WEBVTT

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 Well, good evening everyone. It's my pleasure to be here with you this evening. My name is Alistair.

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 I have the privilege of being on staff here at the church and I'm just going to spend a few minutes

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 thinking with you together about the true meaning of Christmas.

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 But before we get into what Christmas is all about, I have a few questions for you.

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 What first comes to mind when you see this number?

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 696,271.

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 Now, maybe as you sit there, you're thinking, well, that's probably the amount of Christmas trees,

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 real Christmas trees that were bought in Scotland this year.

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 What about this number here?

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 54,488.

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 What do you think that is?

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 Maybe it's the amount of mince pies that have been eaten this past week here in Edinburgh alone.

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 It's probably close to that in my house alone. I do love a mince pie.

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 But what these numbers are is 696,271 is the amount of babies that were born in England and Wales in 2016.

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 And 54,488 is the number of babies that were born in Scotland alone in 2016.

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 So these are huge, huge sums of little tiny babies.

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 But most of them, if not all of them, went by unnoticed by most of us in this room, didn't they?

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 We didn't really think about them.

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 We didn't really contemplate these births as they were happening.

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 But yet, once a year, we all gather and we contemplate one birth.

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 And so as we come to Christmas tomorrow, as we think about the birth of Jesus,

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 I want us to think about the question of, is this just another one of those babies?

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 Is this just another number to add to the statistic?

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 See, one of the things I always wonder when I hold or see a newborn baby is,

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 what will they grow up to be?

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 What will they be like?

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 What will they do?

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 What will this tiny little baby do one day?

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 What will people say about them?

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 What will they be like?

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 Who will they be?

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 So bring those very same questions into the Christmas story.

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 Who is this baby?

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 Is this just another baby?

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 And what will he do?

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 And what will he be like?

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 Well, John, as Alistair read out to us earlier,

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 one of Jesus' followers leaves us in absolutely no doubt at all

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 as to the character and identity of this little baby.

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 We know him as Jesus.

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 John describes him as the Word of God.

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 He describes him as light.

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 And he describes him as the Word became flesh.

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 See, unlike the other eyewitness accounts of Jesus' life,

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 unlike Mark, Matthew, and Luke,

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 John's a little bit different.

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 He doesn't start with Jesus' birth.

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 He doesn't start with the first acts of Jesus in his adult life.

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 Instead, he goes way, way back to the beginning.

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 He goes way back, and he goes really, really deep.

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 See, John isn't the kind of guy who's up for that kind of small chat,

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 small talk that we like.

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 He isn't the kind of guy, when he first meets you,

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 to ask you what you do for a living.

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 Instead, he says,

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 Hi, my name is John.

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 And then he asks you the question,

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 which makes you search your soul for that whole evening.

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 John says that Jesus made us,

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 that Jesus taught us,

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 and that Jesus forgave us.

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 John's invitation to us this Christmas

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 is where you come and see that Jesus is not just another baby,

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 but that he is the Son of God

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 who has huge significance for this world.

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 So what did this baby grow up to do?

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 What has he done?

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 What has he done to give him such prominence in history

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 and in the Bible?

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 Well, John begins his explanation of who Jesus is

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 by stating some amazing truths in John 1.

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 And he says that Jesus is the Word,

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 and the Word is God,

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 and that everything that was ever created

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 was created through this Word.

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 John is telling us that Jesus made us.

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 Now, I know that sounds a little bit strange.

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 I've read the Bible.

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 I know there are a few things in it

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 which can seem a little bit odd.

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 How can the Word, words, become flesh?

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 Well, John is drawing our attention

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 to the identity of Jesus as the Son of God,

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 as the one through whom God is working.

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 In short, John is telling us that Jesus is God.

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 The language that John uses rings of Genesis 1,

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 doesn't it?

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 Where God spoke the whole world into existence,

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 almost without any effort at all.

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 The stars that we admire on a clear night,

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 the planets which we haven't even begun

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 to understand yet,

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 they are given almost a throwaway verse

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 where it says,

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 yeah, and he also made the stars.

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 That is the greatness and power of God.

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 And John reveals to us

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 that Jesus is the Word of God.

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 Jesus is the one in whom and through whom

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 all things were created.

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 This baby that we see pictured so calmly

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 and so small,

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 that is the baby who created

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 and who upholds the universe.

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 This baby so small and so fragile

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 is the one whose hand

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 upholds the world that we live in

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 and the world that we love,

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 whose power created the stars and planets

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 and whose love made him stoop down

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 from his place in heaven

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 to an animal feeding trough

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 in the first century Israel.

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 This is the Jesus that we celebrate this Christmas.

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 This is the Word of God

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 who created us,

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 who made us,

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 who knows us

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 and who loves us.

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 But John doesn't stop there.

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 See, in John chapter 1 verse 14,

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 we find the most heartwarming verse

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 filled with love and deep theology

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 which should make us want to praise God

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 with every inch of our bodies.

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 It says,

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 and the Word became flesh

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 and dwelt among us.

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 Jesus taught us.

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 So why is it significant

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 that Jesus,

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 this person,

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 this Word of God

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 became flesh

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 and dwelt among us?

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 And what exactly did he teach us?

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 Did he teach us by becoming flesh?

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 You see,

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 John explains that Jesus is light.

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 And what does light do?

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 Well, light exposes things.

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 It reveals things.

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 And that is exactly

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 what Jesus did.

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 See, the Bible tells us

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 that mankind is naturally

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 in spiritual darkness.

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 We are naturally separated

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 from God.

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 Each of us is born

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 with a natural desire

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 to reject God

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 and his rule over our lives.

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 See, we think we know better

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 than our Creator.

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 That's the truth.

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 We live in darkness.

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 But Jesus,

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 being light,

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 came into this world

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 and he became

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 one of us.

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 Jesus left his place

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 of glory and honor

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 to become

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 one of us

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 so that our God

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 can know our struggles,

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 so that our God

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 can know our temptations,

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 and that he knows

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 what it's like

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 to live in

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 and suffer

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 in a broken world.

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 Light exposes darkness,

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 both the good

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 and the bad

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 that come with that.

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 See, sometimes

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 we like

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 what light reveals.

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 Sometimes we don't.

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 So during a blackout

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 in our flat,

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 for example,

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 I will go to the cupboard

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 where I know

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 exactly where I've left

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 the torch,

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 because it happens

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 quite a few times a year,

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 and I'll go to the cupboard

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 where I know

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 I've left the candles

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 and I will light everything

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 up around the flat

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 so I know where I'm walking,

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 so I don't bump into anything.

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 Light,

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 in that sense,

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 is good.

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 We need light.

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 But then we also have

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 a little card

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 on our fridge.

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 Now, it is in German.

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 You see it there

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 on the bottom right-hand

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 side of the screen,

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 but it says something

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 along these lines.

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 The kitchen

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 looks like a pigsty,

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 but I've turned off

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 the light,

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 so now it's all right.

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 And I definitely

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 fell out today.

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 We celebrated Christmas today,

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 and I haven't done

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 any of the dishes yet,

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 so I turned off the light

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 and shut the door

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 and walked away happy.

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 See, I definitely

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 have the tendency

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 to shut the kitchen door

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 and walk away.

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 Out of sight,

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 out of mind,

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 there is no light,

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 it's fine.

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 Light exposes

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 both the good things

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 and the bad.

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 Now, Jesus coming

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 into the world

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 has shone a light

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 on mankind.

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 Jesus taught people

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 who they really were

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 at their very core,

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 how people love

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 to be

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 and live in darkness,

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 how people love

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 to be in rebellion

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 against God.

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 Jesus came in flesh

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 to teach us

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 about our spiritual state

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 before God.

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 And even though

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 he did that,

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 the truth is

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 that the world

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 didn't recognize him.

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 They didn't see him

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 for who he truly was,

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 and that was true

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 in the first century

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 Middle East,

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 and it is just

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 as true today.

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 If you go out

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 into Edinburgh

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 tomorrow morning

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 and you say,

00:09:57.820 --> 00:09:58.480
 Merry Christmas,

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 what's the reason

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 for the season?

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 Why do we celebrate

00:10:01.960 --> 00:10:02.379
 Christmas?

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 The first response

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 will probably be,

00:10:05.080 --> 00:10:05.899
 well, Christmas trees,

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 Christmas decorations,

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 presents,

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 and maybe if you're lucky

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 in your fifth

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 and sixth guess,

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 you might get

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 to Jesus.

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 Or ask people

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 who Jesus was

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 or what Jesus did.

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 some people

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 don't even recognize

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 that he was

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 a historical person.

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 And there aren't

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 many people

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 who recognize him

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 to be the son

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 of God.

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 Some people say

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 that he was just

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 a good moral teacher.

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 See, even today,

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 people do not recognize

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 that Jesus

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 is the light

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 of the world.

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 The light

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 who came

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 into our darkness.

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 The light

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 who exposed

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 who we truly

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 are.

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 as a human

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 race.

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 See, but Jesus

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 didn't just shine

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 light onto

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 our sinful nature.

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 He didn't just

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 come into the world

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 to point the finger

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 and tell us

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 how we are

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 bad, bad people.

00:11:04.539 --> 00:11:05.299
 Jesus didn't come

00:11:05.299 --> 00:11:06.179
 to point the finger,

00:11:06.339 --> 00:11:06.860
 but he came

00:11:06.860 --> 00:11:07.779
 to bring the solution

00:11:07.779 --> 00:11:09.079
 to our problem.

00:11:10.120 --> 00:11:10.699
 And the truth

00:11:10.699 --> 00:11:11.439
 is that Jesus

00:11:11.439 --> 00:11:12.860
 forgave us.

00:11:15.019 --> 00:11:15.740
 Most of us

00:11:15.740 --> 00:11:16.279
 know someone

00:11:16.279 --> 00:11:16.980
 who finds it

00:11:16.980 --> 00:11:17.919
 really, really

00:11:17.919 --> 00:11:18.959
 easy to point

00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:19.639
 out flaws

00:11:19.639 --> 00:11:20.900
 or problems

00:11:20.900 --> 00:11:21.879
 with an idea

00:11:21.879 --> 00:11:22.940
 or something

00:11:22.940 --> 00:11:23.940
 at work maybe.

00:11:24.600 --> 00:11:25.080
 But when you

00:11:25.080 --> 00:11:25.620
 ask them

00:11:25.620 --> 00:11:26.120
 what their

00:11:26.120 --> 00:11:27.080
 solution to

00:11:27.080 --> 00:11:27.660
 those flaws

00:11:27.660 --> 00:11:28.120
 or to those

00:11:28.120 --> 00:11:28.580
 problems would

00:11:28.580 --> 00:11:29.220
 be, they lift

00:11:29.220 --> 00:11:29.639
 their hands

00:11:29.639 --> 00:11:29.960
 and say,

00:11:30.040 --> 00:11:30.879
 well, I don't

00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:31.100
 know.

00:11:32.200 --> 00:11:32.960
 They find it

00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:33.720
 really easy

00:11:33.720 --> 00:11:34.420
 to point the

00:11:34.420 --> 00:11:35.360
 finger, but not

00:11:35.360 --> 00:11:35.820
 to bring a

00:11:35.820 --> 00:11:36.200
 solution.

00:11:36.420 --> 00:11:36.780
 You see, well,

00:11:37.220 --> 00:11:37.900
 Jesus doesn't

00:11:37.900 --> 00:11:38.320
 do that.

00:11:39.240 --> 00:11:40.139
 He comes into

00:11:40.139 --> 00:11:40.660
 the world and

00:11:40.660 --> 00:11:41.360
 he brings the

00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:42.940
 only solution.

00:11:43.560 --> 00:11:44.200
 He gives us

00:11:44.200 --> 00:11:45.440
 the only fix

00:11:45.440 --> 00:11:46.460
 to the problem

00:11:46.460 --> 00:11:46.880
 of our

00:11:46.880 --> 00:11:47.940
 spiritual darkness

00:11:47.940 --> 00:11:48.540
 and rejection

00:11:48.540 --> 00:11:49.100
 of God.

00:11:50.380 --> 00:11:51.280
 What is that

00:11:51.280 --> 00:11:51.700
 solution?

00:11:52.760 --> 00:11:53.200
 Well, it is

00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:54.100
 Jesus himself.

00:11:54.220 --> 00:11:54.920
 The word

00:11:54.920 --> 00:11:56.620
 became flesh.

00:11:58.440 --> 00:11:59.340
 Because mankind

00:11:59.340 --> 00:12:00.680
 is so naturally

00:12:00.680 --> 00:12:01.740
 sinful, we

00:12:01.740 --> 00:12:02.380
 naturally do

00:12:02.380 --> 00:12:02.940
 things wrong

00:12:02.940 --> 00:12:03.660
 in and of

00:12:03.660 --> 00:12:04.740
 ourselves, we

00:12:04.740 --> 00:12:05.500
 cannot turn

00:12:05.500 --> 00:12:06.100
 to God.

00:12:07.260 --> 00:12:08.340
 And so Jesus,

00:12:08.540 --> 00:12:09.280
 the word of

00:12:09.280 --> 00:12:09.820
 God, God

00:12:09.820 --> 00:12:11.680
 himself, the

00:12:11.680 --> 00:12:12.680
 light of God

00:12:12.679 --> 00:12:14.219
 became flesh

00:12:14.219 --> 00:12:15.359
 to show us

00:12:15.359 --> 00:12:15.759
 who God

00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:17.279
 is and to

00:12:17.279 --> 00:12:17.620
 make it

00:12:17.620 --> 00:12:18.319
 possible for

00:12:18.319 --> 00:12:19.019
 mankind to

00:12:19.019 --> 00:12:19.539
 be forgiven.

00:12:21.259 --> 00:12:21.639
 Now, how

00:12:21.639 --> 00:12:22.139
 was that made

00:12:22.139 --> 00:12:22.579
 possible?

00:12:23.739 --> 00:12:24.439
 Well, it's

00:12:24.439 --> 00:12:24.979
 made possible

00:12:24.979 --> 00:12:25.579
 because this

00:12:25.579 --> 00:12:26.279
 baby that we

00:12:26.279 --> 00:12:28.279
 celebrate lived

00:12:28.279 --> 00:12:30.139
 a sacrificial

00:12:30.139 --> 00:12:31.719
 life after

00:12:31.719 --> 00:12:33.059
 teaching people

00:12:33.059 --> 00:12:33.939
 about God,

00:12:34.439 --> 00:12:35.259
 after loving

00:12:35.259 --> 00:12:36.039
 people with a

00:12:36.039 --> 00:12:37.519
 perfect love.

00:12:38.639 --> 00:12:39.199
 He was nailed

00:12:39.199 --> 00:12:39.879
 to a cross,

00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:40.599
 even though he

00:12:40.599 --> 00:12:41.479
 was perfectly

00:12:41.479 --> 00:12:42.299
 innocent.

00:12:42.679 --> 00:12:43.679
 so that we

00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:44.399
 could be called

00:12:44.399 --> 00:12:45.559
 children of

00:12:45.559 --> 00:12:46.079
 God, so that

00:12:46.079 --> 00:12:46.599
 we could be

00:12:46.599 --> 00:12:46.959
 forgiven.

00:12:48.919 --> 00:12:49.919
 On the cross,

00:12:50.019 --> 00:12:50.799
 the anger of

00:12:50.799 --> 00:12:51.779
 God against

00:12:51.779 --> 00:12:52.659
 sin was poured

00:12:52.659 --> 00:12:53.239
 on Jesus.

00:12:53.419 --> 00:12:54.000
 He took the

00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:55.019
 punishment that

00:12:55.019 --> 00:12:55.819
 each of us

00:12:55.819 --> 00:12:56.879
 deserve.

00:12:58.539 --> 00:12:59.379
 And so that

00:12:59.379 --> 00:12:59.859
 we could be

00:12:59.859 --> 00:13:00.699
 offered the

00:13:00.699 --> 00:13:02.059
 amazing gift

00:13:02.059 --> 00:13:02.799
 that is the

00:13:02.799 --> 00:13:03.659
 forgiveness of

00:13:03.659 --> 00:13:04.159
 sins.

00:13:06.620 --> 00:13:07.500
 Jesus has

00:13:07.500 --> 00:13:08.219
 shown us the

00:13:08.219 --> 00:13:09.699
 fullness of

00:13:09.699 --> 00:13:10.219
 grace.

00:13:10.220 --> 00:13:10.320
 grace.

00:13:11.320 --> 00:13:12.019
 And he has

00:13:12.019 --> 00:13:12.420
 made it

00:13:12.420 --> 00:13:13.080
 possible for

00:13:13.080 --> 00:13:13.800
 us to know

00:13:13.800 --> 00:13:14.300
 God, as

00:13:14.300 --> 00:13:15.500
 John says in

00:13:15.500 --> 00:13:16.160
 John 1,

00:13:16.240 --> 00:13:17.379
 verses 17 to

00:13:17.379 --> 00:13:17.879
 18.

00:13:18.519 --> 00:13:19.060
 See, grace is

00:13:19.060 --> 00:13:19.540
 one of those

00:13:19.540 --> 00:13:20.100
 words that

00:13:20.100 --> 00:13:20.840
 Christians love

00:13:20.840 --> 00:13:21.180
 to throw

00:13:21.180 --> 00:13:22.100
 around, but

00:13:22.100 --> 00:13:22.620
 quite often we

00:13:22.620 --> 00:13:23.220
 don't explain

00:13:23.220 --> 00:13:23.440
 it.

00:13:25.540 --> 00:13:26.120
 When the

00:13:26.120 --> 00:13:26.660
 Bible speaks

00:13:26.660 --> 00:13:29.120
 of grace, it

00:13:29.120 --> 00:13:29.940
 refers to God

00:13:29.940 --> 00:13:30.480
 giving us

00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:31.080
 something that we

00:13:31.080 --> 00:13:31.879
 don't deserve.

00:13:31.879 --> 00:13:32.000
 grace.

00:13:33.000 --> 00:13:33.980
 So a modern

00:13:33.980 --> 00:13:34.659
 example would

00:13:34.659 --> 00:13:35.279
 be if a man

00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:36.240
 stood before a

00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:37.220
 judge and

00:13:37.220 --> 00:13:38.000
 pled guilty of

00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:38.460
 a parking

00:13:38.460 --> 00:13:39.000
 ticket, for

00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:40.460
 example, the

00:13:40.460 --> 00:13:41.039
 person should

00:13:41.039 --> 00:13:41.480
 take that

00:13:41.480 --> 00:13:42.179
 punishment because

00:13:42.179 --> 00:13:42.639
 it is a

00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:43.259
 consequence of

00:13:43.259 --> 00:13:43.899
 their actions.

00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:46.860
 But grace is

00:13:46.860 --> 00:13:48.240
 when the judge

00:13:48.240 --> 00:13:49.200
 passes judgment

00:13:49.200 --> 00:13:50.639
 but stands up

00:13:50.639 --> 00:13:51.080
 and says, well,

00:13:51.100 --> 00:13:51.740
 I will pay that

00:13:51.740 --> 00:13:52.399
 man's fine.

00:13:53.039 --> 00:13:53.960
 I will take the

00:13:53.960 --> 00:13:54.620
 punishment so that

00:13:54.620 --> 00:13:55.259
 he doesn't have

00:13:55.259 --> 00:13:55.360
 to.

00:13:55.419 --> 00:13:56.480
 That is grace.

00:13:56.480 --> 00:13:56.580
 grace.

00:13:58.300 --> 00:13:59.399
 See, Jesus

00:13:59.399 --> 00:14:00.539
 shows us true

00:14:00.539 --> 00:14:02.180
 grace, perfect

00:14:02.180 --> 00:14:03.480
 grace, unfailing

00:14:03.480 --> 00:14:05.840
 grace, because

00:14:05.840 --> 00:14:07.560
 being God, he

00:14:07.560 --> 00:14:08.920
 knows exactly what

00:14:08.920 --> 00:14:09.920
 mankind is like.

00:14:10.019 --> 00:14:11.039
 He knows our

00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:12.320
 hearts, how we

00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:13.180
 constantly do

00:14:13.180 --> 00:14:13.920
 things wrong, how

00:14:13.920 --> 00:14:15.180
 we constantly rebel

00:14:15.180 --> 00:14:16.100
 against God.

00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:20.539
 And still, all of

00:14:20.539 --> 00:14:22.399
 that, despite all

00:14:22.399 --> 00:14:23.560
 of that, Jesus

00:14:23.560 --> 00:14:24.420
 still shows us

00:14:24.420 --> 00:14:24.879
 grace.

00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:29.000
 the Bible is a

00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:29.759
 revelation of

00:14:29.759 --> 00:14:31.879
 God's character, of

00:14:31.879 --> 00:14:32.960
 God's love for a

00:14:32.960 --> 00:14:33.840
 fallen and broken

00:14:33.840 --> 00:14:34.600
 world, of God's

00:14:34.600 --> 00:14:35.600
 desire to see his

00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:37.300
 creation redeemed

00:14:37.300 --> 00:14:38.800
 and restored to a

00:14:38.800 --> 00:14:39.639
 right relationship

00:14:39.639 --> 00:14:40.240
 with him.

00:14:40.460 --> 00:14:41.320
 And the Bible tells

00:14:41.320 --> 00:14:41.960
 us how that is

00:14:41.960 --> 00:14:42.740
 possible through

00:14:42.740 --> 00:14:44.120
 this person, Jesus

00:14:44.120 --> 00:14:44.740
 Christ.

00:14:44.960 --> 00:14:45.639
 It's possible

00:14:45.639 --> 00:14:46.860
 because the word

00:14:46.860 --> 00:14:48.200
 of God became

00:14:48.200 --> 00:14:49.779
 flesh and dwelt

00:14:49.779 --> 00:14:51.000
 amongst us.

00:14:51.899 --> 00:14:53.120
 Jesus, the son of

00:14:53.120 --> 00:14:54.100
 God, was born into

00:14:54.100 --> 00:14:54.539
 this world.

00:14:54.639 --> 00:14:55.539
 He lived the

00:14:55.539 --> 00:14:56.379
 perfect life,

00:14:56.379 --> 00:14:57.019
 that we could

00:14:57.019 --> 00:14:57.960
 never, ever

00:14:57.960 --> 00:14:58.360
 live.

00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:00.460
 And he died the

00:15:00.460 --> 00:15:01.419
 death that we all

00:15:01.419 --> 00:15:02.659
 deserve, taking the

00:15:02.659 --> 00:15:03.539
 punishment for our

00:15:03.539 --> 00:15:04.320
 sins and our

00:15:04.320 --> 00:15:05.039
 wrongdoings.

00:15:06.179 --> 00:15:07.419
 And he rose,

00:15:07.960 --> 00:15:08.740
 victorious,

00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:10.759
 defeating Satan,

00:15:11.460 --> 00:15:12.360
 sin, and our

00:15:12.360 --> 00:15:13.179
 ultimate enemy,

00:15:13.620 --> 00:15:14.000
 death.

00:15:15.620 --> 00:15:16.519
 And so let's ask

00:15:16.519 --> 00:15:17.360
 that question again.

00:15:17.439 --> 00:15:18.179
 Is this just

00:15:18.179 --> 00:15:18.879
 another baby?

00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:21.059
 what the Bible

00:15:21.059 --> 00:15:23.019
 shouts at us,

00:15:23.159 --> 00:15:23.419
 no.

00:15:24.939 --> 00:15:26.320
 This is the word

00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:26.939
 of God.

00:15:27.080 --> 00:15:27.980
 This is God whose

00:15:27.980 --> 00:15:29.139
 power created the

00:15:29.139 --> 00:15:29.759
 world and who

00:15:29.759 --> 00:15:31.340
 upholds it even

00:15:31.340 --> 00:15:31.799
 now.

00:15:33.240 --> 00:15:34.259
 Jesus made us.

00:15:35.720 --> 00:15:36.820
 This is the light

00:15:36.820 --> 00:15:37.620
 of God who came

00:15:37.620 --> 00:15:38.539
 into the world to

00:15:38.539 --> 00:15:40.080
 shine light into

00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:41.179
 the darkness of

00:15:41.179 --> 00:15:42.620
 our human souls.

00:15:42.779 --> 00:15:44.080
 Jesus taught us.

00:15:44.080 --> 00:15:45.879
 And this is the

00:15:45.879 --> 00:15:46.680
 Son of God,

00:15:47.139 --> 00:15:48.180
 revealing God to

00:15:48.180 --> 00:15:49.100
 us and taking the

00:15:49.100 --> 00:15:50.400
 punishment for our

00:15:50.400 --> 00:15:52.160
 sins so that we

00:15:52.160 --> 00:15:52.980
 can be forgiven.

00:15:54.460 --> 00:15:55.580
 Jesus forgave us.

00:15:57.259 --> 00:15:58.379
 Jesus is not just

00:15:58.379 --> 00:15:59.340
 another baby,

00:16:00.020 --> 00:16:00.900
 but he is the

00:16:00.900 --> 00:16:01.800
 Son of God who is

00:16:01.800 --> 00:16:03.280
 offering you life

00:16:03.280 --> 00:16:04.280
 and forgiveness.

00:16:05.560 --> 00:16:06.879
 Will you accept

00:16:06.879 --> 00:16:07.820
 this gift of

00:16:07.820 --> 00:16:08.060
 heaven?

00:16:09.100 --> 00:16:10.120
 Will you consider

00:16:10.120 --> 00:16:11.300
 this Christmas that

00:16:11.299 --> 00:16:12.539
 this baby Jesus

00:16:12.539 --> 00:16:13.439
 that we celebrate

00:16:13.439 --> 00:16:15.299
 is the one and

00:16:15.299 --> 00:16:16.559
 only in the world

00:16:16.559 --> 00:16:18.319
 who can offer us

00:16:18.319 --> 00:16:19.939
 true love and

00:16:19.939 --> 00:16:20.659
 true forgiveness?

00:16:22.179 --> 00:16:23.079
 Will you see

00:16:23.079 --> 00:16:23.899
 Jesus for who he

00:16:23.899 --> 00:16:25.159
 truly is this year?

00:16:25.879 --> 00:16:26.919
 And will you give

00:16:26.919 --> 00:16:27.639
 him all of the

00:16:27.639 --> 00:16:29.039
 praise and honor

00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:30.099
 that he rightfully

00:16:30.099 --> 00:16:31.399
 deserves?

00:16:32.740 --> 00:16:33.419
 Let's pray

00:16:33.419 --> 00:16:33.799
 together.

00:16:37.639 --> 00:16:38.419
 Heavenly Father,

00:16:38.519 --> 00:16:39.439
 we thank you for

00:16:39.439 --> 00:16:40.299
 sending Jesus.

00:16:41.299 --> 00:16:42.779
 Lord,

00:16:42.819 --> 00:16:43.559
 we confess that

00:16:43.559 --> 00:16:45.019
 we are all

00:16:45.019 --> 00:16:45.339
 sinful,

00:16:45.479 --> 00:16:46.079
 we do things

00:16:46.079 --> 00:16:46.379
 wrong,

00:16:46.479 --> 00:16:47.359
 we rebel against

00:16:47.359 --> 00:16:48.219
 you day in and

00:16:48.219 --> 00:16:48.620
 day out,

00:16:48.699 --> 00:16:49.500
 and yet still in

00:16:49.500 --> 00:16:50.259
 your grace and

00:16:50.259 --> 00:16:50.799
 in your love,

00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:51.539
 you sent your

00:16:51.539 --> 00:16:53.039
 Son to pay the

00:16:53.039 --> 00:16:53.699
 punishment for

00:16:53.699 --> 00:16:54.259
 our sins.

00:16:55.719 --> 00:16:56.159
 Lord,

00:16:56.219 --> 00:16:56.779
 help us this

00:16:56.779 --> 00:16:57.859
 evening and

00:16:57.859 --> 00:16:58.559
 tomorrow morning

00:16:58.559 --> 00:16:59.279
 remember the

00:16:59.279 --> 00:17:00.139
 reason for the

00:17:00.139 --> 00:17:00.479
 season.

00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:02.959
 Help us remember

00:17:02.959 --> 00:17:03.799
 that you are the

00:17:03.799 --> 00:17:05.379
 Word of God who

00:17:05.379 --> 00:17:06.940
 became flesh and

00:17:06.940 --> 00:17:07.720
 dwelt among us.

00:17:07.899 --> 00:17:08.059
 Father,

00:17:08.139 --> 00:17:08.940
 we thank you so

00:17:08.940 --> 00:17:10.279
 much for your

00:17:10.279 --> 00:17:10.859
 Son, Jesus

00:17:10.859 --> 00:17:11.719
 Christ, in

00:17:11.719 --> 00:17:12.339
 whose name we

00:17:12.339 --> 00:17:12.599
 pray.

00:17:13.179 --> 00:17:13.559
 Amen.