The Paradox of Christmas

[0:00] Welcome. Thank you for choosing to listen to this spirit-filled word by David Enshie. When you catch a word, you have caught God. May you catch a word today that will cause God to change your story.

[0:13] Be blessed. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. Praise God. We thank God for a day like this.

[0:24] We thank God for bringing us together again. And we thank God for Christmas. Today is Christmas Eve. Christmas is an event in our days.

[0:37] It's a time where we commemorate, we remember, and not just remember, celebrate something that happened. Now, what is that something that happened?

[0:50] That thing that happened, happened 2,000 years ago, which is the birth of our Lord and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

[1:02] So, we want to throw a little bit light on the celebration is not just about the fact that somebody was born. The celebrations are not just about the fact that Jesus, 2,000 years ago, Mary, a virgin, gave birth.

[1:21] A virgin called Mary gave birth. It's all part of the whole story, the whole situation that happened. It's not just because wise men from the east, magi, came to pay respect to the child that was born.

[1:39] It's not just about how Herod tried to get rid of the child. It's not just how a child was born in a manger. Some children are even born on the streets. Others are born in the shop.

[1:51] So, being born in a manger is not an exceptional thing. Others are even born in prison. Okay. So, it's not the fact that a child was born in a manger or the fact that some shepherds watched their flocks by night and an angel appeared to them to give them an announcement about a certain child that has been born.

[2:08] A lot of events happened. A lot of events or activities happened around the time of the birth. Most of which have been recorded so that we will not be in any illusion or we will not be confused about what had happened, the event that had happened, and the explanation for the things that have happened.

[2:28] So, I want to take it upon myself to go back into Scripture to see what happened and see if Scripture gave any explanation about or to what happened.

[2:40] And once we see what Scripture says, it informs and it influences and helps our celebration of the day. Our celebration of Christmas is based on something that happened.

[2:52] But that thing that happened had an explanation in Scripture for it happening. And that is what I want us to do. In Matthew chapter 2, the Bible says from verse 1, Now, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born king of the Jews?

[3:18] For we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him.

[3:30] And when he had gathered all the chief priests and the scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

[3:42] And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophets, And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Judea, art not the least among the princes of Judah.

[3:59] For out of thee shall come a governor that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had previously called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

[4:15] And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and search diligently for the young child. And when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

[4:30] When they had heard the king, they departed. And lo, the star which they saw in the east went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was.

[4:45] When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. Here ends the reading of God's holy word.

[4:57] Shall we please pray? Father, thank you so much for Christmas. Thank you, Christmas is the day everything in our universe changed to fulfill your purpose.

[5:09] We pray that as we have this production and as we hear this brief notification and information and message, and insight and revelation, we pray that grant us access into your chambers, that we will see what only the Holy Spirit can show.

[5:28] We thank you in Jesus' name and we bless this production, or today's production to the glory of your name, in Jesus' name. Amen. Wow.

[5:38] This is loaded. Now, we hear how Jesus was born in a manger according to Luke chapter 2. He was born in a manger because there was no room for him in the inn.

[5:52] The mother was heavy with child, and the time for her to give birth, in verse 6, the time for her to give birth came.

[6:04] So it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. In other words, pregnancy, period of pregnancy and gestation was over.

[6:15] It was now time to have a baby, and it coincided with when she and Joseph had gone to Bethlehem to be registered.

[6:27] And verse 7 talks about how the fact that she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in a swaddling cloth and laid him in the manger. Why? Because there was no room for him in the inn.

[6:41] And now, when you look at the story very carefully, you can tell that something was going on. And the Bible says that at that same time, there were shepherds who were watching their flocks by night.

[6:55] And an angel appeared to them, and he said, Don't be afraid. I bring you great tidings. I bring you good news. I bring you good tidings of great joy, which will be for all people.

[7:06] It's not only for you, but it's for all people. And the angel told them that, Now, today, in the city of David, a Savior has been born. Wow! So, that child who was born in a manger is not an ordinary child.

[7:19] I'm talking about the paradox of Christmas. The paradox of Christmas. The child who was born in a manger was not an ordinary child.

[7:31] Bible says in Isaiah, Unto us a child is born, Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6, And unto us a son is given. So, that child is a given son. And it says, The government shall be upon his shoulder.

[7:43] His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. That is not just the name of a child. That is a personality that has been born. Now, it is necessary to understand what was going on.

[7:55] The Bible gave us the narrative of the events that happened. But the Bible didn't leave us in any illusion. It explained that this had happened so it might be fulfilled by what the prophets have said.

[8:06] Watch this. Brothers and sisters, I'm happy to let you know. That event that happened in history is historic, right? It's a historical account and it's a historic event.

[8:16] That event that happened was not just one of events that happened in life. It was actually the event that it's like kind of the center of the universe.

[8:28] Because the Bible says that Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, was slain from the foundation of the earth. So before God even formed the earth, he had in mind that one day he's going to come as a lamb on earth.

[8:41] That's why the angel said his name will be called Emmanuel, meaning God, man. He was not... Watch this. The paradox of Christmas is that Bible talks about how the whole world cannot even contain God.

[8:56] The world cannot contain God. And yet he was carried by in the bosom of a woman. That's interesting. That's very interesting. The whole world cannot contain God.

[9:08] But he was carried in the bosom of a woman. There, he was the word of God. And yet he was lying like a speechless baby. The word of God lying in a manger as a speechless baby.

[9:23] There is a paradox. The creator of the universe lying helpless in a manger. The creator has become a creature lying helplessly in a manger.

[9:35] He sees who he is. In fact, the disciples, when they met him, they worked with Jesus for a while. And after working with him for a while, they still didn't know him. They used to...

[9:45] In fact, he still calmed the raging seas. And they wondered. They said, but who is this? Who is this that the winds obey him? And at a point in time, he asked them, but who do men say I am?

[9:57] After three years of working with them. He asked them, who do men say I am? And who do you say I am? They couldn't really say much. And to Peter, by the Holy Spirit, he took the Holy Spirit for them to know who he was.

[10:08] And in John chapter 2, sorry, chapter 14, verse 9 downwards, Thomas said, show us the Father and it's enough. And Jesus said, oh, come on.

[10:20] Come on. How can you say I've been with you all this while and you don't know me? That's very... He said, Philip, have I been with you so long and yet you don't know me?

[10:31] You don't know me? So who is this me? Who is this me? When did he become the me he's talking about? Did he become that me, that God? He who has seen me has seen the Father.

[10:41] Did he become that God when he started ministry or he has always been from the beginning? And I want to submit to you from the day he was born, he was deity in humanity.

[10:54] Deity captured in humanity. Meekness and majesty fused together. Creation and creature fused together. God and man fused together.

[11:04] The paradox of Christmas. He looked so much like a baby, but he was majesty. He had majesty. He looked so much like everything about a child or about an infant you will see in him.

[11:18] He was pure infant, yet he was pure God. So the event that happened on that day is not just an ordinary birth that has happened.

[11:28] It was the visitation. And so Simeon, he says that, Simeon says that, my eye has seen death. In Luke chapter 2, from verse 27 downwards.

[11:39] Simeon, he was led by the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit has revealed to him that you will never die. You will not see death until your eyes have seen the salvation, the Savior.

[11:50] And so Bible said he was led by the Holy Spirit, came into the temple. And the time had come for the mother to come and circumcise the child, to present the child, and to dedicate or to purify the child, as the custom was, according to the law.

[12:12] And he came into the temple. Remember, he was born, Jesus was born in a manger. Now there is some holy man in the temple who the Holy Spirit has told that you will not die until your eyes have seen the salvation of the Lord.

[12:26] So he was moved by the Holy Spirit and he came to the temple at the time Jesus was being presented. And he went and asked the mom and the dad, can I just carry this baby?

[12:37] And I think it's just an elderly man, the family, the mother asked that. He said, okay, let him. When he held the baby, he said, and he took him up in his arms and he said, Lord, Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word.

[12:57] Why? Why? He says that, for my eyes have seen. He's not an ordinary baby. The Bible is explaining to us that that boy that was born, that boy that was being carried, that child that is being carried, is the son of God.

[13:11] Is deity himself. Is the salvation of God. Is the manifestation of God. And Simeon held the boy. He said, now I can die in peace. Listen, you are not permitted to die if you are not born again.

[13:23] If you have not embraced the salvation of God, you'll burn in hell. He said, now I can die. Because why? My heart, my eyes have seen the salvation of God. Watch this.

[13:35] When Jesus was born, there were people around where he was born. In the inn, around the manger. There were people there, but they didn't know something had happened.

[13:47] Guess what? You would have taught that the Jewish leaders, the scribes, the elders in the synagogue, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the scribes.

[13:59] You would have taught they should have known that God has arrived. Because they supposedly dedicated themselves into seeking the purpose of God. But do you know what happened?

[14:11] They didn't know. People around it didn't know. First of all, an angel had to go and announce to shepherds who were watching them. Those shepherds were not really valued.

[14:21] So a shepherd's witness would not work in court. Because who is a shepherd? But he went to announce to the shepherds at the field. So the shepherd said, I like what the shepherd said.

[14:32] After the angels came to sing and left, they said, let us go and see. In the verse 15 of Luke chapter 2. The shepherds said, very interesting. So it was, when the angel had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.

[14:52] God started explaining to people what had happened. Because some Bible says, there is born to you in the city of David a Savior.

[15:04] A Savior has been born. A Savior that will save mankind from the wrath of God or from our sin. When you look at the manger, what happened on the day of Christmas?

[15:16] It wasn't an ordinary birth. It was a paradox. He looked so frail. And yet he was the mighty God. Mighty God has been born. So the next time your child asks you, so who gave birth to God?

[15:31] Mary gave birth to God on that day in a human God. Because to be a human being, you have to be born. And so that day, God gave every child, where did God come from?

[15:45] And a mini explanation. That God was born on the day of Christmas. Now, when I say on the day of Christmas, I'm talking about on the day when we remember the day.

[15:56] It's a day set aside to remember when the Savior was born. As I'm running up, watch this thing. People didn't know something had happened.

[16:08] The angels were told. They said, let us go and see this thing that has happened. And number two, watch this. People, I would gladly call them scientists. According to the text I read in Matthew chapter 2 from verse 1.

[16:21] Verse 1. Now, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem and Judea, in those days, Herod was king. Behold, there came wise men. The original translation is magi.

[16:33] M-A-G-I. They are magi. They are wise men. They were astrologers. They were astrologers. Magi. Wise men. They were astrologers. They read the stars and the movements of the galaxies.

[16:50] So, I can safely think that they were kind of scientific in their approach. They were like meteorologists to another extent. They read the stars to determine what was going on.

[17:00] So, they look at the movements of the heaviness. So, they were not born again. They were not worshippers of the true God. All that we are told is these are people who read the times and the signs.

[17:13] And they were in the east. Very far away. And they realized that something cosmic. Something global. Something universal has changed. They saw something has changed. Because they could see the stars. Scientists could tell.

[17:25] Scientists could tell by observation that something has changed. Because somebody has arrived. This person is not an ordinary person. And so, they traveled from very far.

[17:36] Miles. Miles. Days of traveling. To come to see this one. Because all their scientific experiments was meaningless. In the absence of what this great thing.

[17:47] Everything they have ever done. This was the climax of it. So, they paid every price. Scientists came. Researchers found out. Something has changed.

[17:58] Whilst, guess what? People were still partying and living normal in Bethlehem. They didn't know that a savior had arrived. But, times had changed. The angels were singing.

[18:10] The galaxies were telling. By human beings. And those you thought could see. The leaders. Religious leaders. They didn't have a clue. They didn't have a clue. They were busy in the temple.

[18:22] Doing their own thing. In the synagogues. But, guess what? The savior has been born in a manger. Not in the temple. In a manger. And it took God himself to let people know.

[18:33] Those who read the stars. And they read the signs. Because you can see. The Bible says in Romans chapter 1. That from creation. The invisible attributes of God.

[18:44] Are clearly seen. When you look at creation. You can see the hand of God. When you look at creation. For since creation of the world. God's invisible attributes. Things you can't see about God.

[18:55] Are clearly seen. So, when God arrived. Creature responded. Creation. Creation responded. Ah! God has arrived. And so, those who studied creation.

[19:06] Notice that something had happened. And they traced it to Bethlehem. And then when they went to the king. The king said. I don't know what you're talking about. So, the king. Bible says that. This thing troubled the king.

[19:18] And the whole of Jerusalem. I was surprised to find out that. The whole of. So, it was like big news in Jerusalem. Oh, sorry. Yeah, Jerusalem. All Jerusalem with him. They were troubled. What is this? It was big.

[19:30] The big news of the day. Christmas has always been big news. When God arrived. It's a big news from the east. Everywhere. And so. So, what did he do?

[19:40] He called those who studied. The historians. Watch this. The historians. Those who studied the history. The priests. They studied the prophets. The scribes. Studied the writings. And history. So, he called the historians.

[19:52] Who knew what history has said. Concerning what's about to happen. And Bible says that. Verse 4. When he gathered all the chief priests. And the scribes. And of the people together. He demanded of them.

[20:03] Where Christ should be born. Because you have to tell me. It must be recorded somewhere. History is telling it. Prophecy is saying it. They studied history. And the history of the Jews. Was full of prophecies.

[20:14] So, when you study history carefully. You can predict what is likely to happen. So, they studied. He called the scholars. To check. Check. Check. The books are saying it.

[20:25] But people are not realizing it. Creation. Times. Global events. Are telling. The times. But men.

[20:35] Can't see it. They can't see it. They can't see it. They can't see the hand of God. And so. They checked the books. And they said. Oh yes. It is written. Dial Bethlehem.

[20:46] In the land of Judea. Are thou the least. Amongst the princes of Judah. For out of thee. Shall come a governor. So, they knew. That yes. It's been written.

[20:56] How come we never knew. So, these guys have seen. That the time has arrived. And so. The books were telling. The signs were telling. This thing that is happening is unique. But God had to add his explanation.

[21:08] That that boy. That was born. That son. Or that child that is born. That infant. Is God. God manifested. In the flesh. And why was he born. Let me mention three things.

[21:19] The reason why he was born. I will expound it later. Three things. Number one. To come and reveal God to us. Number two. To come and redeem creation. And.

[21:30] Number three. To come. And reign as a king. He was born. To reveal God to us. Because. Emmanuel. God himself.

[21:41] He told the disciples. Listen. If you have seen me. You have seen the father. What does that mean? That baby. That's how God looks like. When he's a baby. When he was growing up.

[21:52] When he was two years old. That's how God looked like. In human terms. When he's two years. When he was ten years. That's how God looked as. Looked like. In human terms. When he was ten.

[22:03] He came to show us the father. Right. In the. In the. In the. In the full spectrum. Of human being. An adult human being. From the child. Of the time of conception.

[22:14] Infancy. All throughout. To. When he's. Full grown. And ready to. Fulfill his assignment. He came to show us. How God looks like. So Christmas.

[22:25] Is a paradox. When you look at it. It looks like that's a child. But that's not an ordinary child. It's like. It's like. How can. The. Eternal God. Make.

[22:36] The creator of heaven. And earth. Make himself. A creature. He came. To redeem us. He came. To reveal the father. He came. To reconcile us. To. To God.

[22:46] That is. It's a mystery. Christmas. Remains. A mystery. I wrote it down. I wrote it down. The one who holds the world. Was lying in the manger. Manhood.

[22:57] And deity. Meekness. And majesty. In perfect harmony. In the God man. In the man who is God. That's what we saw. In the manger. Manhood.

[23:08] And deity. In perfect harmony. In the baby. That's not an ordinary baby. That's why Christmas. Is unique. The explanation behind Christmas. Is God. Has arrived.

[23:19] God. Has become. A man. God. And man. Have come together. Heaven. And earth. Has met together. In one. Called Jesus. Who is the savior.

[23:30] Christ the king. To reveal God to us. To redeem us to God. To reconcile us to God. And to reign. God bless you. Thank you for listening to this message by David Entry.

[23:41] When God speaks. Works show. And the works will surely show in your life. To hear more from David Entry. Follow him on Facebook. Instagram. Twitter.

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