WEBVTT

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 It's God's living and active word.

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! What do we believe?

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! We probably believe many things.

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!

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 The thing about believing is, we find it more likely to believe when we find something plausible, isn't it?

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 When we can make sense of it and it fits into what we already know.

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 There's a name for that, it's called confirmation bias.

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 We believe the things that confirm what we already know.

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 But more than that, even often, we believe because of who tells us the things that we believe.

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 And you might believe the moon is made of cheese when you're three years old.

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 Because your parents told you the moon is made of cheese.

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 And parents wouldn't lie to you, would they?

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 But give it a few years and they work it out.

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 Those children, slowly but surely, what we want to believe plays a bigger role in who we believe.

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 There's a big word for that, it's cognitive dissonance.

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 We don't believe things that don't fit with what we've decided make sense.

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 And when we see things and hear things that don't fit with what we believe, we dismiss those things.

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 Because it doesn't fit with the values that we've decided to believe already.

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 And that's part of why the world feels so divided right now.

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 People won't hear each other.

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 They won't believe each other's bona fides.

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 Because they can't hear each other.

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 Because they won't believe the other side.

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 And last week we heard of a promised son, John the Baptist.

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 And his father, Zechariah, despite hearing this promise from the mouth of the angel Gabriel,

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 didn't believe the promise of a son for him and Elizabeth.

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 Did he?

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 He placed more faith in his knowledge of biology and human physiology and his experience

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 than a word from an angel who ministers in the presence of God.

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 When we don't want to believe, we find it very hard to believe.

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 So when we come in this passage to the second angelic promise,

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 the second angelic announcement of a son in as many weeks,

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 we're actually primed, aren't we, for another slightly disappointing experience.

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 Where seemingly a sceptical recipient of God's grace doesn't believe it,

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 when he or she cannot believe it, because they don't want to believe it.

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 Now Zechariah's wife was unable to conceive and they were old,

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 and the angel Gabriel made an unlikely promise to them.

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 She will conceive and bear a son, and he will be great before God,

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 and a prophet of the Most High.

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 As we saw, we had some sympathy for Zechariah, didn't we?

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 It is an unlikely promise in those circumstances.

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 And we had some sympathy for him as he struggled to believe this unlikely,

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 incredible promise from God.

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 But if that was an unlikely promise,

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 today we have what looks like an impossible promise.

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 Because of all the people,

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 this young girl Mary,

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 while in her teens,

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 from a backwater town called Nazareth in Galilee,

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 also gets a visit from the angel Gabriel.

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 And she's also promised a son.

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 And the only difficulty here is,

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 she's not married.

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 And as she reminds the angel,

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 verse 34,

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 she is a virgin.

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 Literally, she says,

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 I have not known a man.

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 You know,

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 they were not stupid in those times,

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 like we sometimes think,

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 in our arrogance.

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 They knew that babies didn't come by pollination in the air.

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 So she knows what she's talking about.

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 And it's enough reason for her to disbelieve the message, isn't it?

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 You will conceive a son,

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 but she has not slept with a man yet.

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 But there's more to the story even than that,

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 that makes it an impossible promise.

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 And look closely at what the angel promises her.

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 In verse 30,

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 she has found favour with God.

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 She, a young unmarried girl from nowhere?

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 That's not how society works, or worked.

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 And what does this favour entail?

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 She will conceive and have a son,

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 and she must call him Jesus.

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 A child named by God.

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 This is incredible.

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 Impossible enough, given her circumstances.

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 But there's even more.

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 He will be great.

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 He will be called the Son of the Most High,

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 and he'll be given the throne of his father David,

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 the great king.

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 God's first chosen king for Israel.

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 And the one from whom the Messiah,

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 the Saviour of the world,

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 would come.

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 Put yourself in her shoes.

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 That just sounds utterly impossible.

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 And not just that,

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 he will reign forever,

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 with no end to his kingdom.

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 We're used to governments and rulers

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 coming and going,

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 and often they stick around way too long.

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 And it feels like there will be no end to their rule.

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 But inevitably, they do go eventually.

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 So this is all an astonishing promise.

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 Even disregarding the practicalities

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 of how she would conceive a child

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 in her unmarried state.

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 There's a reason why immaculate conception

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 is shorthand in our language,

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 isn't it, for something that's impossible?

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 And because this angel's promise

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 is drenched in language about God,

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 there's no doubt that this child is God

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 coming to the world as a human.

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 Never mind the biological impossibilities.

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 Is Mary being the mother of God,

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 being born as a human being in Jesus Christ?

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 I think maybe the impossible promises

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 are the most believable sometimes.

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 The most impossible promises

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 are the most believable

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 if we realize who is making them.

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 We don't know all of what Mary understood

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 of what the angel said to her

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 and how much she grasped.

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 And we're looking back at this

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 and we know a lot more

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 than she did at that time.

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 But she understood enough

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 to realize this would be

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 a difficult situation for an unmarried girl.

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 And she expresses that to the angel.

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 How will this be,

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 since I'm a virgin?

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 And we think, when we hear that,

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 there's a lot of echoes

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 from the first passage we read,

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 isn't there?

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 Zechariah also expressed some doubt.

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 There's an angel, fear,

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 a significant child is promised and named.

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 There's some doubt.

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 And there's a sign or instruction

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 about what's coming next.

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 But really what we see

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 when we listen at Mary's response

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 to what the angel tells her

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 is strikingly different

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 to what Zechariah said.

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 He was afraid at the sight of the angel.

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 Mary is troubled at the saying,

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 if you look at verse 29.

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 Not the angel.

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 You could actually translate that

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 as well as perplexed.

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 She wondered at what it might mean,

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 what this angel is telling her,

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 that she is favoured.

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 Now you could say

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 she's got a natural difficulty

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 to understand why

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 she would be considered favoured

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 by the Lord.

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 But Zechariah probably

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 has more of an irrational fear

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 at the sight of the angel

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 in the temple,

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 being a priest.

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 And note how she

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 doesn't ask for a sign.

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 But she gets one anyway.

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 You know your parent cousin Elizabeth

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 has conceived in her old age.

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 There's nothing impossible

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 for God, Mary.

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 Your cousin Elizabeth,

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 who is in her old age

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 and was barren,

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 is already six months pregnant.

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 And if we look closely,

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 we see some differences as well

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 in the description

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 of this child, don't we?

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 John the Baptist

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 was going to be great before God.

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 This child will be great.

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 Period.

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 Verse 32.

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 And that's more Old Testament

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 language for God there.

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 God is the only one called great

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 without any kind of qualifier.

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 Zechariah and Elizabeth

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 will conceive a son.

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 Previously impossible,

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 but now possible,

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 but still through normal means.

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 Mary will conceive not a son,

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 but the son.

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 And this son will have

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 no human father.

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 The Holy Spirit

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 will overshadow her.

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 And that's all, again,

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 Old Testament language

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 if you listen closely.

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 God dwelling with Israel

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 in the tabernacle.

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 You know, it's the same

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 kind of language.

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 And we're primed here

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 for this impossible promise

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 through all the language

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 and all these descriptions.

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 And on many levels,

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 it seems like the promise

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 to Mary is the more

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 impossible promise

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 to believe.

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 Doesn't it?

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 We know about medical miracles

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 and it fits with our experience.

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 And we chalk it up

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 often to something

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 we can't explain

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 and we move on.

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 But as I said,

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 we often believe

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 what we believe

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 primarily because

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 of who it comes from.

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 And Mary,

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 contrary to Zechariah,

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 realizes who this promise

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 is coming from.

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 And verse 38,

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 Behold,

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 I am the servant

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 of the Lord.

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 Let it be to me

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 according to your word.

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 Have you ever,

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 growing up,

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 had to do something scary?

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 Something you didn't think

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 you could do?

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 And then your father

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 takes your hand

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 and looks at you

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 and he tells you,

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 trust me,

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 you can do this.

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 What seems impossible

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 and like a completely

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 implausible promise

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 for Mary

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 becomes not just

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 believable

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 but desirable

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 when she takes

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 into account

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 who it is

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 making the promise.

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 Many people say

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 they can't believe

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 Christianity

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 because

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 they can't believe

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 the miracles

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 recounted in the Bible.

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 But that's

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 working backwards.

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 Of course miracles

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 don't make sense.

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 If there isn't a God

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 who can do the impossible.

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 But if there is

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 such a God

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 then miracles

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 just point to him.

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 He doesn't depend

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 on them

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 to be real.

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 And this miracle,

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 this arguably

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 greatest miracle

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 ever,

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 God becoming man,

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 happens in private,

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 out of sight,

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 as verse 31

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 reminds us

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 explicitly,

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 in Mary's womb.

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 But God

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 becoming man,

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 the Son of God

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 taking on human nature

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 is unheard of,

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 impossible

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 by any human standard

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 or story

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 or myth.

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 But it's not impossible

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 for a God

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 who created

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 all things

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 out of nothing,

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 is it?

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 It isn't impossible

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 for a God

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 who created

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 the first human beings

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 and breathed life

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 into them

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 and who raised people

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 from the dead

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 as Jesus did.

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 It certainly

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 isn't impossible

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 for Jesus

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 who himself

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 rose from the dead

00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:02.500
 as he promised

00:13:02.500 --> 00:13:02.959
 to do.

00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:05.959
 So when we consider

00:13:05.959 --> 00:13:06.799
 who God is,

00:13:06.899 --> 00:13:07.899
 this promise

00:13:07.899 --> 00:13:09.059
 of who Jesus is

00:13:09.059 --> 00:13:10.199
 becomes not just

00:13:10.199 --> 00:13:12.319
 not impossible

00:13:12.319 --> 00:13:13.879
 but actually

00:13:13.879 --> 00:13:14.600
 very plausible.

00:13:14.600 --> 00:13:18.040
 of course

00:13:18.040 --> 00:13:19.560
 God can promise

00:13:19.560 --> 00:13:20.040
 that his Son

00:13:20.040 --> 00:13:20.759
 will reign forever

00:13:20.759 --> 00:13:21.420
 if he is the

00:13:21.420 --> 00:13:22.120
 eternal God

00:13:22.120 --> 00:13:22.600
 who created

00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:23.420
 heaven and earth.

00:13:24.759 --> 00:13:25.340
 When the earth

00:13:25.340 --> 00:13:25.980
 was formless

00:13:25.980 --> 00:13:26.440
 and void

00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:26.960
 we read at the

00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:27.659
 beginning of the Bible

00:13:27.659 --> 00:13:28.440
 the Spirit

00:13:28.440 --> 00:13:29.800
 hovered over the water

00:13:29.800 --> 00:13:30.519
 and God spoke

00:13:30.519 --> 00:13:30.940
 and everything

00:13:30.940 --> 00:13:32.019
 came into existence.

00:13:34.139 --> 00:13:34.560
 And of course

00:13:34.560 --> 00:13:35.200
 he can create

00:13:35.200 --> 00:13:35.920
 a human being

00:13:35.920 --> 00:13:36.740
 also God

00:13:36.740 --> 00:13:37.560
 out of nothing

00:13:37.560 --> 00:13:39.300
 when the Holy Spirit

00:13:39.300 --> 00:13:40.440
 overshadows Mary.

00:13:40.440 --> 00:13:43.300
 She didn't ask

00:13:43.300 --> 00:13:43.600
 for it

00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:44.800
 she didn't desire it

00:13:44.800 --> 00:13:46.640
 she humanly speaking

00:13:46.640 --> 00:13:47.740
 had no role in it

00:13:47.740 --> 00:13:50.060
 but she is chosen

00:13:50.060 --> 00:13:50.600
 by God

00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:51.140
 to be a part

00:13:51.140 --> 00:13:51.680
 of the greatest

00:13:51.680 --> 00:13:52.960
 miracle ever seen

00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:54.960
 and she believes it

00:13:54.960 --> 00:13:56.060
 because she knows

00:13:56.060 --> 00:13:56.620
 the God

00:13:56.620 --> 00:13:57.620
 who promised it.

00:13:59.720 --> 00:14:00.020
 I don't know

00:14:00.020 --> 00:14:00.400
 if you've seen

00:14:00.400 --> 00:14:01.140
 but the supermarket

00:14:01.140 --> 00:14:01.720
 Shane Little

00:14:01.720 --> 00:14:02.280
 has a

00:14:02.280 --> 00:14:03.980
 has a Christmas

00:14:03.980 --> 00:14:04.580
 slogan

00:14:04.580 --> 00:14:05.540
 this year

00:14:05.540 --> 00:14:06.360
 a Christmas

00:14:06.360 --> 00:14:07.540
 you can believe in.

00:14:10.440 --> 00:14:11.200
 No

00:14:11.200 --> 00:14:12.900
 we have a surprise

00:14:12.900 --> 00:14:13.360
 for them

00:14:13.360 --> 00:14:16.380
 an all powerful

00:14:16.380 --> 00:14:16.920
 God

00:14:16.920 --> 00:14:18.380
 promising to provide

00:14:18.380 --> 00:14:18.940
 a saviour

00:14:18.940 --> 00:14:20.140
 for the human race

00:14:20.140 --> 00:14:21.160
 who will rule

00:14:21.160 --> 00:14:21.580
 forever

00:14:21.580 --> 00:14:23.320
 and who can create

00:14:23.320 --> 00:14:24.040
 life where there

00:14:24.040 --> 00:14:24.580
 was none

00:14:24.580 --> 00:14:25.760
 or where it's

00:14:25.760 --> 00:14:26.760
 utterly impossible

00:14:26.760 --> 00:14:28.840
 is more believable

00:14:28.840 --> 00:14:30.460
 than a promise

00:14:30.460 --> 00:14:31.000
 of happiness

00:14:31.000 --> 00:14:32.440
 because of low prices

00:14:32.440 --> 00:14:33.420
 for Christmas crackers

00:14:33.420 --> 00:14:35.180
 and stolen bites.

00:14:35.179 --> 00:14:39.039
 and I think

00:14:39.039 --> 00:14:39.459
 the problem

00:14:39.459 --> 00:14:39.919
 for us

00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:40.559
 might be

00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:42.799
 closer to home

00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:45.939
 we might even

00:14:45.939 --> 00:14:46.979
 be able to believe

00:14:46.979 --> 00:14:47.539
 that Jesus

00:14:47.539 --> 00:14:48.179
 is the son

00:14:48.179 --> 00:14:49.399
 Jesus is the son

00:14:49.399 --> 00:14:49.819
 of God

00:14:49.819 --> 00:14:50.219
 and that he

00:14:50.219 --> 00:14:50.879
 became man

00:14:50.879 --> 00:14:53.019
 that he was

00:14:53.019 --> 00:14:53.559
 the promised

00:14:53.559 --> 00:14:54.059
 saviour

00:14:54.059 --> 00:14:54.879
 Israel had

00:14:54.879 --> 00:14:55.579
 waited for

00:14:55.579 --> 00:14:57.179
 and who all

00:14:57.179 --> 00:14:57.739
 the prophets

00:14:57.739 --> 00:14:58.599
 and John the

00:14:58.599 --> 00:14:58.899
 Baptist

00:14:58.899 --> 00:14:59.479
 included

00:14:59.479 --> 00:15:00.679
 promised

00:15:00.679 --> 00:15:04.019
 but when we

00:15:04.019 --> 00:15:04.819
 hear that our

00:15:04.819 --> 00:15:05.659
 sin can be

00:15:05.659 --> 00:15:06.120
 forgiven

00:15:06.120 --> 00:15:08.739
 that this

00:15:08.739 --> 00:15:09.379
 promised son

00:15:09.379 --> 00:15:10.039
 took it all

00:15:10.039 --> 00:15:10.799
 upon him

00:15:10.799 --> 00:15:13.579
 we forget

00:15:13.579 --> 00:15:14.279
 who he is

00:15:14.279 --> 00:15:15.599
 and react

00:15:15.599 --> 00:15:16.120
 more like

00:15:16.120 --> 00:15:16.879
 Zechariah

00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:18.319
 when he

00:15:18.319 --> 00:15:19.099
 was promised

00:15:19.099 --> 00:15:19.819
 the impossible

00:15:19.819 --> 00:15:22.620
 many people

00:15:22.620 --> 00:15:23.219
 wouldn't argue

00:15:23.219 --> 00:15:23.899
 with who Jesus

00:15:23.899 --> 00:15:25.240
 is or deny

00:15:25.240 --> 00:15:26.019
 that he is

00:15:26.019 --> 00:15:26.779
 the son of God

00:15:26.779 --> 00:15:27.419
 come to be a

00:15:27.419 --> 00:15:27.719
 man

00:15:27.720 --> 00:15:30.019
 but they

00:15:30.019 --> 00:15:30.800
 won't be able

00:15:30.800 --> 00:15:31.340
 to believe

00:15:31.340 --> 00:15:31.899
 that all

00:15:31.899 --> 00:15:32.420
 they have to

00:15:32.420 --> 00:15:32.840
 do to be

00:15:32.840 --> 00:15:33.220
 saved

00:15:33.220 --> 00:15:33.840
 is to believe

00:15:33.840 --> 00:15:34.240
 that the

00:15:34.240 --> 00:15:35.019
 son of God

00:15:35.019 --> 00:15:36.120
 died for

00:15:36.120 --> 00:15:36.440
 them

00:15:36.440 --> 00:15:37.440
 and that if

00:15:37.440 --> 00:15:37.860
 they believe

00:15:37.860 --> 00:15:38.160
 in him

00:15:38.160 --> 00:15:38.639
 they too

00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:39.420
 will rise

00:15:39.420 --> 00:15:39.759
 from the

00:15:39.759 --> 00:15:40.019
 dead

00:15:40.019 --> 00:15:43.639
 they might

00:15:43.639 --> 00:15:43.940
 think

00:15:43.940 --> 00:15:44.460
 and this

00:15:44.460 --> 00:15:44.879
 might be

00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:45.500
 you today

00:15:45.500 --> 00:15:46.960
 that they'll

00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:47.620
 never be able

00:15:47.620 --> 00:15:48.060
 to break

00:15:48.060 --> 00:15:48.460
 from their

00:15:48.460 --> 00:15:48.720
 sin

00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:50.740
 never be able

00:15:50.740 --> 00:15:51.420
 to change

00:15:51.420 --> 00:15:52.660
 never be able

00:15:52.660 --> 00:15:53.259
 to be saved

00:15:53.259 --> 00:15:53.700
 because of

00:15:53.700 --> 00:15:54.060
 what they've

00:15:54.060 --> 00:15:54.320
 done

00:15:54.320 --> 00:15:55.420
 that it's

00:15:55.420 --> 00:15:56.100
 too great

00:15:56.100 --> 00:15:56.960
 too much

00:15:56.960 --> 00:15:57.920
 and too

00:15:57.920 --> 00:15:58.340
 bad

00:15:58.340 --> 00:16:00.860
 that seems

00:16:00.860 --> 00:16:01.220
 like an

00:16:01.220 --> 00:16:01.820
 impossible

00:16:01.820 --> 00:16:02.400
 promise

00:16:02.400 --> 00:16:04.000
 to many

00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:04.740
 many people

00:16:04.740 --> 00:16:06.639
 but

00:16:06.639 --> 00:16:07.740
 thinking that

00:16:07.740 --> 00:16:08.420
 forgets that

00:16:08.420 --> 00:16:08.740
 there is

00:16:08.740 --> 00:16:09.320
 right now

00:16:09.320 --> 00:16:10.139
 a man

00:16:10.139 --> 00:16:11.900
 in heaven

00:16:11.900 --> 00:16:13.840
 Jesus Christ

00:16:13.840 --> 00:16:15.000
 was born

00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:15.879
 2000 years

00:16:15.879 --> 00:16:16.460
 ago by the

00:16:16.460 --> 00:16:16.960
 power of the

00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:17.540
 Holy Spirit

00:16:17.540 --> 00:16:18.139
 from a young

00:16:18.139 --> 00:16:18.980
 virgin called

00:16:18.980 --> 00:16:19.320
 Mary

00:16:19.320 --> 00:16:20.480
 who God

00:16:20.480 --> 00:16:21.060
 himself has

00:16:21.060 --> 00:16:21.639
 promised will

00:16:21.639 --> 00:16:22.420
 reign forever

00:16:22.420 --> 00:16:23.740
 and who

00:16:23.740 --> 00:16:24.820
 even death

00:16:24.820 --> 00:16:25.600
 couldn't hold

00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:28.620
 that forgets

00:16:28.620 --> 00:16:29.279
 that he

00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:29.860
 promised

00:16:29.860 --> 00:16:30.700
 that whoever

00:16:30.700 --> 00:16:31.320
 believes in

00:16:31.320 --> 00:16:31.800
 him will be

00:16:31.800 --> 00:16:32.259
 saved

00:16:32.259 --> 00:16:33.920
 it forgets

00:16:33.920 --> 00:16:34.399
 that he

00:16:34.399 --> 00:16:35.180
 promised he

00:16:35.180 --> 00:16:36.100
 will intercede

00:16:36.100 --> 00:16:36.940
 for us

00:16:36.940 --> 00:16:38.200
 right now

00:16:38.200 --> 00:16:40.580
 it forgets

00:16:40.580 --> 00:16:41.060
 that when he

00:16:41.060 --> 00:16:41.779
 promises to

00:16:41.779 --> 00:16:42.460
 raise those

00:16:42.460 --> 00:16:42.840
 who believe

00:16:42.840 --> 00:16:43.279
 in him to

00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:44.040
 eternal life

00:16:44.040 --> 00:16:45.080
 he has

00:16:45.080 --> 00:16:46.120
 already gone

00:16:46.120 --> 00:16:46.960
 before us

00:16:46.960 --> 00:16:47.899
 all things

00:16:47.899 --> 00:16:48.460
 that seem

00:16:48.460 --> 00:16:49.060
 impossible

00:16:49.060 --> 00:16:50.899
 but it has

00:16:50.899 --> 00:16:51.259
 happened

00:16:51.259 --> 00:16:53.159
 it's natural

00:16:53.159 --> 00:16:53.720
 for us to

00:16:53.720 --> 00:16:54.100
 look at our

00:16:54.100 --> 00:16:54.539
 own hearts

00:16:54.539 --> 00:16:55.200
 and think

00:16:55.200 --> 00:16:55.620
 we can't

00:16:55.620 --> 00:16:56.139
 be saved

00:16:56.139 --> 00:16:57.679
 if we're

00:16:57.679 --> 00:16:58.120
 honest about

00:16:58.120 --> 00:16:58.419
 what we

00:16:58.419 --> 00:16:58.759
 know about

00:16:58.759 --> 00:16:59.200
 ourselves

00:16:59.200 --> 00:16:59.919
 we wouldn't

00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:00.879
 save ourselves

00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:02.259
 very often

00:17:02.259 --> 00:17:04.559
 but like

00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:05.160
 Mary

00:17:05.160 --> 00:17:06.799
 faced with

00:17:06.799 --> 00:17:07.480
 impossible

00:17:07.480 --> 00:17:08.160
 promises

00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:11.180
 we need to

00:17:11.180 --> 00:17:11.579
 look at

00:17:11.579 --> 00:17:12.440
 who makes

00:17:12.440 --> 00:17:13.359
 those promises

00:17:13.359 --> 00:17:15.259
 rather than

00:17:15.259 --> 00:17:15.839
 what we

00:17:15.839 --> 00:17:16.440
 think is

00:17:16.440 --> 00:17:16.960
 possible

00:17:16.960 --> 00:17:18.900
 because we're

00:17:18.900 --> 00:17:19.500
 rarely a good

00:17:19.500 --> 00:17:20.180
 judge of what

00:17:20.180 --> 00:17:20.820
 is possible

00:17:20.820 --> 00:17:21.480
 if we're

00:17:21.480 --> 00:17:21.960
 honest about

00:17:21.960 --> 00:17:22.360
 that as

00:17:22.360 --> 00:17:22.640
 well

00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:24.039
 Elsa Mandela

00:17:24.039 --> 00:17:24.519
 said it's

00:17:24.519 --> 00:17:25.220
 always impossible

00:17:25.220 --> 00:17:25.799
 until it's

00:17:25.799 --> 00:17:26.080
 done

00:17:26.080 --> 00:17:28.980
 to paraphrase

00:17:28.980 --> 00:17:29.299
 that

00:17:29.299 --> 00:17:30.320
 Jesus being

00:17:30.320 --> 00:17:31.080
 conceived in

00:17:31.080 --> 00:17:31.539
 this way

00:17:31.539 --> 00:17:32.320
 reminds us

00:17:32.320 --> 00:17:33.380
 that it is

00:17:33.380 --> 00:17:33.940
 impossible

00:17:33.940 --> 00:17:34.759
 unless it's

00:17:34.759 --> 00:17:35.279
 God doing

00:17:35.279 --> 00:17:35.620
 it

00:17:35.620 --> 00:17:38.240
 and then the

00:17:38.240 --> 00:17:38.740
 great

00:17:38.740 --> 00:17:40.299
 comfort to

00:17:40.299 --> 00:17:40.740
 us

00:17:40.740 --> 00:17:43.240
 as Paul

00:17:43.240 --> 00:17:43.779
 writes in

00:17:43.779 --> 00:17:44.320
 2 Corinthians

00:17:44.320 --> 00:17:44.779
 1

00:17:44.779 --> 00:17:46.160
 all the

00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:46.740
 promises of

00:17:46.740 --> 00:17:47.000
 God

00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:47.539
 find their

00:17:47.539 --> 00:17:47.920
 guess

00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:49.140
 in Jesus

00:17:49.140 --> 00:17:51.180
 so this

00:17:51.180 --> 00:17:51.640
 Christmas

00:17:51.640 --> 00:17:52.600
 let's consider

00:17:52.600 --> 00:17:53.180
 how God

00:17:53.180 --> 00:17:54.259
 has shown

00:17:54.259 --> 00:17:55.020
 us favour

00:17:55.020 --> 00:17:56.140
 us

00:17:56.140 --> 00:17:57.600
 undeserving

00:17:57.600 --> 00:17:58.180
 people

00:17:58.180 --> 00:18:00.560
 done nothing

00:18:00.560 --> 00:18:01.060
 to deserve

00:18:01.060 --> 00:18:01.560
 his favour

00:18:01.560 --> 00:18:02.340
 like Mary

00:18:02.340 --> 00:18:03.420
 by fulfilling

00:18:03.420 --> 00:18:04.040
 for us

00:18:04.040 --> 00:18:04.900
 an impossible

00:18:04.900 --> 00:18:05.480
 promise

00:18:05.480 --> 00:18:07.540
 let's believe

00:18:07.540 --> 00:18:08.180
 that promise

00:18:08.180 --> 00:18:08.820
 and say

00:18:08.820 --> 00:18:09.440
 with Mary

00:18:09.440 --> 00:18:10.720
 behold

00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:12.620
 we are the

00:18:12.620 --> 00:18:13.140
 servants of

00:18:13.140 --> 00:18:13.580
 the Lord

00:18:13.580 --> 00:18:14.920
 let it be

00:18:14.920 --> 00:18:15.500
 to us

00:18:15.500 --> 00:18:16.700
 according to

00:18:16.700 --> 00:18:17.380
 your word

00:18:17.380 --> 00:18:18.900
 Amen

00:18:18.900 --> 00:18:21.960
 let's pray