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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 3: The birth of Jesus. In our last story, we learned
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  Speaker 3: about the birth of John. The child was born to
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  Speaker 3: be a proclaimer of the Messiah and make way for
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  Speaker 3: his arrival. We also witnessed the call of Mary to
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  Speaker 3: be the mother of God's son. Although she was a virgin,
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  Speaker 3: she would bear the child of God, the promised Messiah.
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  Speaker 3: Mary felt the weight of this calling but resolved in
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  Speaker 3: her heart to see it through. Now we learn about
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  Speaker 3: the birth of God's chosen hero. Jesus, the Son of God,
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  Speaker 3: would be born in the most humble of ways among animals, shepherds,
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  Speaker 3: and a manger, inspired.
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  Speaker 4: By the Gospels. In yesterday's episode, we heard about John
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  Speaker 4: the Baptist who came before Jesus to announce a new
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  Speaker 4: age of liberation, celebration, and salvation. We heard how both
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  Speaker 4: Elizabeth and Mary received news of an unlikely, astonishing, miraculous pregnancy.
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  Speaker 4: These righteous women submitted to God's will and served him
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  Speaker 4: in a powerful way as mothers to babies who would
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  Speaker 4: grow into men that changed history. Today, we'll hear of
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  Speaker 4: the birth of the long-awaited Messiah, Jesus. His coming was
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  Speaker 4: not as anyone had expected, but rather the birth took
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  Speaker 4: place in a humble stable. His welcoming party was thrown
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  Speaker 4: by dirty shepherds, the outcast of society. So let's listen
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  Speaker 4: now to God's Word.
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  Speaker 3: It was late, and the night sky was painted with
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  Speaker 3: bright stars. Joseph looked up at the vastness of the universe.
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  Speaker 3: He felt small sitting under the galaxies and thought about
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  Speaker 3: the great plans of God. Then he looked down to
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  Speaker 3: see Mary lying on her side under the blankets. Joseph
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  Speaker 3: stroked her hair and covered her shoulders with the covers.
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  Speaker 3: THEY WERE ON THEIR WAY TO BETHLEHEM FOR THE CENSUS.
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  Speaker 3: JOSEPH HAD WED MARY DESPITE HIS DOUBTS. IT HURT AT
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  Speaker 3: FIRST WHEN HE SAW THAT SHE WAS WITH CHILD, BUT
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  Speaker 3: THE LORD WAS FAITHFUL AND VISITED HIM IN A DREAM.
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  Speaker 3: HE TOLD HIM OF HOW MARY BECAME PREGNANT. JOSEPH WENT
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  Speaker 3: FROM OVERWHELMING HEARTBREAK TO OVERWHELMING GRATITUDE. WHY DID THE LORD
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  Speaker 3: CHOOSE ME, HE THOUGHT TO HIMSELF. HE WAS HONORED AND
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  Speaker 3: FELT THE INTENSE RESPONSIBILITY OF CARING FOR THE SON OF
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  Speaker 3: GOD AND HIS MOTHER. He sat up all night, determined
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  Speaker 3: to protect her and the unborn child. In just a
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  Speaker 3: day's time, they would be in Bethlehem, the birthplace of David.
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  Speaker 3: It was where Joseph's family was from. He looked at
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  Speaker 3: his wife, filled with tender love for her and the
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  Speaker 3: baby living within. She would give birth any day now,
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  Speaker 3: and Joseph knew time was running out to get into Bethlehem.
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  Speaker 3: The sun peaked its head above the valley, and Mary
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  Speaker 3: awoke gracefully to the sound of chirping birds. She watched
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  Speaker 3: as Joseph was already packing the donkey for the journey.
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  Speaker 3: She saddled up and rode as Joseph walked beside them.
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  Speaker 3: After a full day's journey, the couple could see Bethlehem
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  Speaker 3: in the distance. As they entered the city, Mary began
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  Speaker 3: to feel the pains of labor. Joseph rushed door to
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  Speaker 3: door trying to find a place for the two of
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  Speaker 3: them to stay, but the census had brought far too
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  Speaker 3: many people. They finally knocked on the door of an inn.
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  Speaker 3: Although there was no room for them, they had a
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  Speaker 3: stable where the animals slept. So Joseph and Mary settled there.
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  Speaker 3: As the sun was setting over the western horizon, Mary's
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  Speaker 3: screams echoed throughout the cave-like stable. The pain was unbearable,
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  Speaker 3: and the animals were stirring as they watched her labor.
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  Speaker 3: Joseph was beside Mary the whole time, unwavering in his
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  Speaker 3: devotion to her. Just as the sun finished its descent,
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  Speaker 3: the sound of a baby's cries filled the stables. In
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  Speaker 3: the distance, a group of shepherds gazed at the stars
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  Speaker 3: as the sheep settled for the night. The valley was silent,
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  Speaker 3: and the tall grass swayed to the light breeze. Suddenly,
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  Speaker 3: as if the sky was cut open by a long blade,
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  Speaker 3: an angel appeared in light. The radiance of the Lord's
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  Speaker 3: glory surrounded them, and they were terrified. Do not be frightened,
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  Speaker 3: the angel reassured. I have come with good news. In
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  Speaker 3: the town of Bethlehem lies a baby. He is swaddled
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  Speaker 3: securely in a manger at the inn stables. This child
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  Speaker 3: is the Messiah, the Lord, the Savior of the world
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  Speaker 3: and redemption of mankind. The shepherds were speechless. They listened
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  Speaker 3: closely to the angel's words. Then the light radiated even
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  Speaker 3: brighter and the angel was surrounded by a choir of
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  Speaker 3: more angels singing glory to God in the highest, peace
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  Speaker 3: on earth and goodwill towards mankind. and like a vapor
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  Speaker 3: in the wind, they vanished. The shepherds sat there in
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  Speaker 3: the quiet. They could barely believe what had just happened
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  Speaker 3: to them. God had not spoken to mankind in four
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  Speaker 3: hundred years since the prophets. Now, in the dead of night,
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  Speaker 3: he decided to speak to a small group of lowly shepherds.
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  Speaker 3: The wind whistled across the valley, and the sheep were
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  Speaker 3: sleeping soundly in place. The shepherds left their things and
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  Speaker 3: ran towards Bethlehem. They searched the city for hours until
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  Speaker 3: they found the inn. They peered down a small hill
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  Speaker 3: towards the back. Below were a few lights illuminating a
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  Speaker 3: small stable carved into the hill. They approached quietly. There,
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  Speaker 3: in the coolness of the night, they saw him. The
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  Speaker 3: baby was sleeping soundly in a manger surrounded by straw
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  Speaker 3: and torn cloth. He was the most marvelous thing they
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  Speaker 3: had ever seen. He did not glow or speak. He
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  Speaker 3: did not cry in a strange tomb or radiate flames.
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  Speaker 3: but the child was absolutely special. The shepherds knew without
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  Speaker 3: a shadow of a doubt that they were in the
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  Speaker 3: presence of the King of Israel, the Promised One, the
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  Speaker 3: Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. The shepherds fell on
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  Speaker 3: their faces in worship. Tears streamed down their rough faces.
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  Speaker 3: Why would the Lord send them to be the first?
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  Speaker 3: They were but lowly shepherds. The thought humbled them beyond words.
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  Speaker 3: They left the stables, and proclaimed what they had seen
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  Speaker 3: in the city streets. Then they returned to their flocks,
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  Speaker 3: praising God for all they had witnessed. Eight days later,
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  Speaker 3: a man named Simeon sat at the gates of the
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  Speaker 3: temple in Jerusalem. He was advanced in years and waited
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  Speaker 3: near the temple gates every day. The Lord had told
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  Speaker 3: him long ago that he would witness the Messiah, so
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  Speaker 3: he waited patiently. He prayed in the shade of the
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  Speaker 3: temple walls until the Holy Spirit tugged on his heart.
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  Speaker 3: He opened his eyes and saw Mary and Joseph entering
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  Speaker 3: the temple courtyard with a small child. They were coming
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  Speaker 3: to present their child to the Lord and dedicate him
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  Speaker 3: accordingly to the law of Moses. Simeon's heart fluttered in
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  Speaker 3: his chest. Tears fell down his cheeks as he hobbled
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  Speaker 3: over to the child. Startled, Mary stepped back and held
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  Speaker 3: Jesus close. But then she looked at the man's eyes.
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  Speaker 4: Joy!
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  Speaker 3: Overwhelming and honest joy could be seen in his eyes.
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  Speaker 3: Mary rested him in Simeon's arms. The old man held
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  Speaker 3: the baby and cried out loud to the heavens. He
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  Speaker 3: held the boy up and praised God. Oh my God,
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  Speaker 3: now I may rest in peace. I have seen your
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  Speaker 3: salvation and held it in my arms. He is the
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  Speaker 3: light of the Lord. Simeon gave the child back to
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  Speaker 3: his mother and held both Mary and Joseph in his arms.
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  Speaker 3: Simeon held Mary's shoulder. and looked her in the eyes.
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  Speaker 3: His joyful face turned into mourning as he looked at her.
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  Speaker 3: This child is destined to make many fall and rise.
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  Speaker 3: He will expose the depths of every person's heart. Many
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  Speaker 3: will be after him and a sword will cut straight
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  Speaker 3: through your very soul because of it.
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  Speaker 4: As we began today's reading, Mary and Joseph have traveled
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  Speaker 4: to Bethlehem, the city of David, to be counted in
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  Speaker 4: the census ordered by the king. Mary is very close
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  Speaker 4: to delivering the child she is carrying. Joseph has obeyed
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  Speaker 4: the Lord and married the young girl even though she
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  Speaker 4: is carrying a child that is not his. And what's more,
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  Speaker 4: he has not had sexual relations with his young wife.
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  Speaker 4: We can often overlook the strength of character and conviction
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  Speaker 4: Joseph possessed in order to act in faith as he did.
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  Speaker 4: What a faithful man. He stood beside Mary as her
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  Speaker 4: protector and provider. And soon he would have the incredible
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  Speaker 4: weighty role of being the earthly adoptive father of God's Son.
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  Speaker 4: None of us will ever have the experience of Joseph.
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  Speaker 4: But we will be called to do things that are uncomfortable, uncertain,
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  Speaker 4: and even unpopular. Hard things. Difficult things. We will, as
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  Speaker 4: Joseph did, follow God's will with courage and faith, or
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  Speaker 4: we could choose our own comfort and convenience. We then
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  Speaker 4: heard how the young couple entered into Bethlehem, a fulfillment
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  Speaker 4: of the prophecy that foretold the birth of the Messiah
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  Speaker 4: in this tiny, insignificant town. One would expect luxury accommodations
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  Speaker 4: for the birth of a king, but that's not where
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  Speaker 4: Mary and Joseph were. They were instead in a part
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  Speaker 4: of a home where animals were kept for shelter It
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  Speaker 4: certainly wasn't luxurious. It was likely smelly, certainly not dignified,
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  Speaker 4: but it was there that Mary delivered to the world
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  Speaker 4: the Son of God, the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
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  Speaker 4: The Word was made flesh. She wrapped him in warm
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  Speaker 4: swaddling blankets and placed him in a feeding trough, a manger. Unconventional,
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  Speaker 4: but nothing about this was conventional or expected. It's all
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  Speaker 4: a miracle. Neither was what happened next. It wasn't to
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  Speaker 4: the local elders or political figures that the birth of
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  Speaker 4: Christ was announced, but it was to shepherds who watched
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  Speaker 4: over their flocks that evening. And yet, it also seems
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  Speaker 4: very fitting that shepherds would receive the first news of
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  Speaker 4: the birth of the Good Shepherd, the epitome of one
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  Speaker 4: who would lay down his life for his sheep. An
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  Speaker 4: angel of God appeared to these men and they were
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  Speaker 4: understandably terrified. Who among us would not have been stricken
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  Speaker 4: with fear by such a heavenly invasion? But the angel
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  Speaker 4: told them not to fear, for he brought good news
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  Speaker 4: of great joy, reason to celebrate. The Savior was finally there.
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  Speaker 4: The one Israel waited for so long had now arrived.
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  Speaker 4: So they hurried to Bethlehem and found Jesus, just as
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  Speaker 4: the angels said they would. Luke 2, verses 17 and 18,
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  Speaker 4: tells us what happens. And when they saw it, they
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  Speaker 4: made known the saying that had been told of them
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  Speaker 4: concerning the child. And all who heard it wondered, at
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  Speaker 4: what the shepherds told them. The news, the good news,
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  Speaker 4: is always too good to keep to ourselves. Just as
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  Speaker 4: these shepherds shared the message of the birth of Jesus,
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  Speaker 4: so are we to hurry to tell others about him.
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  Speaker 4: We too are the bearers of the good news, the
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  Speaker 4: greatest news ever heard, and we must not keep quiet.
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  Speaker 4: We must not be silent, but we must tell the
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  Speaker 4: world who Jesus is. These shepherds returned to the fields,
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  Speaker 4: praising God for what they had seen, They worshiped God,
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  Speaker 4: and they witnessed the power of God. These are the
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  Speaker 4: two proper responses to an encounter with Jesus Christ. We
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  Speaker 4: end today's reading with a man named Simeon. He had
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  Speaker 4: awaited the Messiah all his life, and God had promised
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  Speaker 4: that he would not die until he actually viewed the Messiah.
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  Speaker 4: When Joseph took the child to the temple to offer
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  Speaker 4: a sacrifice in accordance to the law, Simeon saw the baby.
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  Speaker 4: and he now knew he had seen the grace and
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  Speaker 4: the glory of God. He was ready for the rest
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  Speaker 4: of his life and ready for his death. But first
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  Speaker 4: he spoke words that foreshadowed the pain that would come
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  Speaker 4: to this baby. Because Jesus came to save, and to
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  Speaker 4: do that, he would have to suffer the death that
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  Speaker 4: all of us deserve on the cross. There was a
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  Speaker 4: long road to Calvary ahead for the baby Jesus. But
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  Speaker 4: the next time we meet visitors from long distance, these
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  Speaker 4: would be those who would worship the Lord as King
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  Speaker 4: of Kings. Stay tuned for next time. Dear God, we
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  Speaker 4: thank you for Jesus, who was born to give us life,
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  Speaker 4: who came to earth so that we could go to heaven.
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  Speaker 4: Thank you for your love that makes this salvation in
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  Speaker 4: Christ possible. Help us to respond like those shepherds by
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  Speaker 4: telling this good news everywhere we go and to worship
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  Speaker 4: you always. In Christ's name, amen. Thank you again for
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  Speaker 4: listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham,
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  Speaker 4: pastor in Dallas, Texas. You can download the Pray.com app
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  Speaker 4: and make Bible study and prayer a priority in your life.
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  Speaker 4: If you enjoyed this podcast, please share it with someone else.
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  Speaker 4: And if you want more resources, I would love for
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  Speaker 4: you to contact us at jackgram.org. God bless you and
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  Speaker 4: have a great day.