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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.
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  Speaker 2: Amen.
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  Speaker 3: The waves thrashed, and the riptide dragged him down underneath.
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  Speaker 3: Joseph sank in a freefall into the black abyss until
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  Speaker 3: a current pushed him onto the shore. The storm subsided,
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  Speaker 3: and Joseph looked out at a golden sunset hovering over
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  Speaker 3: the glassy sea. Suddenly, a luminous figure appeared before him,
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  Speaker 3: an angel standing upon the glassy water. His eyes were
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  Speaker 3: filled with wisdom and compassion. Joseph was struck by awe
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  Speaker 3: and reverence. Fear not, Joseph.
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  Speaker 4: Son of David, what is conceived in Mary is of
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  Speaker 4: the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you
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  Speaker 4: shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his
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  Speaker 4: people from their sins.
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  Speaker 3: The words wrapped around Joseph like a warm embrace, filling
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  Speaker 3: him with an understanding that transcended earthly wisdom.
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  Speaker 2: Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
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  Speaker 2: Bible in a Year podcast. Today's episode is a dramatization
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  Speaker 2: of Mary and Joseph's marriage. What a strange and beautiful
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  Speaker 2: event that must have been. The circumstances surrounding their union
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  Speaker 2: were far from ordinary. The customs back then were set
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  Speaker 2: in stone, and nobody deviated from them. It was not
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  Speaker 2: the path Mary and Joseph imagined for themselves, but I
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  Speaker 2: suppose that's how life is sometimes. We expect life to
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  Speaker 2: follow a predictable course, but unexpected twists and turns force
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  Speaker 2: us to adapt. The Bible shows us that a life
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  Speaker 2: truly lived in obedience to God is rarely predictable. I'm
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  Speaker 2: reminded of James 4, verses 13-15, where it talks about
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  Speaker 2: making plans. It says, Now listen, you who say, Today
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  Speaker 2: or tomorrow we'll go to this or that city, spend
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  Speaker 2: a year there, carry on business, and make money. You
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  Speaker 2: do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is
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  Speaker 2: your life? You are a mist that appears for a
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  Speaker 2: little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say,
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  Speaker 2: If it's the Lord's will, we will live and do
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  Speaker 2: this or that. James is communicating an important life lesson
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  Speaker 2: for all of us. Life takes unexpected turns. Life takes
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  Speaker 2: unexpected turns, and we must look for God's will in
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  Speaker 2: all of it. Proverbs 16, verse 9 says, A man's
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  Speaker 2: heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
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  Speaker 2: We don't rely on our plans or schedules to get
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  Speaker 2: through life. Instead, we rely on the Lord's direction and
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  Speaker 2: strength to overcome the unknowns. The Christmas story was filled
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  Speaker 2: with unknowns. As this series continues, the plot will thicken
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  Speaker 2: and become more dramatic. In all of the turmoil, danger,
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  Speaker 2: and mystery, Mary and Joseph must rely on each other
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  Speaker 2: for support and on God for guidance. In a sense,
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  Speaker 2: that is what Christmas means for all of us. This
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  Speaker 2: season is about immersing ourselves in the loving embrace of
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  Speaker 2: family and in the majesty of our God. Let's continue
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  Speaker 2: down the road with Joseph as he seeks out Mary.
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  Speaker 2: The Lord has given him a dream. confirming that Mary
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  Speaker 2: is pregnant with God's son. Joseph, determined to do right
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  Speaker 2: by Mary, finds her and takes her as his wife.
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  Speaker 2: Let's listen now. Join me afterwards so we can unpack
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  Speaker 2: Christmas truths and applications to strengthen our faith.
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  Speaker 3: Joseph ran down the hill back to Nazareth with love
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  Speaker 3: in his heart and courage in his bones. His dream
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  Speaker 3: had provided clarity and purpose. He and Mary were chosen
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  Speaker 3: to raise God's Son, the chosen Messiah and Savior Israel
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  Speaker 3: had been waiting for. Joseph ran to Mary's house, the
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  Speaker 3: angel's words still ringing in his ears. His feet barely
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  Speaker 3: touched the ground as he rushed to tell her of
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  Speaker 3: his divine revelation. He found her in the garden outside
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  Speaker 3: her home. She was kneeling, her soft hands delicately tending
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  Speaker 3: to the flowers. She had such a grace and elegance.
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  Speaker 3: Her beauty, especially now, enraptured Joseph. A flood of memories
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  Speaker 3: from their childhood came rushing back to him. Even as
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  Speaker 3: a boy, he had always known that she was the
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  Speaker 3: one for him. Mary, Joseph said softly. She looked up.
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  Speaker 3: Her eyes were still tinged with the sadness of their
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  Speaker 3: last meeting. Joseph approached slowly and knelt beside her. He
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  Speaker 3: took her hand in his, then placed another on her
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  Speaker 3: belly and smiled. His name would be Jesus. Mary's eyes
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  Speaker 3: widened with amazement and relief. Her lips pursed together. Holding
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  Speaker 3: back tears, Joseph embraced her and allowed her to sob
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  Speaker 3: in his arms. He stroked the back of her head
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  Speaker 3: and whispered,'' The angel told me everything I need to know.''
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  Speaker 3: He pulled back and held her face. He wiped tears
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  Speaker 3: from her eyes with his thumbs and smiled.'' We will struggle, Mary.
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  Speaker 3: 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 3: We will raise this child together as husband and wife.''
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  Speaker 3: Whatever comes our way, we know the Lord will.
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  Speaker 1: Be on our side.
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  Speaker 3: Joseph's words were a healing balm to Mary's soul. She
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  Speaker 3: no longer had to carry this burden and blessing on
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  Speaker 3: her own. She would have someone by her side to
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  Speaker 3: walk the peaks and valleys of God's divine path. She
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  Speaker 3: gently touched Joseph's face and said something she had said before,
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  Speaker 3: but never with the same weight and meaning.
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  Speaker 1: I love you, Joseph.
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  Speaker 3: And those words, spoken honestly and without prompting, were exactly
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  Speaker 3: what Joseph needed. Joseph wanted to hold, kiss, and marry
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  Speaker 3: her right there in the garden, but he knew he
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  Speaker 3: had to show restraint. They had to tread lightly, for
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  Speaker 3: the entire village thought Mary had been unfaithful. It would
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  Speaker 3: only be a matter of time before they speculated Joseph
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  Speaker 3: was the father, and they had both broken tradition. Mary
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  Speaker 3: rose to her feet, sensing the thoughts racing through Joseph's mind.
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  Speaker 1: We will have to tell my parents.' We will have
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  Speaker 1: to tell everyone.
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  Speaker 3: Joseph nodded. Don't worry, he said. Leave it to me, Mary.
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  Speaker 3: I will not let anyone dishonor you.
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  Speaker 1: We can't keep others from judging us, Mary said.
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  Speaker 3: All we can do is obey the Lord and trust
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  Speaker 3: that he will go before us. The two of them
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  Speaker 3: left the garden and ventured to Mary's home. There they
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  Speaker 3: sat together and explained everything to her parents. Mary's father
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  Speaker 3: listened skeptically, the cultural traditions and judgments weighing heavily on
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  Speaker 3: his mind. He did not reject Joseph's words outright, but
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  Speaker 3: wore an expression of deep concern. The villagers and extended
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  Speaker 3: family too were unreceptive. Whispers of scandal and disbelief circulating
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  Speaker 3: like a bitter wind. Even so, Joseph and Mary were
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  Speaker 3: determined to be wed. They planned a modest wedding, simple
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  Speaker 3: but filled with the profound joy of their unique bond.
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  Speaker 3: Mary underwent all the cleansing rituals, and Joseph gathered a
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  Speaker 3: few faithful men to blow shofars. They held the ceremony
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  Speaker 3: in the olive grove just before sunset. As the day's
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  Speaker 3: last rays trickled through the trees, Joseph saw his bride approach.
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  Speaker 3: His heart fluttered at the sight of her. Although their
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  Speaker 3: union was under strange circumstances, he found himself hopeful that
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  Speaker 3: his future with Mary would be filled with quiet joy.
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  Speaker 3: Surrounded by only a few who accepted them, they exchanged
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  Speaker 3: vows and gifts. Their eyes met, and in that sacred moment,
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  Speaker 3: they saw each other and the incredible journey ahead. The
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  Speaker 3: excitement for their new life, the child they would raise,
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  Speaker 3: and the love they would share was captured in that single,
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  Speaker 3: timeless glance. That night in the Hapa, they did not
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  Speaker 3: consummate their marriage. Joseph knew something sacred was at work
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  Speaker 3: within Mary. He would not know her intimately until after
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  Speaker 3: the birth of Jesus. Instead, he tucked Mary into her
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  Speaker 3: bed and laid at her feet. He had a tenderness
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  Speaker 3: towards his wife, but it was not a weak devotion.
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  Speaker 3: His love was protective and a testament to the strength
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  Speaker 3: of his character. by the warm flickering of candlelight they
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  Speaker 3: spoke of their future their hopes, their dreams and their
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  Speaker 3: fears but always with faith in each other and in
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  Speaker 3: the divine plan that had brought them together the world
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  Speaker 3: might doubt and scorn but Joseph and Mary knew they
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  Speaker 3: were a part of something greater something beautiful something eternal
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  Speaker 3: They were not alone. They were guided, protected, and loved
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  Speaker 3: by the Creator of all things, and that was all
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  Speaker 3: they needed.
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  Speaker 2: In deciding to marry Mary, Joseph demonstrated his obedience to
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  Speaker 2: God's directive and his willingness to face potential societal backlash.
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  Speaker 2: Even though the rest of the world might not understand
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  Speaker 2: Mary and Joseph's predicament, they had each other, and that's
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  Speaker 2: all they needed. Their decision to get married and remain
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  Speaker 2: devoted to each other reflects the strength of the marriage covenant.
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  Speaker 2: Marriage is not just a physical bond, nor is it
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  Speaker 2: a mere government contract, as some would lead you to believe.
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  Speaker 2: Many see marriage as a recognition of two people's love
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  Speaker 2: for each other, like being recognized in marriage as a
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  Speaker 2: validation of your identity. But marriage is so much more
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  Speaker 2: than that. Marriage is a covenant before God, a sacred commitment,
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  Speaker 2: and a sanctuary of support, love, and strength. Marriage is
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  Speaker 2: not just about the world validating your love. If it were,
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  Speaker 2: then Joseph and Mary wouldn't have been married since nobody
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  Speaker 2: approved of what was happening. No, marriage is a bond
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  Speaker 2: designed to endure trials and the unexpected turns of life.
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  Speaker 2: And ultimately, Marriage is a reflection of Christ's love for us.
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  Speaker 2: In Ephesians chapter 5, Paul describes marriage as a mysterious
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  Speaker 2: and profound image of the love and devotion Christ has
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  Speaker 2: for the church and the church has for Christ. Joseph's
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  Speaker 2: willingness to proceed with the marriage, despite the appearance of scandal,
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  Speaker 2: highlights marriage as a partnership designed to weather storms. He
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  Speaker 2: and Mary must have drawn strength from each other throughout
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  Speaker 2: their challenging yet divinely appointed journey. This act is an
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  Speaker 2: encouragement for all married couples, a call to stand by
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  Speaker 2: each other in the face of adversity, providing mutual support, understanding,
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  Speaker 2: and love. Marriage is a steady pillar when the world
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  Speaker 2: around us begins to crumble. We know that Mary and
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  Speaker 2: Joseph must have had that to endure what they did.
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  Speaker 2: In the coming episodes, we'll see their relationship put to
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  Speaker 2: the test as they brave a harrowing journey to Joseph's homeland.
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  Speaker 2: Another theme explored in this episode is surrendering expectations. Mary
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  Speaker 2: and Joseph both had to surrender their expectations of traditional
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  Speaker 2: marriage life. They had to embrace God's extraordinary plan, which
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  Speaker 2: involved potential ridicule and misunderstanding from their communities. This surrendering
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  Speaker 2: of expectations is a central theme of the Christmas narrative.
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  Speaker 2: It points to the idea that God's plans often defy
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  Speaker 2: human expectations and require our obedience and trust. Yet, there
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  Speaker 2: seemed to be a misunderstanding many Jews of the time
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  Speaker 2: had about the Messiah. They expected some sort of political
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  Speaker 2: liberator and king to come and deliver them from Roman oppression. Instead,
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  Speaker 2: the Messiah came humbly. feeding the poor and fishing with
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  Speaker 2: all the commoners, God's greatest gift to humanity, Jesus, arrived
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  Speaker 2: in a way that defied all human expectations, not in
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  Speaker 2: the palace, but in a humble stage, not to a queen,
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  Speaker 2: but from a virgin in Nazareth. The willingness of Mary
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  Speaker 2: and Joseph to change their expectations and to obediently align
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  Speaker 2: with God's plan allowed for the first Christmas and the
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  Speaker 2: arrival of our Saviour. As we reflect on the Christmas story,
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  Speaker 2: we can draw inspiration from Mary and Joseph's experiences. Christmas
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  Speaker 2: is a time of joy and celebration, but it's also
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  Speaker 2: a time to reflect on our own willingness to trust
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  Speaker 2: God when His plans for us defy our expectations. This season,
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  Speaker 2: let us remember the strength of the marriage bond as
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  Speaker 2: exhibited by Mary and Joseph. Let us also embrace the
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  Speaker 2: humility and obedience they showed even when God's plans were
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  Speaker 2: beyond their understanding. This Christmas, let us welcome Jesus into
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  Speaker 2: our hearts, homes, and lives, willing to surrender our expectations
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  Speaker 2: in favor of God's divine plan. Maybe your traditions will
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  Speaker 2: be shaken up this year. Maybe dreams will fall through.
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  Speaker 2: But do you know what? That's okay, because the one
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  Speaker 2: constant of Christmas is Christ, and that will surely never change.
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  Speaker 2: And that will certainly never change. Thank you for joining
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  Speaker 2: me today on our journey through the nativity. Be sure
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  Speaker 2: to tune in next time as the plot thickens and
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  Speaker 2: Mary and Joseph are forced to leave Nazareth because of
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  Speaker 2: a decree made by Caesar. Thanks for listening to today's
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  Speaker 2: Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
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  Speaker 2: Download the Pray.com app and make prayer a priority in
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: your life. If you enjoyed this podcast, share it with
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: someone you love. By sharing this podcast, you can make
• 15:41
  Speaker 2: a difference in someone's life. And if you want more
• 15:44
  Speaker 2: resources on how to tap into God's power for successful
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  Speaker 2: Christian living, be sure to visit JackGraham.org. God bless you.