December 10, 2023 - What Christmas meant to Mathew, Mark, Luke and John and why their messages are so essential for us t

and there's the Saint Nicholas folklore that I have just found out recently is completely false cuz it was written a thousand years afterwards, but it's of some cool stories up there anyway, but

the story when Jesus came to Earth as a baby and it is basically given to us from Matthew and Mark or Matthew and Luke. They they put Jesus in Jewish history and in world history. And but I find the other two gospels give us another aspect of Jesus that we should really consider consider more fully What Christmas Means? and for those of you who need Pat don't know or need to be reminded the Matthew Mark and Luke are called the synoptic gospels and they basically have a lot of the same stories that we understand that they come from One Source. It might actually be the mark and they they get flushed out. But every single one of these gospels are written by a specific person to a specific Community for a specific reason and so the difference is between the stories are incredibly meaningful and we want to understand some of those differences today.

So we're going to look at what Christmas meant to Matthew and to Mark & DeLuca in to John and why their message is so essential for us today. Can I pray?

Lord we do. Thank you for this time in this season. We thank you Lord that we have this reminder of your great grace to us and Lord I I pray that this would not be information but it would be a transformation that occurs. that Lorde even in the busyness of the hustle and bustle of the season. We can pause and really understand more of your Revelation to us today. In your name we pray amen.

so What is Matthew tell us about Christmas? Well Matthew was written to Jewish Believers and or possibly two to Jewish people as an apologetic that to tell them that Jesus is their Messiah. And he writes it like this. I'm doing my best to take all of these scripture from memory. This is the one I don't really have in here yet. So I'm I'm I read it once in awhile here. But this is the birth of Jesus Christ came about is Mother. Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph. But before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the holy spirit because Joseph her husband was an honorable man, and he didn't want to expose her publicly to disgrace. He had it in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he considered this an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said Joseph son of David don't be afraid to take Mary home as your wife because what is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you were to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. And this all this took place of a fill with the Lord. It said through the prophet the Virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel which means god with us. When Joseph woke up he did with the angel of the Lord commanded and he took Mary home as his wife, but he didn't consummate the relationship the marriage until she gave birth to the son and he gave him the name Jesus. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the time of King Herod Magi get from the East came to Jerusalem and ask. Where is the one born King of the Jews? We saw his star when it Rose and we have come to worship Him. When King Herod heard this he was Disturbed and all Jerusalem with him and he called together all the people of the chief priests and the teachers of the law and he asked him where the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem in Judea. They were applied for this is what the prophet has written, but you Bethlehem in the land of Judah are by no means least among the rulers of Judah for out of you will come a ruler who will Shepherd. My people is real. Then Harry called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said go and search carefully for the child as soon as you find him report to me so that you may go worship Him and after they had heard the king they went on their way and the star that they had seen Rose ahead and went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was it when they saw the star they were Overjoyed on coming to the house. They saw the child and his mother Mary and they Bow Down and Worship Him and then they opened up their treasures and presented him Gifts of gold frankincense. And myrrh, and haven't been warned in a dream not to go back to Harry. They returned to go to their country by another route and when they had gone an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream when you said take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt and stay there until I tell you because Garrett is going to search for the trial to kill him. so he got up and

so he

so he got up and took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt where they stayed until the death of Herod. And so it was fulfilled with the Lord had said through the prophet out of Egypt. I called my son when Herod realize you'd been out with it by the Magi. He was Furious and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its facilities who are two years old and under in accordance to the time. He learned from the Magi. then what was said through the Prophet Jeremiah Was fulfilled a voice was heard is heard in Ramah weeping in great morning Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted because there are no more

please note briefly. This is the only place we have a story of the Magi and the Magi and the star. Weren't there when he was born? They came to the house and they probably came two years after the fact because that's how old Herod wanted today ended up killing the boys two years and I'm in the Thunder. We we have them at every Nativity if they're symbolically there. They weren't really there not to any way Jesus puts Matthew put Jesus in Jewish history in his genealogy. He places them firmly in Jewish history and we'll look at that a little bit closer in a few minutes, but he continually points out how Jesus fulfilled prophecy the prophecy for the Messiah not limited to these but here's some of the prophecies about the Messiah that Matt Matthew intentionally points out that come from a descendant of Shem name to Abraham that he would be a descendant of Abraham's son Isaac not Ishmael you'd be a descendant of Isaac son Jacob. He's a he would be a descendant of Judah he would be descendants of the family of Jessie in The Tribe of Benjamin. He would be out of the house of David he would be born in a small town called Bethlehem. He would be born a virgin of a virgin he would come while the temple was still standing. Other Prophecies of Jesus is life that Matthew point out include he'll perform any Miracles. He'll Open the Eyes of the blind. He will speak in Parables. You will prepare his way will be prepared by a messenger. He will be betrayed. He'll be betrayed by a friend. He'll be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver. He'll be the Betrayal money will be cast on the floor of the temple. The Betrayal money will be used to buy a Potter's field. He will not open his mouth to defend himself. He will be beating it's been a pain. He will be numbered with the transgressors. You'll be given vinegar and Gall to drink you'll be buried with the rich. You'll be the Son of God Matthew wanted to show his first listeners that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah. He came as king.

And the Jewish people around that time we're looking for a king.

How much do want to get into this? It was just a short time before that. You got to understand something here. The Jewish people are an ancient people. This pissed that blows me away the rest of them fell in 586 BC. Their their leaders were carried off into Babylon 586 In 480 Persia sack Athens in Athens entered its golden age. It's classical age. The Acropolis was completely wiped out so they can build the Parthenon in build the proper Leah, and then it was all their art and architecture team together at for 800 years after the nation of Israel Rosa existed for generations and crumbles. then That blows me away then classical Greek Greece existed like this when we talked about the Jewish people even today if we need to understand it is a Ancient Ancient Ancient race. Okay. So for them in the first century, it wasn't that long ago that they overthrew another Empire that ruled over them in 175 BC. Maccabees Judas maccabaeus was the high priest the seleucid Empire Alexander area. He died at 32. His generals took over the place at all of these were in Egypt. The seleucids were in Mesopotamia and down down in there. They they kind of there. There was a problem. He's basically ran the Palestine area opened up in this area until Antiochus the fourth I think was the one that forced them out and took over Jerusalem to it, but the seleucids were in control of Jerusalem when Judas maccabaeus where it was high priest, and the they were trying to they call it the hellenization. They wanted everyone to be Greek. So they they throughout the Jewish occult. They called it and started sacrificing Peaks on in the temple with the Jewish people. So Judas Maccabee is Rose up kick them out of Jerusalem made a deal with the Romans that Rome would protect them if the Sadducees ever came back. The seleucids had just lost room and Asia Minor and so room protected them and eventually took them over. But in the Jewish mindset, they were free. They had a free theocracy for until Road King before and and they they were sitting there and they were looking for someone to once again and overthrow this might of the Empire it it like it boggles my mind to think that any small nation cuz they could overthrow Rome. And yet they did it. Just under two hundred years before with another great Empire. That actually that's where Hanukkah comes from right like they ran out of oil in the temple and this this light stays lit for eight days. And that's why they still sell it. That's why they celebrate Hanukkah anyway.

All that's to say it's an Ancient Ancient time in the area. Was it that their Nation people and they've got a long memory and it wasn't that long ago. They overthrew an Empire. They were looking for someone to be their King and do it again. The genealogy and Matthew it starts with Abraham and goes up to Joseph. And that he does there's a few things that Matthew does and how he interprets scripture his hermeneutic hermeneutics is a long fancy word to say how you interpret scripture and and his hermeneutic. We don't understand today. It doesn't make sense, but it's not for us to sit two thousand years later and judges hermeneutic is for us to understand his hermeneutic and try to make sense of it. Let me give you an example two examples of his genealogy is 14 generations to from Abraham to Dave at fourteen Generations from David to the Exile 14 generation from the Excel to Christ nice and neat and it made sense to everyone who read it. It wakes up. We know it wasn't 14 Generations. We know he left out a lots of generations in that mix. But but for the first readers of this they understood yeah, that makes sense. There's some symmetry there double seven is more important than historical accuracy. And so it's sort of that understanding and then I didn't read that part but Jesus goes up to Joseph take Jesus up to Nazareth and and Matthew Marks out. There's just a fit fulfill the prophecy. They will call him and Nazarene except that prophecy doesn't exist in the Old Testament know where can we find that the Messiah was going to be called from Nazarene. The closest is

Isaiah 11:1 talks about the Messiah will be the branch out of the root and the Hebrew word for branch is very close to the word for Nazarene. It's so so it again it made sense to the first listeners. We don't we can't we don't understand his hermeneutic, but we know that it made sense for them anyway.

Matthew focuses on Joseph the hits about Joseph story. It's it's so important that Jewish Believers is understood how the man responded to all of this. And the angels every angel in in Matthew appears in a dream every single one. Why? Cuz that just made more sense to them, but it would make me in the dream. It's it's their angels all over the place, but they're always in the dreams of people in in Matthews account. The Matthew includes the royalty. He talks about King Herod. He talks about the Magi who brought the Royal gifts the gold in this frankincense the star the star shining only tried for royalty. Right? Like it's it's pointing that out is pointing Jewish listeners that this is your Messiah. It. After you place is Jesus in Jewish history, and he reminds us that Jesus came as king. What does that mean to us today? We're so far removed from kinship. We don't have a clue what that means.

There was a kingship in ancient times and throughout history was almost never around a nationality. Nation-states is a new thing. It is a modern convention for us to understand each other. and even if King David he had his height she had an ammonite she had these people that they were supposed to be bothering they were some of his greatest supporters and they were the ones who were the ancient times people went to the to the person they they they what was the They gathered around leaders not nationalities. And it was a king's job if they were responsible for provision protection identity and justice. So when we're talking about Jesus is our King. Are we going to trust him for provision protection identity and justice?

Matthew tells us Jesus came is king and the question we can ask ourselves is in my heart have I set apart Christ as Lord?

Is the Lord of my life is he Lord of my Christmas season?

Jesus came as King in my heart have I set apart Christ as Lord?

What is Mark tell us about Christmas?

Work doesn't have anything about Christmas in the entire book. When we were kids we had kind of two things we had to do before we could open presents. We open presents and in Christmas Eve and the light had to come on in the yard meeting. It had to be dark outside and the second thing was we had to read read the Christmas story together before we open up presents and

I remember being thrown outside to be outside to the light came on and I was thinking about that. Like it wasn't really cold out but it was cold enough and it might have been the year that the cat somehow ended up on the presents and shredded a few of them and and like the only witness would not say you like it might have been a push. It might have been to throw. We don't know but I was outside after that and I couldn't come in until it was dark and then the running joke for me. I thought it was hilarious. Nobody else been when I get Dad a daddy to read from our creeper Mark 3 from Mark and then we would have to go Luke was went on forever Mark. Mark would be quick weave to get through this.

Matthew places Jesus in Jewish history Mark place is Jesus in soteriological history. That's a big fancy word. That means salvation. Mark is a It's All About the Passion of Christ with a longer introduction. That's all he is interested in. Why would Mark leave Christmas out? Luke and Matthew Explorer Christmas, they explore all kinds of different things happening around the time Christ was born Mark just ignores it like it starts with e starts with John the Baptist and then Jesus being baptized and then We're Off to the Races. It's just right.

Where can I have that anyway?

Since earliest times we've understood we know Mark was an eyewitness. He was he was with the disciples when Roman Romans came to two. Arrest Jesus says he fled naked young man. He said flood naked because they took his cloak and he broke away and he ran away. But while Mark was an eyewitness from ancient times. We we understand it. This is Peter's account. Peter wanted to say what was important to him in the life of Jesus. And remember Peter, you know, he was the first he was the only one to jump up on the waves. You know, he was the one when when John beat him to the tomb he he was the one that ran inside Peter was the one that when nobody know knew what Jesus was saying Peters was the one that would speak up all the time and face, you know, he's just saying why don't you still don't understand either was the impetuous one. Let me show you what I mean. Young's literal translation a literal translation wants to do word as word as much as possible. Okay, Mark 1 28 to 31 reflect. And the fame of him went forth immediately to all the regions around about of Galilee and immediately haven't come forth out of the synagogue. They went up to the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John and the Mother-in-law of Simon was lying fevered and immediately. They tell him about her and haven't come near you raised her up and lay hold of her hand and the fever left her immediately and she was ministering to them. If you go through the youngs literal translation, you will find there are 42 times in 16 chapters that the word immediately occurs. It's all about what happens next what happens next what happens next? John Mark is only concerned about the cross. That's what he is passionate about.

I've only ever found 42 versus in the English Inn. I should even tell you this but I tried to see if it could find more need of the word. The word is used to us. And I died asked it. How many times is she threw us in the Greek New Testament? This is me typing the chat GDP and it comes back one and I like but I found two and it says my mistake there's forty-two and I'm like, I think you just got that from me telling you I don't trust you anymore. And it says what you should look it up at least commentary and I said those commentators are open source. You should find that men. Look them up for me. How many times is it at Kroger? I think 13nnnn and is it I don't think I know the Greek New Testament is online its open-source search it and tell me how many times in Marc this word appear and it's a comes back This is 40 41, and I'm like you got it wrong. Did you anyway? Existential conversations with an AI far too early in the morning. Anyway, I've got another program that will show me with graphs and bars, but I just have never it scares me.

Mark is all focused on the cross. He is focused on The Passion of Christ. And that's something we can never forget. in this Christmas season

Jesus came as a baby and we started celebrating his birthday. from the earliest times it it we started celebrating that there is a

there was a Roman Feast called saturnalia that ran from December 17th to the 24th. And it's the only Feast that Romans allowed their masters to meet with their slaves and the church at Masters and slaves in it. So they gather together and worship in a community event It could only be done during this Festival time. And so we've got early accounts of celebrating Christmas during saturnalia before.

Before the church became the religion in Rome. It's actually really interesting the early church fathers wrote about I'm saying wrote they wrote about

they didn't like Saturday Leah because one of the things that happened it was a big drunken orgy thing that went on but the thing that really took them off was the kids would go door-to-door and they would come kids with come with something small and they would expect something larger and so they would come with a flower and they get a coin or they come with a stick and then get a candy or something. Right and use Christian writers were saying Christian shouldn't be involved in that because the kids were becoming greedy. They always wanted more they were they were strategic in trying to get more for themselves. And that's really interesting to me because we'll see you in just a second.

in 336 the church was the religion of Rome Christianity was the religion of Rome and Christians took over saturnalia and called it the Feast of the nativity.

the Feast of the Nativity on Saturday Leah ended with a big Feast with For a Roman god and and then when Christians took over Christ Mass, you can being celebrated on the 25th because it was the end of the Ave where they call it the the Feast of the nativity. But he eats Century Christ's Mass had spread to England Scandinavia Germany. Latvia all over Christmas was being celebrated all over. Christmas in the 8th century was not with the traditions we have today. It was actually very much like the Feast of saturnalia. It it's it's quite disturbing actually boat 900 years later either 900 years later and England. Here's one report about what happened on it says on Christmas most Believers would attend church and then celebrate rosh Isley and drunken carnival-like atmosphere each year a bigger or student would be crowned the Lord of misrule and eager celebrants played the part of his subjects. The poor would go from house to house of the Rich and demand the best food or drink or demand they throw up coins and if the owner failed to comply their visitors would most likely terrorize them with Mischief or Worse Christmas would be the time of year when the upper classes would repay the real or imagined debt to society by entertaining the less fortunate. citizens this Lord of misrule thing was a thing in England until the 17th century. It it was it was how they celebrated Christmas. That whole time. It was Riot drunken riot in the streets.

I and the Puritans weren't too excited about Christmas. They knew the Jesus wasn't born in the winter solstice. I mean Shepherds only abide in the field keeping watch over their flock in the spring. It doesn't happen in winter. So Jesus was probably born in the spring. And it was a it was a wild drunken celebration not so unlike some companies Christmas parties today. By the way, merry Christmas originally meant I hope you get drunk this Christmas. That's what Mary means like now it doesn't but originally that was where Mary come from. It is really interesting when the Puritans founded the American colonies. They didn't bring Christmas with them. There was one report of Christmas being celebrated in Jamestown uneventfully other what other it was an uneventful Christmas and everywhere else would not celebrate Christmas. so Christmas was an official holiday in the u.s. To live 1870. It wasn't an official holiday in Canada till that yours. Well for us it was three year old country for three years up to that point. So it's not like we were having National anything at that point, but How do we get our traditions for Christmas when it was all about drunken riots for a thousand years in England? That's a great question. I'm so glad you asked. They were people in the US. Who? Ben want those the same riots to happen in in in in the US. And so what they did and it wasn't just one person. It was a whole series of people they rotate they manufactured tradition. They said they would they would have that tradition was to gather family and friends around a fire and drink warm cider, non-alcoholic and exchange gifts with each other. They decided that was the way to celebrate Christmas. It was pure fabrication with really good attention at it seemed to stick we seen the like it we seen the that's a good way to celebrate Jesus's birth. It was until 1931 the Coca-Cola gave us the Santa Clause that we understand it and have all the folklore behind today. But this whole Lord of misrule tradition, they kept part of that as well, too. We go caroling, right? Caroling is the watered-down version of the riots. They had in England. And it just approved that points. Have you ever read saying the whole verse of We Wish You a Merry Christmas?

We Wish You a Merry Christmas was a Region 19 35 it if it come from folk songs that were saying in the 16 and 17 hundreds. Okay be the line of the second and third verse it goes like this bring us some figgy pudding. I'll bring us some figgy pudding. I'll bring us some figgy pudding and bring it right here good tidings. We bring to you and your kin We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We won't go until you get some we won't go until we get stop where you won't go until we get something so bring it right here. That's the sort that is the course that that is that is that that

The honest truth is that we celebrate his birth at a time that he was most likely not born. With some Pagan Traditions that predate Christianity and some random Traditions. They get pulled from all over the world designed to temper hostilities. I was pleasantly surprised to do most Scholars think now. I always understood that Christmas trees were bait or Pagan, you know, the pagans in Germany were bringing trees in in like putting candles on them before Christians were even there, but that's actually now the scholars to say no know who say it's a decidedly Christian thing only Christians are smart enough to bring trees and dry them out and put fire to them to see anyway, that's not the reasoning but that's it's Christmas trees are as it sits the triangle represents father Son and Holy Spirit rates and a light of the world and all of that. So it it did my heart good to realize Christmas trees aren't aren't the Pagan thing at all. Do we celebrate his birth at a time that he most likely wasn't born with some Pagan traditions and pre Christianity that predate pre-christian the free date Christianity and fabricating fabricated Traditions. Meant to keep his nice and spend money.

With the hustle and bustle and busyness. It's easy not to leave space for the love. The joy the piece in the patient's the kindness and goodness the gentleness and self-control that God is growing in you every day of the year that God is making you more and more like it the Sun that he loves. All that is to say is a Christmas without the cross is no better than a pagan holiday.

Christmas without the cross is no better than a pagan holiday. And Mark reminds us that Jesus came to die.

You see everything changed at the cross? Our guilt was removed that's justification. The price of sin was paid. That's Redemption our sins were washed. That's pretty Asian. We were made friends with begin with God that is is reconciliation. We're no longer falling that's identification. Where's Seton rule is ended that's Reclamation. The curse of the law was canceled that the expiation everything changed at the cross because of the cross our lives are not the way that they would be otherwise Mart reminds us that Jesus came to die. And the question that we can ask ourselves is as across made its difference in my life this week. That's a good question. In the day-to-day of your every day that the cross makes it's different because the cross changes everything it changes how we approach God it changes how we interact with each other. It changes how we interact with strangers. It changes how we live our lives. Another question could be are you living up to what you've already attained? Because Jesus settle it all and the cross.

Jesus came to die. How is the cross made a difference in my life this week?

So what does Luke tell us about Christmas? Lucas carefully researched the events of Christ's birth and he starts with the events around Jesus is cousins the miraculous birth of John and he writes the book to Theophilus. We don't know if the awfulest was a person or if he was it was the name. other than Luke used for for Greek Christians

That would be cool. Hey, we could be Falafel Falafel Ian's Falafel Falafel. I fell off the lights. Jesus please Matthew places Jesus in Jewish history marketplaces, Jesus and Superior logical history Luke places Jesus in world history. And he does it. beautifully start out in Luke Chapter 2 in those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that incentive should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census taken when cry radius will governor of Syria and everyone went to this Old Town to register. So Joseph went up to from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea that the Bethlehem the town of David because he belong to the house in line of David. He went there to register with Mary. Who is pledged to be married to him? I was expecting a child. And while they were there the time came for the baby to be born and she gave birth to her first born a son and wrap them in class and placed him in a Manger because there's no room available for that many in. And there were shepherds abiding in the field keeping watch over their flocks by night and the angel of the Lord stood before them in the glory of the Lord Shone around them and they were terrified and the angel of the Lord said if you're not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy that will be for all people for unto you is Born This Day in the city of David a savior, who is Christ the lord and this will be a sign unto you you will find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a Manger. Suddenly with the angels the host of heaven where they're singing Glory to God in the highest and on Earth. Peace on whom his favor rests.

I lost track of the Angels left them and gone into having the shepherd said to one another let's go to Bethlehem and see the things that hat with the Lord has told us about so they hurried and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the manger of and the baby was lying in the manger and When they had seen him they spread word concerning all that. I've been told about this child and all who heard we're amazed at what the shepherd said to them. But Mary treasured these things and pondered them in her heart and the Shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard which were just as they were told. It's interesting to me that we sing about peace on Earth that we send Christmas cards to each other about peace on Earth. Adult tweets and Facebook posts, but that's not what the Angels said. What they saying was peace on Earth on whom his favor rests.

There should not be peace on this world Jesus K Mikey. I said I didn't come to bring peace but a sword we don't put that on Christmas cards. He he he said like it's his his piece is on those who have his favor.

The good news is his favor rests on you. You should have his peace and his hole and his Joy. and you can

loot places Jesus in world history. He writes about Caesar Augustus acquire any is being governor of Syria.

When I was a kid, I don't know how young I was but it was it was. I want to listen to Young Man the the

Scholars with mock Lux account because there was no quiet Rooney is Governor when this in Syria when this sensitive place we know there's a choir we need is two hundred years later. We don't know there's a pirate is here. And so Luke got it wrong. Well, guess what we found the documents buried in the dirt and there was a cry Rooney is in the exact same time. And now what the scholars are saying.

One of them said based on his accurate descriptions of towns and cities in islands. And as well as correctly naming various official titles. Archaeologist William Michael Ramsey wrote that Luke is a historian of first rank. Not merely in the statements of fact, but not only are his statements a fact or trustworthy. He should be placed among the very greatest of historians.

Luke's genealogy place is Joseph the ghost from Joseph all the way back to Adam. Luke gives a fuller account of angels they show up in the sky there right there. He's writing to Greeks Greeks have all these stories about their Gods coming down and being you know, that's how they get demigods and grease is it they their their gods have sex with and give birth to all these half God's Half Men.

Not that they believed it at this point, but it's it was okay for them to have supernatural beings walk among them. And so Luke focused on the those times when they were walking up that he writes about the angel coming to Zachariah who didn't believe you could become my father. So his most was shot until the FAA prophecy was fulfilled. He talks about Gabriel coming in and out sing to Mary what was going to take place. and Luke includes unlikely people he reveals the story of the shepherd's keeping watch over their flock by night. He includes women Elizabeth and Mary includes the elderly Simeon Zachariah and Anna. Luke was writing to Greek speaking believers who needed to know that the Jewish Messiah was for them. You don't have to be born in the right family. You don't have to be the top of society. You don't need to be a man in order to be loved by God. Luke reminds us that Jesus came for everyone It's not just the Jews. It's not just the right. This is not just the important. It's not just who you would expect. These just came for everyone in Christ. There is no Jew or Greek slave or free male or female. We Are All One in Christ. And so the love we get from God as in love we show each other we can extend the others who need to know Jesus came for them. The question we can ask ourselves. Do I see what God loves about the people that I can't Love of My Own.

We all have those people. You're not the nearest in the deers to us, but they are in our neighborhood. Are they shop in our Walmart? They drive in our streets. They lead in our governments. The Jesus came for them.

Jesus loves them and tells you to love them with the love. He gives you. alarm app

and this could be extremely challenging. If you want thinking we move along with the hustle and bustle of Christmas.

When you are in those lineups. Maybe God has put you there to show his love to somebody in front of you or behind you.

When you're in that craziness of traffic, can you can we can you can I learn to bless people? And like really mean it. instead of cursing them under my breath because they're driving like

edmontonians

Jesus came for all

Do I see what God loves about the people? I Can't Love of My Own.

If it ask him for what it's one of the best ways to connect with people when somebody is just Beacon offer giving you a hard time or just just being that God. What do you love about them? And then when he shows you compliment them on that? and that sarcastically in love

finally we get to John John is my favorite. Matthew place is Jesus in Jewish history Mark places Jesus and so Tara Tara logical history loot places Jesus in world history and John place is Jesus and cosmological history. He doesn't like this.

Says in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were created that have been created without him. Nothing has been created that has been created in him is the light of light in it, but it's a light of men but like Sean in the darkness and the Darkness did not understand it. King there's one sent from God his name was John who came as a witness to the light himself was not the like he came only as a witness to the light at the True Light was coming into the world. He was in the world and all the world was made through him. The world did not recognize him. You came into that which was his own in his own did not receive him. You to all who received him to those who call on his name. He gives them the right to become children of God. Children not born of natural this and or human decision nor husband will but born of God hears the Christmas statement. The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory the glory of the one and only who came from the father full of grace and

John wants to remind us that God came.

The one who spoke in a hundred billion stars were birthed in this Milky Way. and 2 trillion galaxies expanded into this universe

the one who speaks and in every atom. These its course electron goes around the proton.

There are universes that make up our universe. Things hadn't seen that make up a we see. But he sustains.

That's The God Who Came

When translation says he he took on flesh and camped out for a while. But really the word is Tabernacles. That means tinted he he had a tent.

Jesus came as our King he came to die in our place. He came for all.

the thing that we need to remember

Is the fact that he came?

I think Paul sums up the whole message of the stories of the gospels put together.

And he does it when he's reading to the church and Phillipi and to us in the second chapter heat. He writes tells us to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but in humility consider others better than ourselves.

Says we don't need to look after our own interests, but look out for each other's interests. Put them ahead of Our Own.

He tells us we should have the same attitude as priced who and being very nature. God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. But made himself nothing taking on the very nature of a servant. And being found in the appearance of man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even death on the cross.

Therefore God exalted him and gave him a name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus Christ every knee will bow in heaven and on Earth and under the Earth and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

That's it. That's the entire message of the Gospel from from Matthew and Mark and Luke and John Paul sums it up. So beautifully and it's it's for us today.

Emmanuel God With Us tripped himself as a bit of his omnipresence and omniscience and came as a helpless, baby. in a Manger and he came to die and he came for all and he came as king.

And I don't understand I can't comprehend. It hurts my brain to think about it too hard.

But it's good for me to think about it really hard.

God Gene

God is love. God is good.

God is with us.

Question we can ask ourselves is can I be still and know that he is God.

It might be the hustle and bustle of the Season that you need to make space in order to be still and know that he is God, but it it might be lack and loss that you're struggling with this year.

Anytime we celebrate. The enemy and sometimes us ourselves our fallen nature will focus on the lack and the loss instead of what's right in front of us.

It it's usually while it's in three places. It's it's in our health. It's in our relationships and it's in what we receive for what we do. those three things

It's a battle for hope.

It's a battle for identity.

And this season is a season all about hope.

God team God is with us.

Those aren't words that encourage you today. It might be that you're going through a season where it where you're looking at Lac and you're looking at loss.

And if it's a season that's go through it. We need to mourn with those who mourn and we need to Rejoice with those who rejoice.

And all I'm saying is that I know.

It could be the third that it's more than just a hustle and bustle of the Season. It could be that you have that but on top of that it it it's it's being overshadowed by lack and loss.

And I don't know what you're dealing with, but I know that I can never afford to give up my peace.

I get peace and hope enjoy as I trust in him.

And I know I'm not trusting in Him if I'm living offended in it at him.

And a good clue that I'm living offended at God is that I focus on lap lack and loss.

You can ask him for help. You can agree with him that you're mad at him if that's what it is.

It's okay. He's big. He's big enough. You can handle it. In confession is me agreeing with him that I am mad at him.

Repentance is is asking for his help to not stay mad at him.

And the thing about lacking loss is is I've talked to people I but I've experienced it myself. I can I know that it right now in the season that God is the only thing sustaining me. What is that season goes on for so long? It's it's it's like I can start living offended if him because he hasn't come through yet. He hasn't come through on my time to it. Not only my timetable but any time table that looks acceptable to anybody.

And in those times I I need to know.

I need to know how to more and I'd like to know how to grieve you want to know how to more and go to the Psalms and find a song that feels the way that you feel. And use its words to mourn what you're feeling towards got forward to God. Most of those songs will turn you back to pries.

Even the ones who don't to the don't. They are they are good some days.

What I'm trying to say is if you if you can't take time to be still and know that he is God it might be because you're offended him.

And if you're offended him, it's good to know confession and repentance is the way through.

Because we do we need to know.

We need to know.

He is good. He is love. He is God.

Let's pray.

Lorde

I don't know what we're going through.

And it could be a season of black and Lawson.

Lord if people need to mourn help us to mourn but not like those who have no hope