Things Christmas Proves About God

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It's reasoned relevant content apologetics, worldview, and answers to the questions that you need to know. From Alex McFarland Ministries, this is Truth for a New Generation Radio. And now the man who preached in 50 states in 50 days, speaker, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics, Dr. Alex McFarland. In the New Testament book of Hebrews it portrays Jesus Christ as the promised Savior, the Messiah. And the book of Hebrews is written to Jewish Christians and probably some Jewish people that weren't yet believers, but it makes the argument that Christ is the one. He's the Savior, the promised Messiah. The book of Hebrews says Jesus is better than Abraham, better than Moses, better than Melchizedek, and indeed the one who was made to be sin for us. He was crucified that he might taste death for every person so that we could be delivered from the clutches of death and that Jesus indeed is the Savior.

Hi, Alex McFarland here. Welcome to Truth for a New Generation. I want to talk about some things that Christmas proves about God.

I trust that you had a good Christmas, the world celebrating, commemorating, acknowledging the birth and the life of Jesus Christ. And in the book of Hebrews it promises that God the Father has put all things in subjection under Christ. He's risen, and you need to know that if you're a believer, if you're a born-again Christian, you are victorious. You are risen. Your sins are forgiven if you're a Christian. Your name has been written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Your guilt is washed away. You are healed. You are in a state of life if you are in Christ Jesus.

You're sealed. You're indwelt with the Holy Spirit. Your name is written in high places. And despite the challenges of life, as a born-again believer, you are a son or daughter of the King.

You're an emissary of the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. Now that's good news, and that's encouraging news, and that's uplifting news. And friend, that should be an exciting reality, because that is reality if you're a believer. Your reality is not death and decay.

Your reality is life and purpose and eternity and joy and goodness and blessing and favor. Now in Hebrews 2a, it says that God the Father has put all things in subjection under the feet of Christ. The places you walk, it was very symbolic in the ancient world that where a person walked, it was as if the touch of their feet on this or that ground claimed that ground. In a way, the incarnation, God coming from heaven to earth, I mean very symbolic. I mean the moment Mary and Joseph laid the baby Jesus in the manger. And I think about that toddler, the newborn babe growing up, protected by God, delivered from Herod, as that toddler took his first steps on terrestiferma.

That was symbolic showing that the King had claimed this ground. This earth literally is under his feet. Now listen to this my dear friends, because this world and all of its fallenness, it's under your feet as well. Thou has put all things in subjection under his feet.

For in that he put all in subjection under him, listen to Hebrews 2a, God has left nothing that is not put under him. But you say, I've got a hard situation. My life is not easy. My family is a struggle.

My job is not easy. There's a pandemic. There's violence. There are corrupt politicians. There are stolen elections. The Vox Populi is not heard. The rule of law and the Constitution is not followed.

Friend, just hang in there. God is in control. Now let me read the concluding words of Hebrews 2a. It says, but now we see not yet all things put under him.

You say that this world is messed up. You know Bertrand Russell, the English philosopher that was not a believer sadly, he said, brief and powerless is man's life. On him and all his race the slow, sure doom falls pitiless and dark.

Boy that's pretty depressing isn't it? The slow, sure doom of man falls pitiless and dark, said Bertrand Russell. Arnold Toynbee, the great historian said, quote, thus history and not least current history shows that mankind's ignorance and weakness are not temporary symptoms.

They are permanent features of human life. Like Hebrews 2a, it says all things are under subjection, all things are under the feet, the authority, the sovereign providential power of Jesus, but we look around and we see not yet all things put under him. Verse 9 of Hebrews 2, but we see Jesus.

But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor that by the grace of God he would taste death for every man. You know in 1926 there was a Christian pastor in Los Angeles. His name was James Allen Francis. In the context of one of his sermons he shared something that came to be called One Solitary Life. It's been recited, it was for years and years part of the nativity scene at Radio City Music Hall. Even it was published in the congressional record December 23, 1969, volume 115, and it's been put on endless greeting cards.

It's been attributed to different writers, sometimes when it's on a card it will say author unknown, but it is definitively the work of Dr. James Allen Francis. Famously begins, he was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman, and he worked in a carpenter shop until he was about 30. For three years he was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book, never held an office, never had a family or went to college. He never did the things usually associated with greatness. This is a great line, he had no credentials but himself.

The tide of public opinion turned against him, his friends ran away. And he goes on and Francis's poem or narrative says, all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, all of these have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that one solitary life, the life of Jesus Christ. Indeed. And so, when you are depressed that not all things are put under this objection of God right now, it appears, what do we see? Hebrews 2 9, we see Jesus who is victorious. Now stay tuned because when we come back we're going to talk about five things proven by the life of Christ.

Five things about God definitively underscored, corroborated, proven by Christmas, the life of Christ. Stay tuned when Truth for a New Generation returns. Christians don't necessarily agree with one another when it comes to questions of religious pluralism, homosexuality, the role of government, abortion and war. Too often we manage these disagreements by ignoring them. Yet we're called to engage the world for the sake of Christ.

How can we be effective if we avoid society's most pressing questions? In 10 issues that divide Christians, Alex McFarland challenges us to drill down to the biblical core of 10 current issues such as social justice, evil and suffering, pornography and environmentalism as he echoes the biblical invitation, come let us reason together. Only by engaging the Scriptures deeply, thinking clearly and speaking truthfully can we and God's family address our differences and discover the peace that comes with unity of purpose. 10 issues that divide Christians.

Find this book and many others at AlexMcFarland.com. You know, Alex has been writing for many years and one of his classic books is still great today as a basic introduction to the Christian faith. It's called Stand, Core Truths You Must Know for an Unshakeable Faith. This book will help you help your teens get off the roller coaster of doubt and onto solid ground. You'll read about the six pillars of biblical Christianity. They are one, inspiration of the Bible, two, the virgin birth, three, the deity of Christ, four, atonement, five, Christ's resurrection and six, Christ's return. You know, Alex mixes it up with humor and stories he gleaned from decades of working with youth and encourages teens to build a foundation of faith that will stabilize their lives and help them take a stand for Christ. Simple and straightforward, Stand, Core Truths You Must Know for an Unshakeable Faith, available wherever Christian books are sold. For apologetics resources, books by Alex McFarland, and to find out where Alex is speaking, visit AlexMcFarland.com.

Welcome back to the program. We're talking about things Christmas proves about God. Now I quoted Bertrand Russell and he said, hands down, Jesus was the most important figure that ever lived.

H.G. Wells, the historian, said that too. He said that no person in history was as significant as Jesus. Not Darwin, not Muhammad, Jesus.

And men like this, H.G. Wells said, he acknowledged the life of Jesus not as a believer but as an historian. And you know, it's been documented. Think about what it would mean in politics if there had never been a Jesus. You know, our representative form of democracy is based on Christian principles. The biblical principles of checks and balances, of a moral foundation, church and state, from Exodus 20 to Romans 13. Our principles of government are based on God and His Word. Religious tolerance, free speech. The very founding of this nation, the United States, the impetus for it was religious freedom. If Jesus had never existed, there would not be a United States of America.

I think about education. The world's oldest universities all were founded on Christianity, on Christian principles. Things like Harvard University 1636, the main end and goal of your life is to know Jesus Christ.

That was part of their motto. Princeton, Harvard, Yale, William and Mary, Brown, all founded as Christian universities to train people for ministry, most of them. The public school system in America is a legacy of Puritan education. I've often mentioned the book, Founding Zealots by Thomas Hagedorn in Ohio, incredible scholar, that talks about how school and literacy and education was an outgrowth of the church. I think about if Jesus had never been born, what a difference it would make in art, literature and music. The theater really came out of the church.

There were what were in the Middle Ages in the church called morality plays that were staged, scripted, acted out, presented to teach Bible lessons. Think about the world's most beloved compositions like Handel's Messiah, Pieta by Michelangelo, Painting the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, the cathedrals in Europe, the Hagia Sophia, Notre Dame, art, literature, music, even wonderful things like It's a Wonderful Life. What a beloved film that is. You do know It's a Wonderful Life was written in 1943 by a man named Philip Van Doren, but it was a short story called The Greatest Gift. He tried to get it published to no avail. It was shortened and actually published in the magazine Good Housekeeping with the title The Man Who Was Never Born.

And so The Greatest Gift, Life and Salvation, The Man Who Was Never Born. And of course the story of George Bailey, it found its way to Hollywood. The 200 little booklets that Philip Van Doren self-published.

Nobody would publish his story. So he printed up 200 copies for himself. He gave them to friends and family members at Christmas time, 43, 44, 45. But in 1946 in Hollywood it was made into a script, a screenplay. And the movie, one of my favorites, perhaps one of yours, It's a Wonderful Life, the story of George Bailey rescued by the angel Clarence Oddbody.

There's a trivia question for you. What was the last name of the angel Clarence in It's a Wonderful Life? Clarence, trying to earn his wings, he shows George Bailey how terrible things would have been in Bedford Falls if he had never been born. Now, that movie is really based on a Biblical worldview. Maybe you get emotionally moved on the bridge scene where Jimmy Stewart at the end, he says Oh God, I want to live. I'm sorry, life is a blessing. Please let me live.

And he does live. Think about if Jesus had never been born. If Jesus had never been born besides the trajectory of history being changed, education, art, literature, politics, culture, human rights, human benevolence, things like charity, the shoebox ministry of Samaritan's Purse that every year touches tens of millions of people. Think about the stories from John Steinbeck's The Pearl to To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee to It's a Wonderful Life to Moby Dick by Herman Melville. So much of art, literature, music, life itself emanates from the Word of God, the truth of God, the Son of God.

But let's talk personally for just a minute. If Jesus had never been born there would be no salvation from sin. Think about that. No salvation, no victory over death. My goodness, Bertrand Russell would have been right.

Sure doom and pitiless dark. No, but in Jesus there's victory over death. There's a mediator between God and man.

The man Christ Jesus. It's been said that every five seconds nine souls enter eternity. Some 150,000 people a day die. And if the Lord tarries that will be a reality for you and for me as well. Much of the world fears death and those who don't know Christ have a right to fear death because the Bible says in Hebrews 9 verse 27, it is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment. But listen, as a believer you don't have to fear death. Paul the Apostle promises in 1 Corinthians 15 54 that death is swallowed up in victory. And in Philippians 1 verse 21 it says to die is gain. Now back to Hebrews chapter 2. Hebrews 2 8 says we do not now see everything put under Christ's feet. But Hebrews 2 9 says but we see Jesus. Hebrews 2 16 says that he gives help to the descendants of Abraham.

Think about that. If you're a Christian God is helping you right now. If you don't yet know Christ he stands by eager, ready, willing, able to help you. And do you know we have something that the angels don't have. 1 Peter 1 verse 12 says that salvation is about things that angels long to look into.

There's no plan of salvation for fallen angels. But for the descendants of Abraham, the children of Adam and Eve, fallen though we may be, guilty sinners though we are, there is help, there is hope, there is Jesus. Now stay tuned because when we come back we're going to talk about five things definitively proven by Christmas and by the reality of Christ.

Truth for a New Generation is back after this. Alex has written many books to help you defend your faith. One of them answers questions from skeptics. It's cleverly titled, Ten Answers for Skeptics. Today's skeptics are looking for authenticity, integrity and straightforward truth. And in the book Alex McFarland identifies the ten most common types of skepticism that plague doubters' minds and offers believers proven strategies for connecting intellectually and spiritually with those who are skeptical about the claims of Christianity. Learn how to answer intimidating questions, identify the root issue behind those questions and dismantle the spiritual bombshells dropped by atheists. Plus find encouragement to face hostility by persevering in love. The ultimate apologetic Christians can offer as a witness to our loving God.

Check out Ten Answers for Skeptics when you visit alexmcfarland.com. America today is like a patient struggling to live, yet is being forcibly euthanized by her quote doctors. The life force within the patient, fighting for survival, is the honest citizens like yourself.

The team of quote caregivers are the local and national leaders actually contributing to the demise of the patient. The economy is crashing, crime is exploding, the Constitution is being abolished, the assault on America, how to defend our nation before it's too late by Alex McFarland has one single purpose, to get you prepared. Learn the real source of America's current problems that no one else is talking about and what you can do now to face tomorrow, regardless of what tomorrow brings. The assault on America, how to defend our nation before it's too late, available now at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and local Christian bookstores. In the midst of a culture obsessed with relativism, Alex McFarland is a voice you can trust to speak the timeless truths of Christianity in a timely way. You're listening to Truth For A New Generation Radio. Welcome back to Truth For A New Generation. Alex McFarland here.

Hope you're doing well. Hey, as we resume our talk about what Christmas proves regarding God, I do want to remind you that I will be at the Cove, the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove, June 25-27. We'll be going through the book of Acts, the New Testament book of Acts, verse by verse, and we're going to talk about principles of spiritual awakening and revival from the book of Acts.

Their website is thecove.org, and I would love to meet you and I look forward to us going through the book of Acts and looking at revival and the principles of spiritual awakening. And then I also want to remind everybody my own website, which is alexmcfarland.com. We've got a lot of content on there.

We're launching a revised version of the website just any day now. Got a lot of apologetics and biblical worldview information, information about my new book, The Assault on America, How to Defend Our Nation Before It's Too Late, plus a calendar with my speaking schedule. We've got a lot of travel and a lot of events in 2021.

COVID kind of put the brakes on our travel schedule and our events, but we've got some exciting things going on with the ministry all around the nation this year. And I want to thank everybody for their prayers and support. And back to the subject at hand, the most important subject of all, which is the Lord Jesus Christ. In Luke chapter 1, 26-56, there is what's called the magnificat, the magnification of God. The angel appears to Mary and says, Mary, you're going to be carrying the child. Gabriel says you're going to carry the one called God with us. And of course Mary in verse 38 of Luke chapter 1 says, Behold the handmaiden of the Lord, may your word be fulfilled. And the angel left. Now the song of Mary in verses 46-56, notice this, Mary says, My soul magnifies the Lord, or glorifies God my Savior.

Notice these words. My soul glorifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed. Okay, notice Mary says, my soul glorifies the Lord, spirit rejoices in God my Savior. Lord God's Savior.

All of these things are in what she says. Okay, Lord speaks of our accountability to God. He is the Lord before whom we all will answer, all of humanity. That's why it's so imperative that you know Christ, that you put your faith in Jesus and are born again. And the sins for which you otherwise would have to give an account were put on Jesus.

And your guilt is washed away and you stand justified in the sight of God. Friend, are you right with the Lord? Mary said, my soul glorifies the Lord, that speaks of our accountability to God.

My spirit rejoices in God. God is the Creator, my Savior, the Redeemer. So we've got Lord, Creator, Redeemer.

Isn't that amazing? Right there in Luke chapter 1 verse 46 and 47 we've got Lord God and Savior. Now verse 48 Mary says, and maybe you can relate to this, God has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. Okay God is mindful, God sees you.

One of the names of God, we often talk about this in the Old Testament, God is El Roai, the God who sees me. The humble state. God is compassionate.

He knows our lowly fallen state. And so Christmas, let's talk about some of these things that you know in Mary's salutation and glorification of God. The Mighty One has done great things for me. Holy is His name, says verse 49. His mercy extends to those who fear Him from generation to generation, Luke 1.50.

There is no expiration date. Listen my dear friends, because of Christmas what do we know about God? God sees, God sympathizes, God plans, God acts and God reigns. Okay God sees you. God saw the condition of the human race. God sympathizes, the Bible says that Jesus had compassion on the crowds for they were like sheep without a shepherd. So God cares about you.

Believe it. God sympathizes with your situation. God plans, oh my goodness, the amazing plan of salvation that God enacted and was realized in Jesus. How amazing from Genesis 3, the promise of the seed of the woman, all through the call of Abraham.

You know what's amazing? Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Well that's where David was born. Jesus is going to sit on the throne of David forever and David lived there with his family, 1 Samuel chapter 16. David's great grandparents lived in Bethlehem. Ruth and Boaz lived in Bethlehem where they had their son Obed, that's Ruth 411.

Obed became the father of Jesse and Jesse was the father of David. So God planned this great narrative whereby Jesus would be born. That Acts, Luke 2.6, while they were there the days were accomplished that Mary would be delivered of her child. People ask the question, when was Jesus born? Well in the early church there was a tradition that maybe late December, December 25th, where the nights are long, the days are short, the darkest part of the year, was the miraculous virginal conception of Jesus. Now if you go forward nine months, 270 days, the normal time of human gestation, it's largely believed that Jesus was born maybe in September. Well if Jesus was born in September, the delivery of the baby, the miraculous virginal conception having taken place nine months prior, maybe Jesus came in late September during Yom Kippur atonement. Okay if it was Yom Kippur, remember John 1.29 where it says He's the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. What a beautiful reality if Jesus was born during the time of atonement, because He would atone for our sins. Revelation 21.3 there was a voice in heaven shouting, Behold the tabernacle of God is with man and He will dwell with them and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them and will be their God. Maybe He came at the Feast of Tabernacles where He in love decided to tabernacle with us. Regardless, I hope that Jesus has come into your heart and life. He came into this world so that He could become a part of your life and be your Savior and you would be a part of His family and His heaven forever. That's the message of Christmas.

That's the point of life and these are realities proven by Jesus. TNG radio is made possible by the friends of Alex McFarland Ministries. PO Box 10231 Greensboro North Carolina 27404. That's PO Box 10231 Greensboro North Carolina 27404. Call us at 877-Yes-God-1.

That's 877-Yes-God and the number 1. Or give online at AlexMcFarland.com. While you're there, listen to program archives, read Alex's blog, invite Alex to speak at your event or contact Alex with a question or comment. AlexMcFarland.com. Thanks for listening today and join us again next time as we bring you more truth for a new generation on TNG radio.