, I pray. Bless all the dear children in
• 56:09
  Speaker 1: thy tender care and take us to heaven to dwell
• 56:13
  Speaker 1: with thee there. Those are proper responses to the birth
• 56:20
  Speaker 1: of Christ. Yes, the most astonishing child that ever lived
• 56:24
  Speaker 1: Little wonder, verse 33 of chapter 2 says, and Joseph
• 56:27
  Speaker 1: and his mother were amazed at those things which were
• 56:32
  Speaker 1: said about him. I trust that same wonder and amazement
• 56:39
  Speaker 1: is in your heart as you hear those great realities again.
• 56:45
  Speaker 3: You've been listening to John MacArthur, Bible teacher with grace
• 56:48
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• 56:52
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• 56:55
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• 57:02
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