Christmas Story Hour

Lord He and Loly live on earth our Savior holy And our eyes and left shall see Him through His only love for that just dear and gentle is our Lord in heaven above And He leads His children on to the place where He is God's Savior. Thank you. Maybe you see that. Welcome to Christmas Story Hour. Who is it that doesn't love a good story, especially at Christmastime?

We're glad that you guys have joined us by the fire tonight as we've gathered to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. We'll have music tonight. poetry, essays, scripture reading. and even a bit of drama before tonight's refreshments. Christmas stories are abundant.

Some of them make us laugh and some of them make us cry as they recall tender times and memories throughout our lives. And it seems that almost every year someone comes up with a news story, and sometimes it inspires us, but more often than not, it's just the same old, same old. And then there are the classics. The ones that have been around were decades and centuries and even thousands of years. And the one that has stood for thousands of years is the true classic.

The original. And the reason that it stands for so long is because it is true. It's told in verses. Not paragraphs, and is stunning in its simplicity. And tonight I invite you to hear this story that is now thousands of years old.

It is that there was a peasant couple that was alone in a strange town at night. She, that is Mary, is about to deliver her first child. And there are no familiar faces, only the unknown and the uncertain. And finding no place to lodge, there was an innkeeper that directed them to to a stable. It was in that stable.

that she would give birth to her firstborn son. and she would wrap him in cloths, she would lay him in a manger. An animal's feeding trough. Nearby were shepherds keeping watch over their flocks at night. And it was there during their daily duties that they trembled with fear.

As they gazed upon a celestial being that appeared before them, declaring, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all the people. For today in the city of David, there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ. The Lord. And still wondering whether or not they could believe their eyes and their ears, the multitude of heavenly hosts joined them.

Declaring glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace among people with whom He is pleased. And so it was. In the dark of night long ago, In a place far away from here, that stars blazed in the heavens as a baby boy. Whom the angels declared to be the Savior was born to a humble couple in a lowly stable. But that's not the end of the story.

It's only the beginning. And nothing tops the original. The original is always. The best. Two three-year-old boys arrived early at preschool and began playing.

When I heard what sounded like an argument. They came to me holding the baby Jesus doll from a cradle the children were allowed to play with. The first voice said Who is this?

Well, it's baby Jesus, I said. The other little boy puckered up and started to cry, and said, I thought it was Baby God What the boys held in their hands was quite literally the mystery of Christmas. Oh, sure, it looked like a baby, cried like a baby, and slept like a baby. But as a young and astute scholar noted, It was also baby God. It's a tough one to figure out at any age or in any age.

Magnum mysterium. O great mystery that animals should see the newborn Lord lying in a manger. Blessed is the virgin whose womb was worthy to bear Christ the Lord. Alleluia. This is the true wonder of Christmas.

Not that a fat, cheery little man in a red suit and his eight reindeer might be able to fly. but that the Son of God, if Christian doctrine be correct, would leave his throne in the glory of the galaxies and humble himself to become a mere mortal. Asked to downsize power, prestige, and place of residence so radically, Few of us would be willing to seize such an opportunity. Prior to Bethlehem, God had largely revealed Himself through the spectacular. He made himself known to his people through creation, the flood.

the plagues, the Passover, the parting of the Red Sea, the tablets of stone, The weight of the law The conquest of David. and the proclamations of the prophets. Again and again. God revealed himself as mighty. and magnificent.

Awesome. and thunderous. In Bethlehem, though, It was as if he spoke with a softer voice. He shifted gears. He took on a form completely dependent and utterly helpless.

that of a tender infant. The one who hurled the stars into the corners of the night and ordered the ebb and flow of the tides, was born as a babe to Jewish peasants. in a small stable. His earthly birth was accompanied by mounds of straw and the smell of livestock. Splendour was exchanged for the ordinary the crown of royalty.

for the sandals of a commoner. Bethlehem is where God chose to become approachable. Touchable. personal. The birth of Christ This is the point in time where God put on the cloak of humanity.

He began as an infant, then grew from a child to a man who would work with his hands. Get dirty. and dusty. He manoeuvred through the markets, the crowds, the politics. and the hypocrites.

He felt the scorch of the sun, the sting of betrayal. and the piercing anguish of grief. He was like us in every way. tried and tempted, but without sin. The Mystery that bewildered those small preschool boys.

continues to amaze many of us year after year. Christmas after Christmas. It is the wonder and majesty of heaven. stooping to earth. And you thought it was diamonds that would take my breath away.

He's here. Everything was ready. The moment God had been waiting for was here at last. God was coming to help his people just as he promised in the beginning. But how would he come?

What would he be like? What would he do? Mountains would have bowed down, seas would have roared, trees would have clapped their hands. But the earth held its breath. As silent as snow falling, he came in.

and when no one was looking in the darkness he came. There was a young girl who was engaged to a man named Joseph. Joseph was the great-great great great great grandson of King David. One morning this girl was minding her own business when suddenly a great warrior of light appeared. Right there in her bedroom.

He was Gabriel, and he was an angel. special messenger from heaven. When he s when she saw the tall, shining man standing there, Mary was frightened. You don't need to be scared, Gabriel said. God is very happy with you.

Mary looked around to see if perhaps he was talking to someone else. Mary, Gabriel said, and he laughed. with such gladness that Mary's eyes filled with sudden tears, Mary, you're going to have a baby, a little boy. You will call him Jesus. He is God's own Son.

He's the one. He's the rescuer. The God who flung planets into space and kept them whirling around and around. The God who made the universe with just a word the one who could do anything at all was making himself small. and coming down as a baby.

Wait, God was sending a baby to rescue the world? But it's too wonderful, Mary said, and felt her heart beating hard. How can it be true? Is anything too wonderful for God? Gabriel asked.

So Mary trusted God more than what her eyes could see, And she believed. I am God's servant, she said. Whatever God says, I will do. Sure enough. It was just as the angel had said.

Nine months later Mary was almost ready to have her baby.

Now Mary and Joseph had to take a trip to Bethlehem, the town King David was from. but when they reached the little town they found every room was full. Every bed was taken. Go away, the innkeepers told them. There isn't any place for you.

Where would they stay?

Soon Mary's baby would come. They couldn't find anywhere except an old Tumble down stable.

so they stayed where the cows and the donkeys and the horses stayed. And there in the stable, amongst the chickens and the donkeys and the cows, in the quiet of the night. God gave the world His wonderful gift. The baby that would change the world was born. His baby son.

Mary and Joseph wrapped him up to keep him warm. They made a soft bed of straw, and used the animal's feeding trough as his cradle. and they gaze in wonder at God's great gift wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Mary and Joseph named him Jesus. Emmanuel, which means God has come to live with us, because of course he had.

I bring the sun here shilling in my forehead and take us to hell to live with me Christmas guys. Hope you've all been doing well so far. Hope you had a great Christmas season. What are you guys expecting to open up this coming off this year? What do you want?

I want a PS5. A PS5? Caleb, what do you want? A new gecko mobile gecko. A new gecko mobile, a gecko.

What do you guys want? Giant bouncy ball. Giant bouncy ball. A Legos. Awesome.

Also, I know dad's wanting. Bills to win the Super Bowl this year. Far short on that, but we can hope for it anyway.

Alright. What am I gonna get? It seems sometimes that that's all Christmas is about, doesn't it? Every other year at least. we say that we are going to keep it simple.

Because we don't need anything or because buttons are tight. Or maybe it's because there are other people around us who have needs that are more serious than our own. We remind ourselves it's time to start teaching our children about the seriousness of the season. But all of our intentions Turn to focus and get lost upon the mounds of tissue paper and the ribbons and bows. that we find ourselves Lost again.

Got this done. I think I have all I need. What about you? We did do it. We did.

We've been busy today. Oh, goodness. Oh, wow! Very busy. Thank you guys.

Thank you. I appreciate that.

Well, hey, Sue. Hey, Leanne. How are you both doing? Good. What do you guys think about all this stuff that's going on?

Do you think that with Christmas that it's better for the more, the merrier, or do you think that we should tone things down a little bit?

Well, actually, as I look at you guys, I think you've already voted that the more, the merrier is the best of the bet with you two.

Well, I remember my mama. always said that she dreaded going back. to school after Christmas vacation. the standing assignment in that little country school was for the children to write about their holiday. and about the gifts that they had gotten.

Well, mamma. came from quite a large family. And it was during the Depression. Everybody was struggling. but it seemed like mamma's family was near the bottom.

Well, that doesn't seem like a very good assignment during the depression. Why do you think the teacher didn't pick a better topic for them to write about? And what did your mama do?

Well My um mother never suffered from writer's block. Words came easily for her. It's even as a schoolgirl. Daddy said I was her daughter. What does she write about?

She wrote about all the things that she hoped to get. She wrote about all of the things that her fertile imagination created. Those Christmases were wonderful. They were what she made them. Hmm.

They were what she made them. Isn't that what we should be doing too? Not creating the holiday out of things we want or things that will someday pass away. But our celebration should reflect the truths that we know. Those truths that will never, ever, ever change.

We don't have to dream about something to be joyful about. If Christmas is about giving, and it definitely is, then we have been given the most incredible Amazing gift ever given. People in the Old Testament prayed for God to rend the heavens. and come down to them. And he has.

The Son of God has come. our rescuer and our redeemer. The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light. Light. First word from the Creator's lips.

chosen above all to be the reflection of divinity. For light. is void filling. Revelatory life nurturing, unshadowed. Essential and pronounced Good.

But At the first bite of rebellion, The world fell to pieces. becoming incomplete. Missing. Perfection. Through jagged cracks of brokenness, sin slithered in.

killing spirits. hissing lies Defiling hearts. The light is dimmed. Darkness rules. its reign evident in wars near and far, famine and poverty, plagues of body and mind, despair becomes the default emotion.

Light. though dimmed, still glimmers. And waits. waits for the fullness of time. of blessing Of Godhead, and in the very depth of night.

Eternal light is born. A sun is given. Perfection returns. Raining darkness refuses to surrender, no going quietly into the night. Tempting.

Taunting. Lashing. piercing. Believing victory is won when light lays down his life. Three days he lies entombed in darkness, but even the grave cannot keep back the light.

Once more radiance bursts forth from the shadows Shining new light into Hearts. Christmas is the season of lights. twinkling in windows. shimmering around trees, illuminating houses, The dark of winter is overcome by its brightness. bearing witness to the world that the true light has come.

Luke one, five to seventeen. the birth of John the Baptist foretold. In the time of King In the time of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zachariah. He belonged to the priestly division of Abajah. His wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.

Both of them are righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless, because Elizabeth was not able to conceive. And they were both very old. Once, when Zachariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, He was chosen by lot. according to the custom of the priesthood.

to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshippers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zacharias saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zachariah.

Your prayer has been heard. Your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son. And you ought to call him John. He will be a joy and a delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth. for he would be great in the sight of the Lord.

He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. even before he is born. He would bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he would go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah. To turn the hearts of parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous.

to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Who knows when Zachariah and Elizabeth. prayed the prayer that was mentioned. Surely It had been long ago. before they had grown old.

The prayer was a plea to bear children. And of course So it must have begun soon after they were married. It must have grown more anguished, though, as Time bore on. And the years passed, and there were no children. But after a certain age, Reality must have persuaded the childless couple.

God was not going to answer. It seemed that the answer was no. By now, they had probably forgotten the prayer long ago that they had prayed. Surely they believed that its purpose was past And the answer long ago had been no. But here's the first lesson.

That God does not forget our prayers. It is in the fulness of time that he answers them. And he answers in that rich Kairos. The best time. when to answer it all does the most good for the most people.

And this is the second lesson. that the particular and seeming private prayer becomes and God's omnipotent answer. a univer universal benefaction. Universal.

Something for all flesh.

Something. that binds all time together. And you, my friend, thought that your prayers We're forgotten. Your older prayers have gone unanswered. And it's because we are always living in the ever-present.

and we forget about the past. and we don't know the future. And you thought that your personal praying had nothing to do with anyone besides yourself or your immediate client. close family associates. Your vision was small and a handful of intimate folk were involved in that.

But your prayers are never yours alone. They are also gods.

So the young couple prayed for a baby. and in the fullness of time, Yes, God gave it to them. But the child they wanted was also the man God wanted, and what the Lord gave to that particular people, He also gave to the world. A profit. filled with the Holy Spirit, another Elijah.

No ordinary man John was a messenger. You shall call his name John, which means Yahweh has given grace. Oh, what a vast answer. to a small prayer Yeah. Grace for two.

becomes grace for the whole world. Oh holy night, the stars are brightly shining. It is the night of the dear. Dear Saviour's birthday. Long lay the world in sin and error pining, till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices for yonder breaks. Are new and glorious all Fall on your knees or hear the angel voice for love divine or night when Christ was born. On divine divine truly taught us to love one another, his law, his love, and his gospel is peace. Chains shall he break for the slave is on brother and in his Name all our pressures shall cease sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we let all within us praise his holy name Christ is the Lord or praise his name for ever his bar and glory the Lord proclaim is power and glory The Hornbill by Walter Wangerin, Jr. In the rainforests of Africa, there lives a common bird.

But I will honor her as exquisite. Because she is the cursive script of the Creator. When she flies, her flight is the handwriting of God. When she nests God is imparting parables. This bird inhabits the cathedral dark beneath high canopies of leaves.

The vaulted space is green, Her world is loud with the shrieks of animals. and dangerous with predators. Jackals on the ground. The egg-eating bush babies of in the branches. monkeys and serpents and wheeling all over.

The Eagle. Carnivores. She lives in a perilous place. But she lives. She Flies Swift on her wing, She eludes her enemies and feeds on the fruit of the climbing vines, the high and flowering trees.

She flies. At all times it is her nature and her freedom to fly. except when she mothers her children. Watch her. Watch what she does.

Watch what she does to herself. for the sake of others. When the time draws nigh that she should lay and love a clutch of eggs, This bird transfigures herself by sweet degrees and sacrifice. She soars through the forest in search of the perfect tree which has a hollowed trunk to receive herself and her children. When she has found it, she enters.

And then she flies no more. Immediately, with the help of her mate from the outside, she sets to work to wall the doorway shut. Mud and dung make a hard cement. a little interior fortress, No predators will break in to terrorize her children and to eat them. No, they are protected by her love.

She is their refuge while they are tiny, She is their space awhile. But the wall that protects her children has imprisoned her. There is no help for it. For the sake of her children, she has exchanged the spacious air of the forest. for a tight, dark cell and inactivity.

But what does this mean? It means that she has sacrificed her independence too. She is reduced to trusting absolutely in her mate. Look, there is a slot in the wall she's constructed. a vertical gap exactly the size of her beak.

If the hornbill is to survive in her cell, she has to eat. If she's going to eat Her mate must bring her food. and then she will feed with peculiar intimacy, beak to beak, through this slot, Almost as if she were a child herself. If her mate forsakes her, She will die. But for the love of her children, A mother has chosen dependency.

Watch her. Watch that slot in the wall.

Soon, when her children are hatched and very tender, Something comes flying out of the slot, something so terribly beautiful that every parent must gasp with understanding, and every Christian stand in awe. Watch. It is feathers One by one the hornbill's feathers sail into the air and flutter down to earth. But these are not the down of her breast they are the longest, strongest feathers of her wing. And this is an immediate act of mercy for her children, because the shafts of these feathers could wound them as she moves about in that tiny space.

Therefore she plucks, her primary feathers. But what does that mean? it means that this mother has torn flight from herself. It means that she has sacrificed her very nature for the sake. and the saving of her children.

Therefore the Hornbill is passing beautiful she is the very parable of love. Who is this Hornbill? What does she signify? Read her. as once the ancient Christians read the whole Book of Nature, the mind of God made visible.

And then tell me, Christian, Who is she? Who chose to leave the infinite sphere of heaven? Willingly. willingly compelled by his loving alone, Who denied himself celestial flight for the sake of a people, and walled himself inside this world, in time and space and flesh, that he might be the refuge of the weary? Who diminished himself to dependency?

A perfect prayerful in infant dependency upon another, for the sake of a people who had thought themselves so independent. Who pluck'd himself of power, Who sheared himself of his deific might and radiant glory lest it harm us when we come near to him? Who emptied himself? and became a baby. swaddled in humility, cradled in wood, flightless bound to die.

Who loved us that much? Who loved us so purely, Who loved us by such sweet degrees of sacrifice, Of course. We are reading Christmas in the parable of a bird. All these things spoke Jesus unto the multitude in parables. And without a parable prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables.

I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. Oh Jesus. born in a darker, smaller world, Christ has emptied himself. and come down to nourish and usher us into his hot his brighter, spacious heavens. How many do you suppose celebrate Christmas the way that we do?

And for that matter, how many? Celebrate Christmas at all. Is there something we know that they don't know? There must be. And what is it?

that we know. Come home, come me man. And some captives. Israel. That mourns in lonely.

Exile here. Until the Sun of Cool. God of peace. Read Joe. Voice ring.

Chore. Voice. Hee. Show. Come.

to Toby? Toby, I thought you'd gone to bed like everyone else. No, Grandpa, I couldn't sleep. What's keeping you awake, son?

Something on your mind? Yeah, sort of. Last summer at the camp where I was Went. Missions was the theme for the whole nine weeks. It was a lot about missions.

The message is centered on the great commission that Christ left for His disciples and for us as His followers. that we should be spreading the gospel and witnessing to those around us. I I couldn't help but be convicted. After hearing all those messages, I realized that.

Well I don't share the gospel with my friends or people around me as much as I should. Toby. I think that's something we all struggle with. You kids don't know much about our time in Papua New Guinea. And if you don't mind sitting up with your old gramps, Grab a blanket and I'll tell you a story.

No curfew for me tonight, perhaps. Let me see. Where to begin? Ah, yes, your grandmother and I knew God was leading us to leave our comfortable lives here in the States. And we began the process of becoming missionaries.

After much prayer, Preparation and hard work. We were finally on our way. The destination? was Papua New Guinea. Our first three months in Papua were spent getting acquainted with the people.

and the culture and getting used to their climate. When we stepped off the plane, It was like stepping into a new world. and it took some time to adjust. This was also the time we would make the decision which tribe we would live with. We began to learn the language and ways of the people.

Then we began researching and looking into several tribes. Tribes in the area would send in letters and ask the missions board that we were a part of at the time. to bring to begin through many tribes that were asking for someone to come and be their missionary. We narrowed it down to two tribes. and began preparations to leave.

I still remember loading that Cessna. which is a very tiny plane. With all of our belongings, the excitement. The thrill of the great unknown was ahead of us. As we began our journey, To our first tribe of choice, we wondered.

What would the people be like? Would they learn to like us? How wonderful it was back then to be young and so full of energy. And to have such a wonderful task to take on. But as we approached the village, We saw with dismay that the airship was completely flooded.

Because of the flooding there would be no landing for us there.

So in the providence of God we continued on to our second choice. I always like to tell people That our first choice was always God's first choice. All along. Were you and grandma ever afraid? I bet grandma was afraid.

And who were these people you went to live with? What were they like? Were they friendly?

Well There's always fear of the unknown, Toby. and they were certainly unknown to us all right. All we really knew about them was that They wanted someone to come and teach them. I suppose they had heard from other villagers about what the missionaries were doing and wanted someone to come and help their people as well. And when we learned the name of the tribe, it made us smile.

They called themselves the Yembe Embi. Yeah. The MBMB. Once we landed, we began the long and strenuous journey. Our trek took us by foot through the jungle.

and then by boat down the long and winding river for the last leg of the journey. We had no idea what to expect. But when we arrived, There they were, singing and dancing with joy and excitement that we had chosen to come to them. We watched with anticipation as they performed their cultural welcoming ceremony. a sign of their acceptance of us into their village.

After the ceremony, We knew we had found the place God wanted us to be. Who's there? It's just us, Grandpa. What are you toby doing us, Kelly? I'm telling Toby a story.

A story about the time your grandmother and I went to Papua New Guinea and were ministering to the Yembe Yembe. The yumby bomby, what? The yemby yemby. Come on and listen. There's more blankets in the basket.

Grandpa, who are the Yin Bombowe people? No, no, no, no, please. The yemby yemby And grandpa was just about to get to the best part. of how he was getting ready to teach the Bible to them. Or so I think that is where he was heading.

Okay.

So how did you get started, Grego? Where did you begin? I suppose you began by building a church. No, kids, we didn't need a church building, since they were used to sitting on the ground and having palm branches for roof over their heads. There was much.

much more to do before we had any church services. It looks familiar to you and I. The MBs had never learned to read and write. And that was understandable. for no one had ever written their language.

So we started by creating an alphabet for them. And all the while, we were busy learning their language. and way of life. and all the things that were important to them as a people group. And Toby.

It was not until we formed relationships with the members of the village that we began to teach them the truths of the Scriptures. We first lived out the scriptures in front of them. As we worked side by side, And then we began to share the scriptures with them. Friend to friend.

Well, where did you start teaching them in the Bible? John 3.16. That's the first verse I learned. That would have been a good starting point, Lucy. But we actually started in the book of Genesis with the story of Adam and Eve and went all the way through the Old Testament.

Bible character after Bible character that eventually led us to the New Testament of the Bible.

So let me think.

Something like this. You taught them first about how God created a perfect and flawless world in which there was no death.

sorrow or pain. how man was in perfect harmony with the perfect and powerful God, who made the world and everything in it. And then he made man to Adam! Yes, Adam. and the woman eats.

And then you told them about the beautiful garden they got to live in, and how God would come visit them in the coolness of the day. Everything about their lives was perfect. until one day they disobeyed God. Their loving and powerful Creator had told them not to eat of a certain tree. But they did.

And when they did, everything changed. God said they could no longer live in his beautiful garden. and walk with them in the evenings. They could not be in his presence because they had done what he told them not to do. Doing what God told them not to do was then called sin.

Yes, Toby, that is just how we started teaching them. But we didn't stop there. We went on. Wait. God not let them back in garden?

No, he never let Adam and Eve back into the garden. In fact, they were actually banned from the Garden of Eden. God even placed an angel at the entrance of the garden to keep them from ever entering it again. But God did not leave them with no hope. God told them of someone who would come.

and make the world a perfect place again. This one would rescue men and women from the awful curse of sin. and make them friends once again with their God. This someone the MB's called a rescuer And I think they thought of him as a great and strong warrior who who would protect them. These fearful people wanted someone would keep them safely at peace.

We called that salvation. Who is it? Grandpa, who is the one that does this? We're getting there, Abby. Just hang in there.

We then moved on to teach them of how Adam and Eve had a son named Cain. He he must be the one. Ah, this is the one. He is the one who comes. He is the one we should be looking for.

Well, was he Grandpa? Was Kane the one that they were looking for? No, Abby, Cain was not the one they were looking for. You see, Cain had sinned just like his father had during his life on earth. Only Cain had sinned in a way his father had not.

Right. Cain got angry at God and and became jealous of his brother Abel. Because God accepted his brother's offering and did not accept Cain's. Oh, I remember this story, Toby. Cain was the one that killed his brother.

That's right, Lucy. Because of Cain's jealousy, he decided to kill his brother. Then God came to him and asked him, Where is your brother? Cain responded, Am I my brother's keeper? And God said to Cain, Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground.

You shall be cursed. God then made him a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth. After Cain, we told them about Noah. It's him. This is the one.

For sure, he makes all things new. Noah, Noah, Noah! Noah built the ark. The ark is where they put two of every kind of animal. That's right, kids.

He did this because the flood got what it was coming. Noah has to be the one we're looking for after building that big ark. No, Abby. Noah is not the one either. He too was imperfect.

So who did you tell them about next?

Next, that all-important one. And the one the Yembies were sure was the one. Abraham, When they heard that God was going to give him so many children and grandchildren that they would make a whole village full of people. It seemed logical to them that he would be the one. Of course, the man with the most children would surely be the one.

You tell us of all these good men, but you say, No, this is not the one, and this one is not the one. Why they not be the ones? I think I know how to answer their question, Grant. They might have been good, but they weren't good enough to pay for the sins of another. for they had their own cents to pay for.

Exactly, Toby. God requires a perfect sacrifice because all the men we've talked about so far have sinned themselves. None of them were good enough to pay for their sin. let alone the sin of someone else. For Scripture tells us that All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

And that the wages of sin is death. That is why we are looking for the one, who comes to take away the sin of a man. You then must have told them about Abraham's son, Isaac, for sure. That's right, Toby. And what was it about Isaac that made him stand out so much more amongst the rest?

Well. The Lord came to Abraham and said to him, Take your son, your only son Isaac. whom you love, and go to the land of Gloria, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you. After that he rose early the next morning and took two of his servants with him and his son Isaac. Oh, surely he must be the one.

Look, he is even being sacrificed by his own father. After preparing the altar for sacrifice, Abraham bound his son and placed him on the altar. But Just as Abraham was about to slaughter his son on the altar with a knife, The angel of the Lord called to him and spoke. Abraham. Abraham.

Abraham replied, Here I am. The angel said to him, Do not lay your hand on the boy, or do anything to him. for now I know that you fear God. seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me. After this, God provided a ram to be the sacrificial substitute in Isaac's place for Abraham's faith in God.

After Abraham and his son Isaac, We came to Moses. and what an amazing man he was. He sure looked like the one. He spoke to God through a burning bush. And he even did things that looked like the rescuer.

He won freedom for God's people. and led them out of Egypt. He even performed great and mighty miracles. in which he received power from God to do so, He parted the Red Sea. The Red Sea Just as the Israelites got to the other side of the Red Sea, it closed shut, killing all the Egyptians inside.

that were chasing after them in order to bring them back to slavery in Egypt. If ever there were a miracle, That surely would be one. God not going to let them back and garden. Oh no, this Moses, he's the one. Look at what he has done to that king and all his warriors.

He has rescued them! Moses rescued them from slavery in Egypt. But they are not yet free from their sin. That is their worst enemy. I bet I know.

I know where you went next, Grandpa. One of my favorite stories in the Bible. You probably went on to tell them of how David killed the giant named Goliath with a sling and a stone. how one day he became king of the people of Israel, and a good king at that. That's right, Lucy.

And you'll probably never guess what the MBMB asked next. Is he the one? Was he the one? Grandpa? No, Abby.

as great as King David was in his day. He too sinned against God. Ooh, Grandpa, who is he? Who is the woman?

Well, Abby. One day there came a man to John the Baptist. And he asked John to baptize him in the Jordan River. As soon as this man was baptized, heaven was opened. And John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on this man.

And a voice from heaven said, This is my son. whom I love. with him. I am well pleased. Who is he?

So that'll be blowing away clear. How great people we are if you should roughly work to. Safety message. Yeah. But one has a problem.

The only one who can take away our sin. What does the computer story in such? a fresh and penetrating light. But Father, we pray, even as we Enjoy the message which has come to us in the salvation. that has come to us through him.

We pray for those likely empty lungs and many others around the world who have yet to hear Christ. We ask, O Lord, that you might enable us to be faithful and effective. You're carrying that gospel message to those who need it so.

So very, very badly. Father, those who may even be with us here tonight who are outside of Christ. We ask that your spirit will open their heart to the truth.

So they're need of transit. And of the one. The lamb of God who takes away The sin of the world. We thank you, Father, for this reminder. But this is reason.

or the celebration of Christmas. May that labor in our hearts. Not only tonight, but in all the days to come. As we ask you in Jesus' name. Amen.

On the back of your program is Joy to the World. Would you please stand and join me in singing Joy to the World? Joy to the world, the Lord is long, let earth restrain, let every heart prepare in the world. Let heaven and nature sing, let heaven and nature sing, let earth and heaven and nature sing. Joy to the earth the single rings, let men their songs ignore for fields and gardens, of hills and plains, repeat themselves in joy.

We make the sounding joy, and we believe the sounding joy. He rules the world with truth and grace, and they are his righteousness, and wonders of his love, and wonders of his love, and wonders what is of his love. Thank you all for coming. Would you please join us in the fellowship hall for some refreshments? Merry Christmas to all.

And to all A good night. Very good.