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The Birth of Jesus - The Gospels · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And she brought forth her firstborn son,
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  Speaker 1: and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in
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  Speaker 1: a manger, because there was no room for them in
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  Speaker 1: the inn. Luke 2.7 Lord, I know that you are
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  Speaker 1: the creator of all things. Because you have already planned
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  Speaker 1: out my life, I will not allow myself to be
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  Speaker 1: disheartened when I am led to give birth to my
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  Speaker 1: dreams in undesired circumstances. Like Jesus, my calling isn't determined
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  Speaker 1: by my surroundings, but is determined by my anointing. With
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  Speaker 1: this truth guiding my life, I thank you that when
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  Speaker 1: you bring forth your promise through me, you will also
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  Speaker 1: bring people like Simeon to me to confirm what you've
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  Speaker 1: spoken over my life. I will not despise the location
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  Speaker 1: of my beginnings because I know that where I currently
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  Speaker 1: am isn't where I'll end up. Like Jesus, you've called
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  Speaker 1: me with a purpose, and I'll shine bright no matter
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  Speaker 1: where I start. Because with you, Lord, I know that
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  Speaker 1: my finish line will be glorious. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thanks for making prayer a priority in your life. To
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  Speaker 1: hear the Bible come to life, Stay tuned for The
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  Speaker 1: Bible in a Year, brought to you by Bibleinayear.com.
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  Speaker 2: The Birth of Jesus In our last story, we learned
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  Speaker 2: about the birth of John. The child was born to
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  Speaker 2: be a proclaimer of the Messiah and make way for
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  Speaker 2: His arrival. We also witnessed the call of Mary to
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  Speaker 2: be the mother of God's Son. Although she was a virgin,
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  Speaker 2: she would bear the child of God, the promised Messiah.
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  Speaker 2: Mary felt the weight of this calling, but resolved in
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  Speaker 2: her heart to see it through. Now we learn about
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  Speaker 2: the birth of God's chosen hero. Jesus, the Son of God,
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  Speaker 2: would be born in the most humble of ways, among animals, shepherds,
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  Speaker 2: and a manger, inspired.
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  Speaker 3: By the Gospels. In yesterday's episode, we heard about John
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  Speaker 3: the Baptist who came before Jesus to announce a new
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  Speaker 3: age of liberation, celebration, and salvation. We heard how both
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  Speaker 3: Elizabeth and Mary received news of an unlikely, astonishing, miraculous pregnancy.
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  Speaker 3: These righteous women submitted to God's will and served him
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  Speaker 3: in a powerful way as mothers to babies who would
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  Speaker 3: grow into men that changed history. Today, we'll hear of
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  Speaker 3: the birth of the long-awaited Messiah, Jesus. His coming was
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  Speaker 3: not as anyone had expected, but rather the birth took
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  Speaker 3: place in a humble stable. His welcoming party was thrown
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  Speaker 3: by dirty shepherds, the outcast of society. So let's listen
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  Speaker 3: now to God's Word.
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  Speaker 2: It was late, and the night sky was painted with
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  Speaker 2: bright stars. Joseph looked up at the vastness of the universe.
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  Speaker 2: He felt small sitting under the galaxies. and thought about
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  Speaker 2: the great plans of God. Then he looked down to
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  Speaker 2: see Mary lying on her side under the blankets. Joseph
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  Speaker 2: stroked her hair and covered her shoulders with the covers.
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  Speaker 2: They were on their way to Bethlehem for the census.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph had wed Mary despite his doubts. It hurt at
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  Speaker 2: first when he saw that she was with child, but
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  Speaker 2: the Lord was faithful and visited him in a dream.
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  Speaker 2: He told him of how Mary became pregnant. Joseph went
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  Speaker 2: from overwhelming heartbreak to overwhelming gratitude. Why did the Lord
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  Speaker 2: choose me, he thought to himself. He was honored and
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  Speaker 2: felt the intense responsibility of caring for the Son of
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  Speaker 2: God and his mother. He sat up all night, determined
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  Speaker 2: to protect her and the unborn child. In just a
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  Speaker 2: day's time, they would be in Bethlehem, the birthplace of David.
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  Speaker 2: It was where Joseph's family was from. He looked at
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  Speaker 2: his wife, filled with tender love for her and the
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  Speaker 2: baby living within. She would give birth any day now,
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  Speaker 2: and Joseph knew time was running out to get into Bethlehem.
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  Speaker 2: The sun peeked its head above the valley, and Mary
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  Speaker 2: awoke gracefully to the sound of chirping birds. She watched
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  Speaker 2: as Joseph was already packing the donkey for the journey.
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  Speaker 2: She saddled up and rode as Joseph walked beside them.
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  Speaker 2: After a full day's journey, the couple could see Bethlehem
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  Speaker 2: in the distance. As they entered the city, Mary began
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  Speaker 2: to feel the pains of labor. Joseph rushed door to
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  Speaker 2: door trying to find a place for the two of
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  Speaker 2: them to stay, but the census had brought far too
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  Speaker 2: many people. They finally knocked on the door of an inn.
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  Speaker 2: Although there was no room for them, they had a
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  Speaker 2: stable where the animals slept. So Joseph and Mary settled there.
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  Speaker 2: As the sun was setting over the western horizon, Mary's
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  Speaker 2: screams echoed throughout the cave-like stable. The pain was unbearable
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  Speaker 2: and the animals were stirring as they watched her labor.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph was beside Mary the whole time, unwavering in his
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  Speaker 2: devotion to her. Just as the sun finished its descent,
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  Speaker 2: the sound of a baby's cries filled the stable. In
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  Speaker 2: the distance, a group of shepherds gazed at the stars
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  Speaker 2: as the sheep settled for the night. The valley was silent,
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  Speaker 2: and the tall grass swayed to the light breeze. Suddenly,
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  Speaker 2: as if the sky was cut open by a long blade,
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  Speaker 2: an angel appeared in light. The radiance of the Lord's
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  Speaker 2: glory surrounded them, and they were terrified. Do not be frightened,
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  Speaker 2: the angel reassured. I have come with good news. In
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  Speaker 2: the town of Bethlehem lies a baby. He is swaddled
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  Speaker 2: securely in a manger at the inn stables. This child
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  Speaker 2: is the Messiah, the Lord, the Savior of the world
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  Speaker 2: and redemption of mankind. The shepherds were speechless. They listened
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  Speaker 2: closely to the angel's words. Then the light radiated even brighter,
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  Speaker 2: and the angel was surrounded by a choir of more angels, singing,
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  Speaker 2: Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth and
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  Speaker 2: goodwill towards mankind. And like a vapor in the wind,
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  Speaker 2: they vanished. The shepherds sat there in the quiet. They
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  Speaker 2: could barely believe what had just happened to them. God
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  Speaker 2: had not spoken to mankind in four hundred years since
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  Speaker 2: the prophets. Now, in the dead of night, he decided
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  Speaker 2: to speak to a small group of lowly shepherds. The
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  Speaker 2: wind whistled across the valley, and the sheep were sleeping
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  Speaker 2: soundly in place. The shepherds left their things and ran
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  Speaker 2: towards Bethlehem. They searched the city for hours until they
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  Speaker 2: found the inn. They peered down a small hill towards
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  Speaker 2: the back. Below were a few lights illuminating a small
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  Speaker 2: stable carved into the hill. They approached quietly. There, in
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  Speaker 2: the coolness of the night, they saw him. The baby
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  Speaker 2: was sleeping soundly in a manger surrounded by straw and
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  Speaker 2: torn cloth. He was the most marvelous thing they had
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  Speaker 2: ever seen. He did not glow or speak. He did
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  Speaker 2: not cry in a strange tomb or radiate flames. But
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  Speaker 2: the child was absolutely special. The shepherds knew without a
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  Speaker 2: shadow of a doubt that they were in the presence
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  Speaker 2: of the King of Israel, the Promised One, the Savior
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  Speaker 2: of the world, Jesus Christ. The shepherds fell on their
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  Speaker 2: faces in worship, Tears streamed down their rough faces. Why
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  Speaker 2: would the Lord send them to be the first? They
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  Speaker 2: were but lowly shepherds. The thought humbled them beyond words.
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  Speaker 2: They left the stable and proclaimed what they had seen
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  Speaker 2: in the city streets. Then they returned to their flocks,
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  Speaker 2: praising God for all they had witnessed. Eight days later,
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  Speaker 2: a man named Simeon sat at the gates of the
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  Speaker 2: temple in Jerusalem. He was advanced in years and waited
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  Speaker 2: near the temple gates every day. The Lord had told
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  Speaker 2: him long ago that he would witness the Messiah, so
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  Speaker 2: he waited patiently. He prayed in the shade of the
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  Speaker 2: temple walls until the Holy Spirit tugged on his heart.
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  Speaker 2: He opened his eyes and saw Mary and Joseph entering
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  Speaker 2: the temple courtyard with a small child. They were coming
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  Speaker 2: to present their child to the Lord and dedicate him
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  Speaker 2: accordingly to the law of Moses. Simeon's heart fluttered in
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  Speaker 2: his chest. Tears fell down his cheeks as he hobbled
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  Speaker 2: over to the child. Startled, Mary stepped back and held
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  Speaker 2: Jesus close. But then she looked at the man's eyes. Joy.
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  Speaker 2: Overwhelming and honest joy could be seen in his eyes.
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  Speaker 2: Mary rested him in Simeon's arms. The old man held
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  Speaker 2: the baby and cried out loud to the heavens. He
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  Speaker 2: held the boy up and praised God.' O my God,
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  Speaker 2: now I may rest in peace. I have seen your
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  Speaker 2: salvation and held it in my arms. He is the
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  Speaker 2: light of the Lord.' Simeon gave the child back to
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  Speaker 2: his mother and held both Mary and Joseph in his arms.
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  Speaker 2: Simeon held Mary's shoulders and looked her in the eyes.
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  Speaker 2: His joyful face turned into mourning as he looked at her.
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  Speaker 2: This child is destined to make many fall and rise.
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  Speaker 2: He will expose the depths of every person's heart. Many
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  Speaker 2: will be after him, and a sword will cut straight
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  Speaker 2: through your very soul because of it.
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  Speaker 3: As we began today's reading, Mary and Joseph have traveled
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  Speaker 3: to Bethlehem, the city of David, to be counted in
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  Speaker 3: the census ordered by the king. Mary is very close
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  Speaker 3: to delivering the child she is carrying. Joseph has obeyed
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  Speaker 3: the Lord and married the young girl even though she
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  Speaker 3: is carrying a child that is not his. And what's more,
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  Speaker 3: he has not had relations, sexual relations, with his young wife.
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  Speaker 3: We can often overlook the strength of character and conviction
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  Speaker 3: Joseph possessed in order to act in faith as he did.
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  Speaker 3: What a faithful man. He stood beside Mary as her
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  Speaker 3: protector and provider, and soon he would have the incredible,
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  Speaker 3: weighty role of being the earthly, adoptive father of God's Son.
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  Speaker 3: None of us will ever have the experience of Joseph,
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  Speaker 3: but we will be called to do things that are uncomfortable, uncertain,
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  Speaker 3: and even unpopular— hard things, difficult things. We will, as Joseph did,
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  Speaker 3: follow God's will with courage and faith, or we could
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  Speaker 3: choose our own comfort and convenience. We then heard how
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  Speaker 3: the young couple entered into Bethlehem, a fulfillment of the
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  Speaker 3: prophecy that foretold the birth of the Messiah in this tiny,
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  Speaker 3: insignificant town. One would expect luxury accommodations for the birth
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  Speaker 3: of a king, but that's not where Mary and Joseph were.
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  Speaker 3: They were instead in a part of a home where
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  Speaker 3: animals were kept for shelter. It certainly wasn't luxurious. It
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  Speaker 3: was likely smelly, certainly not dignified, But it was there
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  Speaker 3: that Mary delivered to the world the Son of God,
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  Speaker 3: the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Word was made flesh.
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  Speaker 3: She wrapped him in warm swaddling blankets and placed him
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  Speaker 3: in a feeding trough, a manger. Unconventional, but nothing about
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  Speaker 3: this was conventional or expected. It's all a miracle. Neither
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  Speaker 3: was what happened next. It wasn't to the local elders
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  Speaker 3: or political figures that the birth of Christ was announced.
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  Speaker 3: But it was to shepherds who watched over their flocks
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  Speaker 3: that evening. And yet, it also seems very fitting that
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  Speaker 3: shepherds would receive the first news of the birth of
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  Speaker 3: the good shepherd, the epitome of one who would lay
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  Speaker 3: down his life for his sheep. An angel of God
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  Speaker 3: appeared to these men, and they were understandably terrified. Who
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  Speaker 3: among us would not have been stricken with fear by
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  Speaker 3: such a heavenly invasion? But the angel told them not
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  Speaker 3: to fear, for he brought good news of great joy,
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  Speaker 3: reason to celebrate. The Savior was finally there. The one
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  Speaker 3: Israel waited for so long had now arrived. So they
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  Speaker 3: hurried to Bethlehem and found Jesus, just as the angels
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  Speaker 3: said they would. Luke 2, verses 17 and 18, tells
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  Speaker 3: us what happens. And when they saw it, they made
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  Speaker 3: known the saying that had been told of them concerning
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  Speaker 3: the child, and all who heard it wondered at what
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  Speaker 3: the shepherds told them. The news, the good news, is
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  Speaker 3: always too good to keep to ourselves. Just as these
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  Speaker 3: shepherds shared the message of the birth of Jesus, so
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  Speaker 3: are we to hurry to tell others about him. We
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  Speaker 3: too are the bearers of the good news, the greatest
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  Speaker 3: news ever heard. And we must not keep quiet. We
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  Speaker 3: must not be silent. But we must tell the world
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  Speaker 3: who Jesus is. These shepherds returned to the fields, praising
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  Speaker 3: God for what they had seen. They worshiped God and
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  Speaker 3: they witnessed of the power of God. These are the
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  Speaker 3: two proper responses to an encounter with Jesus Christ. We
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  Speaker 3: end today's reading with a man named Simeon. He had
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  Speaker 3: awaited the Messiah all his life and God had promised
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  Speaker 3: that he would not die until he actually viewed the Messiah.
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  Speaker 3: When Joseph took the child to the temple to offer
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  Speaker 3: a sacrifice in accordance to the law, Simeon saw the
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  Speaker 3: baby and he now knew he had seen the grace
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  Speaker 3: and the glory of God. He was ready for the
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  Speaker 3: rest of his life and ready for his death. But
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  Speaker 3: first he spoke words that foreshadowed the pain that would
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  Speaker 3: come to this baby. Because Jesus came to save, and
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  Speaker 3: to do that, he would have to suffer the death
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  Speaker 3: that all of us deserve on the cross. There was
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  Speaker 3: a long road to Calvary ahead for the baby Jesus.
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  Speaker 3: But the next time we meet visitors from long distance,
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  Speaker 3: these would be those who would worship the Lord as
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  Speaker 3: King of Kings. Stay tuned for next time. Dear God,
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  Speaker 3: We thank you for Jesus, who was born to give
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  Speaker 3: us life, who came to earth so that we could
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  Speaker 3: go to heaven. Thank you for your love that makes
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  Speaker 3: this salvation in Christ possible. Help us to respond like
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  Speaker 3: those shepherds by telling this good news everywhere we go
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  Speaker 3: and to worship you always. In Christ's name, amen. Thank
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  Speaker 3: you again for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: I'm Jack Graham, pastor in Dallas, Texas. You can download
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  Speaker 3: the Pray.com app and make Bible study and prayer a
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  Speaker 3: priority in your life. If you enjoyed this podcast, please
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  Speaker 3: share it with someone else. And if you want more resources,
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  Speaker 3: I would love for you to contact us at jackgram.org.
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  Speaker 3: God bless you and have a great day.