WEBVTT

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 It's great to have you here. Today is a really special morning and I'm really thankful for each one who has put so much time into making this happen.

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 You're going to get to see all of it in one piece. We've seen it in a lot of different pieces over the last couple weeks.

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 And I'm just thankful for all the leaders, for all the kids, for all the teens, and all their hard work that they've put into this.

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 Well, this morning we're going to think about Christmas. And ever since I was a kid, I've always had an affinity for Christmas.

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 To quote a really popular song, it's the most wonderful time of the year. I hope a lot of you are with me in that as well.

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 But as we think about Christmas, it's a time where we come together with our friends, our family, a time where we give gifts, we have parties.

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 But ultimately, Christmas is about Jesus, a time where we remember and celebrate his birth and his coming here to earth and all that that means for us.

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 As Christmas comes each year, usually sometime in November for our family, I begin thinking, man, there's a lot to get ready.

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 I don't know if you feel that way as well. Whether it's decorating the house or putting up the tree, putting out the lights, baking cookies.

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 Any of you kids like baking cookies? Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. Any of you kids like eating cookies? Yeah.

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 So there's a lot to do to get ready for Christmas, right? And not to mention all the gifts.

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 We spend a lot of time making lists and then looking at lists from family, trying to buy the perfect gift for everybody.

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 And really, as we think about it, there's a lot that we do to get ready for Christmas.

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 And I learned when I got married nine and a half years ago that not all families prepare for Christmas in the same way.

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 Did you know that? Go figure. Sometimes it takes getting married to learn these things.

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 Growing up as a kid, my family, we typically did our shopping, usually we would start early on like the 23rd.

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 That was about the time we started our Christmas shopping.

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 And so there was always this big rush to the finish to try to get the gifts that we wanted and run to different stores because a lot of them were sold out and things like that.

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 But there was a certain adrenaline that I think we got getting ready for Christmas.

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 Now, when I married my wife, one of the things I saw is, wow, she starts Christmas shopping in like October.

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 That's incredible. And I saw that all the intentionality, the planning that she put into Christmas far in advance.

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 And I thought, wow, there's something to be said for this.

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 Now, I'm not here today to tell you that one way or the other is a better way to prepare for Christmas.

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 But what I am here and what we want to talk about this morning is all that God did to prepare for Christmas.

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 God didn't haphazard his Christmas plans.

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 Jesus wasn't an afterthought or something he tried to squeeze in at the very last minute.

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 But God, before the foundation of the world, prepared the way for Jesus to come.

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 Before time began, he sovereignly set forth his plan to bring salvation to his people.

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 And that's what we're going to take a look at today is how the Holy Spirit worked every single detail out.

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 If we look at the book of Galatians, Galatians chapter 4, as we kind of open the beginning of the series of messages,

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 we see that God said he sent Jesus in the fullness of time.

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 Now, we might ask the question, maybe you've wondered this, why did God send Jesus when he did?

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 Why 2,000 years ago?

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 Certainly, if Jesus came today, he could have billions of followers on Twitter.

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 Why 2,000 years ago?

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 Well, while we don't know for sure, we can understand that there was a reason and a purpose for that.

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 I don't know about you, have you guys ever gone to an arcade and you've seen those games?

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 Wait, I see some hands down here.

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 Chuck E. Cheese's or I don't know, we go to Great Wolf Lodge.

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 They've got a pretty cool arcade there too, right?

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 You guys like arcades.

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 How many of you guys have ever seen one of those arcade games where there's like this spinning wheel

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 and if you can land a token right on one of those things as it spins around, you get like 100 tickets, right?

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 It's cool.

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 You guys have seen, you know what I'm talking about.

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 How many of you have wasted hundreds of tokens trying to win 100 tickets, right?

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 It's not easy.

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 And we sit there and we think that somehow if I can just get the timing right and then it, boom, just falls off the edge.

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 You're like, oh no, one more time, I'll try it again.

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 Well, it's important for us to understand this is not how God planned Jesus' coming.

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 He didn't look into all of the world's history and say, oh, if I can just get it in the right spot.

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 Oh, nope, missed it, but that's okay.

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 Jesus was very, God was very intentional in his planning of Jesus' coming.

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 As we look and see in 1 Peter 1.20 tells us that he, Jesus, was foreknown before the foundation of the world,

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 but he was manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God,

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 who raised him from the dead and gave him glory so that your faith and hope are in God.

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 God knew Jesus before the world was created, before it was founded.

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 Jesus was with God.

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 He was there as a part of the creation process.

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 And before the world was even started, before any of us existed,

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 God had a plan to send Jesus at the perfect time.

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 Galatians 4.4 tells us that that was the fullness of time that Jesus came.

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 The fullness, when I think of fullness, I tend to think of ripeness.

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 This was just the perfect time.

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 You guys have probably been this way with fruit before,

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 where you, mangoes are usually the one in our house that can be kind of hit or miss.

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 Our kids love mangoes, but oftentimes when we buy a mango,

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 Titus, I see your big eyes there talking about mangoes.

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 We love mangoes at our house.

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 And the challenge with mangoes is getting them at just the right ripeness.

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 If you get them too soon, they're really hard and yucky.

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 But if you wait too long, you cut them open in the middle,

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 and they're mushy and smell not very good.

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 They don't taste right.

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 But here, this passage tells us that the fullness of time had come.

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 Galatians 4.4-5 says,

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 When the fullness of time had come,

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 God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law.

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 Now, why did God send forth his Son?

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 The rest of the verse tells us,

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 To redeem those who were under the law,

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 so that we might receive adoption as sons.

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 So this is the idea that God waited for the perfect time

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 in all of human history to send Jesus.

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 Now, it may be easy for us to think,

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 Well, why didn't he send them way back when Israel was disobeying

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 and was about to go into exile?

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 God could have sent Jesus then.

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 Or why didn't he send them a thousand years ago?

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 Or why not today?

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 We can challenge those things.

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 But the ultimate truth that we see in God's Word

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 is that it was the fullness of time,

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 the ripeness of time,

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 at just the right time Jesus came.

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 Now, we can't know all of God's purposes,

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 but we can know that at the time Jesus came,

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 the world was in a really unique place.

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 It was something called the Pax Romana.

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 It's a fancy way to say the Roman peace.

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 If you've studied history,

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 you guys know that Rome was a really powerful country,

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 and they conquered all of the known world at that time.

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 And in doing that, they brought peace to the world.

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 Also, what they brought was the Greek language.

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 So the whole world at that time was connected by a common language

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 and also by a great road system that the Romans built

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 so that they could easily move their army from city to city.

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 But what that did is it allowed people to be able to travel quickly

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 from place to place.

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 And as we look in the book of Acts,

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 we can see how God used the Roman peace

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 to be a vessel for spreading the truth about Jesus all over the world.

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 So today, as we think about the Spirit's work in Christmas,

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 as we think about how God has prepared

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 long before the foundation of the world,

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 I want to understand a really important point.

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 In God's sovereign plan,

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 His time is always perfect.

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 Each of you guys here today came at a certain time.

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 Some of you may have gotten here earlier than you wanted.

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 Some of you may have gotten here later than you wanted.

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 But all of you got here exactly when God wanted you to get here,

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 according to His sovereign plan.

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 And so I believe that by the fact that you're here today,

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 to get to hear this message,

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 as we study from God's Word,

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 as we sing praise to Him,

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 as we hear the kids and the teens lead us in praise,

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 God has brought each one of us here

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 specifically today for a specific purpose.

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 And we should understand that Jesus,

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 or excuse me, that the Holy Spirit

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 has gone through great preparation in Christmas.

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 And we'll take a look at that further

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 this morning as we study.

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 So turn with me, if you would,

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 to the Gospel of Luke

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 and to the Gospel of Matthew.

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 So if you've got to get ready

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 to put your finger in two spots in your Bible.

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 We've looked at first to begin this morning

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 as we think about the Holy Spirit's work

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 in preparing for Christmas.

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 We've looked at the timing.

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 That God sent Jesus in the fullness of time

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 as a part of His plan

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 from before the beginning of the world.

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 I want to look next

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 at some of the preparation

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 that went into who Jesus' parents would be.

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 Now you think about that

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 in the context of all the people

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 who have lived throughout all of history.

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 Why Mary?

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 Why Joseph?

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 We're going to look a little bit

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 into the character of Mary and Joseph.

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 Who they were,

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 and maybe in part why God used them.

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 So turn with me to Luke chapter 2

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 and Matthew chapter 1.

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 We're going to begin in Matthew.

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 But be ready,

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 because we're going to flip back over to Luke 2.

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 Out of the four Gospels,

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 Matthew and Luke give us the most detail

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 about the birth of Jesus.

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 And so we see here a parallel account

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 of the same thing

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 from two different vantage points.

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 So beginning in Luke chapter 2,

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 or excuse me,

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 in Matthew chapter 1, verse 18.

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 Now the beginning of Matthew chapter 1,

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 we see the genealogy of Jesus,

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 and so we can understand

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 the heritage of where He came from.

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 God was really intentional,

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 and we could spend an entire morning

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 just talking about

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 who was in the lineage of Jesus.

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 But for the sake of time,

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 I want to focus in more

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 on the specific character

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 of Joseph and Mary.

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 Now as we think about Joseph

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 as Jesus' father,

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 it's important to remember

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 that he was Jesus' adopted father.

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 Right?

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 We're in no way saying

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 that Joseph was the true physical father.

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 We know the Bible tells us

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 that Jesus was conceived

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 by the Holy Spirit.

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 But Joseph brought Jesus in

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 as his own son

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 while he was here in this world.

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 And so as we take a look,

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 the first thing I want to consider

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 is the character of Joseph.

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 Look to Matthew 1, verses 18 and 19.

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 And you'll see here,

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 Matthew tells us,

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 Now the birth of Jesus Christ

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 took place in this way.

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 When his mother Mary

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 had been betrothed to Joseph,

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 before they came together,

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 she was found to be with child

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 from the Holy Spirit.

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 Now I want to pause here

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 for just a second.

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 There's a little bit of context

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 that we need to understand

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 as 21st century Americans

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 where we could maybe

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 put this off in one side.

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 Back in those days,

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 when someone got engaged,

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 the commitment was significant.

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 It was almost the same commitment

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 as marriage,

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 just not fully realized.

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 So at this point,

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 Mary and Joseph are engaged.

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 They're going to get married.

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 And you think about,

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 in our culture,

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 how important marriage is

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 and the marriage engagement.

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 That's a significant life chapter.

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 Even more so back in those days.

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 And young women oftentimes

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 would get betrothed.

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 Some as young as the age of 13.

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 So the youth group,

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 how many of you are 13-year-old girls?

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 Raise your hand.

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 Oh, sorry.

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 Some of the guys are like 13, right?

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 There's just a few.

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 How many of you are between 13 and 15?

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 Raise your hands.

00:12:05.500 --> 00:12:05.779
 Okay.

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 Girls, sorry.

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 Clarify.

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 Just a few of you.

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 And you're like,

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 I don't want to know this, Pastor Ben.

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 Now all of you dads out there

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 of those girls

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 who are between 13 and 15,

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 how many of you would be comfortable

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 with your daughter

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 getting married right now?

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 Probably how many of you dads

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 with daughters under the age of 18

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 are going to be comfortable

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 with them getting married?

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 Probably not.

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 But culturally back then,

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 this was really normal.

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 And so Joseph and Mary

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 were set to get married.

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 And suddenly, out of the blue,

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 Mary finds out she's pregnant.

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 Now, we're not going to do

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 an anatomy and physiology class

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 this morning,

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 but we all know

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 that God has designed babies

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 to be a product of a husband and wife

00:12:43.620 --> 00:12:45.259
 coming together in a special union.

00:12:45.259 --> 00:12:48.059
 And so the assumption would be here

00:12:48.059 --> 00:12:49.039
 if Joseph said,

00:12:49.159 --> 00:12:49.819
 well, we're not married,

00:12:49.980 --> 00:12:51.100
 then this isn't my baby.

00:12:51.720 --> 00:12:53.299
 And the text then tells us

00:12:53.299 --> 00:12:55.659
 we get this really interesting scenario

00:12:55.659 --> 00:12:57.659
 that starts to unfold here.

00:12:58.000 --> 00:12:59.179
 So you imagine Joseph and Mary,

00:12:59.259 --> 00:13:00.059
 they're planning their wedding,

00:13:00.159 --> 00:13:00.659
 they're excited,

00:13:00.799 --> 00:13:02.819
 and then suddenly, boom, this happens.

00:13:02.899 --> 00:13:03.460
 And Joseph goes,

00:13:03.600 --> 00:13:05.779
 ah, what's going on?

00:13:05.799 --> 00:13:06.919
 I thought I knew you, Mary.

00:13:07.000 --> 00:13:07.939
 I thought I understood this.

00:13:08.340 --> 00:13:09.360
 How could this be

00:13:09.360 --> 00:13:10.460
 that you're going to have a baby

00:13:10.460 --> 00:13:12.019
 and we're not even married?

00:13:12.179 --> 00:13:13.799
 This can't be my child.

00:13:14.080 --> 00:13:14.879
 What does this mean?

00:13:15.379 --> 00:13:16.460
 We'll look at verse 19

00:13:16.460 --> 00:13:17.980
 and we understand a little bit more

00:13:17.980 --> 00:13:20.000
 of the character of Joseph.

00:13:20.360 --> 00:13:20.659
 It says,

00:13:20.840 --> 00:13:22.039
 and her husband to be,

00:13:22.139 --> 00:13:22.600
 really here,

00:13:22.740 --> 00:13:23.080
 Joseph,

00:13:23.799 --> 00:13:25.480
 being a just man

00:13:25.480 --> 00:13:27.759
 and unwilling to put her to shame,

00:13:28.360 --> 00:13:29.840
 resolved to divorce her quietly.

00:13:30.379 --> 00:13:31.679
 So we'll look at first this phrase,

00:13:31.779 --> 00:13:32.899
 this description that's used here,

00:13:33.000 --> 00:13:34.820
 Joseph as a just man.

00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:37.019
 Now, we have to understand

00:13:37.019 --> 00:13:38.240
 this was probably something

00:13:38.240 --> 00:13:40.659
 that was heartbreaking news for Joseph.

00:13:40.659 --> 00:13:42.659
 All of his plans, his hopes,

00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:44.159
 had just been crushed,

00:13:44.159 --> 00:13:45.379
 dashed to the ground.

00:13:45.819 --> 00:13:46.839
 But he was a just man

00:13:46.839 --> 00:13:49.459
 and he knew that this was caused

00:13:49.459 --> 00:13:50.419
 to call off a marriage.

00:13:50.579 --> 00:13:52.519
 If there was unfaithfulness

00:13:52.519 --> 00:13:54.039
 during the betrothal period,

00:13:54.120 --> 00:13:55.699
 this would be a reason to walk away.

00:13:56.159 --> 00:13:57.219
 And really, that would be the thing

00:13:57.219 --> 00:13:58.559
 he needed to do to honor God.

00:13:59.059 --> 00:14:00.439
 And so being a just man,

00:14:00.500 --> 00:14:01.959
 he had a desire to do the right thing,

00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:02.860
 even though it meant

00:14:02.860 --> 00:14:04.740
 giving up the one he loved

00:14:04.740 --> 00:14:06.679
 and all that he had planned and hoped for.

00:14:06.860 --> 00:14:07.839
 As a just man,

00:14:07.899 --> 00:14:09.120
 he knew he needed to do this.

00:14:09.799 --> 00:14:11.620
 Now, culturally in those days,

00:14:11.879 --> 00:14:14.220
 honor and shame were so important.

00:14:14.580 --> 00:14:15.940
 That's very much what we would see

00:14:15.940 --> 00:14:17.259
 in Eastern cultures,

00:14:17.259 --> 00:14:18.399
 like the Chinese culture

00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:20.200
 or other cultures of the East,

00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:22.259
 where you want to do everything possible

00:14:22.259 --> 00:14:23.759
 to bring honor to your family

00:14:23.759 --> 00:14:25.899
 and avoid anything that brings shame.

00:14:26.379 --> 00:14:27.060
 Well, this would have been

00:14:27.060 --> 00:14:28.519
 a really shameful thing.

00:14:28.759 --> 00:14:29.799
 And it would have been shame

00:14:29.799 --> 00:14:30.679
 not only on Mary,

00:14:30.759 --> 00:14:32.759
 but also on Joseph as her fiance.

00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:34.200
 And he had a decision

00:14:34.200 --> 00:14:34.980
 about how he was going

00:14:34.980 --> 00:14:36.039
 to handle the situation.

00:14:36.919 --> 00:14:38.000
 Joseph could have taken

00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:41.000
 and simply put all the blame on Mary.

00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:42.360
 He could have made her a spectacle

00:14:42.360 --> 00:14:42.779
 and said,

00:14:42.939 --> 00:14:44.519
 look at this terrible woman.

00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:46.120
 She's been unfaithful.

00:14:46.439 --> 00:14:47.399
 Look what she's done to me.

00:14:47.480 --> 00:14:48.279
 She's ruined me.

00:14:48.539 --> 00:14:50.419
 And could have really publicly shamed her

00:14:50.419 --> 00:14:51.639
 and tried to push all the shame

00:14:51.639 --> 00:14:52.480
 away from himself

00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:53.819
 and put it onto her.

00:14:54.819 --> 00:14:56.360
 But instead, look at verse 19.

00:14:56.480 --> 00:14:58.879
 We see a bit about the character of Joseph.

00:14:59.019 --> 00:15:00.459
 He said he was unwilling

00:15:00.459 --> 00:15:01.679
 to put her to shame

00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:04.360
 and he resolved to divorce her quietly.

00:15:04.360 --> 00:15:06.440
 Now we're talking about divorce here.

00:15:06.500 --> 00:15:06.919
 You might be thinking,

00:15:07.060 --> 00:15:07.600
 wait, Pastor Ben,

00:15:07.620 --> 00:15:09.740
 I thought you said they were engaged.

00:15:09.879 --> 00:15:10.960
 Why is the word divorce here?

00:15:11.379 --> 00:15:13.279
 Well, again, in that day,

00:15:13.500 --> 00:15:15.159
 the word betrothalment or engagement

00:15:15.159 --> 00:15:16.779
 was such a strong commitment

00:15:16.779 --> 00:15:18.279
 that it was considered a divorce

00:15:18.279 --> 00:15:20.340
 to break off an engagement.

00:15:20.980 --> 00:15:22.539
 So this is a significant thing

00:15:22.539 --> 00:15:23.580
 that was going to be done.

00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:25.720
 And Joseph knew he had to do this

00:15:25.720 --> 00:15:26.580
 as a just man,

00:15:26.800 --> 00:15:29.120
 but his desire was to do it quietly,

00:15:29.259 --> 00:15:30.860
 to not bring shame to Mary,

00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:32.580
 to not hurt her.

00:15:32.580 --> 00:15:33.680
 And we can see here,

00:15:33.840 --> 00:15:34.940
 not only was he a just man,

00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:36.440
 but he was a loving

00:15:36.440 --> 00:15:38.639
 and merciful and tender man.

00:15:39.379 --> 00:15:40.759
 We also see that,

00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:43.200
 that part of his character reflected

00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:45.220
 when we look at how he handled

00:15:45.220 --> 00:15:46.420
 Jesus' coming.

00:15:46.560 --> 00:15:47.520
 Flip over now with me

00:15:47.520 --> 00:15:48.540
 to Luke chapter 2.

00:15:51.060 --> 00:15:52.460
 And we'll see in Luke chapter 2

00:15:52.460 --> 00:15:54.460
 another aspect of the character

00:15:54.460 --> 00:15:55.720
 of Joseph.

00:15:56.120 --> 00:15:57.340
 So we see that he was just,

00:15:57.440 --> 00:15:58.480
 but he was also loving,

00:15:58.800 --> 00:15:59.540
 kind, and tender.

00:15:59.539 --> 00:16:02.000
 If you look at Luke chapter 2,

00:16:02.360 --> 00:16:03.939
 look with me at verse 33,

00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:05.000
 and in several places

00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:05.839
 throughout this passage,

00:16:05.980 --> 00:16:07.699
 33 being a specific one,

00:16:08.240 --> 00:16:09.539
 Luke says,

00:16:10.339 --> 00:16:11.299
 let me turn there.

00:16:16.959 --> 00:16:18.360
 Luke 2, 33.

00:16:19.159 --> 00:16:19.480
 It says,

00:16:19.559 --> 00:16:20.879
 And his father and mother

00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:22.879
 marveled at what was said about him.

00:16:23.419 --> 00:16:24.299
 You might be thinking,

00:16:24.579 --> 00:16:26.299
 what is so significant

00:16:26.299 --> 00:16:27.219
 about this verse?

00:16:27.220 --> 00:16:28.860
 Look at the word there.

00:16:29.220 --> 00:16:30.379
 And his father.

00:16:31.040 --> 00:16:31.580
 Now remember,

00:16:32.040 --> 00:16:33.300
 was Joseph really

00:16:33.300 --> 00:16:34.420
 Jesus' father?

00:16:35.860 --> 00:16:36.259
 No.

00:16:36.800 --> 00:16:37.879
 But this passage,

00:16:38.019 --> 00:16:39.040
 along with other places

00:16:39.040 --> 00:16:39.980
 where we see later on

00:16:39.980 --> 00:16:40.860
 in the chapter,

00:16:41.399 --> 00:16:42.460
 reference to Joseph

00:16:42.460 --> 00:16:43.560
 as Jesus' father

00:16:43.560 --> 00:16:45.080
 show that he was someone

00:16:45.080 --> 00:16:46.300
 who was tender and compassionate.

00:16:46.440 --> 00:16:48.340
 He didn't treat Jesus

00:16:48.340 --> 00:16:50.000
 as an outsider in his family,

00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:51.600
 but he brought him in

00:16:51.600 --> 00:16:53.080
 as his very own son.

00:16:53.440 --> 00:16:54.500
 And I think that tells us

00:16:54.500 --> 00:16:55.500
 a lot about the character

00:16:55.500 --> 00:16:55.899
 of Joseph.

00:16:55.899 --> 00:16:56.799
 He could have been really bitter.

00:16:57.159 --> 00:16:58.519
 God, you messed up my plans.

00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:00.579
 This was not the way

00:17:00.579 --> 00:17:01.559
 I would have made this.

00:17:02.279 --> 00:17:02.779
 But instead,

00:17:02.919 --> 00:17:04.259
 not only did he embrace

00:17:04.259 --> 00:17:05.000
 God's plan,

00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:06.680
 but he showed love

00:17:06.680 --> 00:17:07.220
 and kindness

00:17:07.220 --> 00:17:08.400
 in accepting Jesus in.

00:17:09.200 --> 00:17:10.000
 We also see,

00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:11.279
 flip back to Matthew again,

00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:11.960
 Matthew 1,

00:17:12.379 --> 00:17:13.839
 that Joseph was obedient

00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:14.920
 to God's command.

00:17:15.379 --> 00:17:16.500
 So Joseph finds out

00:17:16.500 --> 00:17:17.400
 that Mary's pregnant.

00:17:17.940 --> 00:17:18.900
 All of his dreams,

00:17:18.980 --> 00:17:19.420
 as he knows,

00:17:19.460 --> 00:17:20.200
 that are dashed to the ground.

00:17:20.279 --> 00:17:21.220
 He's trying to figure out

00:17:21.220 --> 00:17:22.339
 what's the best way

00:17:22.339 --> 00:17:23.819
 to manage this

00:17:23.819 --> 00:17:25.679
 somewhat of a catastrophe,

00:17:25.879 --> 00:17:26.599
 this social mess

00:17:26.599 --> 00:17:27.539
 that he's got on his hands.

00:17:27.699 --> 00:17:28.559
 And he's pondering,

00:17:28.639 --> 00:17:29.240
 how do I do this?

00:17:29.279 --> 00:17:29.839
 But man,

00:17:29.859 --> 00:17:30.799
 I don't want to hurt Mary

00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:31.480
 in the process.

00:17:31.480 --> 00:17:33.759
 And we see in verse 24,

00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:34.459
 or excuse me,

00:17:34.539 --> 00:17:36.759
 in verse 20,

00:17:37.199 --> 00:17:38.059
 while he was considering

00:17:38.059 --> 00:17:38.839
 these things,

00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:39.459
 behold,

00:17:39.959 --> 00:17:40.939
 an angel of the Lord

00:17:40.939 --> 00:17:42.099
 appeared to him in a dream,

00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:42.439
 saying,

00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:43.639
 Joseph, son of David,

00:17:43.899 --> 00:17:44.879
 do not fear

00:17:44.879 --> 00:17:46.059
 to take Mary as your wife.

00:17:46.459 --> 00:17:48.119
 For what is conceived in her

00:17:48.119 --> 00:17:49.240
 is from the Holy Spirit.

00:17:49.240 --> 00:17:50.720
 She will bear a son,

00:17:50.799 --> 00:17:51.940
 and you shall call his name Jesus,

00:17:52.200 --> 00:17:53.220
 for he will save his people

00:17:53.220 --> 00:17:53.980
 from their sins.

00:17:54.620 --> 00:17:55.579
 All this took place

00:17:55.579 --> 00:17:56.420
 to fulfill what the Lord

00:17:56.420 --> 00:17:57.420
 had spoken by the prophet.

00:17:58.019 --> 00:17:58.900
 And then we go on further

00:17:58.900 --> 00:18:00.059
 and see in verse 24,

00:18:00.660 --> 00:18:02.859
 when Joseph woke from his sleep,

00:18:03.299 --> 00:18:04.680
 he did as the angel

00:18:04.680 --> 00:18:06.160
 of the Lord commanded him.

00:18:06.359 --> 00:18:07.240
 He took his wife.

00:18:07.880 --> 00:18:08.519
 So here,

00:18:08.980 --> 00:18:10.460
 Joseph didn't challenge

00:18:10.460 --> 00:18:11.640
 God's command.

00:18:12.079 --> 00:18:13.359
 He didn't question it.

00:18:13.740 --> 00:18:14.720
 He accepted it,

00:18:14.740 --> 00:18:15.559
 and he obeyed.

00:18:16.160 --> 00:18:16.720
 And we understand

00:18:16.720 --> 00:18:17.640
 that Joseph not only

00:18:17.640 --> 00:18:18.519
 was a just man,

00:18:18.519 --> 00:18:19.420
 not only was he a loving

00:18:19.420 --> 00:18:20.200
 and kind man,

00:18:20.379 --> 00:18:21.440
 but he was one who was willing

00:18:21.440 --> 00:18:23.460
 to obey God's command.

00:18:26.779 --> 00:18:27.940
 You can also understand

00:18:27.940 --> 00:18:29.259
 that when we look at how,

00:18:29.839 --> 00:18:30.700
 and we can flip back

00:18:30.700 --> 00:18:31.279
 to Luke again.

00:18:31.400 --> 00:18:32.539
 Sorry, I'm back and forth here.

00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:34.420
 Look back to Luke chapter 2,

00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:37.180
 we see not only did he obey God

00:18:37.180 --> 00:18:38.879
 in not divorcing Mary

00:18:38.879 --> 00:18:39.700
 and marrying her,

00:18:39.879 --> 00:18:40.940
 but he also obeyed

00:18:40.940 --> 00:18:42.960
 in verse 21 of Luke chapter 2.

00:18:43.619 --> 00:18:44.319
 It tells us that

00:18:44.319 --> 00:18:45.400
 at the end of eight days,

00:18:45.400 --> 00:18:46.379
 when he, Jesus,

00:18:46.500 --> 00:18:47.500
 was circumcised,

00:18:47.500 --> 00:18:49.180
 he was called Jesus,

00:18:49.819 --> 00:18:51.220
 the name given by the angel

00:18:51.220 --> 00:18:52.400
 before he was conceived

00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:52.900
 in the womb.

00:18:53.599 --> 00:18:54.579
 Now, it would have been

00:18:54.579 --> 00:18:55.700
 much more typical

00:18:55.700 --> 00:18:56.480
 in those days

00:18:56.480 --> 00:18:57.859
 for the firstborn son

00:18:57.859 --> 00:18:59.059
 to take up the name

00:18:59.059 --> 00:18:59.579
 of the father.

00:19:00.279 --> 00:19:00.940
 And there certainly,

00:19:01.039 --> 00:19:03.920
 we see that in John the Baptist's birth.

00:19:04.279 --> 00:19:05.079
 Everybody assumed,

00:19:05.220 --> 00:19:05.740
 well, what do you want

00:19:05.740 --> 00:19:06.160
 to name him?

00:19:06.200 --> 00:19:06.799
 Do you want to name him

00:19:06.799 --> 00:19:07.960
 after yourself, Zachariah?

00:19:08.140 --> 00:19:08.880
 And he said, no,

00:19:09.119 --> 00:19:09.900
 his name is John.

00:19:10.579 --> 00:19:12.039
 Zachariah, Jesus' cousin,

00:19:12.039 --> 00:19:13.960
 or Mary's cousin's husband,

00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:16.339
 obeyed God.

00:19:16.399 --> 00:19:17.019
 And in the same way,

00:19:17.079 --> 00:19:18.399
 we see Joseph's willingness

00:19:18.399 --> 00:19:19.980
 to obey God's command

00:19:19.980 --> 00:19:21.839
 and name the baby Jesus.

00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:22.559
 And Jesus,

00:19:22.879 --> 00:19:23.879
 in the original Hebrew,

00:19:24.399 --> 00:19:26.180
 means the Lord saves.

00:19:26.839 --> 00:19:27.500
 And so not only

00:19:27.500 --> 00:19:28.720
 was he obeying the angel,

00:19:28.899 --> 00:19:30.019
 but he was by faith

00:19:30.019 --> 00:19:30.639
 looking forward

00:19:30.639 --> 00:19:32.879
 to how his adopted son,

00:19:33.019 --> 00:19:33.759
 how this baby,

00:19:34.259 --> 00:19:35.579
 was going to save the world.

00:19:36.779 --> 00:19:38.200
 Stay in Luke chapter 2 with me,

00:19:38.200 --> 00:19:38.819
 and I want to look at

00:19:38.819 --> 00:19:40.240
 verses 21 through 24

00:19:40.240 --> 00:19:42.160
 and reflect on this idea

00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:45.279
 how not only was Joseph obedient,

00:19:45.860 --> 00:19:47.920
 but he was faithful to the law.

00:19:48.840 --> 00:19:51.880
 Look with me at verses 21 through 24.

00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:53.840
 There we see in 21,

00:19:53.960 --> 00:19:54.900
 at the end of eight days,

00:19:54.980 --> 00:19:56.740
 when he was circumcised.

00:19:56.840 --> 00:19:59.580
 So they obeyed the law of Moses

00:19:59.580 --> 00:20:01.160
 by having Jesus circumcised

00:20:01.160 --> 00:20:01.920
 on the eighth day,

00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:02.779
 according to the law.

00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:04.200
 Then in verse 22,

00:20:04.279 --> 00:20:04.980
 when the time came

00:20:04.980 --> 00:20:06.039
 for their purification,

00:20:06.559 --> 00:20:07.900
 according to the law of Moses,

00:20:07.900 --> 00:20:09.720
 they brought him up to Jerusalem

00:20:09.720 --> 00:20:10.880
 to present him to the Lord.

00:20:11.320 --> 00:20:11.940
 As it's written

00:20:11.940 --> 00:20:12.800
 in the law of the Lord,

00:20:13.259 --> 00:20:15.040
 every male who first opens the womb

00:20:15.040 --> 00:20:16.940
 shall be called holy to the Lord

00:20:16.940 --> 00:20:18.860
 and to offer a sacrifice,

00:20:19.040 --> 00:20:19.880
 according to what is said

00:20:19.880 --> 00:20:22.640
 in the law of the Lord,

00:20:23.000 --> 00:20:24.120
 a pair of turtle doves

00:20:24.120 --> 00:20:25.160
 or two young pigeons.

00:20:25.920 --> 00:20:26.700
 So here we see

00:20:26.700 --> 00:20:28.640
 the first sacrifice they offered

00:20:28.640 --> 00:20:30.220
 was a sacrifice for purification.

00:20:30.900 --> 00:20:31.840
 Now, again,

00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:33.340
 21st century Americans,

00:20:33.340 --> 00:20:34.620
 that doesn't mean a lot to us.

00:20:34.700 --> 00:20:36.040
 Probably not anybody here,

00:20:36.140 --> 00:20:37.200
 or many, if any,

00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:38.640
 have ever gone to the temple

00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:39.940
 to offer a sacrifice

00:20:39.940 --> 00:20:40.759
 for purification.

00:20:41.059 --> 00:20:42.440
 But the law of Moses

00:20:42.440 --> 00:20:44.840
 instructed that women,

00:20:45.039 --> 00:20:46.340
 after having a child,

00:20:46.460 --> 00:20:48.840
 should go and offer up a sacrifice

00:20:48.840 --> 00:20:50.039
 because of their impurity.

00:20:50.660 --> 00:20:51.440
 Now, in this case,

00:20:51.480 --> 00:20:52.000
 it's interesting

00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:53.200
 because the language here

00:20:53.200 --> 00:20:54.880
 says they offered up

00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:55.539
 a sacrifice

00:20:55.539 --> 00:20:57.519
 for their purification.

00:20:58.299 --> 00:20:58.680
 So wait,

00:20:58.740 --> 00:20:59.779
 shouldn't this just be for her,

00:20:59.880 --> 00:21:00.400
 just for Mary?

00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:02.600
 What was Joseph's role in this?

00:21:02.660 --> 00:21:03.380
 Why was he a part

00:21:03.380 --> 00:21:03.960
 of this purification?

00:21:03.960 --> 00:21:05.799
 Well, let's think back

00:21:05.799 --> 00:21:06.819
 to where Jesus was born.

00:21:07.299 --> 00:21:07.579
 Remember,

00:21:07.680 --> 00:21:08.519
 this was in a stable

00:21:08.519 --> 00:21:09.779
 in Bethlehem.

00:21:10.620 --> 00:21:11.799
 There wasn't a nice,

00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:12.700
 warm hospital

00:21:12.700 --> 00:21:13.900
 for baby Jesus to be born,

00:21:13.940 --> 00:21:15.160
 and he was born out in a barn

00:21:15.160 --> 00:21:16.019
 with all the animals.

00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:17.500
 So very likely,

00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:19.440
 Joseph was a very active

00:21:19.440 --> 00:21:20.700
 participant in that birth

00:21:20.700 --> 00:21:21.680
 and in helping.

00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:22.920
 And any of you

00:21:22.920 --> 00:21:24.000
 who have kids know

00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:26.460
 that's not a clean process,

00:21:26.700 --> 00:21:27.000
 right?

00:21:27.380 --> 00:21:28.100
 Having a baby

00:21:28.100 --> 00:21:29.180
 is a beautiful thing,

00:21:29.180 --> 00:21:32.720
 but it's a unique experience.

00:21:32.900 --> 00:21:34.620
 And so here we see also

00:21:34.620 --> 00:21:35.960
 Joseph recognized

00:21:35.960 --> 00:21:36.840
 that he was also

00:21:36.840 --> 00:21:38.320
 ceremonially unclean.

00:21:38.720 --> 00:21:39.420
 And so not only

00:21:39.420 --> 00:21:40.759
 did Mary honor the law,

00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:41.740
 but even Joseph

00:21:41.740 --> 00:21:43.060
 went above and beyond

00:21:43.060 --> 00:21:44.279
 to honor the law

00:21:44.279 --> 00:21:45.740
 of God in this context.

00:21:46.600 --> 00:21:47.700
 We also see

00:21:47.700 --> 00:21:48.740
 that there was

00:21:48.740 --> 00:21:49.779
 an additional sacrifice

00:21:49.779 --> 00:21:50.720
 where they offered

00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:52.600
 Jesus up to God's service.

00:21:52.759 --> 00:21:53.860
 This really reflects back

00:21:53.860 --> 00:21:54.440
 to a tradition

00:21:54.440 --> 00:21:55.360
 started in Israel

00:21:55.360 --> 00:21:56.600
 with Samuel

00:21:56.600 --> 00:21:58.680
 when he came as a baby.

00:21:58.680 --> 00:21:59.940
 If you remember the story,

00:22:00.380 --> 00:22:01.720
 Hannah was barren,

00:22:01.840 --> 00:22:02.519
 had no kids,

00:22:02.560 --> 00:22:02.920
 and she said,

00:22:03.000 --> 00:22:04.140
 God, if you give me a child,

00:22:04.380 --> 00:22:05.160
 I will offer him up

00:22:05.160 --> 00:22:05.880
 to serve you.

00:22:06.080 --> 00:22:07.420
 And God answered her prayer,

00:22:07.560 --> 00:22:08.220
 gave her a child,

00:22:08.500 --> 00:22:09.320
 and Samuel became

00:22:09.320 --> 00:22:10.420
 one of the great priests

00:22:10.420 --> 00:22:11.820
 and judges over Israel.

00:22:12.600 --> 00:22:13.759
 And so in the same way,

00:22:13.860 --> 00:22:15.080
 Mary and Joseph came

00:22:15.080 --> 00:22:18.060
 to offer Jesus up

00:22:18.060 --> 00:22:19.740
 to God for service to him,

00:22:19.840 --> 00:22:20.660
 recognizing that

00:22:20.660 --> 00:22:22.120
 he wasn't really theirs.

00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:23.039
 He was there.

00:22:23.420 --> 00:22:23.740
 He was,

00:22:23.940 --> 00:22:25.019
 Jesus was God's.

00:22:25.660 --> 00:22:26.799
 And so they offered him up

00:22:26.799 --> 00:22:27.420
 in the same way.

00:22:27.940 --> 00:22:28.779
 It's so important

00:22:28.779 --> 00:22:29.580
 for us to recognize

00:22:29.580 --> 00:22:30.980
 that Mary and Joseph

00:22:30.980 --> 00:22:32.640
 keeping the Mosaic Law

00:22:32.640 --> 00:22:34.779
 shows that even as a baby,

00:22:35.500 --> 00:22:36.400
 Jesus was brought up

00:22:36.400 --> 00:22:37.600
 in a way that honored God

00:22:37.600 --> 00:22:38.600
 and that was sinless.

00:22:38.880 --> 00:22:40.140
 No one could say to him

00:22:40.140 --> 00:22:41.259
 in his older age,

00:22:41.320 --> 00:22:41.800
 well, no,

00:22:42.080 --> 00:22:43.200
 you weren't circumcised,

00:22:43.259 --> 00:22:44.560
 or you didn't follow

00:22:44.560 --> 00:22:45.200
 as a child

00:22:45.200 --> 00:22:46.480
 the things of the law.

00:22:47.460 --> 00:22:48.660
 God's sovereignty

00:22:48.660 --> 00:22:50.160
 in choosing the timing

00:22:50.160 --> 00:22:51.100
 of Christ's birth

00:22:51.100 --> 00:22:53.140
 and choosing the parents

00:22:53.140 --> 00:22:53.980
 that would be there

00:22:53.980 --> 00:22:54.420
 in his birth

00:22:54.420 --> 00:22:56.259
 meant that Mary and Joseph

00:22:56.259 --> 00:22:57.740
 were going to be those people

00:22:57.740 --> 00:22:58.859
 that God planned

00:22:58.859 --> 00:23:00.279
 before the creation of time

00:23:00.279 --> 00:23:01.440
 for that purpose.

00:23:02.279 --> 00:23:03.099
 Now I want to look briefly

00:23:03.099 --> 00:23:03.700
 at Mary,

00:23:03.960 --> 00:23:04.619
 the mother of Jesus.

00:23:04.759 --> 00:23:06.019
 A lot can be said about her,

00:23:06.379 --> 00:23:07.480
 but I want to look just briefly

00:23:07.480 --> 00:23:08.279
 at a few things.

00:23:08.420 --> 00:23:09.140
 If you look with me

00:23:09.140 --> 00:23:10.740
 back a page or so,

00:23:10.799 --> 00:23:11.680
 a chapter in Luke,

00:23:12.039 --> 00:23:13.819
 let's look at Luke 1.38.

00:23:14.460 --> 00:23:15.180
 And we see here

00:23:15.180 --> 00:23:16.660
 that Mary was willing

00:23:16.660 --> 00:23:18.180
 and obedient to God.

00:23:18.619 --> 00:23:19.619
 So here an angel

00:23:19.619 --> 00:23:20.480
 appears to her

00:23:20.480 --> 00:23:21.559
 and kind of outlines

00:23:21.559 --> 00:23:22.279
 what's about to happen.

00:23:22.339 --> 00:23:22.779
 Hey Mary,

00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:24.460
 you're about to have a baby.

00:23:24.460 --> 00:23:26.039
 And Mary's like,

00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:27.759
 um, you know,

00:23:27.920 --> 00:23:29.299
 I don't know a ton about this,

00:23:29.420 --> 00:23:30.700
 but I need a husband

00:23:30.700 --> 00:23:31.720
 to make that happen

00:23:31.720 --> 00:23:33.240
 and that's not happening yet.

00:23:33.299 --> 00:23:34.400
 And the angel says,

00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:34.960
 don't worry,

00:23:35.360 --> 00:23:36.100
 it's going to be

00:23:36.100 --> 00:23:37.360
 the baby you're going to have

00:23:37.360 --> 00:23:39.160
 is of the Holy Spirit.

00:23:40.059 --> 00:23:41.660
 And then tells Mary

00:23:41.660 --> 00:23:42.759
 this great news

00:23:42.759 --> 00:23:43.660
 about how he will be

00:23:43.660 --> 00:23:45.120
 Emmanuel, God with us.

00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:46.200
 And then we see

00:23:46.200 --> 00:23:47.380
 after all this explanation,

00:23:47.559 --> 00:23:48.700
 Mary says in verse 38,

00:23:48.779 --> 00:23:49.100
 she says,

00:23:49.099 --> 00:23:49.879
 behold,

00:23:50.439 --> 00:23:51.599
 I am the servant

00:23:51.599 --> 00:23:52.179
 of the Lord.

00:23:52.500 --> 00:23:54.059
 Let it be according to me,

00:23:54.059 --> 00:23:55.399
 let it be to me

00:23:55.399 --> 00:23:56.980
 according to your word.

00:23:57.919 --> 00:23:58.799
 Mary was willing

00:23:58.799 --> 00:23:59.439
 and obedient

00:23:59.439 --> 00:24:01.359
 to do whatever

00:24:01.359 --> 00:24:02.399
 God asked her to do.

00:24:02.599 --> 00:24:03.759
 Even if that cost

00:24:03.759 --> 00:24:04.519
 her own honor,

00:24:05.139 --> 00:24:06.219
 even if that was inconvenient.

00:24:06.819 --> 00:24:07.579
 And even more so,

00:24:07.659 --> 00:24:08.799
 think about what this meant.

00:24:08.899 --> 00:24:09.859
 Imagine her hearing

00:24:09.859 --> 00:24:10.859
 this news thinking like,

00:24:11.639 --> 00:24:12.419
 how am I going to

00:24:12.419 --> 00:24:13.500
 break this to Joseph?

00:24:14.639 --> 00:24:15.359
 This is going to be

00:24:15.359 --> 00:24:16.099
 an interesting one.

00:24:16.099 --> 00:24:19.240
 She knew that

00:24:19.240 --> 00:24:20.899
 whatever God asked her to do,

00:24:21.000 --> 00:24:21.659
 she was going to be

00:24:21.659 --> 00:24:22.719
 willing to submit to it

00:24:22.719 --> 00:24:23.179
 and that he would

00:24:23.179 --> 00:24:23.939
 take care of the rest.

00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:24.699
 And we see that.

00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:26.379
 The birth story doesn't end

00:24:26.379 --> 00:24:27.339
 with Mary being

00:24:27.339 --> 00:24:27.980
 a single mother

00:24:27.980 --> 00:24:28.799
 raising Jesus.

00:24:29.079 --> 00:24:30.019
 It ends with God

00:24:30.019 --> 00:24:31.659
 working both in Joseph

00:24:31.659 --> 00:24:32.859
 and Mary together

00:24:32.859 --> 00:24:33.980
 as his parents.

00:24:34.740 --> 00:24:35.879
 We also see that

00:24:35.879 --> 00:24:36.879
 Mary was faithful.

00:24:37.159 --> 00:24:38.139
 And this was really interesting

00:24:38.139 --> 00:24:39.319
 as I was thinking

00:24:39.319 --> 00:24:40.019
 about this passage

00:24:40.019 --> 00:24:40.779
 and studying this.

00:24:40.839 --> 00:24:40.980
 You know,

00:24:41.039 --> 00:24:41.519
 we often,

00:24:41.659 --> 00:24:42.599
 we see this picture

00:24:42.599 --> 00:24:43.759
 of Mary on a donkey

00:24:43.759 --> 00:24:45.099
 riding up to Bethlehem

00:24:45.099 --> 00:24:45.699
 and they're going there

00:24:45.700 --> 00:24:46.779
 to register for the census.

00:24:47.460 --> 00:24:48.940
 But the reality is

00:24:48.940 --> 00:24:50.100
 most scholars indicate

00:24:50.100 --> 00:24:51.059
 that there actually

00:24:51.059 --> 00:24:51.440
 wouldn't have been

00:24:51.440 --> 00:24:52.559
 any need for Mary

00:24:52.559 --> 00:24:53.680
 to go to Bethlehem

00:24:53.680 --> 00:24:54.100
 to register.

00:24:54.240 --> 00:24:56.120
 That was Joseph's hometown,

00:24:56.400 --> 00:24:56.940
 not hers,

00:24:57.019 --> 00:24:57.960
 and they weren't yet married

00:24:57.960 --> 00:24:58.580
 at this point.

00:24:59.039 --> 00:25:00.299
 And so we think about this.

00:25:00.380 --> 00:25:00.480
 Now,

00:25:00.920 --> 00:25:03.080
 any of you moms out there know,

00:25:03.160 --> 00:25:05.100
 imagine your 39th

00:25:05.100 --> 00:25:06.519
 or 40th week of pregnancy.

00:25:07.240 --> 00:25:08.580
 We just recently experienced

00:25:08.580 --> 00:25:09.140
 that this summer

00:25:09.140 --> 00:25:09.740
 with Naomi,

00:25:09.860 --> 00:25:10.240
 our daughter,

00:25:10.680 --> 00:25:11.640
 who's four months old.

00:25:11.940 --> 00:25:13.920
 And my wife is amazing.

00:25:14.460 --> 00:25:16.180
 But I would not have asked

00:25:16.180 --> 00:25:18.100
 her to go on a long journey

00:25:18.100 --> 00:25:19.759
 in that 39th or 40th week

00:25:19.759 --> 00:25:20.759
 riding on a horse

00:25:20.759 --> 00:25:22.240
 or walking miles and miles

00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:23.120
 and who knows

00:25:23.120 --> 00:25:24.000
 what kind of conditions,

00:25:24.340 --> 00:25:24.600
 right?

00:25:25.080 --> 00:25:25.920
 But this was something

00:25:25.920 --> 00:25:27.000
 Joseph was required

00:25:27.000 --> 00:25:27.920
 to do by law.

00:25:28.279 --> 00:25:29.600
 And because of his desire

00:25:29.600 --> 00:25:31.060
 to be there for the birth,

00:25:31.120 --> 00:25:31.660
 and I believe

00:25:31.660 --> 00:25:32.820
 because of Mary's desire

00:25:32.820 --> 00:25:35.160
 to be with her husband

00:25:35.160 --> 00:25:36.660
 and to submit to her husband,

00:25:36.740 --> 00:25:37.360
 she came along,

00:25:37.420 --> 00:25:38.100
 even though it wasn't

00:25:38.100 --> 00:25:39.060
 comfortable for her

00:25:39.060 --> 00:25:40.000
 or convenient.

00:25:40.480 --> 00:25:41.259
 As a matter of fact,

00:25:41.259 --> 00:25:42.339
 it meant her giving birth

00:25:42.339 --> 00:25:43.220
 to her baby

00:25:43.220 --> 00:25:44.140
 away from family,

00:25:44.500 --> 00:25:45.480
 away from the comforts

00:25:45.480 --> 00:25:45.859
 of home.

00:25:46.559 --> 00:25:47.319
 And so we can see

00:25:47.319 --> 00:25:48.480
 that Mary was someone

00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:49.859
 who was really faithful.

00:25:50.680 --> 00:25:51.099
 Lastly,

00:25:51.160 --> 00:25:51.960
 we see that Mary

00:25:51.960 --> 00:25:52.680
 was thoughtful.

00:25:53.319 --> 00:25:54.400
 She's not a reactionary

00:25:54.400 --> 00:25:54.960
 kind of person.

00:25:55.059 --> 00:25:56.480
 If you look at Luke 2,

00:25:56.920 --> 00:25:57.680
 verse 19,

00:25:57.779 --> 00:25:58.660
 right at the tail end

00:25:58.660 --> 00:25:59.779
 of the shepherds

00:25:59.779 --> 00:26:00.599
 have just come now,

00:26:00.700 --> 00:26:01.759
 the angels have proclaimed

00:26:01.759 --> 00:26:02.660
 the good news to them,

00:26:02.879 --> 00:26:04.039
 they've come rushing in

00:26:04.039 --> 00:26:04.519
 and they're like,

00:26:04.960 --> 00:26:05.859
 whoa, look,

00:26:05.900 --> 00:26:06.900
 it's the baby Jesus,

00:26:07.059 --> 00:26:08.119
 just like the angels

00:26:08.119 --> 00:26:08.559
 told us.

00:26:08.599 --> 00:26:09.480
 This is amazing.

00:26:09.480 --> 00:26:10.779
 And they're praising God

00:26:10.779 --> 00:26:11.860
 and they're glorifying God.

00:26:12.339 --> 00:26:13.420
 And Mary could have reacted

00:26:13.420 --> 00:26:14.500
 like, shh, guys,

00:26:15.059 --> 00:26:16.019
 keep it down.

00:26:16.599 --> 00:26:17.579
 The baby's sleeping

00:26:17.579 --> 00:26:18.519
 over here, okay?

00:26:19.099 --> 00:26:20.000
 But instead,

00:26:20.319 --> 00:26:21.420
 the passage tells us

00:26:21.420 --> 00:26:22.779
 as we look at chapter 2,

00:26:23.240 --> 00:26:24.200
 verse 19,

00:26:24.319 --> 00:26:25.839
 that Mary treasured up

00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:26.700
 all these things,

00:26:27.019 --> 00:26:27.779
 pondering them

00:26:27.779 --> 00:26:28.420
 in her hearts.

00:26:29.000 --> 00:26:29.579
 And the shepherds

00:26:29.579 --> 00:26:30.559
 returned glorifying

00:26:30.559 --> 00:26:31.360
 and praising God

00:26:31.360 --> 00:26:32.140
 for all that they

00:26:32.140 --> 00:26:32.980
 had heard and seen.

00:26:33.380 --> 00:26:34.059
 So we recognize

00:26:34.059 --> 00:26:35.220
 that Mary was someone

00:26:35.220 --> 00:26:36.579
 who was watching

00:26:36.579 --> 00:26:37.620
 what was happening.

00:26:37.619 --> 00:26:39.079
 She was savoring

00:26:39.079 --> 00:26:39.719
 these moments

00:26:39.719 --> 00:26:40.319
 in her heart

00:26:40.319 --> 00:26:41.799
 of seeing God at work

00:26:41.799 --> 00:26:42.619
 and looking forward

00:26:42.619 --> 00:26:43.139
 to ultimately

00:26:43.139 --> 00:26:44.079
 what he was going to do.

00:26:45.059 --> 00:26:46.239
 As we close this section,

00:26:46.299 --> 00:26:47.439
 I want to think a little bit

00:26:47.439 --> 00:26:49.799
 about parenting in general

00:26:49.799 --> 00:26:50.379
 and some principles

00:26:50.379 --> 00:26:51.559
 we can see here

00:26:51.559 --> 00:26:52.899
 from Mary and Joseph.

00:26:53.579 --> 00:26:54.119
 And one of those

00:26:54.119 --> 00:26:54.759
 that I want to look at

00:26:54.759 --> 00:26:55.559
 is the fact that

00:26:55.559 --> 00:26:56.819
 faithfulness,

00:26:56.919 --> 00:26:57.859
 not success,

00:26:58.519 --> 00:26:59.239
 was what drove

00:26:59.239 --> 00:26:59.939
 Mary and Joseph

00:26:59.939 --> 00:27:00.519
 as parents.

00:27:01.099 --> 00:27:01.639
 Think about it.

00:27:01.639 --> 00:27:02.659
 How many of you

00:27:02.659 --> 00:27:03.779
 would feel like

00:27:03.779 --> 00:27:04.919
 you were successful parents

00:27:04.919 --> 00:27:05.379
 if you said,

00:27:05.479 --> 00:27:05.599
 yep,

00:27:05.599 --> 00:27:06.599
 my kid grew up

00:27:06.599 --> 00:27:08.159
 and he was tried

00:27:08.159 --> 00:27:08.699
 as a criminal

00:27:08.699 --> 00:27:09.319
 and executed.

00:27:11.339 --> 00:27:13.019
 Probably not many

00:27:13.019 --> 00:27:13.740
 or if any of us

00:27:13.740 --> 00:27:13.980
 would say

00:27:13.980 --> 00:27:14.980
 that's what our aspiration

00:27:14.980 --> 00:27:15.879
 would be for our child.

00:27:15.939 --> 00:27:16.500
 I know it's not

00:27:16.500 --> 00:27:16.919
 an aspiration

00:27:16.919 --> 00:27:17.259
 I would have

00:27:17.259 --> 00:27:17.919
 for one of my children.

00:27:19.939 --> 00:27:20.679
 Mary and Joseph

00:27:20.679 --> 00:27:21.399
 got a taste

00:27:21.399 --> 00:27:22.919
 of what Jesus' life

00:27:22.919 --> 00:27:23.599
 was going to be like.

00:27:23.679 --> 00:27:24.379
 We'll see that later

00:27:24.379 --> 00:27:24.879
 as we look at

00:27:24.879 --> 00:27:25.519
 the proclamation

00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:26.059
 that happened

00:27:26.059 --> 00:27:26.559
 in the temple.

00:27:27.240 --> 00:27:28.199
 But ultimately,

00:27:28.539 --> 00:27:29.199
 their pursuit

00:27:29.199 --> 00:27:30.279
 was not what they

00:27:30.279 --> 00:27:31.939
 measured success as.

00:27:32.599 --> 00:27:33.399
 They understood

00:27:33.399 --> 00:27:34.399
 that faithfulness

00:27:34.399 --> 00:27:35.059
 to God

00:27:35.059 --> 00:27:36.419
 was the most

00:27:36.419 --> 00:27:37.079
 important thing.

00:27:37.960 --> 00:27:38.839
 So parents here today,

00:27:38.899 --> 00:27:40.019
 I want to encourage you,

00:27:40.099 --> 00:27:40.879
 I want to encourage myself.

00:27:41.220 --> 00:27:42.039
 How can we learn

00:27:42.039 --> 00:27:42.839
 from Mary and Joseph?

00:27:42.960 --> 00:27:43.480
 Because we think

00:27:43.480 --> 00:27:44.960
 about all the things

00:27:44.960 --> 00:27:45.899
 that God is going

00:27:45.899 --> 00:27:46.599
 to sovereignly

00:27:46.599 --> 00:27:47.519
 bring into our life,

00:27:47.599 --> 00:27:48.139
 things that are

00:27:48.139 --> 00:27:49.720
 far beyond our control,

00:27:49.940 --> 00:27:50.759
 definitely outside

00:27:50.759 --> 00:27:51.759
 of our plans.

00:27:52.659 --> 00:27:53.419
 How are we going

00:27:53.419 --> 00:27:54.720
 to show faithfulness

00:27:54.720 --> 00:27:55.240
 to God?

00:27:56.139 --> 00:27:56.679
 I think that is

00:27:56.679 --> 00:27:58.599
 one of the strongest things

00:27:58.599 --> 00:27:59.559
 that was marked

00:27:59.559 --> 00:28:00.539
 by Mary and Joseph

00:28:00.539 --> 00:28:01.419
 is faithfulness.

00:28:01.420 --> 00:28:03.019
 And in the same way,

00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:04.480
 my hope,

00:28:04.580 --> 00:28:05.060
 my prayer

00:28:05.060 --> 00:28:05.740
 is that the Spirit

00:28:05.740 --> 00:28:06.920
 would work in our hearts

00:28:06.920 --> 00:28:08.160
 that we might be people

00:28:08.160 --> 00:28:09.320
 who are faithful

00:28:09.320 --> 00:28:10.840
 as we follow God

00:28:10.840 --> 00:28:11.960
 wherever He calls us.

00:28:13.539 --> 00:28:14.660
 So turn with me again

00:28:14.660 --> 00:28:15.140
 if you will,

00:28:15.279 --> 00:28:16.519
 back to the book of Luke,

00:28:16.660 --> 00:28:17.519
 chapter 2.

00:28:18.100 --> 00:28:19.340
 We're going to be here

00:28:19.340 --> 00:28:20.800
 for the rest of the time

00:28:20.800 --> 00:28:22.000
 so you don't have to be

00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:23.320
 flipping around

00:28:23.320 --> 00:28:24.200
 quite so much.

00:28:25.400 --> 00:28:26.160
 I want to take a look

00:28:26.160 --> 00:28:26.640
 at this idea

00:28:26.640 --> 00:28:27.160
 as we look at

00:28:27.160 --> 00:28:28.080
 prophetic fulfillment.

00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:29.680
 You could be thinking

00:28:29.680 --> 00:28:30.840
 as we go into this section,

00:28:30.940 --> 00:28:31.480
 boy, you're really going

00:28:31.480 --> 00:28:31.940
 to stay in Luke,

00:28:32.019 --> 00:28:32.400
 chapter 2

00:28:32.400 --> 00:28:32.860
 and talk about

00:28:32.860 --> 00:28:33.640
 prophetic fulfillment?

00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:34.640
 Aren't you going to be

00:28:34.640 --> 00:28:35.200
 in like Isaiah,

00:28:35.360 --> 00:28:35.660
 Jeremiah,

00:28:35.759 --> 00:28:36.680
 all over the Old Testament?

00:28:37.200 --> 00:28:38.500
 And while I could do that,

00:28:38.840 --> 00:28:39.759
 this morning what I really

00:28:39.759 --> 00:28:40.759
 want to do is just focus

00:28:40.759 --> 00:28:41.840
 in on how God

00:28:41.840 --> 00:28:42.940
 fulfilled His Word

00:28:42.940 --> 00:28:44.740
 specifically to one

00:28:44.740 --> 00:28:45.700
 of His faithful servants

00:28:45.700 --> 00:28:46.660
 that we see introduced

00:28:46.660 --> 00:28:47.500
 here in Luke,

00:28:47.580 --> 00:28:48.120
 chapter 2.

00:28:48.620 --> 00:28:49.440
 So look at Luke,

00:28:49.519 --> 00:28:49.940
 chapter 2,

00:28:50.000 --> 00:28:51.320
 beginning in verse 25.

00:28:52.680 --> 00:28:53.940
 Here we see this scenario.

00:28:54.080 --> 00:28:54.660
 Mary and Joseph

00:28:54.660 --> 00:28:55.580
 have come to the temple.

00:28:55.700 --> 00:28:56.019
 They've brought

00:28:56.019 --> 00:28:57.019
 the baby Jesus up.

00:28:57.340 --> 00:28:58.060
 They've offered

00:28:58.060 --> 00:28:59.180
 all these sacrifices

00:28:59.180 --> 00:29:00.519
 in keeping with the law

00:29:00.519 --> 00:29:01.259
 and everything

00:29:01.259 --> 00:29:02.220
 that they have been

00:29:02.220 --> 00:29:03.039
 commanded to do.

00:29:03.580 --> 00:29:04.680
 And then after offering

00:29:04.680 --> 00:29:05.380
 these sacrifices,

00:29:05.740 --> 00:29:06.900
 there's this new character

00:29:06.900 --> 00:29:07.900
 that enters the scene,

00:29:08.360 --> 00:29:09.380
 a man named Simeon.

00:29:09.820 --> 00:29:11.100
 And as you read verse 25,

00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:11.799
 you'll see it says,

00:29:11.960 --> 00:29:12.580
 now there's a man

00:29:12.580 --> 00:29:13.160
 in Jerusalem

00:29:13.160 --> 00:29:14.880
 whose name was Simeon,

00:29:15.200 --> 00:29:15.940
 and he's described

00:29:15.940 --> 00:29:16.700
 two ways.

00:29:16.860 --> 00:29:17.980
 This man was righteous

00:29:17.980 --> 00:29:19.019
 and devout,

00:29:19.640 --> 00:29:20.279
 waiting for the

00:29:20.279 --> 00:29:21.460
 consolation of Israel,

00:29:21.860 --> 00:29:23.060
 and the Holy Spirit

00:29:23.060 --> 00:29:24.220
 was upon him.

00:29:24.720 --> 00:29:25.340
 That last part

00:29:25.340 --> 00:29:26.160
 is pretty significant.

00:29:26.720 --> 00:29:27.080
 Oftentimes,

00:29:27.380 --> 00:29:28.259
 we think about the fact

00:29:28.259 --> 00:29:29.220
 that the Holy Spirit

00:29:29.220 --> 00:29:30.420
 as believers

00:29:30.420 --> 00:29:32.059
 has come to indwell in us.

00:29:32.119 --> 00:29:32.460
 And so,

00:29:32.619 --> 00:29:33.680
 we take for granted

00:29:33.680 --> 00:29:35.259
 the very real presence

00:29:35.259 --> 00:29:36.000
 we have of the Spirit.

00:29:36.420 --> 00:29:37.279
 But before the day

00:29:37.279 --> 00:29:38.599
 of Pentecost came,

00:29:39.180 --> 00:29:40.339
 the Spirit's presence

00:29:40.339 --> 00:29:41.319
 was much more,

00:29:41.759 --> 00:29:43.599
 it was not permanent

00:29:43.599 --> 00:29:45.579
 among those who were followers

00:29:45.579 --> 00:29:47.339
 of God in those days.

00:29:47.460 --> 00:29:47.619
 So,

00:29:47.980 --> 00:29:48.859
 for this description

00:29:48.859 --> 00:29:49.700
 to be Simeon

00:29:49.700 --> 00:29:50.059
 whose,

00:29:50.619 --> 00:29:51.539
 the Holy Spirit

00:29:51.539 --> 00:29:52.119
 was upon,

00:29:52.200 --> 00:29:53.379
 was a really significant

00:29:53.379 --> 00:29:54.220
 descriptive

00:29:54.220 --> 00:29:55.379
 for Simeon.

00:29:55.380 --> 00:29:55.700
 And so,

00:29:55.740 --> 00:29:56.320
 we see here

00:29:56.320 --> 00:29:57.220
 that Simeon

00:29:57.220 --> 00:29:58.360
 comes into the temple.

00:29:58.940 --> 00:29:59.840
 He was a righteous man.

00:29:59.920 --> 00:30:00.400
 This means that

00:30:00.400 --> 00:30:01.940
 his life he had spent

00:30:01.940 --> 00:30:03.340
 seeking to honor God.

00:30:03.780 --> 00:30:03.880
 Now,

00:30:03.920 --> 00:30:04.680
 interestingly enough,

00:30:04.680 --> 00:30:05.580
 out of all the credentials

00:30:05.580 --> 00:30:06.560
 we're given about Simeon,

00:30:06.620 --> 00:30:07.240
 we're not given

00:30:07.240 --> 00:30:08.320
 his age

00:30:08.320 --> 00:30:10.080
 or we're not given

00:30:10.080 --> 00:30:11.860
 his job.

00:30:12.160 --> 00:30:12.560
 We don't know

00:30:12.560 --> 00:30:13.420
 if he was a priest.

00:30:13.660 --> 00:30:14.320
 We don't really know

00:30:14.320 --> 00:30:14.940
 what he did,

00:30:15.080 --> 00:30:15.700
 but we know

00:30:15.700 --> 00:30:16.620
 who he was.

00:30:16.700 --> 00:30:17.740
 We understand his character.

00:30:18.360 --> 00:30:19.620
 And we see to Simeon here,

00:30:19.720 --> 00:30:20.280
 as you read on

00:30:20.280 --> 00:30:21.000
 in verse 26,

00:30:21.240 --> 00:30:21.560
 we see,

00:30:21.559 --> 00:30:22.779
 it had been revealed

00:30:22.779 --> 00:30:24.139
 to him by the Holy Spirit

00:30:24.139 --> 00:30:26.039
 that he would not see death

00:30:26.039 --> 00:30:26.899
 before he had seen

00:30:26.899 --> 00:30:27.839
 the Lord's Christ.

00:30:28.559 --> 00:30:28.659
 Now,

00:30:28.700 --> 00:30:28.899
 remember,

00:30:29.019 --> 00:30:30.059
 the first prophecy

00:30:30.059 --> 00:30:31.599
 about a Messiah coming

00:30:31.599 --> 00:30:33.539
 had been over 400 years

00:30:33.539 --> 00:30:34.980
 earlier to Isaiah.

00:30:35.339 --> 00:30:35.740
 So,

00:30:35.799 --> 00:30:36.539
 this was a really

00:30:36.539 --> 00:30:37.599
 significant thing

00:30:37.599 --> 00:30:38.859
 that God had revealed

00:30:38.859 --> 00:30:40.200
 to Simeon

00:30:40.200 --> 00:30:41.819
 that in his day,

00:30:42.259 --> 00:30:43.599
 before Simeon died,

00:30:43.940 --> 00:30:44.879
 he was going to get

00:30:44.879 --> 00:30:46.299
 to see God's salvation

00:30:46.299 --> 00:30:47.299
 for Israel.

00:30:47.919 --> 00:30:48.139
 And so,

00:30:48.279 --> 00:30:48.720
 Simeon,

00:30:49.039 --> 00:30:49.639
 this righteous

00:30:49.639 --> 00:30:50.379
 and devout man,

00:30:50.440 --> 00:30:51.000
 was waiting.

00:30:51.559 --> 00:30:51.819
 Now,

00:30:51.859 --> 00:30:52.200
 we know,

00:30:52.339 --> 00:30:52.960
 Paul tells us

00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:53.919
 that not all those

00:30:53.919 --> 00:30:55.059
 who were of Israel

00:30:55.059 --> 00:30:56.200
 were the true Israel.

00:30:56.559 --> 00:30:57.299
 There was a remnant

00:30:57.299 --> 00:30:58.659
 of faithful people

00:30:58.659 --> 00:30:59.960
 within Israel.

00:31:00.179 --> 00:31:00.839
 Not just those

00:31:00.839 --> 00:31:01.639
 who outwardly went

00:31:01.639 --> 00:31:02.099
 to the temple

00:31:02.099 --> 00:31:03.000
 or called themselves

00:31:03.000 --> 00:31:03.559
 the Jews,

00:31:03.759 --> 00:31:04.399
 but those who were

00:31:04.399 --> 00:31:05.139
 faithful to God.

00:31:05.599 --> 00:31:06.139
 And likely,

00:31:06.299 --> 00:31:07.019
 Simeon is someone

00:31:07.019 --> 00:31:08.279
 who is representative

00:31:08.279 --> 00:31:09.299
 of the remnant

00:31:09.299 --> 00:31:09.799
 of people,

00:31:09.879 --> 00:31:10.519
 the faithful,

00:31:11.059 --> 00:31:11.559
 who are committed

00:31:11.559 --> 00:31:12.399
 to following God

00:31:12.399 --> 00:31:13.399
 and following his ways.

00:31:13.679 --> 00:31:14.579
 And here we see

00:31:14.579 --> 00:31:16.720
 that the Holy Spirit

00:31:16.720 --> 00:31:19.039
 had told him

00:31:19.039 --> 00:31:19.960
 that he would not die

00:31:19.960 --> 00:31:20.839
 before he saw

00:31:20.839 --> 00:31:22.119
 the Lord's Christ.

00:31:23.179 --> 00:31:23.619
 And so,

00:31:23.819 --> 00:31:24.480
 this significant

00:31:24.480 --> 00:31:25.759
 moment happens.

00:31:26.099 --> 00:31:27.240
 Simeon walks

00:31:27.240 --> 00:31:28.019
 into the temple

00:31:28.019 --> 00:31:29.299
 and there,

00:31:29.720 --> 00:31:30.779
 led by the Holy Spirit,

00:31:30.899 --> 00:31:32.240
 he sees Mary and Joseph.

00:31:32.459 --> 00:31:32.619
 Now,

00:31:33.019 --> 00:31:33.599
 Mary and Joseph

00:31:33.599 --> 00:31:34.199
 would not have been

00:31:34.199 --> 00:31:35.039
 an unusual scene.

00:31:35.099 --> 00:31:36.259
 On any given day,

00:31:36.639 --> 00:31:37.199
 there could have been

00:31:37.199 --> 00:31:38.459
 dozens of parents there

00:31:38.459 --> 00:31:39.279
 offering up

00:31:39.279 --> 00:31:40.119
 these sacrifices

00:31:40.119 --> 00:31:40.779
 according to what

00:31:40.779 --> 00:31:41.179
 the law

00:31:41.179 --> 00:31:42.559
 was requiring them.

00:31:42.720 --> 00:31:44.199
 But led by the Holy Spirit,

00:31:44.939 --> 00:31:46.359
 God brought Simeon

00:31:46.359 --> 00:31:47.699
 to that place

00:31:47.699 --> 00:31:48.859
 at that exact time

00:31:48.859 --> 00:31:49.759
 to get to see

00:31:49.759 --> 00:31:50.859
 Mary and Joseph.

00:31:51.519 --> 00:31:52.559
 And we see there,

00:31:52.659 --> 00:31:53.319
 as you look on

00:31:53.319 --> 00:31:55.579
 in verse 28,

00:31:56.719 --> 00:31:58.319
 he took him up,

00:31:58.479 --> 00:31:58.759
 Jesus,

00:31:58.959 --> 00:31:59.639
 in his arms,

00:31:59.779 --> 00:32:01.799
 and he blessed God.

00:32:02.199 --> 00:32:02.879
 We're going to look at

00:32:02.879 --> 00:32:03.579
 in our last segment

00:32:03.579 --> 00:32:03.939
 this morning

00:32:03.939 --> 00:32:04.679
 a little bit of more

00:32:04.679 --> 00:32:06.179
 of what this pronouncement

00:32:06.179 --> 00:32:07.519
 was that Simeon made.

00:32:07.799 --> 00:32:08.619
 But at this point,

00:32:08.759 --> 00:32:09.539
 Simeon saw

00:32:09.539 --> 00:32:10.779
 in seeing Jesus,

00:32:10.879 --> 00:32:11.859
 even not knowing

00:32:11.859 --> 00:32:12.839
 Jesus was going

00:32:12.839 --> 00:32:13.539
 to go to the cross,

00:32:13.579 --> 00:32:14.619
 this was 30-some years

00:32:14.619 --> 00:32:15.559
 later that this would happen.

00:32:15.919 --> 00:32:18.139
 He knew that God's salvation

00:32:18.139 --> 00:32:20.039
 had come through Jesus.

00:32:20.379 --> 00:32:21.179
 And by faith,

00:32:21.579 --> 00:32:22.559
 he looked forward to that.

00:32:23.459 --> 00:32:23.859
 We see,

00:32:24.019 --> 00:32:24.639
 secondly here,

00:32:24.699 --> 00:32:25.279
 another person

00:32:25.279 --> 00:32:26.099
 enters the scene.

00:32:26.759 --> 00:32:28.539
 While Simeon is still speaking

00:32:28.539 --> 00:32:29.679
 and blessing them,

00:32:30.199 --> 00:32:30.919
 look down with me

00:32:30.919 --> 00:32:31.839
 to verse 36,

00:32:31.959 --> 00:32:33.019
 and there's a prophetess

00:32:33.019 --> 00:32:33.639
 named Anna.

00:32:34.079 --> 00:32:35.219
 She's the daughter of Phineal

00:32:35.219 --> 00:32:36.259
 of the tribe of Asher.

00:32:36.659 --> 00:32:37.419
 Now, just so you know,

00:32:37.539 --> 00:32:38.299
 I thought when I saw this,

00:32:38.339 --> 00:32:38.839
 wow, that must be

00:32:38.839 --> 00:32:39.659
 something really important.

00:32:40.079 --> 00:32:40.639
 It wasn't.

00:32:41.479 --> 00:32:42.299
 Asher was just

00:32:42.299 --> 00:32:43.179
 any other tribe,

00:32:43.180 --> 00:32:45.340
 and we don't understand

00:32:45.340 --> 00:32:46.360
 exactly why Luke

00:32:46.360 --> 00:32:47.400
 gives us these details

00:32:47.400 --> 00:32:48.560
 other than to say

00:32:48.560 --> 00:32:49.360
 she was just

00:32:49.360 --> 00:32:50.519
 an average Israelite.

00:32:50.680 --> 00:32:51.620
 But we understand

00:32:51.620 --> 00:32:52.380
 that she's not just

00:32:52.380 --> 00:32:53.299
 any Israelite.

00:32:53.720 --> 00:32:54.500
 As further on,

00:32:54.560 --> 00:32:55.500
 we see that she was

00:32:55.500 --> 00:32:56.420
 one who had not

00:32:56.420 --> 00:32:57.400
 departed from the temple

00:32:57.400 --> 00:32:58.299
 in verse 37,

00:32:58.400 --> 00:32:59.019
 but worshipped

00:32:59.019 --> 00:33:00.019
 day and night

00:33:00.019 --> 00:33:01.160
 with fasting and prayer.

00:33:01.720 --> 00:33:02.860
 And we see later on there

00:33:02.860 --> 00:33:03.779
 that she was also

00:33:03.779 --> 00:33:04.880
 one of those remnant,

00:33:04.960 --> 00:33:05.759
 one of the faithful

00:33:05.759 --> 00:33:06.820
 who is waiting

00:33:06.820 --> 00:33:07.560
 for the redemption

00:33:07.560 --> 00:33:08.500
 of Israel.

00:33:08.980 --> 00:33:10.240
 We can also look at Anna,

00:33:10.240 --> 00:33:10.960
 and as we see

00:33:10.960 --> 00:33:11.560
 the description

00:33:11.559 --> 00:33:12.419
 of who she is,

00:33:12.460 --> 00:33:13.159
 we see in the end

00:33:13.159 --> 00:33:13.919
 of verse 36,

00:33:14.419 --> 00:33:15.119
 she was advanced

00:33:15.119 --> 00:33:15.759
 in years,

00:33:15.919 --> 00:33:16.960
 having lived with her husband

00:33:16.960 --> 00:33:18.119
 only seven years,

00:33:18.599 --> 00:33:19.859
 and then she was a widow

00:33:19.859 --> 00:33:20.759
 until she was 84.

00:33:21.259 --> 00:33:21.940
 There's a little bit

00:33:21.940 --> 00:33:22.599
 of debate about

00:33:22.599 --> 00:33:23.899
 the dating of all this,

00:33:23.960 --> 00:33:25.319
 but we can safely say

00:33:25.319 --> 00:33:26.519
 Anna was between

00:33:26.519 --> 00:33:28.039
 84 years old

00:33:28.039 --> 00:33:29.399
 and 104 years old.

00:33:30.019 --> 00:33:30.220
 Okay?

00:33:30.319 --> 00:33:32.059
 So, she was no spring chicken.

00:33:33.039 --> 00:33:34.200
 She was up there

00:33:34.200 --> 00:33:34.740
 in years,

00:33:34.859 --> 00:33:35.659
 and look how

00:33:35.659 --> 00:33:36.779
 she committed her time.

00:33:37.339 --> 00:33:38.079
 Night and day,

00:33:38.159 --> 00:33:39.159
 the passage tells us,

00:33:39.159 --> 00:33:39.779
 she spent,

00:33:39.779 --> 00:33:41.480
 verse 37 tells us,

00:33:41.480 --> 00:33:42.359
 she did not depart

00:33:42.359 --> 00:33:43.019
 from the temple,

00:33:43.579 --> 00:33:44.740
 worshiping with fasting

00:33:44.740 --> 00:33:45.279
 and prayer

00:33:45.279 --> 00:33:46.899
 night and day.

00:33:47.460 --> 00:33:48.639
 So, here's someone

00:33:48.639 --> 00:33:50.940
 who was just

00:33:50.940 --> 00:33:52.480
 all about worship.

00:33:53.359 --> 00:33:54.480
 Imagine running into Anna

00:33:54.480 --> 00:33:55.099
 and talking to her.

00:33:55.160 --> 00:33:55.740
 What kind of things

00:33:55.740 --> 00:33:56.599
 do you think she would say?

00:33:57.339 --> 00:33:57.799
 I think it would have

00:33:57.799 --> 00:33:58.240
 been incredible.

00:33:58.379 --> 00:33:58.660
 And here,

00:33:59.099 --> 00:34:00.039
 God brought her about

00:34:00.039 --> 00:34:01.059
 just at the right time,

00:34:01.119 --> 00:34:01.779
 and she too

00:34:01.779 --> 00:34:02.680
 had been looking

00:34:02.680 --> 00:34:03.700
 for the hope of Israel,

00:34:03.899 --> 00:34:04.920
 the salvation of Israel

00:34:04.920 --> 00:34:05.700
 that God was going

00:34:05.700 --> 00:34:06.660
 to give.

00:34:06.799 --> 00:34:07.680
 And here she comes

00:34:07.680 --> 00:34:09.079
 and sees Mary

00:34:09.079 --> 00:34:09.639
 and Joseph

00:34:09.639 --> 00:34:10.619
 and the baby Jesus.

00:34:11.420 --> 00:34:11.579
 And so,

00:34:11.639 --> 00:34:12.260
 as we think about

00:34:12.260 --> 00:34:13.420
 God's preparation

00:34:13.420 --> 00:34:14.519
 for Christmas,

00:34:14.720 --> 00:34:15.800
 the Holy Spirit's work,

00:34:16.159 --> 00:34:16.720
 we want to think about

00:34:16.720 --> 00:34:17.720
 it's not only that

00:34:17.720 --> 00:34:18.720
 God brings people

00:34:18.720 --> 00:34:19.980
 at just the right time,

00:34:20.780 --> 00:34:22.079
 he has just the right

00:34:22.079 --> 00:34:22.980
 people in place,

00:34:23.220 --> 00:34:24.119
 but that God

00:34:24.119 --> 00:34:25.599
 keeps his word.

00:34:26.300 --> 00:34:27.059
 Here we see God

00:34:27.059 --> 00:34:27.920
 had given a specific

00:34:27.920 --> 00:34:28.659
 word to Simeon

00:34:28.659 --> 00:34:29.860
 that he wouldn't die

00:34:29.860 --> 00:34:31.000
 before he saw

00:34:31.000 --> 00:34:31.800
 God's salvation,

00:34:32.240 --> 00:34:33.659
 and God kept that word.

00:34:34.079 --> 00:34:34.860
 That's significant

00:34:34.860 --> 00:34:35.900
 for us to know

00:34:35.900 --> 00:34:38.200
 that God keeps his word.

00:34:38.760 --> 00:34:39.380
 And ultimately,

00:34:39.579 --> 00:34:40.400
 Simeon and Anna,

00:34:40.840 --> 00:34:43.680
 after hearing this good news,

00:34:43.740 --> 00:34:44.800
 after seeing Jesus,

00:34:45.579 --> 00:34:46.360
 they went and told

00:34:46.360 --> 00:34:47.280
 everyone around them

00:34:47.280 --> 00:34:48.780
 the great news

00:34:48.780 --> 00:34:49.860
 about what Jesus had done.

00:34:49.860 --> 00:34:52.260
 God still has said

00:34:52.260 --> 00:34:52.260


00:34:52.260 --> 00:34:52.260


00:34:52.260 --> 00:34:52.260


00:34:52.260 --> 00:34:52.260


00:34:52.260 --> 00:34:53.800
 as many as

00:34:53.800 --> 00:34:53.800


00:34:53.800 --> 00:34:55.039
 as many as

00:34:55.039 --> 00:34:56.099
 as many as

00:34:56.099 --> 00:34:56.740
 as many as

00:34:56.740 --> 00:34:58.140
 as many as

00:34:58.140 --> 00:34:58.940
 as many as

00:34:58.940 --> 00:35:00.120
 as many as

00:35:00.120 --> 00:35:00.120


00:35:00.120 --> 00:35:00.960
 as many as

00:35:00.960 --> 00:35:02.960
 as many as

00:35:02.960 --> 00:35:02.960


00:35:02.960 --> 00:35:02.960


00:35:02.960 --> 00:35:02.960


00:35:02.960 --> 00:35:04.000
 as many as

00:35:04.000 --> 00:35:04.740
 as many as

00:35:04.740 --> 00:35:06.780
 as many as

00:35:06.780 --> 00:35:06.780


00:35:06.780 --> 00:35:06.780


00:35:06.780 --> 00:35:07.280
 as many as

00:35:07.280 --> 00:35:08.079
 as many as

00:35:08.079 --> 00:35:08.920
 as many as

00:35:08.920 --> 00:35:11.160
 as many as

00:35:11.160 --> 00:35:11.160


00:35:11.160 --> 00:35:11.160


00:35:11.160 --> 00:35:11.160


00:35:11.160 --> 00:35:11.160


00:35:11.160 --> 00:35:11.160


00:35:11.160 --> 00:35:11.160


00:35:11.160 --> 00:35:11.160


00:35:11.160 --> 00:35:11.160


00:35:11.160 --> 00:35:11.160


00:35:11.160 --> 00:35:11.160


00:35:11.160 --> 00:35:11.160


00:35:11.160 --> 00:35:11.160


00:35:11.160 --> 00:35:11.160


00:35:11.160 --> 00:35:11.160


00:35:11.160 --> 00:35:11.160


00:35:11.160 --> 00:35:11.160