WEBVTT

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 You won't find tell of a king killing innocent children,

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 of a community devastated,

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 of Jesus' family having to flee as refugees.

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 But we're being reminded here that from the very beginning

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 of the life of Jesus, there was a cost to him

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 in becoming Emmanuel, God with us.

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 We're reminded that Jesus left the glory of heaven

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 and he had this very humble birth in the stable.

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 And from his earliest days,

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 there was a sense of spiritual opposition and battle

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 wherever Jesus was.

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 Now, given that the gospel writers are really selective

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 about what they tell us about the early years of Jesus.

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 So you read Luke and you read Matthew,

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 you don't discover very much.

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 We need to ask ourselves,

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 why does Matthew record this particular story?

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 I think it helps us to see two themes

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 that we can trace through Matthew's gospel.

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 We see Jesus at the center of a spiritual battle

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 and we see that Jesus fulfills the purpose and the plan of God.

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 So we're going to see how these things work out in our text.

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 First of all, we're going to think about Jesus and spiritual battle.

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 Now, boys and girls, I don't know if you've ever realized

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 how many of our favorite stories are about a battle

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 between the good guys and the bad guys.

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 So we can think about that from stories like the three little pigs.

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 They're the good guys.

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 The big bad wolf, he's the bad guy.

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 We can think about a story like Star Wars,

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 where there's loads of good guys, loads of bad guys.

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 But we are all in our hearts.

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 What we really want when we read these stories

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 is we want good to win, don't we?

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 We want the good guys to win.

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 We want the bad guys to be defeated.

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 There is this story of good and evil that we enjoy

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 because we want to see good win.

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 And that's really important to the story of Jesus.

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 Jesus is God's good and true king

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 and he's come to defeat all that is bad and all that is evil.

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 And so we find when we've read the first two chapters of Matthew,

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 we discover that the Christmas story is full of the supernatural.

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 And we discover that God is at work

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 and that God sends angels and the angels bring messages.

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 We find that Jesus comes by the power of God's spirit

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 to become Emmanuel, God with us.

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 But we also discover in this passage that the devil is active,

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 that there is spiritual attack, there's spiritual battle going on.

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 In fact, one way to read the Bible

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 is to read the Bible as the history of spiritual warfare.

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 We can go all the way back to the beginning of the Bible

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 when everything was perfect.

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 There was Adam and Eve, but then the snake came,

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 that the devil came in the serpent.

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 He came as the destroyer.

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 He came as the deceiver to pull Adam and Eve away

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 from trusting the word of God

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 to believing that God was holding back something good from them.

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 So begins the fall into sin.

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 And so we begin to see this battle of good and evil

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 that then plays out throughout the Bible history

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 and throughout the history of the world.

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 We see the devil often working through anti-God figures

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 to fight against, to destroy God's purposes and God's people.

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 Here in our story, who's the anti-God figure?

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 It's King Herod.

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 Read with me again what the angels say in verse 13.

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 The angel comes to Joseph,

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 get up, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt.

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 Stay there until I tell you,

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 for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.

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 Herod has heard that God's promised king has come

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 and he wants to get rid of this king.

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 Verse 16.

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 When Herod realized that he'd been outwitted by the Magi,

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 he was furious and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem

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 and its vicinity who were two years old and under.

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 Here is a king who devastates a community

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 in order to hang on to power,

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 in order to try and get rid of God's king, Jesus.

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 Here is Herod killing, historians will tell us,

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 maybe between 20 and 30 innocent little baby boys

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 in order to hold on to power.

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 Actually, we discover this is quite in keeping

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 with Herod's character.

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 Herod, the king, killed three of his own sons

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 to make sure he could remain king,

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 killed 300 of his court officials

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 because he was worried about conspiracy.

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 Here is a man who will do anything to stay in power

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 so he wants to get rid of Jesus.

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 So when we read a passage like this,

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 we're reading a story of intense spiritual battle.

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 Herod is the human player,

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 but we discover that Jesus is in the devil's sights here.

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 If we can kill God's king, we can kill God's good purposes.

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 That is the way the devil seeks to operate.

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 So as we read the story,

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 we read with a sense of threat and urgency,

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 but we also saw that in this battle between good and evil,

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 God protects and saves his own son.

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 And he does it in a variety of different ways.

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 He uses the angels to deliver these messages

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 to keep Jesus safe.

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 He uses his own mother and father,

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 Joseph and Mary,

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 in order to keep Jesus safe.

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 But again, the question,

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 why does Matthew focus on these horrible events?

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 Why not move from his birth to his public ministry?

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 Well, it reminds us, doesn't it,

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 that from the very beginning,

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 the forces of darkness are lining up against Jesus.

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 And we see it as he begins his public ministry,

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 as Jesus is out in the wilderness.

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 He then is faced with the devil coming and tempting him.

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 We find as Jesus moves around in various communities,

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 engaged in his ministry,

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 that he's often confronted by evil spirits.

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 There is this sense of tension between good and evil.

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 And then we get to the cross, of course,

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 where we see the devil causing Judas to betray Jesus.

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 And we find the Jewish religious leaders

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 conspiring together to get rid of Jesus.

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 We find the Roman authorities agreeing to get rid of Jesus.

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 And so we've got this union,

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 this conspiracy of evil.

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 But at the same time,

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 we're being reminded that God is in control.

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 Herod is full of threat,

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 but Herod's threat fails.

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 Herod wanted to kill Jesus,

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 but notice twice in verse 15,

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 then verse 19,

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 we're told very simply after Herod died,

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 when Herod died.

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 Herod died,

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 Jesus still alive.

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 God's purpose continues.

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 And actually,

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 Herod's schemes,

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 the devil's schemes,

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 serve to fulfill prophecy.

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 So as Mary and Joseph and Jesus flee to Egypt,

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 so was fulfilled,

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 verse 15,

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 what the Lord had said through the prophet,

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 out of Egypt I called my son.

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 God is in control.

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 God is in control.

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 Even in the political situation,

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 Joseph and Mary and Jesus come back.

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 They're worried about Archelaus,

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 verse 22.

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 They go and move to Nazareth instead of to Judea.

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 And again,

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 that's fulfilling prophecy.

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 So think about this for Matthew's first readers.

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 What is he trying to say to them?

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 He's saying to them,

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 have courage.

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 God is in control.

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 God's purposes are accomplished.

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 As they begin to face trouble,

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 they are living as a Christian community.

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 Take heart.

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 God is in control.

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 At every point in the story of Jesus,

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 there is victory.

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 So here,

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 when Herod tries to destroy him,

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 he's kept safe.

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 When the devil comes to tempt Jesus,

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 he remains faithful.

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 He resists temptation by the power of God's word.

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 The demons confront him,

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 and he drives the demons out.

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 And then on the cross,

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 when it looked like Jesus was facing defeat,

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 we're told that that's the point

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 where Jesus wins a decisive victory,

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 that he defeats and disarms

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 the power of Satan and sin and death.

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 The eternal plan of God is accomplished.

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 So again,

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 the message from Matthew is,

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 take courage.

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 If your faith is in Jesus,

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 you're on the winning side.

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 There will be battle.

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 There will be opposition.

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 But just as Jesus won,

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 so if your faith is in Jesus,

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 so you are on the winning side.

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 Some points of application for us.

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 When we look around the world,

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 we see that spiritual battle

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 still rages on.

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 Maybe you saw on the BBC or elsewhere,

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 the reports on raids taking place

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 on some of the house churches in China.

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 Again, we're seeing a crackdown

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 from the government.

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 We're seeing members and ministers

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 being arrested.

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 We need to remember to pray

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 for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ,

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 but also to remember that God continues

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 to build his church,

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 even while facing opposition.

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 But that spiritual battle

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 doesn't just rage on in the world,

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 it also rages in our own hearts.

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 I was reminded of a quote this week

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 from C.S. Lewis's Screwtape Letters,

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 fictional conversations

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 between a senior devil Screwtape

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 and a junior devil Wormwood.

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 And one of the things

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 that Screwtape says is this,

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 it's funny how mortals always picture us

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 putting things into their minds.

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 In reality, our best work is done

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 by keeping things out.

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 So part of the spiritual battle,

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 part of what the devil wants to do

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 is he wants to, for example,

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 distract us

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 so we don't think about eternal things.

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 So we think about the goodness of God

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 we're so busy thinking about here and now.

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 He wants to keep things out

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 so that we can even come to church

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 and have religion,

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 but have it without Christ

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 and without salvation

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 and without the joy of the gospel.

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 That the devil would try and keep things

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 like a sense of guilt

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 and conviction of sin

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 out of our hearts and our minds

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 so we never repent

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 and turn back to God.

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 So there's this battle that's going on,

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 not just out there,

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 but also in our own hearts and lives.

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 As one Bible commentator says,

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 if we are determined

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 to get our own way at all costs,

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 we will go to any length

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 to eliminate all trace of Jesus

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 and his claims on our lives.

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 I wonder if that's our internal battle

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 just now,

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 trying to get rid of the claims of Jesus,

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 trying to shut him out.

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 But you know,

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 the battle also goes on

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 in Christian hearts too.

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 That yes, Jesus has won a victory

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 and yes, we are redeemed,

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 but still that battle still goes on.

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 One example of this,

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 just to make it practical for us,

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 is think about our attitude

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 towards, let's say, Bible reading.

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 So Jesus said,

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 anyone who loves me

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 will obey my teaching.

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 John 14, 23.

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 So there's a connection

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 between love for Jesus

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 and the word of God.

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 To lose interest in the Bible, therefore,

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 is to lose interest in God.

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 Now, as we as Christians

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 reflect on our own

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 spiritual life and experience,

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 either now or in the past,

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 I imagine most of us,

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 maybe all of us,

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 have had times when

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 reading the Bible was hard,

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 where it was the last thing

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 that we wanted to do,

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 where we did it out of a sense of duty,

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 but not of a sense of joy,

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 because we would meet God then.

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 There is spiritual battle

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 in our hearts all the time

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 to fight against sin,

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 to fight to desire God above other things.

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 And it's important for us

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 to be realistic about that.

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 Some people have the idea

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 that when I come to Jesus,

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 when I become a Christian,

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 everything will become wonderful,

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 that life will become perfect.

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 But the Bible is full of the language

00:13:33.740 --> 00:13:34.819
 of battle and warfare,

00:13:34.820 --> 00:13:36.460
 and that's much more realistic

00:13:36.460 --> 00:13:39.140
 of what happens in our own hearts.

00:13:40.180 --> 00:13:40.920
 Boys and girls,

00:13:41.020 --> 00:13:43.180
 I don't know if you went

00:13:43.180 --> 00:13:46.320
 ice skating this Christmas.

00:13:46.680 --> 00:13:47.440
 I don't know if you went down

00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:48.580
 to the skating rink

00:13:48.580 --> 00:13:49.860
 at St. Andrew's Square.

00:13:50.420 --> 00:13:52.600
 I went down to watch,

00:13:52.700 --> 00:13:53.980
 not to skate,

00:13:54.120 --> 00:13:55.540
 because that would have gone badly for me.

00:13:55.860 --> 00:13:56.820
 But one thing that I noticed,

00:13:56.900 --> 00:13:58.000
 I was there for just like

00:13:58.000 --> 00:13:58.660
 two or three minutes,

00:13:58.740 --> 00:14:02.580
 you notice two types of skaters.

00:14:03.400 --> 00:14:04.160
 You see the ones

00:14:04.160 --> 00:14:05.340
 who are obviously very accomplished,

00:14:05.980 --> 00:14:07.379
 and they kind of glide along.

00:14:07.740 --> 00:14:09.720
 You get the odd spin here and there.

00:14:10.020 --> 00:14:11.740
 It looks really simple.

00:14:12.160 --> 00:14:13.060
 You'd watch them and think,

00:14:13.720 --> 00:14:14.960
 wow, it looks so straightforward.

00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:15.900
 But then,

00:14:16.500 --> 00:14:17.740
 you'd see the other people,

00:14:17.960 --> 00:14:19.720
 and they'd be gripping on to the side,

00:14:19.980 --> 00:14:21.660
 and the skates would be slipping

00:14:21.660 --> 00:14:22.280
 all the time,

00:14:22.280 --> 00:14:23.900
 and you felt like there was just moments

00:14:23.900 --> 00:14:25.200
 before they were going to hit the deck.

00:14:26.400 --> 00:14:28.700
 When it comes to the Christian life,

00:14:29.620 --> 00:14:32.420
 do we expect that it's about gliding along,

00:14:32.580 --> 00:14:35.259
 or do we expect it to be a battle

00:14:35.259 --> 00:14:37.400
 to get ourselves to the finish?

00:14:37.900 --> 00:14:40.060
 It's important for us to be realistic.

00:14:40.360 --> 00:14:43.040
 It's a battle to trust God.

00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:44.879
 It's a battle to obey,

00:14:45.820 --> 00:14:47.900
 but it's a battle that's well worth fighting.

00:14:48.259 --> 00:14:50.060
 And there's good news for us.

00:14:50.420 --> 00:14:51.560
 There's good news for us

00:14:51.560 --> 00:14:54.040
 because we remember that the victory

00:14:54.040 --> 00:14:56.500
 has been won by our King,

00:14:56.560 --> 00:14:57.480
 by King Jesus,

00:14:57.800 --> 00:15:00.640
 on the cross and through His resurrection.

00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:03.139
 And so to give us an image

00:15:03.139 --> 00:15:05.080
 from Pilgrim's Progress,

00:15:05.319 --> 00:15:06.919
 maybe you've read Pilgrim's Progress.

00:15:08.299 --> 00:15:10.580
 One of the images there for Christian

00:15:10.580 --> 00:15:11.939
 as he's on this pilgrimage

00:15:11.939 --> 00:15:15.460
 is that while our enemies are real,

00:15:15.799 --> 00:15:17.259
 and that battle is real,

00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:20.240
 they're like lions that are chained.

00:15:20.759 --> 00:15:21.819
 So there is fear,

00:15:22.019 --> 00:15:23.100
 and there is attack,

00:15:23.319 --> 00:15:24.419
 but we need to remember

00:15:24.419 --> 00:15:26.639
 that those enemies are chained,

00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:30.500
 that the battle has been won by Jesus.

00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:33.679
 So that's something of Jesus

00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:35.080
 and spiritual battle.

00:15:35.559 --> 00:15:36.980
 Let's now think together

00:15:36.980 --> 00:15:40.500
 about Jesus and the purposes of God.

00:15:40.740 --> 00:15:42.179
 One of the things that we discover

00:15:42.179 --> 00:15:43.559
 in Matthew's Gospel

00:15:43.559 --> 00:15:45.699
 is so many times we find

00:15:45.699 --> 00:15:48.080
 reference to the Old Testament.

00:15:48.340 --> 00:15:49.580
 Jesus as fulfillment

00:15:49.580 --> 00:15:50.639
 of Old Testament prophecies.

00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:54.139
 So three times we're told

00:15:54.139 --> 00:15:55.199
 in our passage here,

00:15:55.580 --> 00:15:56.960
 so was fulfilled

00:15:56.960 --> 00:15:58.279
 what the Lord had said

00:15:58.279 --> 00:15:58.919
 through His prophet.

00:15:59.059 --> 00:16:00.259
 So let's think about those

00:16:00.259 --> 00:16:01.919
 three things that we discover.

00:16:02.340 --> 00:16:03.179
 What do they say

00:16:03.179 --> 00:16:04.639
 about God's purposes?

00:16:04.799 --> 00:16:05.799
 So verse 15,

00:16:06.879 --> 00:16:08.740
 just to remind ourselves,

00:16:10.080 --> 00:16:11.399
 so was fulfilled

00:16:11.399 --> 00:16:12.879
 what the Lord had said

00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:13.819
 through the prophet,

00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:16.039
 out of Egypt

00:16:16.039 --> 00:16:18.500
 I called my son.

00:16:19.860 --> 00:16:21.639
 Okay, first thing to realize,

00:16:22.120 --> 00:16:25.480
 Jesus comes as God's Savior.

00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:27.299
 Now again, boys and girls,

00:16:27.439 --> 00:16:29.259
 I don't know if you've noticed this.

00:16:29.379 --> 00:16:30.039
 Adults, I don't know

00:16:30.039 --> 00:16:30.959
 if you've noticed this either.

00:16:30.959 --> 00:16:32.219
 How similar

00:16:32.219 --> 00:16:35.199
 some of the early stories

00:16:35.199 --> 00:16:37.139
 of Moses and Jesus are.

00:16:38.199 --> 00:16:40.019
 Remember the story of Moses

00:16:40.019 --> 00:16:41.240
 when he was born?

00:16:41.659 --> 00:16:43.000
 There was a king, wasn't there?

00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:44.500
 He was called Pharaoh,

00:16:44.500 --> 00:16:46.320
 and he wanted to get rid of

00:16:46.320 --> 00:16:47.779
 all the baby boys

00:16:47.779 --> 00:16:49.299
 who were born to the Israelites.

00:16:49.419 --> 00:16:50.500
 And so what had to happen?

00:16:51.039 --> 00:16:53.039
 Moses had to be put in a basket

00:16:53.039 --> 00:16:54.500
 to be kept safe

00:16:54.500 --> 00:16:55.480
 from a king

00:16:55.480 --> 00:16:57.740
 who wanted to get rid of him.

00:16:58.779 --> 00:17:00.419
 Now that's just like Jesus,

00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:00.899
 isn't it?

00:17:01.559 --> 00:17:03.340
 Just as Moses would grow up

00:17:03.340 --> 00:17:05.160
 to be God's chosen deliverer,

00:17:05.440 --> 00:17:06.599
 so Jesus would grow up

00:17:06.599 --> 00:17:09.339
 to be God's chosen deliverer.

00:17:09.759 --> 00:17:11.180
 And then we know the story

00:17:11.180 --> 00:17:11.839
 of what happened

00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:12.940
 when Moses grew up.

00:17:13.539 --> 00:17:14.279
 God said to him,

00:17:14.500 --> 00:17:15.440
 go to Pharaoh

00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:16.059
 and say,

00:17:16.140 --> 00:17:17.140
 let my people go.

00:17:17.259 --> 00:17:18.059
 And it was Moses

00:17:18.059 --> 00:17:18.940
 who was chosen

00:17:18.940 --> 00:17:20.480
 to lead Israel

00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:21.920
 out of slavery

00:17:21.920 --> 00:17:23.859
 into freedom

00:17:23.859 --> 00:17:25.920
 to become the people of God.

00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:26.839
 And again,

00:17:27.019 --> 00:17:29.339
 that's just like Jesus.

00:17:29.980 --> 00:17:32.279
 Jesus comes to set us free

00:17:32.279 --> 00:17:34.099
 from a slavery far worse

00:17:34.099 --> 00:17:35.140
 than being worked to death

00:17:35.140 --> 00:17:35.579
 in Egypt,

00:17:36.539 --> 00:17:37.779
 slavery to sin,

00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:40.240
 where we can't know God,

00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:41.720
 where we're far from God,

00:17:41.819 --> 00:17:44.019
 where we're under the guilt of God,

00:17:44.599 --> 00:17:45.619
 Jesus sets us free

00:17:45.619 --> 00:17:47.579
 because he breaks the power of sin

00:17:47.579 --> 00:17:49.400
 and he enables us then

00:17:49.400 --> 00:17:53.279
 to become the children of God.

00:17:55.319 --> 00:17:57.799
 So we discover the connection there

00:17:57.799 --> 00:17:58.900
 between the story of Moses

00:17:58.900 --> 00:18:00.299
 and the story of Jesus.

00:18:00.299 --> 00:18:01.859
 The great saving event

00:18:01.859 --> 00:18:02.579
 in the Old Testament,

00:18:02.700 --> 00:18:03.119
 the Exodus,

00:18:03.879 --> 00:18:04.960
 prepares the way

00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:06.139
 for the salvation

00:18:06.139 --> 00:18:07.379
 that Jesus comes to bring.

00:18:07.380 --> 00:18:09.220
 Now, if you notice

00:18:09.220 --> 00:18:10.080
 in your footnote,

00:18:10.940 --> 00:18:12.860
 this is a quotation

00:18:12.860 --> 00:18:14.420
 from Hosea,

00:18:14.500 --> 00:18:15.660
 Hosea chapter 11,

00:18:16.060 --> 00:18:17.100
 verse 1.

00:18:17.760 --> 00:18:20.320
 That prophecy from Hosea,

00:18:20.560 --> 00:18:21.440
 that quotation,

00:18:21.980 --> 00:18:24.120
 it sees Israel being rebuked

00:18:24.120 --> 00:18:26.160
 for being an unfaithful son.

00:18:26.900 --> 00:18:27.120
 It says,

00:18:27.119 --> 00:18:27.739
 out of Egypt,

00:18:27.859 --> 00:18:28.979
 I called my son,

00:18:29.319 --> 00:18:30.519
 but the more I called,

00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:32.419
 the further they went,

00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:34.419
 trusting in false gods,

00:18:34.839 --> 00:18:35.859
 guilty of injustice

00:18:35.859 --> 00:18:37.479
 and walking away from God.

00:18:38.059 --> 00:18:39.399
 We discover that they

00:18:39.399 --> 00:18:40.779
 were not

00:18:40.779 --> 00:18:42.679
 living

00:18:42.679 --> 00:18:44.259
 with faith

00:18:44.259 --> 00:18:45.219
 and obedience

00:18:45.219 --> 00:18:46.500
 towards God

00:18:46.500 --> 00:18:47.179
 who would be

00:18:47.179 --> 00:18:48.919
 their father.

00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:50.979
 And what we understand

00:18:50.979 --> 00:18:52.859
 is that their failure

00:18:52.859 --> 00:18:55.759
 is our failure too.

00:18:56.599 --> 00:18:57.059
 When we look

00:18:57.059 --> 00:18:57.799
 at our own hearts,

00:18:57.899 --> 00:18:58.419
 we discover

00:18:58.419 --> 00:18:59.879
 that not one of us

00:18:59.879 --> 00:19:00.919
 can say that we have been

00:19:00.919 --> 00:19:02.019
 perfectly faithful,

00:19:02.619 --> 00:19:03.419
 that we've perfectly

00:19:03.419 --> 00:19:04.199
 followed God,

00:19:04.279 --> 00:19:04.919
 that we've perfectly

00:19:04.919 --> 00:19:05.859
 loved God.

00:19:06.299 --> 00:19:07.219
 All of us have

00:19:07.219 --> 00:19:08.659
 gone astray.

00:19:09.699 --> 00:19:10.279
 So then the Bible

00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:11.159
 would say all of us

00:19:11.159 --> 00:19:12.619
 by nature are slaves

00:19:12.619 --> 00:19:13.079
 to sin

00:19:13.079 --> 00:19:14.439
 and we cannot break free

00:19:14.439 --> 00:19:16.119
 from that slavery.

00:19:17.459 --> 00:19:18.839
 But Jesus comes,

00:19:18.939 --> 00:19:19.879
 thinking about the story

00:19:19.879 --> 00:19:21.099
 of Moses,

00:19:21.359 --> 00:19:22.599
 Jesus comes to be

00:19:22.599 --> 00:19:24.659
 our rescuer.

00:19:25.500 --> 00:19:26.500
 Jesus comes to be

00:19:26.500 --> 00:19:28.099
 our Passover lamb.

00:19:28.399 --> 00:19:29.219
 He is killed

00:19:29.219 --> 00:19:30.139
 so that the judgment

00:19:30.139 --> 00:19:31.799
 that should fall on us

00:19:31.799 --> 00:19:33.299
 falls on Jesus

00:19:33.299 --> 00:19:34.899
 so that we can be set free.

00:19:37.240 --> 00:19:37.919
 Jesus is our

00:19:37.919 --> 00:19:39.079
 perfect representative,

00:19:39.319 --> 00:19:40.559
 perfectly obedient for us,

00:19:40.639 --> 00:19:41.559
 goes ahead of us.

00:19:41.659 --> 00:19:43.439
 We follow after him

00:19:43.439 --> 00:19:44.339
 and through his

00:19:44.339 --> 00:19:45.339
 perfect sacrifice

00:19:45.339 --> 00:19:46.419
 we have our way

00:19:46.419 --> 00:19:47.539
 to forgiveness

00:19:47.539 --> 00:19:49.219
 and our way

00:19:49.219 --> 00:19:50.299
 to freedom.

00:19:51.059 --> 00:19:52.039
 So Matthew wants us

00:19:52.039 --> 00:19:52.779
 to remember

00:19:52.779 --> 00:19:54.359
 that the story

00:19:54.359 --> 00:19:54.879
 of Jesus

00:19:54.879 --> 00:19:56.119
 is the story

00:19:56.119 --> 00:19:56.940
 of God's Savior

00:19:56.940 --> 00:19:57.339
 coming.

00:19:58.740 --> 00:19:59.960
 Now the second

00:19:59.960 --> 00:20:01.240
 prophecy

00:20:01.240 --> 00:20:03.279
 is in verse 17.

00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:04.839
 Then what was said

00:20:04.839 --> 00:20:05.539
 through the prophet

00:20:05.539 --> 00:20:06.940
 Jeremiah this time

00:20:06.940 --> 00:20:08.279
 was fulfilled.

00:20:09.019 --> 00:20:10.139
 A voice is heard

00:20:10.139 --> 00:20:10.779
 in Ramah

00:20:10.779 --> 00:20:11.339
 weeping

00:20:11.339 --> 00:20:12.460
 and great mourning,

00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:13.759
 Rachel weeping

00:20:13.759 --> 00:20:14.480
 for her children

00:20:14.480 --> 00:20:15.180
 and refusing

00:20:15.180 --> 00:20:16.240
 to be comforted

00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:17.899
 for they are no more.

00:20:17.980 --> 00:20:18.879
 This comes from

00:20:18.879 --> 00:20:20.879
 Jeremiah chapter 31

00:20:20.880 --> 00:20:21.720
 verse 15.

00:20:21.720 --> 00:20:23.680
 The sorrow,

00:20:24.280 --> 00:20:24.900
 the mourning

00:20:24.900 --> 00:20:26.760
 in this context

00:20:26.760 --> 00:20:28.500
 is that God

00:20:28.500 --> 00:20:28.960
 is saying

00:20:28.960 --> 00:20:30.040
 families are going

00:20:30.040 --> 00:20:30.520
 to be taken

00:20:30.520 --> 00:20:31.440
 into exile.

00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:35.620
 But Jeremiah 31

00:20:35.620 --> 00:20:36.500
 as a whole

00:20:36.500 --> 00:20:37.900
 is a reminder

00:20:37.900 --> 00:20:38.620
 that there is hope

00:20:38.620 --> 00:20:39.640
 beyond sorrow.

00:20:40.360 --> 00:20:41.060
 There is a hope

00:20:41.060 --> 00:20:41.880
 beyond sorrow

00:20:41.880 --> 00:20:42.640
 for Israel.

00:20:43.040 --> 00:20:43.540
 There is a hope

00:20:43.540 --> 00:20:44.220
 beyond sorrow

00:20:44.220 --> 00:20:45.140
 for us

00:20:45.140 --> 00:20:47.200
 because of Jesus.

00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:50.240
 In Jeremiah chapter 31

00:20:50.240 --> 00:20:51.819
 although they are told

00:20:51.819 --> 00:20:52.580
 that there will be

00:20:52.580 --> 00:20:53.100
 exile,

00:20:53.279 --> 00:20:53.980
 families will be

00:20:53.980 --> 00:20:54.819
 taken away,

00:20:55.340 --> 00:20:56.400
 there will also be

00:20:56.400 --> 00:20:57.600
 restoration.

00:20:58.539 --> 00:20:59.840
 That God will again

00:20:59.840 --> 00:21:02.100
 show everlasting love

00:21:02.100 --> 00:21:03.420
 to his people.

00:21:03.799 --> 00:21:04.960
 That he will enter

00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:06.600
 into a new covenant

00:21:06.600 --> 00:21:07.920
 with his people.

00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:09.039
 He will write his law

00:21:09.039 --> 00:21:10.799
 on their hearts.

00:21:10.940 --> 00:21:12.600
 So why does Matthew

00:21:12.600 --> 00:21:15.160
 as he reads his Old Testament,

00:21:15.160 --> 00:21:16.880
 why does he apply

00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:17.980
 this text

00:21:17.980 --> 00:21:19.540
 to the situation

00:21:19.540 --> 00:21:20.720
 that we've just read about?

00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:22.880
 Babies being killed

00:21:22.880 --> 00:21:24.360
 in Bethlehem.

00:21:25.380 --> 00:21:26.180
 Well there's sorrow

00:21:26.180 --> 00:21:26.860
 isn't there?

00:21:27.580 --> 00:21:28.900
 There's slaughter

00:21:28.900 --> 00:21:29.860
 of innocent children

00:21:29.860 --> 00:21:30.680
 which is an evil

00:21:30.680 --> 00:21:31.480
 wicked thing

00:21:31.480 --> 00:21:33.460
 which brings sorrow.

00:21:34.800 --> 00:21:36.220
 But how do we see hope

00:21:36.220 --> 00:21:37.460
 beyond the sorrow?

00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:38.880
 Because Jesus

00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:39.720
 the Savior King

00:21:39.720 --> 00:21:40.519
 is kept safe.

00:21:40.519 --> 00:21:43.180
 And just as

00:21:43.180 --> 00:21:43.980
 is promised

00:21:43.980 --> 00:21:45.259
 in Jeremiah 31

00:21:45.259 --> 00:21:47.279
 it's through Jesus

00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:48.960
 that relationships

00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:49.720
 are restored.

00:21:49.859 --> 00:21:50.859
 It's through Jesus

00:21:50.859 --> 00:21:51.639
 that we can be

00:21:51.639 --> 00:21:52.900
 reconciled to God.

00:21:52.960 --> 00:21:53.400
 That we can be

00:21:53.400 --> 00:21:54.660
 in the family of God.

00:21:55.779 --> 00:21:57.319
 As we look at the life

00:21:57.319 --> 00:21:57.900
 and the death

00:21:57.900 --> 00:21:58.339
 of Jesus

00:21:58.339 --> 00:21:59.920
 we find that evidence

00:21:59.920 --> 00:22:01.579
 of God's

00:22:01.579 --> 00:22:02.819
 everlasting love.

00:22:03.180 --> 00:22:03.900
 Of his

00:22:03.900 --> 00:22:05.119
 loving commitment

00:22:05.119 --> 00:22:06.279
 to save

00:22:06.279 --> 00:22:07.400
 his own people.

00:22:08.119 --> 00:22:09.599
 And just as Jesus said

00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:11.139
 that it's in his body

00:22:11.139 --> 00:22:12.099
 and his blood

00:22:12.099 --> 00:22:13.019
 it's through his death

00:22:13.019 --> 00:22:13.599
 on the cross

00:22:13.599 --> 00:22:14.939
 that the new covenant

00:22:14.939 --> 00:22:15.980
 is secured

00:22:15.980 --> 00:22:16.699
 for his people.

00:22:17.819 --> 00:22:19.319
 That we can belong

00:22:19.319 --> 00:22:20.039
 to God

00:22:20.039 --> 00:22:21.219
 because Jesus

00:22:21.219 --> 00:22:22.619
 gave his life

00:22:22.619 --> 00:22:24.019
 as a ransom

00:22:24.019 --> 00:22:26.099
 for many.

00:22:28.719 --> 00:22:29.959
 So we're reminded

00:22:29.959 --> 00:22:31.719
 that there is sorrow

00:22:31.719 --> 00:22:32.399
 but there is hope

00:22:32.399 --> 00:22:33.339
 beyond sorrow

00:22:33.339 --> 00:22:34.759
 because Jesus

00:22:34.759 --> 00:22:36.319
 is kept safe.

00:22:36.719 --> 00:22:38.279
 And then in verse 23

00:22:38.279 --> 00:22:40.440
 we find our final

00:22:40.440 --> 00:22:43.200
 reference to prophecy.

00:22:43.940 --> 00:22:44.759
 He went and lived

00:22:44.759 --> 00:22:46.200
 in a town called Nazareth.

00:22:46.339 --> 00:22:47.279
 So was fulfilled

00:22:47.279 --> 00:22:48.480
 what was said

00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:49.339
 through the prophets.

00:22:49.759 --> 00:22:51.119
 He will be called

00:22:51.119 --> 00:22:52.700
 a Nazarene.

00:22:53.660 --> 00:22:54.680
 Now this is different

00:22:54.680 --> 00:22:55.359
 because there's no

00:22:55.359 --> 00:22:56.740
 single text here

00:22:56.740 --> 00:22:58.539
 that's being referred to

00:22:58.539 --> 00:22:59.480
 but rather

00:22:59.480 --> 00:23:01.279
 Matthew is drawing

00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:02.279
 certain facts together

00:23:02.859 --> 00:23:04.940
 to make the point

00:23:04.940 --> 00:23:05.960
 that Jesus comes

00:23:05.960 --> 00:23:06.620
 as God's

00:23:06.620 --> 00:23:07.500
 humble

00:23:07.500 --> 00:23:08.880
 saviour.

00:23:09.360 --> 00:23:10.180
 So there are lots

00:23:10.180 --> 00:23:11.000
 of prophecies

00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:11.900
 in the Old Testament

00:23:11.900 --> 00:23:13.259
 that speak of a Messiah

00:23:13.259 --> 00:23:14.340
 who will be

00:23:14.340 --> 00:23:14.920
 humble.

00:23:16.160 --> 00:23:17.000
 He will be born

00:23:17.000 --> 00:23:17.779
 and live

00:23:17.779 --> 00:23:19.140
 in a humble

00:23:19.140 --> 00:23:20.519
 unimportant

00:23:20.519 --> 00:23:21.220
 place.

00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:22.640
 And at the time

00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:23.420
 of Jesus

00:23:23.420 --> 00:23:24.559
 Nazareth

00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:25.200
 was just that

00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:25.880
 kind of place.

00:23:26.420 --> 00:23:27.440
 It was a

00:23:27.440 --> 00:23:28.740
 backwater town

00:23:28.740 --> 00:23:29.779
 not a place

00:23:29.779 --> 00:23:30.620
 of great note

00:23:30.620 --> 00:23:31.740
 or significance.

00:23:31.740 --> 00:23:34.539
 So Nathaniel

00:23:34.539 --> 00:23:35.339
 one of Jesus'

00:23:35.559 --> 00:23:36.099
 disciples

00:23:36.099 --> 00:23:37.539
 when Philip

00:23:37.539 --> 00:23:38.279
 came and said

00:23:38.279 --> 00:23:39.519
 I think I found

00:23:39.519 --> 00:23:40.120
 the Messiah

00:23:40.120 --> 00:23:40.700
 it's Jesus

00:23:40.700 --> 00:23:41.480
 of Nazareth

00:23:41.480 --> 00:23:42.700
 Nathaniel said

00:23:42.700 --> 00:23:44.799
 can anything good

00:23:44.799 --> 00:23:46.440
 come out of Nazareth?

00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:48.019
 So it was one

00:23:48.019 --> 00:23:48.599
 of those times

00:23:48.599 --> 00:23:49.140
 you didn't really

00:23:49.140 --> 00:23:50.640
 expect anybody

00:23:50.640 --> 00:23:51.559
 great or good

00:23:51.559 --> 00:23:53.279
 to come from

00:23:53.279 --> 00:23:54.299
 but it's all

00:23:54.299 --> 00:23:54.680
 in keeping

00:23:54.680 --> 00:23:55.279
 with God's

00:23:55.279 --> 00:23:56.099
 good purpose

00:23:56.099 --> 00:23:57.620
 that his saviour

00:23:57.620 --> 00:23:58.720
 would come

00:23:58.720 --> 00:24:00.279
 in humility

00:24:00.279 --> 00:24:01.420
 that Jesus'

00:24:01.980 --> 00:24:02.740
 life would be

00:24:02.740 --> 00:24:03.799
 a humble

00:24:03.799 --> 00:24:04.619
 life.

00:24:05.240 --> 00:24:05.639
 And this

00:24:05.639 --> 00:24:06.519
 reminds us

00:24:06.519 --> 00:24:07.879
 Christianity

00:24:07.879 --> 00:24:08.700
 is not a

00:24:08.700 --> 00:24:09.220
 religion of

00:24:09.220 --> 00:24:09.639
 power.

00:24:10.779 --> 00:24:11.220
 It's not a

00:24:11.220 --> 00:24:11.660
 religion of

00:24:11.660 --> 00:24:12.119
 status.

00:24:13.139 --> 00:24:13.779
 It's not a

00:24:13.779 --> 00:24:14.639
 religion that's

00:24:14.639 --> 00:24:15.119
 all about

00:24:15.119 --> 00:24:16.220
 performance.

00:24:17.339 --> 00:24:18.119
 Rather it

00:24:18.119 --> 00:24:18.559
 speaks

00:24:18.559 --> 00:24:20.000
 grace

00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:21.359
 and kindness

00:24:21.359 --> 00:24:23.039
 and mercy

00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:24.279
 from God

00:24:24.279 --> 00:24:25.200
 to the

00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:25.519
 humble

00:24:25.519 --> 00:24:26.700
 and to the

00:24:26.700 --> 00:24:27.000
 weak

00:24:27.000 --> 00:24:28.099
 and to the

00:24:28.099 --> 00:24:28.399
 needy.

00:24:28.440 --> 00:24:28.920
 And we see

00:24:28.920 --> 00:24:29.500
 that all

00:24:29.500 --> 00:24:30.640
 through the

00:24:30.640 --> 00:24:31.120
 story of

00:24:31.120 --> 00:24:31.380
 Jesus.

00:24:31.519 --> 00:24:31.940
 Jesus the

00:24:31.940 --> 00:24:32.240
 one who's

00:24:32.240 --> 00:24:32.700
 born in

00:24:32.700 --> 00:24:33.200
 a stable.

00:24:34.519 --> 00:24:35.440
 Jesus the

00:24:35.440 --> 00:24:36.019
 one who lives

00:24:36.019 --> 00:24:36.779
 as a refugee.

00:24:37.920 --> 00:24:38.300
 Jesus the

00:24:38.300 --> 00:24:38.860
 one who makes

00:24:38.860 --> 00:24:39.460
 this home

00:24:39.460 --> 00:24:40.180
 in a

00:24:40.180 --> 00:24:41.000
 despised

00:24:41.000 --> 00:24:41.740
 town.

00:24:43.220 --> 00:24:43.680
 Jesus who

00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:44.300
 associates

00:24:44.300 --> 00:24:46.000
 with the

00:24:46.000 --> 00:24:46.640
 tax collectors,

00:24:46.779 --> 00:24:47.160
 the sinners,

00:24:47.320 --> 00:24:47.940
 the outsiders,

00:24:48.120 --> 00:24:48.900
 the despised

00:24:48.900 --> 00:24:49.340
 ones.

00:24:49.920 --> 00:24:50.480
 Jesus who

00:24:50.480 --> 00:24:51.779
 dies that

00:24:51.779 --> 00:24:52.759
 awful death

00:24:52.759 --> 00:24:53.759
 on the

00:24:53.759 --> 00:24:54.160
 cross.

00:24:55.980 --> 00:24:56.880
 The hidden

00:24:56.880 --> 00:24:57.539
 part, this

00:24:57.539 --> 00:24:58.460
 hidden part of

00:24:58.460 --> 00:24:58.840
 the Christmas

00:24:58.840 --> 00:24:59.940
 story, is

00:24:59.940 --> 00:25:00.400
 saying really

00:25:00.400 --> 00:25:01.240
 important things

00:25:01.240 --> 00:25:01.579
 to us.

00:25:02.340 --> 00:25:02.960
 It's reminding

00:25:02.960 --> 00:25:03.799
 us of

00:25:03.799 --> 00:25:05.220
 Jesus, our

00:25:05.220 --> 00:25:05.640
 humble

00:25:05.640 --> 00:25:06.220
 saviour.

00:25:06.779 --> 00:25:07.519
 It's reminding

00:25:07.519 --> 00:25:08.000
 us that he

00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:09.220
 came into

00:25:09.220 --> 00:25:10.259
 this earth in

00:25:10.259 --> 00:25:10.779
 order to

00:25:10.779 --> 00:25:11.860
 enter into

00:25:11.860 --> 00:25:13.279
 spiritual battle

00:25:13.279 --> 00:25:14.720
 on behalf of

00:25:14.720 --> 00:25:15.259
 his people.

00:25:15.940 --> 00:25:16.700
 To give us

00:25:16.700 --> 00:25:18.079
 freedom instead

00:25:18.079 --> 00:25:18.880
 of slavery.

00:25:19.440 --> 00:25:20.000
 To give us

00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:21.360
 hope instead

00:25:21.360 --> 00:25:22.900
 of sorrow.

00:25:24.420 --> 00:25:25.000
 Jesus has

00:25:25.000 --> 00:25:26.019
 come for us.

00:25:26.519 --> 00:25:27.380
 He has fought

00:25:27.380 --> 00:25:27.980
 for us.

00:25:27.980 --> 00:25:29.520
 He has died

00:25:29.520 --> 00:25:30.120
 for us,

00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:31.180
 securing the

00:25:31.180 --> 00:25:31.880
 victory for us.

00:25:31.920 --> 00:25:33.000
 Now he rules

00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:34.860
 and reigns

00:25:34.860 --> 00:25:36.060
 for us

00:25:36.060 --> 00:25:37.340
 in the glory

00:25:37.340 --> 00:25:37.740
 of heaven.

00:25:37.820 --> 00:25:38.300
 And one day

00:25:38.300 --> 00:25:39.240
 he'll come back

00:25:39.240 --> 00:25:40.340
 again to take

00:25:40.340 --> 00:25:40.960
 his people

00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:41.900
 to be

00:25:41.900 --> 00:25:43.040
 with him.

00:25:43.920 --> 00:25:44.900
 So as we

00:25:44.900 --> 00:25:45.620
 think about

00:25:45.620 --> 00:25:46.460
 King Jesus,

00:25:47.020 --> 00:25:47.560
 as we think

00:25:47.560 --> 00:25:47.940
 about the

00:25:47.940 --> 00:25:48.720
 purposes of

00:25:48.720 --> 00:25:49.880
 God this

00:25:49.880 --> 00:25:50.380
 Christmas,

00:25:50.900 --> 00:25:51.680
 the basic

00:25:51.680 --> 00:25:52.460
 question we need

00:25:52.460 --> 00:25:52.860
 to ask

00:25:52.860 --> 00:25:53.520
 ourselves is,

00:25:54.140 --> 00:25:55.120
 are we on

00:25:55.119 --> 00:25:56.259
 his side?

00:25:56.379 --> 00:25:58.219
 Is he my

00:25:58.219 --> 00:25:58.719
 king?

00:25:59.679 --> 00:26:00.339
 Am I willing

00:26:00.339 --> 00:26:01.199
 to submit

00:26:01.199 --> 00:26:02.799
 to his good

00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:04.019
 and loving

00:26:04.019 --> 00:26:04.379
 rule?

00:26:04.380 --> 00:26:09.580
 That way heningar

00:26:09.640 --> 00:26:11.020
 can begin

00:26:11.020 --> 00:26:11.160
 as we

00:26:11.160 --> 00:26:11.540
 learn

00:26:12.480 --> 00:26:15.060
 as strangely

00:26:15.060 --> 00:26:15.300
 with his

00:26:15.780 --> 00:26:17.140
 Jen

00:26:17.800 --> 00:26:19.200
 on

00:26:19.200 --> 00:26:19.860
 inher

00:26:20.020 --> 00:26:20.120
 to

00:26:20.120 --> 00:26:20.920
 an

00:26:20.920 --> 00:26:21.360
 man

00:26:21.940 --> 00:26:22.760
 when

00:26:22.760 --> 00:26:22.820
 he

00:26:22.820 --> 00:26:22.940
World