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The Marriage · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and
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  Speaker 1: of the assembly. Ephesians 5.32 Dear Heavenly Father, we are
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  Speaker 1: reminded this season of the depth of your love for us,
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  Speaker 1: a love so deep that it is compared to the
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  Speaker 1: bond between a husband and a wife. We are the church,
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  Speaker 1: your bride, and Jesus Christ is our heavenly bridegroom. Thank you, Lord,
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  Speaker 1: for this sacred relationship. Thank you for your unconditional love,
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  Speaker 1: enduring patience, and unending faithfulness to us. Help us to
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  Speaker 1: truly grasp this divine mystery, to respond to your love
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  Speaker 1: in a way that honors you. May we be faithful
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  Speaker 1: to you, seeking to know you more each day. and
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  Speaker 1: living in a way that reflects your love for the world.
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  Speaker 1: Teach us to love one another as you have loved us,
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  Speaker 1: fostering unity, kindness, and understanding within the body of Christ.
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  Speaker 1: As we ponder this great mystery, fill us with awe
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  Speaker 1: and gratitude for your love, and guide us in walking
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  Speaker 1: in faithful response to it. In the name of Jesus,
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  Speaker 1: we pray. Amen.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph picked up his pace and rounded the corner towards
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  Speaker 2: the light. But before he could see anything, the cave
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  Speaker 2: flooded with water and Joseph found himself swimming for his
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  Speaker 2: life amidst a violent storm in the middle of the sea.
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  Speaker 2: Waves and breakers crashed over him. He swam but made
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  Speaker 2: no progress. The waves thrashed, and the riptide dragged him
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  Speaker 2: down underneath. Joseph sank in a freefall into the black
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  Speaker 2: abyss until a current pushed him onto the shore. The
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  Speaker 2: storm subsided, and Joseph looked out at a golden sunset
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  Speaker 2: hovering over the glassy sea. Suddenly, a luminous figure appeared
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  Speaker 2: before him, an angel standing upon the glassy water. His
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  Speaker 2: eyes were filled with wisdom and compassion. Joseph was struck
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  Speaker 2: by awe and reverence. Fear not, Joseph. Son of David,
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  Speaker 2: for what is conceived in Mary is of the Holy Spirit.
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  Speaker 2: She will bear a son, and you shall call his
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  Speaker 2: name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
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  Speaker 2: The words wrapped around Joseph like a warm embrace, filling
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  Speaker 2: him with an understanding that transcended earthly wisdom.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: in a Year podcast. But before we begin, I want
• 2:53
  Speaker 3: to let you know about a unique e-book That's yours
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: to download absolutely free today. It's called Breaking Free from Stress.
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: And my prayer is that it will help you conquer
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: the daily tasks and pressures and burdens that bring stress
• 3:07
  Speaker 3: in your life. Download your free copy of Breaking Free
• 3:11
  Speaker 3: from Stress today by visiting jackgram.org slash stress. That's jackgram.org
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: slash stress. Today's episode is a dramatization of Mary and
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  Speaker 3: Joseph's marriage. What a strange and beautiful event that must
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  Speaker 3: have been. The circumstances surrounding their union were far from ordinary.
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  Speaker 3: The customs back then were set in stone, and nobody
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  Speaker 3: deviated from them. It was not the path Mary and
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  Speaker 3: Joseph imagined for themselves, but I suppose that's how life
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  Speaker 3: is sometimes. We expect life to follow a predictable course,
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  Speaker 3: but unexpected twists and turns force us to adapt. The
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  Speaker 3: Bible shows us that a life truly lived in obedience
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  Speaker 3: to God is rarely predictable. I'm reminded of James 4,
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  Speaker 3: verses 13-15, where it talks about making plans. It says,
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  Speaker 3: Now listen, you who say, Today or tomorrow we'll go
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  Speaker 3: to this or that city, spend a year there, carry
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  Speaker 3: on business, and make money. You do not even know
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  Speaker 3: what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? you are
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  Speaker 3: a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead,
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  Speaker 3: you ought to say, if it's the Lord's will, we
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  Speaker 3: will live and do this or that. James is communicating
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  Speaker 3: an important life lesson for all of us. Life takes
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  Speaker 3: unexpected turns. Life takes unexpected turns, and we must look
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  Speaker 3: for God's will in all of it. Proverbs 16, verse
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  Speaker 3: 9 says, A man's heart plans his way, but the
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  Speaker 3: Lord directs his steps. We don't rely on our plans
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  Speaker 3: or schedules to get through life. Instead, we rely on
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  Speaker 3: the Lord's direction and strength to overcome the unknowns. The
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  Speaker 3: Christmas story was filled with unknowns. As this series continues,
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  Speaker 3: the plot will thicken and become more dramatic. In all
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  Speaker 3: of the turmoil, danger, and mystery, Mary and Joseph must
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  Speaker 3: rely on each other for support and on God for guidance.
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  Speaker 3: In a sense, that is what Christmas means for all
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  Speaker 3: of us. This season is about immersing ourselves in the
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  Speaker 3: loving embrace of family and in the majesty of our God.
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  Speaker 3: Let's continue down the road with Joseph as he seeks
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  Speaker 3: out Mary. The Lord has given him a dream, confirming
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  Speaker 3: that Mary is pregnant with God's Son. Joseph, determined to
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  Speaker 3: do right by Mary, finds her and takes her as
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  Speaker 3: his wife. Let's listen now. Join me afterwards so we
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  Speaker 3: can unpack Christmas truths and applications to strengthen our faith.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph ran down the hill back to Nazareth with love
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  Speaker 2: in his heart and courage in his bones. His dream
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  Speaker 2: had provided clarity and purpose. He and Mary were chosen
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  Speaker 2: to raise God's Son, the chosen Messiah and Savior Israel
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  Speaker 2: had been waiting for. Joseph ran to Mary's house, the
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  Speaker 2: angel's words still ringing in his ears. His feet barely
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  Speaker 2: touched the ground as he rushed to tell her of
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  Speaker 2: his divine revelation. He found her in the garden outside
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  Speaker 2: her home. She was kneeling, her soft hands delicately tending
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  Speaker 2: to the flowers. She had such a grace and elegance.
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  Speaker 2: Her beauty, especially now, enraptured Joseph. A flood of memories
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  Speaker 2: from their childhood came rushing back to him. Even as
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  Speaker 2: a boy, he had always known that she was the
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  Speaker 2: one for him.
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  Speaker 1: Mary.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph said softly. She looked up. Her eyes were still
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  Speaker 2: tinged with the sadness of their last meeting. Joseph approached
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  Speaker 2: slowly and knelt beside her. He took her hand in his.
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  Speaker 2: Ben placed another on her belly and smiled.
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  Speaker 1: His name will be Jesus.
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  Speaker 2: Mary's eyes widened with amazement and relief. Her lips pursed together,
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  Speaker 2: holding back tears. Joseph embraced her and allowed her to
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  Speaker 2: sob in his arms. He stroked the back of her
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  Speaker 2: head and whispered, The angel told me everything I need
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  Speaker 2: to know. He pulled back and held her face. He
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  Speaker 2: wiped tears from her eyes with his thumbs and smiled.
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  Speaker 1: We will struggle, Mary.
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  Speaker 2: The people, they will not understand.
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  Speaker 1: But I am with you. I will marry you.
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  Speaker 2: We will raise this child together as husband and wife.
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  Speaker 2: Whatever comes our way, we know the Lord will.
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  Speaker 1: Be on our side.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph's words were a healing balm to Mary's soul. She
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  Speaker 2: no longer had to carry this burden and blessing on
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  Speaker 2: her own. She would have someone by her side to
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  Speaker 2: walk the peaks and valleys of God's divine path. She
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  Speaker 2: gently touched Joseph's face and said something she had said before,
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  Speaker 2: but never with the same weight and meaning.
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  Speaker 1: I love you, Joseph.
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  Speaker 2: And those words, spoken honestly and without prompting, were exactly
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  Speaker 2: what Joseph needed. Joseph wanted to hold... kiss and marry
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  Speaker 2: her right there in the garden, but he knew he
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  Speaker 2: had to show restraint. They had to tread lightly, for
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  Speaker 2: the entire village thought Mary had been unfaithful. It would
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  Speaker 2: only be a matter of time before they speculated Joseph
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  Speaker 2: was the father, and they had both broken tradition. Mary
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  Speaker 2: rose to her feet, sensing the thoughts racing through Joseph's mind.
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  Speaker 2: We will have to tell my parents. We will have
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  Speaker 2: to tell everyone. Joseph nodded. Don't worry, he said. Leave
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  Speaker 2: it to me, Mary. I will not let anyone dishonor you.
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  Speaker 1: We can't keep others from judging us, Mary said. All
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  Speaker 1: we can do is obey the Lord and trust that
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  Speaker 1: he will go before us.
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  Speaker 2: The two of them left the garden and ventured to
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  Speaker 2: Mary's home. There they sat together and explained everything to
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  Speaker 2: her parents. Mary's father listened skeptically, the cultural traditions and
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  Speaker 2: judgments weighing heavily on his mind. He did not reject
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  Speaker 2: Joseph's words outright, but wore an expression of deep concern.
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  Speaker 2: The villagers and extended family too were unreceptive. Whispers of
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  Speaker 2: scandal and disbelief circulating like a bitter wind. Even so,
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  Speaker 2: Joseph and Mary were determined to be wed. They planned
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  Speaker 2: a modest wedding, simple but filled with the profound joy
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  Speaker 2: of their unique bond. Mary underwent all the cleansing rituals,
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  Speaker 2: and Joseph gathered a few faithful men to blow shofars.
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  Speaker 2: They held the ceremony in the olive grove just before sunset.
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  Speaker 2: As the day's last rays trickled through the trees, Joseph
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  Speaker 2: saw his bride approach. His heart fluttered at the sight
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  Speaker 2: of her. Although their union was under strange circumstances, he
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  Speaker 2: found himself hopeful that his future with Mary would be
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  Speaker 2: filled with quiet joy. Surrounded by only a few who
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  Speaker 2: accepted them, they exchanged vows and gifts. Their eyes met,
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  Speaker 2: and in that sacred moment, they saw each other and
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  Speaker 2: the incredible journey ahead. The excitement for their new life,
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  Speaker 2: the child they would raise, and the love they would
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  Speaker 2: share was captured in that single, timeless glance. That night
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  Speaker 2: in the Hapa, they did not consummate their marriage. Joseph
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  Speaker 2: knew something sacred was at work within Mary. He would
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  Speaker 2: not know her intimately until after the birth of Jesus. Instead,
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  Speaker 2: he tucked Mary into her bed and laid at her feet.
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  Speaker 2: He had a tenderness towards his wife, but it was
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  Speaker 2: not a weak devotion. His love was protective and a
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  Speaker 2: testament to the strength of his character. By the warm
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  Speaker 2: flickering of candlelight, they spoke of their future, their hopes,
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  Speaker 2: their dreams, and their fears. But always with faith in
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  Speaker 2: each other and in the divine plan that had brought
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  Speaker 2: them together. The world might doubt and scorn, but Joseph
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  Speaker 2: and Mary knew they were a part of something greater.
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  Speaker 2: something beautiful, something eternal. They were not alone. They were guided, protected,
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  Speaker 2: and loved by the Creator of all things, and that
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  Speaker 2: was all they needed.
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  Speaker 3: In deciding to marry Mary, Joseph demonstrated his obedience to
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  Speaker 3: God's directive and his willingness to face potential societal backlash.
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  Speaker 3: Even though the rest of the world might not understand
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  Speaker 3: Mary and Joseph's predicament, They had each other, and that's
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  Speaker 3: all they needed. Their decision to get married and remain
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  Speaker 3: devoted to each other reflects the strength of the marriage covenant.
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  Speaker 3: Marriage is not just a physical bond, nor is it
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  Speaker 3: a mere government contract, as some would lead you to believe.
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  Speaker 3: Many see marriage as a recognition of two people's love
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  Speaker 3: for each other, like being recognized in marriage as a
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  Speaker 3: validation of your identity. But marriage is so much more
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  Speaker 3: than that. Marriage is a covenant before God, a sacred commitment,
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  Speaker 3: and a sanctuary of support, love, and strength. Marriage is
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  Speaker 3: not just about the world validating your love. If it were,
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  Speaker 3: then Joseph and Mary wouldn't have been married since nobody
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  Speaker 3: approved of what was happening. No, marriage is a bond
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  Speaker 3: designed to endure trials and the unexpected turns of life. And, ultimately,
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  Speaker 3: marriage is a reflection of Christ's love for us. In
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  Speaker 3: Ephesians chapter 5, Paul describes marriage as a mysterious and
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  Speaker 3: profound image of the love and devotion Christ has for
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  Speaker 3: the church, and the church has for Christ. Joseph's willingness
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  Speaker 3: to proceed with the marriage, despite the appearance of scandal,
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  Speaker 3: highlights marriage as a partnership designed to weather storms. He
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  Speaker 3: and Mary must have drawn strength from each other throughout
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  Speaker 3: their challenging yet divinely appointed journey. This act is an
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  Speaker 3: encouragement for all married couples, a call to stand by
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  Speaker 3: each other in the face of adversity, providing mutual support, understanding,
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  Speaker 3: and love. Marriage is a steady pillar when the world
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  Speaker 3: around us begins to crumble. We know that Mary and
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  Speaker 3: Joseph must have had that to endure what they did.
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  Speaker 3: In the coming episodes, we'll see their relationship put to
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  Speaker 3: the test as they brave a harrowing journey to Joseph's homeland.
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  Speaker 3: Another theme explored in this episode is surrendering expectations. Mary
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  Speaker 3: and Joseph both had to surrender their expectations of traditional
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  Speaker 3: marriage life. They had to embrace God's extraordinary plan, which
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  Speaker 3: involved potential ridicule and misunderstanding from their communities. This surrendering
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  Speaker 3: of expectations is a central theme of the Christmas narrative.
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  Speaker 3: It points to the idea that God's plans often defy
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  Speaker 3: human expectations and require our obedience and trust. Yet, there
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  Speaker 3: seemed to be a misunderstanding many Jews of the time
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  Speaker 3: had about the Messiah. They expected some sort of political
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  Speaker 3: liberator and king to come and deliver them from Roman oppression. Instead,
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  Speaker 3: the Messiah came humbly. feeding the poor and fishing with
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  Speaker 3: all the commoners, God's greatest gift to humanity, Jesus, arrived
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  Speaker 3: in a way that defied all human expectations, not in
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  Speaker 3: the palace, but in a humble stage, not to a queen,
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  Speaker 3: but from a virgin in Nazareth. The willingness of Mary
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  Speaker 3: and Joseph to change their expectations and to obediently align
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  Speaker 3: with God's plan allowed for the first Christmas and the
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  Speaker 3: arrival of our Saviour. As we reflect on the Christmas story,
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  Speaker 3: we can draw inspiration from Mary and Joseph's experiences. Christmas
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  Speaker 3: is a time of joy and celebration, but it's also
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  Speaker 3: a time to reflect on our own willingness to trust
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  Speaker 3: God when His plans for us defy our expectations. This season,
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  Speaker 3: let us remember the strength of the marriage bond as
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  Speaker 3: exhibited by Mary and Joseph. Let us also embrace the
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  Speaker 3: humility and obedience they showed even when God's plans were
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  Speaker 3: beyond their understanding. This Christmas, let us welcome Jesus into
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  Speaker 3: our hearts, homes, and lives, willing to surrender our expectations
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  Speaker 3: in favor of God's divine plan. Maybe your traditions will
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  Speaker 3: be shaken up this year. Maybe dreams will fall through.
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  Speaker 3: But do you know what? That's okay, because the one
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  Speaker 3: constant of Christmas is Christ, and that will certainly never change.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you for joining me today on our journey through
• 15:44
  Speaker 3: the Nativity. Be sure to tune in next time as
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  Speaker 3: the plot thickens and Mary and Joseph are forced to
• 15:51
  Speaker 3: leave Nazareth because of a decree made by Caesar. Thank
• 15:55
  Speaker 3: you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
• 15:58
  Speaker 3: Before we go, I want to let you know about
• 16:01
  Speaker 3: a unique e-book that's yours to download absolutely free today.
• 16:06
  Speaker 3: It's called Breaking Free from Stress. And my prayer is
• 16:09
  Speaker 3: that it will help you conquer the daily tasks and
• 16:12
  Speaker 3: pressures and burdens that bring stress into your life. Download
• 16:16
  Speaker 3: your free copy of Breaking Free from Stress today by
• 16:19
  Speaker 3: visiting jackgram.org slash stress. That's jackgram.org slash stress.