Isaiah 9 1-7 1 1 When we come to the Christmas story, we're going to find verses like Isaiah 9 verse 6 telling us that God is going to be sending us a Savior.
Isaiah 7 14 tells us, Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign, Behold, the Virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel. This prophecy goes all the way back now to the very beginning. When we think of our Bible, we think of our Bible with two stories. There's the story of creation. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Verse 31 of chapter 1, Then God saw everything that he had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day, but then things fell apart. And in Genesis 3 15, God says, I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed.
He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel. We find a prophecy in Genesis 3 15 of a coming Savior. This is the first gospel when we come to Micah chapter five in verse two. But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to me the one to be the ruler of Israel, who's going forth or from old from everlasting. So there's a prophecy of where he will be born. Galatians 4 4, the apostle Paul wrote, But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who are under the law, that we might receive the adoption of Son.
The fullness of time begins now with Luke chapter one and verse five, Luke 1 5 to 25. In the days of Herod, King of Judah, there was a priest named Zachariah of the division of Abigai, and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statues of the Lord.
But they had no child because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years. Now, while he was serving as priest before God, when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zachariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zachariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great before the Lord, and he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared. And Zachariah said to the angel, How shall I know this?
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years. And the angel answered him, I am Gabriel, I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time. And the people were waiting for Zachariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple, and he kept making signs to them and remained mute.
And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. After these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me to take away my reproach among the people. Luke 1 26 through 38. Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary, and having come in, the angel said to her, Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women.
But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.
And the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom there will be no end. Then Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I do not know a man? And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the highest will overshadow you. Therefore also that holy one who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth, your relative, has conceived a son in her old age, and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.
For with God nothing is impossible. Then Mary said, Behold the maidservant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her.
You're listening to the Truth Network and truthnetwork.com. In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leapt for joy, and blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord. And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed. For he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of humble estate. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy, and he has spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his offspring forever.
And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home. Picking up at Luke 1 57, we now read of the birth of John the Baptist. Luke 1 57, Now Elizabeth's full time came to her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son.
When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her. So it was on the eighth day that they came to circumcise the child, and they would have called him by the name of his father Zacharias. His mother answered and said, No, he shall be called John.
But they said to her, There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name. So they made a sign to his father, what he would have him called. And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, His name is John. So they all marveled. Immediately his mouth was opened, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. Then fear came on all who dwelt around them, and all those saying were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea.
And all those who heard these things kept them in their hearts, saying, What kind of child will this be? And the hand of the Lord was with him. Carrying on with Luke 1, 67 through 80. Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets who have been since the world began. Thus we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we being delivered from the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our lives. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the highest, for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins.
Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the dayspring from on high has visited us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the desert till the day of his manifestation to Israel. Matthew 1, 1 to 17, the genealogy of Jesus Christ. The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Peres, and Zerah by Tamar, and Peres the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Abinadab, and Abinadab the father of nation, and nation the father of Solomon, and Solomon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Abed by Ruth, and Abed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah and Solomon the father of Rehoboam and Rehoboam the father of Abigai, and Abigai the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Jerome, and Jerome the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the deportation to Babylon. And after the deportation to Babylon, Jeconiah was the father of Shittiel, and Shittiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abud, and Abud the father of Eliakum, and Eliakum the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Iliad, and Iliad the father of Eliezer, and Eliezer the father of Mathen, and Mathen the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
So all the generations from Abraham to David were 14 generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon 14 generations, and from the deportation of Babylon to the Christ 14 generations. Matthew 1 18 down through verse 25 now tells the birth of Jesus Christ was as follow. After his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband being a just man and not wanting to make a public example was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things behold the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying Joseph son of David do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit and she shall bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus and he will save his people from their sins. So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet saying behold the Virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel which is translated God with us. Then Joseph being aroused from sleep did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn son and they called his name Jesus. Luke 2 1 to 7 in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Corinneus was governor of Syria and all went to be registered each to his own town and Joseph also went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea to the city of David which is called Bethlehem because it was the house and lineage of David. To be registered with Mary his betrothed he was with child and while they were there the time came for her to give birth and she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloth and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the end. We'll be right back for the rest of the Christmas story and much more stay tuned. You're listening to the Truth Network and truthnetwork.com Angels we have heard on high sweetly singing o'er the plains and the mountains in reply Echoing their joyous strains. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night and behold an angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were greatly afraid and the angel said to them do not be afraid for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all the people for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord and this will be a sign to you you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloth lying in a manger and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying glory to God in the highest and peace on earth goodwill towards men and so it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven that the shepherds said to one another let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass which the Lord has made known to us and they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger now that when they had seen him they made widely known the saying which was told to them concerning this child and all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told by the shepherds but Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart then the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told to them Luke 2 starting in verse 21 and at the end of eight days when he was circumcised he was called Jesus the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb and when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord as it is written in the law of the Lord every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and this man was righteous and devout waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him and it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ and he came in the spirit into the temple and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the law he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said Lord now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all people a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel and his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him and Simeon blessed them and said to marry his mother behold this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel for a sign that is opposed and a sword will pierce through your own soul also so that thought from many hearts may be revealed and there was a prophetess Anna the daughter of finial of the tribe of Asher she was advanced in years having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin and then as a widow until she was 84 she did not depart from the temple were worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day and coming up at the very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem and when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord they returned into Galilee to their own town of Nazareth and the child grew and became strong filled with wisdom and the favor of God was upon him Matthew chapter 2 the Christmas story continues beginning at verse 1 now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king behold wise men from the east came to Jerusalem saying where is he who has been born king of the Jews for we have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him when Herod the king heard this he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him and when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born so they said to him in Bethlehem of Judea for thus it is written by the prophets but you Bethlehem in the land of Judah are not the least among the rulers of Judea for out of you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel then Herod when he had secretly called the wise men determined from them what time the star had appeared and he sent them to Bethlehem and said go and search carefully for the young child and when you have found him bring back word to me that I may come and worship him also when they heard the king they departed and behold the star which they had seen from the east went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was when they saw the star they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy and when they had come into the house they saw the young child with Mary his mother and fell down and worshipped him and when they had opened their treasures they presented gifts to him gold frankincense and myrrh then being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod they departed for their own country another way picking up in Matthew 2 13 through 23 now when they had departed behold an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying arise take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt and stay there until I bring you a word for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him when he arose he took the young child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt and was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophets saying out of Egypt I called my son then Herod when he saw that he had deceived he was deceived by the wise men was exceedingly angry and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts from two years old and under according to the time which he had determined from the wise men then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the Prophet saying a voice was heard in Rama lamentation weeping and great mourning Rachel weeping for her children refusing to be comforted because they are no more but when Herod was dead behold an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt saying arise take the young child and his mother and go to the land of Israel for those who sought the young child's life are dead then he arose took the young child and his mother and came into the land of Israel when he'd heard that our keyless was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod he was afraid to go there and being warned by God in a dream he turned aside into the region of Galilee and he came and he dwelled in a city called Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet he shall be called a Nazarene continuing the story of Jesus Luke 2 41 now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover and when he was 12 years old they went up according to the custom and when the feast was ended as they were returning the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem his parents did not know it but but so but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey but then they began to search for him among the relatives and acquaintances and when they did not find him they returned to Jerusalem searching for him after three days they found him in the temple sitting among the teachers listening to them and asking them questions and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers and when his parents saw him they were astonished and his mother said to him son why have you treated us so behold your father and I have been searching for you in great distress and he said to them why were you looking for me did you not know that I must be in my father's house and they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them and he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them and his mother treasured all up all of these things in her heart and Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and a favor with God and man as we are reading the Christmas story we've come to the place now where Jesus is growing up and we're gonna find that he had a purpose when he came we do like to ask what is the reason for the season 1st John 3 5 and you know that he was manifested to take away our sins 1st John 3 8 he who sins is of the devil for the devil has sinned from the beginning for this purpose the Son of Man the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil and then the Apostle Paul writes this in Philippians chapter 2 who being in the form of God verse 6 did not consider it robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation taking on the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men and being found in the appearance as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross we can't talk about Christmas without talking about the cross and after we come back we're going to tell you the rest of the Christmas story you're listening to the truth network and truth network calm Oh holy night the stars are brightly shining it is the night of the dear Savior's Word long lay the world in sin and error pining till he appeared and the soul fell its word welcome back to this very special edition of truth talk live where we're sharing with you the Christmas story the sort of the reason of the season from this point is we're picking it up now there's so much to what God did what God sent down what love he sent down at Christmas time just as the Old Testament gave prophecy that Jesus would be born the Old Testament also gave prophecy that our Savior would be crucified so we take a moment now to hear these incredible words from Isaiah 53 Isaiah 53 who has believed what he has heard from us and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed for he grew up before him like a tender plant like a root out of dry ground he had no form or majesty that we should look at him and no beauty that we should desire him he was despised and rejected by men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and as one from whom men hid their faces he was despised and we esteemed him not surely he has borne our grief and carried our sorrows yet we esteemed him stricken smitten by God and afflicted but he was pierced for our transgressions he was crushed for our iniquities upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace and with his wounds we are healed all we like sheep have gone astray we have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all he was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth like the lamb that has led to the slaughter and like a sheep that's before it shearers is silent so he opened not his mouth by oppression and judgment he was taken away and as for his generation who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living stricken for the transgressions of my people and they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death although he had done living violence and there was no deceit in his mouth yet it was the will of God to crush him he has put him to grief when his soul makes an offering for guilt he shall see his offspring he shall prolong his days the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hands out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied by his knowledge shall the righteous one my servant make many to be accounted righteous and he will bear their iniquities therefore I will divide him a portion with the many and he shall divide the spoils with the strong because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors yet he bore the sin of many and makes intercession for the transgressors we now move to the Easter story and we find ourselves now in Luke 23 verse 18 trials have been taking place and now Jesus stands before a crowd with Pilate and Pilate has asked what shall I do with Jesus verse 18 of chapter 23 the Gospel of Luke but they all cry together away with this man and released to us Barabbas a man who has been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder Pilate addressed them once more desiring to release Jesus but they kept shouting crucify him crucify him a third time he said to them why what evil has he done I have found in him no guilt deserving of death I will therefore punish and release him but they were urgent demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified and their voices prevailed so Pilate decided that their demand should be granted he released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder for whom they had asked but he delivered Jesus over to their will starting in verse 26 and as they led him away they seized one Simon of Cyrene who was coming in from the country and laid on him the cross to carry it behind Jesus and there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him but turning to them Jesus said daughters of Jerusalem do not weep for me but weep for yourselves and for your children for behold the days are coming when they will say blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed then they will begin to say to the mountains fall on us and to the hills cover us for if they do these things when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry two others who were criminals were led away to be put to death with him and when they came to the place that is called the skull there they crucified him and the criminals one on his right and one on his left and Jesus said father forgive them for they know not what they do and they cast lots to divide his garments and the people stood by watching but the ruler scoffed at him saying he saved others let him save himself if he is the Christ of God his chosen one the soldiers also mocked him coming up and offering him sour wine and saying if you are the king of the Jews save yourself there was also an inscription over him this is the king of the Jews one of the criminals who were hanged railed at him saying are you not the Christ save yourself and us but the other rebuked him saying do you not fear God since you are under the same sentence and count of condemnation and we indeed justly for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds but this man has done nothing wrong and he said Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom and he said to him truly I say to you today you will be with me in paradise and it was now about the sixth hour and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour while the sun's light faded and the curtain of the temple was torn in two then Jesus calling out with a loud voice said father into your hands I commit my spirit and having said this he breeds his last now when the centurion saw what had taken place he praised God as saying certainly this man was innocent and all the crowds that had been assembled for the spectacle when they saw what had taken place returned home beating their breasts and all his acquaintances and the woman who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things now there was a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathea he was a member of the council a good and righteous man who had not consented to their decision and action and he was looking for the kingdom of God this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid it in a tomb cut in stone where no one had ever been laid it was the day of preparation and the Sabbath was beginning the women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid then they returned and prepared spices and ointment on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment moving along in Luke chapter 24 now on the first day of the week very early in the morning they and certain other women with them came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared but they found the stone rolled away from the tomb then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus and it happened as they were greatly perplexed about this that behold two men standing by them and shining garments then as they were afraid and bowed to their faces to the earth they said to them why do you seek the living among the dead he's not here but he is risen remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee saying the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and the third day rise again and they remembered his words then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other women that were with them who told these things to the Apostles and their words seemed to them like idle tales and they did not believe them but Peter arose and ran to the tomb and stooping down he saw the linen claws lying by themselves and he departed marveling to himself at what had happened we have the Christmas story that will go to a place called Calvary that will also conclude with an empty tomb and today for your Christmas I remind you for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that word gave is not just that he came into the world but gave his life he died so that we could live for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life and I like verse 17 for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved the Christmas story is a salvation story so how about you this Christmas have you unwrapped the gift of gifts right it was wrapped by Mary and Joseph and then rewrapped by Joseph as we just described but do you know way down in your knower like do you know that you know that you're gonna be in heaven with all of your friends and family but most of all with Jesus do you know that well this is how simple it is it really really is simple Romans 10 9 just tells us right that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and you believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead you will be saved pretty simple stuff confess it with your mouth believe it in your heart and you can know way down in your knower that you too will be able to experience Christmas forever with Jesus so we at the Truth Network want to wish you a Merry Christmas we wish you a Merry Christmas and God bless us everyone another program powered by the Truth Network
