Today’s class is a study of Ephesians 5:21-33. A group of verses that are controversial, often attacked and many times misunderstood.

Ephesians 5:21-22 “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, [submit] yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.”  In the original Greek text the second [submit] word is not there. There is not a verb in this sentence and so in traditional Greek practice, you take the verb from the previous sentence and insert it into the next sentence.  Please note that this is really important – because what this is saying is, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, to your husbands as you do to the Lord.” Meaning husband and wife alike are to submit to each other, to look out for one another, in service and submission to the Living God.

There is no denying that throughout history many men have treated many women shamefully. But that is not biblical. It is never approved.  Instead, the Scriptures tell us that God intends for married people to be a unity and to willingly submit to one another because of their reverence for Christ. Men and women are to treat their husbands in a way that is consistent with their faith.

Ephesians 5:23 goes on to say, “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.” Please note the word is “head” not the boss, not the dominant individual. It says he is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. 

How does Jesus show He is the head of the church.  He seeks what is best for her, He loves her, He sacrifices Himself for her, He gives Himself completely to her. And here it says the husband is to love His wife in that very same way. Loving, caring, supporting, defending, protecting, doing whatever it takes for the woman he loves.

Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her…” That is what submission is all about.  It says, because I love the Lord, I will love my wife in the way He loves me.

Both husbands and wives are to practice submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Ephesians 5:32 goes on to say, “This is a profound mystery — but I am talking about Christ and the church.”  God designed marriage to be a picture of the kind of love that Jesus has for his body, the church. Marriage is a reflection of Jesus’ love.

Verse 33 concludes: “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”  God made us male and female and He knows we each have unique needs. Husbands thrive when their wives respect them. Wives thrive when they know how deeply their husbands love them.

These verses are a prescription for a happy, joy-filled, life-long marriage.

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In this message we will look at what the Scriptures have to say about marriage, analyze concerns and questions raised in our day, overview the cultural changes that have led to many questioning the value and benefit of marriage, and do so from a Christian worldview. We will also take a look at some secular contemporary research and what it indicates.

Common Reactions:
    1.    The culture has changed:
    – Married Couples comprised:
            1950 — 78% of all US households
            2020 — 47% of all US households
    – Living together before marriage:
            1960’s — 5%
            2020’s — 70%
    – Recent analysis of the General Social Survey data tells us Americans’ happiness declined from the 1970s to the 2020s. Sam Peltzman, Professor emeritus, University of Chicago says one thing explains the most recent decline in overall happiness – the decline of marriage. 

The data indicates the benefit of what the Bible has said all along. Genesis 2:18 “The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” The literal Hebrew translation for the word helper is:  “Helper equal to Him.” This is talking about two people who are complimentary to each other. Our Creator recognized we function better together.

    2.    Divorce makes me fear marriage:
    – the spike in divorce rate have left an impression on the generation raised in one parent households.

    3.    Why not just live together?
    – the Bible tells us to be faithful before and after marriage to our spouse.
    – Couples who live together:
        4-5 times more likely to break up than married couples
        more likely to divorce once they do marry (by about 50%)
        higher incidence of alcohol abuse, drug abuse and domestic violence

    4.    How can I know the right one? “Fall in like before you fall in love.” This means – find an individual who is like minded, who shares your faith, your values, your outlook on life, an individual who truly is a potential soulmate. Make sure that the person you choose as your life partner and spouse is one who holds like values and believes as you do.

    5.    I’m not sure marriage is for me: One does not need to feel pushed into marriage. In 1 Corinthians 7:7 Paul refers to the gift of celibacy saying, “I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.” God does not say everyone is to be married. 

Contemporary Research: 2 books
    ⁃    “The Two-Parent Privilege” by Melissa S. Kearney Professor of Economics, University of Maryland 2023 – tells us that “Americans stopped getting married and started falling behind.” Her work has been printed in:
    Wall Street Journal
    New York Times
    National Review 
    Atlantic Magazine
She offers a “provocative, data-driven case for marriage by showing how the institution’s decline has led to a host of economic woes…”  She shows how children do better in a family where their parents are married to each other.
    ⁃    Education outcomes
    ⁃    Physical and mental health
    ⁃    Diminishes suicide possibility
    ⁃    Serves as a barrier to alcohol and drug use and child abuse
    ⁃    Impacts Teenage pregnancy and delinquency
She comes at this on the basis of solid economic data and what we can see happening in our culture today.

    ⁃    “Get Married” by Brad Wilcox Professor Sociology, University of Virginia 2024. Also published in the following:
    ⁃    Wall Street Journal
    ⁃    New York Times
    ⁃    National Review
    ⁃    Atlantic Magazine
Wilcox tells us, “When it comes to predicting overall happiness, a good marriage is far more important than how much education you get, how much money you make, how often you have sex and even how satisfied you are with your work.”   

Pastor concludes with these thoughts: God created us, He speaks because He knows us and wants what is best for us. God invented marriage and He gives us guidance on how to have a truly blessed and God-pleasing marriage.

Malachi 2:15 says, “Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.” 

Those are powerful, spirit-given words that we need to take to heart

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Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Let’s look at the words “God” and “created.” in this verse in Hebrew the word used for God is a plural noun and created is a singular verb.

What day did God create the world? It says God created everything in 6 days and He rested on the 7th day, the Sabbath, and that is Saturday. Which means the first day of creation was on Sunday. What was the day of the week that God began a new creation?  That was on the day Jesus arose from the grave. The Bible tells us this was on the first day of the week, on a Sunday.

Jesus’ closest friend, John, begins his gospel this way: “In the beginning  was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Psalm 33:6 “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” 

In Genesis 1 we read over and over, “And God said…” God brought everything into being through His Word and the Bible describes Jesus as that Word, the Living Word. John 1:3 tells us “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”  Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. Hard to comprehend, but true.

John goes on in verse 14, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  Let’s look at these words from that verse, “made his dwelling” in Hebrew it is one word. Tabernacles. Jesus, the Word became flesh and tabernacles among us. Not simply in the spirit, but in the flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. 

Colossians 1:15-17 “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

The only way we can be held together in this fallen world is in Jesus Christ, the Savior of us all. The only way to face the future and the difficulties of life in a fallen world is through the power of His Son who has redeemed us and through His Holy Spirit who strengthens, guides and directs us.

Our God is an awesome God!

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Does God exist? The Bible has described this as a reality for thousands of years.  Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
    ⁃    There was a beginning
    ⁃    There is a God
    ⁃    God created everything

This is looked at as a religious belief, but it is increasingly a scientific fact as the scientific world sees that the creation had a beginning.
    ⁃    Natural knowledge of God
    ⁃    Nature – Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
    ⁃    Teleological argument – “Design requires a designer.” It is obvious there is incredible design which requires a designer.  
    ⁃    DNA – “DNA is like a computer program but far, far more advanced than any software ever created.” Bill Gates.  “The coding regions of DNA have exactly the same relevant properties as a computer code or language. We know books and computer codes are designed by intelligence, and the presence of this type of information in DNA also implies an intelligent source.” Stephen C Meyer, PhD.   “What I think the DNA material has done is that it has shown, by the almost unbelievable complexity of the arrangements which are needed to produce life, that intelligence must have been involved in getting these extraordinarily diverse elements to work together.” Professor Anthony Flew.  There is a creator because DNA is so complex it requires a creator.
    ⁃    History – “I’m a lapsed atheist… I go to church every Sunday, precisely because having been brought up as an atheist I came to realize my career as a historian that not only is atheism a disastrous basis for a society… but also because I don’t think it can be a basis for individual ethical decision making”  Professor Sir Niall Ferguson.
    ⁃    Conscience – Romans 2:15 “They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.”  The conscience bears witness to a Creator, to a God who is:
    ⁃    Transcendent
    ⁃    Immaterial
    ⁃    Timeless
    ⁃    Powerful
    ⁃    Personal
    ⁃    Brilliant
    ⁃    Caring

To simply know that God exists is good, but to know God – that is what is necessary. And that requires that God reveals Himself to us – the revealed knowledge of God – showing Himself and drawing us to Himself.

    ⁃    Revealed Knowledge of God
    ⁃    Bible – profound unity of what it tells us. Read and listen to His Word and allow it to speak into our lives.
    ⁃    Jesus Christ – The Living Word – Savior, Redeemer, our only Hope. God is love and gave Himself for us all.  Forgiveness and new life.  John 1:18 “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” The Old and New Testaments testify to Jesus. He died, He rose and He is returning.
    ⁃    Holy Spirit – John 14:26 “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

It is one thing to know that God exists but it is most important know God and to know to the Love of the Father through Jesus His Son and to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit who brings us to faith and who nourishes and guides us as we live a life of faith.

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Dig Deeper Preview: Why does Jesus have two family trees shared in the Bible?

Today’s class is a special preview of the upcoming Tuesday Bible Class series: Dig Deeper. 

Why does Jesus have 2 family trees?
    1.    One in Matthew 1:1-16
    2.    One in Luke 3:23-38
And they are different. So let’s look a little deeper.

The major accepted answer has been that one tells the genealogy of Jesus’ mother, the Virgin Mary, and the other the genealogy of His step father, Joseph. There is evidence to support and suggest that that is the case.

    1.    Matthew 1:1-16 The Legal Genealogy – Jesus is legally accepted as Joseph’s adopted son and Joseph is a descendant of king David.
    2.    Luke 3:23-38 The Physical Genealogy – born of the Virgin Mary.

But as we did deeper what do we see?

There are differences. They are different.

Matthew
Abraham
David
Solomon
Jehoiachin
Jacob
Joseph
Jesus

Luke
Adam
Abraham
David
Nathan
Heli
Mary
Jesus

Is there significance that the lineage changes following David? Yes, dramatic significance:
    1.    Matthew traces Jesus’ legal genealogy from David to his son Solomon. Matthew is telling us that Jesus as the legally adoptive son of Joseph, is a descendant of David and all of the kings of Judah who followed.
    2.    Luke traces Jesus’ physical genealogy from David to his son Nathan. Luke is telling us that Jesus is a descendant of David in the flesh but not through Solomon but through Solomon’s brother Nathan. 

And this is fascinating because the prophet Jeremiah was given this word: – A word about David’s decendants ending with Jehoiachin the last of the kings of Judah to survive. Jeremiah 22:30 “This is what the Lord says:’Record this man [Jehoiachin] as if childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime, for none of his offspring will prosper, none will sit on the throne of David or rule anymore in Judah.'”
The curse came upon the line of David after the time of Solomon until the time of Jehoikin and then God says no descendant of the kingly line of Jehoichin will ever sit on the throne.

Jesus inherits the kingship that could never have been given to any descendant of Jehoiachin. He receives that through legal means by his adopted father. But he is the descendant of David in the uncursed  line  who will reign for ever.

This is just what the angel told Mary – the angel Gabriel announced Mary that she would give birth to a son. Luke 1:32-33 ” He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Legally Jesus was part of the royal line.
In the flesh Jesus descended and born of the Virgin Mary – He is the One on whom there is no curse. He is the only one who can reign on David’s throne and He will reign forever!  

That’s who Jesus is – the Living God come to earth for us – who fulfills every detail the Hebrew Scriptures.

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Merry Christmas!

The Christmas story from Luke 2 may be a story that is new to some of us and to others it may be very familiar. We are going to look at the part of the story that is about the shepherds.

Luke 2:8-9 we read, “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.”

Did you know that being a shepherd in Jesus’ day was one of the lowliest jobs one could have? They were in the fields all the time, they smelled like sheep and were treated like sheep. But isn’t it interesting that they are the first ones to hear the announcement that the Savior has come!

What was their first reaction to the first Christmas?  FEAR! 

Luke 2:10-11 go on to tells us, “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”

What we see happen is that the shepherds absolute fear is turned to overwhelming JOY! But let’s not stop there. Let’s look at what the angel says, “I bring you good news (Gospel!) that will cause great joy for all people!” And today when the GOSPEL breaks into a person’s life it brings JOY!  Because Jesus would go to the cross and rise from the grave, He brings JOY!  

Gospel Joy centers around one person. In vs 11 we read that a Savior has been born; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This good news brings the news of a Savior.

The Old Testament is very clear about who the Savior is:
    ⁃    Isaiah 43:11 “I, even I, am the Lord and apart from me there is no savior.”
    ⁃    Hosea 13:4 “You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me.”

The Savior is none other than God Himself! Messiah, Savior, Lord! 
God has come down to earth exactly as the Old Testament prophets predicted and what the New Testament declares. The One who created the universe took on human flesh. The Living Word of God dwelt among us. 

He saved us by offering Himself as the sacrifice for our rebellion. He did it because we were helpless and bound to sin and destined to judgement.  But HE is the Savior, the Lord, and He comes for ALL people. He wants all to be saved!  That’s the good news! THAT’S THE GOSPEL MESSAGE!   And thus, how great our joy!

 1 Peter 1:8-9 says, “… you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

The Christmas story is about far more than peace on earth. The Christmas story is about the fact that God has stepped in and He offers to all of us, who repent and believe, forgiveness and life forever. THAT’S the Gospel story, that’s the story of Christmas, that’s the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ!

May each and everyone of us experience that Gospel Joy this Christmas and forever!

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The Gospel of John Week 26
Scripture: John 20:19 – 21:25.

Today’s study will conclude our two year study of the Gospels with a dramatic and amazing ending.

We begin with John 20:19, it is the first day of the week (Sunday) and the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly Jesus was standing among them saying “Peace be with you.” This is a phrase in English that sounds so common, like “have a good day.” But in Hebrew it carries much more meaning.

Shalom (peace) more than just an absence of conflict or warfare, it refers to all creation – it means everything is right between us and God. Real peace, lasting peace, God’s peace, life-changing peace the way things were intended to be before sin broke into a perfect creation.

Jesus shows them His hands and side and the disciples are overjoyed. Everything the Jewish people have been longing for has come to a dramatic crescendo. Then He breathed on them saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” 

In verse 23 Jesus says, “If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” Pastor spends time digging into what this verse is really saying.  When we accept Jesus as our Savior our sins are forgiven through faith in Christ. But to those who say they don’t need a Savior, that think they are just fine on their own, we can say to them, “That won’t cut it. Without Christ there is no hope.”  Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” This commission from Jesus is given so that they can speak truth, so that they can use it to draw people into a relationship with the Living God.

We read next of “Doubting Thomas.” The disciples are again gathered together and Jesus appears, “Peace be with you. Put your finger here and put your hand into my side and stop doubting and believe!” And Thomas replies, “My Lord and my God!” That’s not just an expression, this is a clear biblical title for the Living God. And Thomas suddenly realized that Jesus is not only alive, but He is the very One that was promised. Jesus is more than a miracle worker, He’s more than a great teacher, He is God come to earth.

John concludes chapter 20 with these words, “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

We move into chapter 21, the epilogue. Pastor starts this chapter by sharing the story of a friend, a Russian Jew, who moved to Israel and became a Messianic believer and follower of Jesus. Pastor goes on to share the growth of Jewish believers in Jesus worldwide.

Our story continues with the disciples fishing all night and not catching anything. Then a voice calls out to them to put their nets on the right side of the boat. When they do they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. John knows who the man is, “It is the Lord!” And Peter swims ashore.

Pastor talks about the importance of the fire Jesus had started on shore to emphasize God’s intentions. Jesus invites them to breakfast with Him but Jesus has a personal conversation with Peter. Purposefully, Jesus asks Peter 3 times (remember Peter denied knowing Jesus 3 times), “Do you love Me?” Peter responds yes each time and Jesus replies with, “Feed my sheep.” Peter is forgiven, restored.

This gospel ends with these dramatic words, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”

Jesus is in the business of redeeming and restoring and renewing, changing lives, transforming families, rebuilding communities, changing entire nations and continents.

John is saying you’ve only caught a glimpse! Can you imagine the stories we’re going to hear after Jesus returns!

This is an incredible, amazing, uplifting, joyful, thought provoking, life-changing book!

Thank you for joining us on this great two year tour of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John!

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    ⁃    The Gospel of John study is part five of five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. 
    ⁃    The Gospel of John may be one of the most powerful books ever written. Many people have come to faith after reading only this book of the Bible.  Scholarly and archeological discoveries in recent decades give us new insight on details in the Gospel of John. We can now understand it as the most Jewish rather than the most “Gentile/Greek” of the Gospels, and and we see many things that we missed before.

Check out this episode!

This is the final week in our study of 400 years of Kings and Prophets from Solomon to Jeremiah.

King Josiah
    •    Young King seeks God
    •    Spiritual cleansing of Jerusalem
    •    Book of the Law discovered
    •    Reform beyond Judah
    •    Passover observance  – King Josiah gives an order to all people to observe God’s Passover. This had not been celebrated according to what was written, not even in the days of the judges, nor in the days of any of the kings of Israel and Judah. Josiah made sure the celebration was carried out according to what was written in the Book of the Covenant. He, like David, was a man after God’s own heart. He reads the scriptures and applies them and a time of revival begins.  We read in 2 Kings 23:25 “Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did – with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.”
    •    Death at Megiddo – A prophetic word comes from Huldah telling Josiah of the judgment that is coming from God against the people, but that because Josiah’s heart was repentant he would not see the judgment that would come.  During this time there was great international upheaval between Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon.  2 Kings 23:29 “While Josiah was king, Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt went up to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King Josiah marched out to meet him in battle, but Necho faced him and killed him at Megiddo.”  Jeremiah and the nation were devastated by the loss of king Josiah. Then Josiah’s 3 sons reign. None were the king that their father was. They returned to the old ways for faithlessness to God.

Josiah’s 3 Sons
    •    Jehoahaz – 2 Kings 23:31-33; 2 Chronicles 36:1-3 – reigned 3 month doing evil in the eyes of the Lord. He was imprisoned by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt, who was the one who had killed his father. Jehoahaz dies in Egypt.
    •    Jehoiakim – 2 Kings 23:34 – 24:7; 2 Chronicles 36:4-8 – reigned 11 years and did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He was an evil and inefficient ruler. Constructed a new palace and Jeremiah denounces him for ignoring the people and ignoring God. Jehoiakim rejects Jeremiah and even burns the first copy of the book of Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 36:23) The city of Jerusalem is overtaken in 605 BC by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and many of the people are deported to Babylon. (Daniel was one that was taken – Daniel 1:1-2). When Jehoiakim dies he is given the “burial of a donkey.” Jeremiah 22:13-19. Johoiachin, his son reigns for 3 months doing evil like his father and was taken captive by Babylon – 2 Kings 24:8-16; 2 Chronicles 36:9-10
    •    Zedekiah – 2 Kings 24:17 – 25:21; 2 Chronicles 36:11-21; Jeremiah 39:1-10 – reigns for 11 years and he did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Zedekiah breaks the treaty with Babylon (Ezekiel 17:18). He looks to Egypt for deliverance but didn’t receive any. The false prophets encouraged him in his evil ways. Jeremiah warns Zedekiah of coming suffering and prophecies. But Zedekiah does not change his way and Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians and Zedekiah dies in a tragic way. Jeremiah 39:6-7. 

And so ends our study with the nation, the city of Jerusalem a the Temple destroyed in 586 B.C. 

Interestingly enough the Temple would once again be destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. in the same month, on the same day. This was a day Jesus predicted because they did not recognize Him and had rejected Him.

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The message starts with Matthew 1:18 “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.” 

Pastor explores today’s question: “What about the Virgin Birth?” by tackling these 5 questions:

    ⁃    Is the “Virgin Birth” really that important?
    ⁃    Why do only Matthew and Luke mention it?
    ⁃    Couldn’t this have been a later development?
    ⁃    This seems impossible to the modern mind!
    ⁃    Isn’t it based on pagan mythology?

Importance of the Virgin Birth
    ⁃    It is taught by clear Scripture throughout the Bible. Note: Matthew 1:18 (above) and Matthew 1:22-23 “…an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
    ⁃    It is foreshadowed in Genesis 3:15 – a Messiah from the seed of a woman.
    ⁃    It is announced by angelic authority
    ⁃    It explains the sinlessness of Christ
    ⁃    It confirms Christ’s two natures – that Jesus is both fully human – but also fully divine. He is God incarnate, became flesh. His nature shows the Good News, because God loved this world so much He offered up His only Son for each one of us. This is the Good News.

Only in Matthew and Luke?
    ⁃    Only 2 Gospels (Matthew and Luke) mention the Nativity
    ⁃    John (from the Gospel of John) goes back to the beginning, “In the beginning was the Word and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us…”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning…”
    ⁃    Mark repeatedly asserts Jesus’ deity
    ⁃    See Philippians 2:5 & Colossians 1:15-16 – these verse tell us Jesus was in the very form and nature of God and took on human flesh, died and rose. Makes it clear that God has come down to earth in the flesh and that the universe was created by the pre-incarnate Christ.

A later development?
    ⁃    Early dating of the New Testament – always been a part of the testimony from eye-witnesses
    ⁃    Clearly taught by early authors (examples: writings by Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, and the great scholar Irenaeus,)
    ⁃    Testimony of the early Christian Creeds – the virgin birth was from the early teaching of followers.

Impossible for modern people to accept this?
    ⁃    The ancients weren’t gullible! Even Joseph didn’t accept it until the angelic visit. 
    ⁃    The real issue is the miraculous. “If I haven’t seen a miracle, then they don’t happen!”
    ⁃    God is supernatural! He does supernatural things. Pastor shares some miraculous stories. 

When we, in our own wisdom, seek to remove and erase the miraculous, we are not proving our brilliance, we are showing, for all the world to see, our folly.

Pagan mythology?
    ⁃    Note the differences!  Example the “birth” of Athena from Zeus’ head

Pastor closes with a graphic showing: incarnation, virgin birth and deity of Christ stating that if these are true then that changes everything. And it changes each one of us because God loves us and wants us back.  He calls us to accept Him for who He really is: The Almighty Creator of the Universe who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for each on of us that we might live forever with Him! And THAT is the Good News!

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