The Christmas Story
The famous angel Gabriel, who was seen by Daniel centuries earlier, visits Mary and we have their famous exchange recorded. We explore a little bit about why Jesus had to be born of a virgin and then we cover the rest of the famous story. Gabriel also visits Mary's fiance who is apparently troubled by Mary's sudden and unexplained pregnancy. Later, Mary gives birth to Jesus in a barn and has to lay him in a barnyard feeding trough. Meanwhile, an army of angels manifest themselves to nearby shepherds to announce Jesus' birth and even gives them instructions on how they can find him. The shepherds quickly leave and find Jesus exactly where they were told. Then we explore the appearing of a mysterious star over Bethlehem that led the Magi (aka) "The Wise Men" to Jesus' home. While many of us enjoy seeing three wealthy men bearing gifts before a manger on our Christmas cards, this strange event actually took place much later, possibly as much as 2 years after the manger scene. The coming of the Magi into Israel literally shook up the entire kingdom and even rattled King Herod. We will cover the politics of Israel during the reign of Herod and why this sudden appearance of the Magi was so disturbing to the people. We will also get into the significance of "gold, frankincense and myrrh" because those three forms of gifts tell us a lot about WHO the Magi thought Jesus really was. The Magi probably knew much more than we give them credit. And then for fun, we will also get into the supernatural physics of "the star" that appeared over Bethlehem.
December 18, 2008
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| Gabriel Announces To A Virgin Named Mary, The Conception & Birth Of Her Son Jesus. | Luke 1:26-33 | |
| Why It Was Necessary For Jesus To Be Conceived And Born Of A Virgin. | Luke 1:34-38 | Isaiah 7:14 |
| Gabriel Visits Joseph, The Promised Husband Of Mary, To Alleviate His Fears And Confirm Mary's Testimony. | Matthew 1:18-25 | |
| Mary Gives Birth To Jesus In A Barnyard Feeding Trough. | Luke 2:1-7 | |
| Angels Announce The Birth Of Jesus To Nearby Shepherds. | Luke 2:8-15 | |
| The Shepherds Locate The Manger And Visit Jesus. | Luke 2:16-21 | |
| The Awesome Irony Of Jesus' Dedication. | Luke 2:21-24 | |
| The Surprise Encounter And Prophecy Of Simeon In The Temple. | Luke 2:25-35 | |
| The Encounter And Testimony Of Anna In The Temple. | Luke 2:36-39 | |
| The Politics Of Israel During The Reign Of Herod & The Troubling Arrival Of The Magi. | Matthew 2:1-3 | |
| King Herod Asks The Bible Scholars Of His Day Where The Messiah Was Prophesied To Be Born. | Matthew 2:4-6 | Micah 5:2 |
| Herod Attempts To Manipulate The Magi. | Matthew 2:7-8 | |
| The Supernatural Physics Of "The Star" Over Bethlehem. | Matthew 2:9-10 | |
| The Significance Of Gold, Frankincense And Myrrh. | Matthew 2:11 | Isaiah 60:1-22 |
| The Magi Heed A Divine Warning To Not Report Back To Herod. | Matthew 2:12 | |
| Joseph, Mary & Jesus Flee To Egypt Upon An Angel's Warning Of Herod's Attempts To Kill Their Son. | Matthew 2:13-15 | Hosea 11:1 |
| Herod Orders The Death Of All Male Children In Bethlehem Who Are 2 Years Of Age Or Younger. | Matthew 2:16-18 | Jeremiah 31:15 |
| After Herod Dies, Joseph, Mary & Jesus Return From Egypt Into Nazareth Of Galilee. | Matthew 2:19-23 | Isaiah 11:1 |
| The Childhood Of Jesus: Strong In Spirit & Filled With Wisdom. | Luke 2:39-40 | |
