WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:02.839 What if I told you that the most famous birth 2 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:07.160 in history happened in absolute darkness, hidden from the world's eyes. 3 00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:11.839 While emperors commanded legions and priests performed sacred rituals in 4 00:00:11.919 --> 00:00:15.599 golden temples, the creator of the universe entered his own 5 00:00:15.640 --> 00:00:20.039 creation as a helpless infant, wrapped in borrowed cloth, lying 6 00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:23.000 in an animal's feeding trough. But this is only the 7 00:00:23.039 --> 00:00:27.839 beginning of a mystery that has captivated billions for two millennia. 8 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:31.879 Behind the Nativity scenes and Christmas carols lies a raw, 9 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:37.560 breath taking true story of danger, divine intervention, and secrets 10 00:00:37.560 --> 00:00:41.880 that could cost lives. A teenage girl facing disgrace, a 11 00:00:41.920 --> 00:00:46.320 heart broken carpenter ready to walk away. Celestial beings breaking 12 00:00:46.359 --> 00:00:50.920 into our world with terrifying announcements, Pagan scholars following an 13 00:00:50.920 --> 00:00:56.079 impossible star, a paranoid king ordering the massacre of innocent children, 14 00:00:56.520 --> 00:01:01.159 a desperate midnight escape into exile. And then is silence. 15 00:01:01.520 --> 00:01:05.159 Thirty years of silence? What happened during those hidden years? 16 00:01:05.519 --> 00:01:08.359 How did the Son of God learn to walk, to work, 17 00:01:08.760 --> 00:01:12.719 to live as fully human while remaining fully divine? To day, 18 00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:16.760 we uncover the true story of Joseph and Mary, A 19 00:01:16.879 --> 00:01:22.599 narrative of extraordinary faith, unimaginable trials, and the radical humility 20 00:01:22.640 --> 00:01:26.280 of God himself choosing to grow up in complete obscurity 21 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:31.319 before changing the world forever. In a small town called Nazareth, 22 00:01:31.640 --> 00:01:34.760 tucked away in the hills of Galilee, lived a young 23 00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:38.719 woman named Mary. She was engaged to a man named Joseph, 24 00:01:39.120 --> 00:01:45.120 a carpenter from the lineage of King David. Life was simple, predictable, ordinary, 25 00:01:45.799 --> 00:01:48.719 but everything was about to change in a single moment. 26 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:53.079 One day, something impossible happened. The Gospel of Luke tells 27 00:01:53.159 --> 00:01:56.200 us in chapter one, verse twenty six through twenty seven, 28 00:01:56.519 --> 00:01:59.920 that God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth to avert 29 00:02:00.040 --> 00:02:02.840 John pledged to be married to a man named Joseph 30 00:02:03.159 --> 00:02:06.239 of the House of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. 31 00:02:06.680 --> 00:02:10.680 Imagine Mary going about her daily tasks when suddenly an 32 00:02:10.719 --> 00:02:14.120 angel appeared before her, not in a dream, not in 33 00:02:14.159 --> 00:02:18.159 a vision, right there in front of her. Luke records 34 00:02:18.159 --> 00:02:22.360 in verse twenty eight what Gabriel said, Greetings you, who 35 00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:26.159 are highly favored. The Lord is with you. Mary was 36 00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:30.000 deeply troubled by these words. Who wouldn't be an angelic 37 00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:34.479 being appears out of nowhere and calls you favored. Her 38 00:02:34.599 --> 00:02:38.280 mind must have raced. What could this mean? Why was 39 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:41.879 this happening to her? The Angel noticed her fear. In 40 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:45.879 verse thirty Gabriel spoke again, do not be afraid, Mary, 41 00:02:45.960 --> 00:02:49.599 you have found favor with God. Then came the announcement 42 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:52.800 that would split history. In two verses thirty one through 43 00:02:52.840 --> 00:02:56.080 thirty three record his words, you will conceive and give 44 00:02:56.120 --> 00:02:59.039 birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 45 00:02:59.360 --> 00:03:01.719 He will be great and will be called the Son 46 00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:04.719 of the Most High. The Lord God will give him 47 00:03:04.719 --> 00:03:07.719 the throne of his father David, and he will reign 48 00:03:07.759 --> 00:03:13.240 over Jacob's descendants forever. His kingdom will never end. Mary 49 00:03:13.319 --> 00:03:18.000 stood there, processing words that seemed impossible. She was a virgin, 50 00:03:18.199 --> 00:03:22.000 not yet married. How could she have a child. This 51 00:03:22.199 --> 00:03:25.719 wasn't how things worked, So she asked the obvious question. 52 00:03:26.639 --> 00:03:29.840 Verse thirty four tells us, how will this be since 53 00:03:29.879 --> 00:03:33.400 I am a virgin. Gabriel's answer was unlike anything anyone 54 00:03:33.439 --> 00:03:37.080 had ever heard. In verse thirty five, he explained, the 55 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:39.800 Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of 56 00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:43.240 the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one 57 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:45.479 to be born will be called the Son of God. 58 00:03:46.199 --> 00:03:50.240 This child would have no earthly father. God himself would 59 00:03:50.240 --> 00:03:52.960 be the source of this life. To help her believe, 60 00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:57.400 Gabriel gave her a sign. Her relative Elizabeth, who everyone 61 00:03:57.479 --> 00:04:01.000 said was unable to have children and was now very old, 62 00:04:01.680 --> 00:04:05.960 was six months pregnant. As verse thirty seven declares, for 63 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:09.240 no word from God will ever fail, Mary had a 64 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:12.960 choice to make. She could refuse question further or run 65 00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:18.680 away from this overwhelming responsibility. Instead, she did something remarkable. 66 00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:23.639 Verse thirty eight records her response, I am the Lord's servant. 67 00:04:24.199 --> 00:04:28.199 May your word to me be fulfilled. Then the angel 68 00:04:28.279 --> 00:04:31.519 left her. In that moment, Mary said yes to a 69 00:04:31.639 --> 00:04:36.199 path that would bring her both incredible honor and unimaginable pain. 70 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:39.959 She agreed to carry the son of God, knowing full 71 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:43.480 well what scandal this would bring in her community. Mary 72 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:47.000 was engaged to Joseph, but they weren't living together yet. 73 00:04:47.360 --> 00:04:50.839 That's how it worked in their culture. Engagement was as 74 00:04:50.920 --> 00:04:55.079 binding as marriage, but the couple didn't come together until 75 00:04:55.120 --> 00:04:59.959 after the wedding ceremony. So when Mary became pregnant, joe 76 00:05:00.040 --> 00:05:04.439 Yoseph faced a devastating reality. Matthew's Gospel tells us what 77 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:08.759 happened next. In chapter one, verse eighteen, we read this 78 00:05:09.079 --> 00:05:12.000 is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about. 79 00:05:12.439 --> 00:05:15.800 His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, 80 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:19.319 but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant. 81 00:05:19.560 --> 00:05:23.600 Through the Holy Spirit. Put yourself in Joseph's position. The 82 00:05:23.639 --> 00:05:27.439 woman you love, the woman your planning to marry, is pregnant, 83 00:05:27.800 --> 00:05:32.120 and you know the child isn't yours. The whispers would start, 84 00:05:32.519 --> 00:05:37.480 the accusations would fly. Under Jewish law, this was adultery, 85 00:05:37.800 --> 00:05:41.040 and the penalty could be severe. But Matthew tells us 86 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:46.000 something important about Joseph's character in verse nineteen. Because Joseph, 87 00:05:46.040 --> 00:05:49.519 her husband, was faithful to the law and yet did 88 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:52.839 not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had 89 00:05:52.839 --> 00:05:56.639 in mind to divorce her quietly. Notice what this reveals. 90 00:05:57.199 --> 00:06:01.160 Joseph was righteous. He took God's law seriously, but he 91 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:04.439 was also compassionate. He loved Mary enough that even in 92 00:06:04.519 --> 00:06:08.199 his pain and confusion, he didn't want to humiliate her publicly. 93 00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:11.040 He could have made a public spectacle of this, He 94 00:06:11.079 --> 00:06:15.279 could have demanded justice according to the law. Instead, he 95 00:06:15.360 --> 00:06:19.360 planned to end the engagement quietly. Sparing her the worst 96 00:06:19.439 --> 00:06:23.399 of the shame. This wasn't an easy decision. Joseph was 97 00:06:23.480 --> 00:06:27.240 torn between what the law required and what his heart felt. 98 00:06:27.720 --> 00:06:31.759 He knew Mary, he knew her character, yet the evidence 99 00:06:31.759 --> 00:06:36.120 seemed undeniable. There was no explanation that made sense to him. 100 00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:40.079 Not yet, So Joseph made his plan. He would divorce 101 00:06:40.120 --> 00:06:43.800 her quietly and everyone would move on. He would bear 102 00:06:43.879 --> 00:06:47.279 his own heartbreak in silence. It was the kind thing 103 00:06:47.360 --> 00:06:50.600 to do, the merciful thing, but it meant walking away 104 00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:53.079 from the woman he loved and the future they had 105 00:06:53.120 --> 00:06:56.680 planned together. Joseph went to bed that night carrying the 106 00:06:56.720 --> 00:06:59.759 weight of this decision, not knowing that God was about 107 00:06:59.800 --> 00:07:04.240 to deven in the most direct way possible. That night, 108 00:07:04.519 --> 00:07:09.720 as Joseph slept, God spoke. Matthew Chapter one, verse twenty 109 00:07:09.800 --> 00:07:12.879 tells us what happened. But after he had considered this, 110 00:07:13.279 --> 00:07:15.519 an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a 111 00:07:15.639 --> 00:07:19.560 dream and said, Joseph's son of David, do not be 112 00:07:19.639 --> 00:07:22.560 afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what 113 00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:26.079 is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. The 114 00:07:26.120 --> 00:07:30.519 angel called him son of David, a reminder that Joseph 115 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:33.680 carried royal blood, in his veins that he was part 116 00:07:33.720 --> 00:07:37.600 of God's ancient promises to King David. And then the 117 00:07:37.639 --> 00:07:42.000 Angel told him something that must have seemed impossible. Mary's 118 00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:46.120 child was conceived by the Holy Spirit. The Angel continued 119 00:07:46.160 --> 00:07:49.279 in verse twenty one, she will give birth to a son, 120 00:07:49.720 --> 00:07:52.439 and you are to give him the name Jesus, because 121 00:07:52.480 --> 00:07:56.160 he will save his people from their sins. The name 122 00:07:56.319 --> 00:08:01.800 Jesus means the Lord saves. His child would be the Savior. 123 00:08:02.199 --> 00:08:05.519 Then Matthew adds something crucial in verses twenty two and 124 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:09.240 twenty three. All this took place to fulfill what the 125 00:08:09.319 --> 00:08:12.759 Lord had said through the prophet. The Virgin will conceive 126 00:08:13.279 --> 00:08:15.720 and give birth to a son, and they will call 127 00:08:15.800 --> 00:08:20.959 him Immanuel, which means God with us. Seven hundred years earlier, 128 00:08:21.360 --> 00:08:25.120 the prophet Isaiah had spoken these words. Now they were 129 00:08:25.160 --> 00:08:28.879 coming true. The virgin birth wasn't a scandal, it was 130 00:08:28.920 --> 00:08:33.720 a miracle. It was the fulfillment of ancient prophecy. God 131 00:08:33.879 --> 00:08:37.200 himself was coming to be with his people. When Joseph 132 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:41.159 woke up, he didn't hesitate. Verse twenty four records his response. 133 00:08:41.559 --> 00:08:44.440 When Joseph woke up, he did what the Angel of 134 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:47.879 the Lord had commanded. Him and took Mary home as 135 00:08:47.919 --> 00:08:54.120 his wife. No more doubt, no more questions. Joseph believed 136 00:08:54.120 --> 00:08:58.200 the angel's message and acted on it immediately. He took 137 00:08:58.279 --> 00:09:02.120 Mary as his wifeinging her into his home, and placing 138 00:09:02.200 --> 00:09:05.960 himself as protector over both her and the child she carried. 139 00:09:06.840 --> 00:09:09.759 But Matthew adds one more detail in verse twenty five. 140 00:09:10.919 --> 00:09:14.240 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave 141 00:09:14.320 --> 00:09:18.000 birth to a son, and he gave him the name Jesus. 142 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:22.039 Joseph honored Mary and the child within her. He provided 143 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:25.519 for them, protected them, and when the time came, he 144 00:09:25.639 --> 00:09:30.559 gave the child the name the angel had commanded, Jesus. 145 00:09:31.159 --> 00:09:34.840 Mary was now living in Joseph's home, but she wasn't 146 00:09:34.879 --> 00:09:39.519 showing yet. Soon enough, though, her pregnancy would become visible 147 00:09:39.559 --> 00:09:43.080 to everyone in Nazareth. And Nazareth was a small town 148 00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:47.039 where everyone knew everyone else's business. We don't have a 149 00:09:47.080 --> 00:09:50.559 specific Bible verse that describes the gossip and the stairs, 150 00:09:51.159 --> 00:09:53.600 but we can understand what life must have been like. 151 00:09:54.200 --> 00:09:58.720 Small towns talk, people count months, They notice when a 152 00:09:58.759 --> 00:10:02.080 bride is pregnant before for the wedding is complete. Joseph 153 00:10:02.159 --> 00:10:04.840 had taken Mary in which meant he was claiming the 154 00:10:04.960 --> 00:10:08.279 child as his own, but that didn't stop the whispers. 155 00:10:08.799 --> 00:10:11.600 People would have done the math. They would have known 156 00:10:11.679 --> 00:10:15.320 this child was conceived before the traditional time. Mary and 157 00:10:15.440 --> 00:10:18.799 Joseph carried a secret that no one else would believe. 158 00:10:19.279 --> 00:10:23.039 How could they explain that an angel had visited, that 159 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:26.639 the Holy Spirit had overshadowed her, that this was the 160 00:10:26.639 --> 00:10:31.039 son of God. Who would accept such an explanation. So 161 00:10:31.159 --> 00:10:35.879 they stayed quiet and endured. Joseph worked in his carpenter's shop. 162 00:10:36.279 --> 00:10:39.639 Mary prepared for the child's arrival. They lived under the 163 00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:43.240 weight of suspicion, trusting that God knew the truth even 164 00:10:43.240 --> 00:10:46.480 when their neighbors didn't. This was part of the cost 165 00:10:46.519 --> 00:10:50.600 of obedience. Mary had said yes to God and Joseph 166 00:10:50.639 --> 00:10:53.879 had believed the angel's message, but that didn't mean life 167 00:10:53.960 --> 00:10:58.559 became easy. Faith often requires us to stand firm when 168 00:10:58.600 --> 00:11:02.840 others misunderstand, to keep going when our reputation is questioned. 169 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:07.279 Mary and Joseph were learning something that every follower of 170 00:11:07.320 --> 00:11:11.200 God must learn. Doing the right thing doesn't always look 171 00:11:11.320 --> 00:11:16.200 right to others. Sometimes obedience to God means accepting misunderstanding 172 00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:19.399 from people. They had each other, and they had the 173 00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:23.000 promise of God. For now, that had to be enough. 174 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:27.240 Mary's pregnancy continued, and her time to give birth was 175 00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:32.559 drawing near. Then something unexpected happened, something that would set 176 00:11:32.600 --> 00:11:37.240 in motion the fulfillment of another ancient prophecy. The Gospel 177 00:11:37.240 --> 00:11:40.639 of Luke, Chapter two opens with these words in verses 178 00:11:40.679 --> 00:11:45.080 one through three. In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a 179 00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:48.600 decree that a census should be taken of the entire 180 00:11:48.759 --> 00:11:52.519 Roman world. This was the first census that took place 181 00:11:52.799 --> 00:11:56.679 while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to 182 00:11:56.759 --> 00:12:00.559 their own town to register. Caesar Augustus was the Emperor 183 00:12:00.600 --> 00:12:04.080 of Rome, the most powerful man in the world. He 184 00:12:04.200 --> 00:12:08.080 ruled over millions of people across vast territories, and he 185 00:12:08.120 --> 00:12:12.559 wanted to count them all, probably for taxation purposes, possibly 186 00:12:12.600 --> 00:12:17.639 to assess military strength. Whatever his reasons, his word was law. 187 00:12:19.240 --> 00:12:21.919 The decree meant that every man had to return to 188 00:12:22.039 --> 00:12:27.399 his ancestral hometown to be counted. For most people, this 189 00:12:27.679 --> 00:12:31.279 was an inconvenience. For Joseph and Mary, it was a 190 00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:35.519 journey that would change everything. Luke tells us in verse four. 191 00:12:36.159 --> 00:12:38.879 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth, 192 00:12:38.960 --> 00:12:42.559 in Galilee to Judea to Bethlehem, the town of David, 193 00:12:43.080 --> 00:12:45.759 because he belonged to the house and line of David. 194 00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:50.039 Joseph's ancestor was King David, and David had been born 195 00:12:50.200 --> 00:12:54.559 in Bethlehem, so that's where Joseph had to go. To Bethlehem, 196 00:12:54.840 --> 00:12:59.279 about ninety miles south of Nazareth. Ninety miles doesn't sound 197 00:12:59.320 --> 00:13:02.960 like much today, but in the first century, without cars 198 00:13:03.080 --> 00:13:06.679 or trains, it was a long, difficult journey. It would 199 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:10.279 take several days of walking. The roads were rough, the 200 00:13:10.360 --> 00:13:14.080 terrain hilly. There were dangers along the way, banned its 201 00:13:14.159 --> 00:13:17.679 wild animals, the simple risk of injury, far from help, 202 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:21.279 and Mary was about to give birth. Verse five makes 203 00:13:21.320 --> 00:13:24.679 this clear. He went there to register with Mary, who 204 00:13:24.759 --> 00:13:27.519 was pledged to be married to him and was expecting 205 00:13:27.559 --> 00:13:31.879 a child. Why did Mary go The decree required men 206 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:35.799 to register, not necessarily their wives. But perhaps Joseph wouldn't 207 00:13:35.840 --> 00:13:38.840 leave her behind in her condition. Perhaps he wanted to 208 00:13:38.879 --> 00:13:42.159 protect her from the gossip in Nazareth. Perhaps God was 209 00:13:42.159 --> 00:13:45.840 guiding their steps toward Bethlehem for reasons they didn't yet 210 00:13:45.879 --> 00:13:50.559 fully understand. What they didn't know what Caesar Augustus certainly 211 00:13:50.559 --> 00:13:54.279 didn't know was that he was unwittingly fulfilling a prophecy 212 00:13:54.559 --> 00:13:58.559 spoken seven hundred years earlier. The prophet Micah had declared 213 00:13:58.600 --> 00:14:02.759 in Chapter five, verse two, who but you, Bethlehem, Ephratha, 214 00:14:02.919 --> 00:14:06.039 Though you are small among the clans of Judah, out 215 00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:08.279 of you will come for me one who will be 216 00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:13.120 ruler over Israel. The Messiah had to be born in Bethlehem, 217 00:14:13.720 --> 00:14:17.159 but Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth. How would God 218 00:14:17.240 --> 00:14:19.360 get them to the right place at the right time 219 00:14:19.720 --> 00:14:22.679 through a census ordered by a pagan emperor who had 220 00:14:22.759 --> 00:14:26.480 no idea he was serving God's ancient plan. The journey 221 00:14:26.519 --> 00:14:30.480 from Nazareth to Bethlehem was not an easy one, especially 222 00:14:30.519 --> 00:14:33.759 for a woman in the final days of pregnancy. We 223 00:14:33.879 --> 00:14:38.240 don't have detailed Bible verses describing every step of this journey, 224 00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:41.399 but we know it happened, and we can understand what 225 00:14:41.519 --> 00:14:44.440 it must have involved. They would have traveled with other 226 00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:48.600 families heading south for the census. The roads would have 227 00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:51.759 been crowded with people all making their way to their 228 00:14:51.799 --> 00:14:57.240 ancestral towns. Some roade donkeys, many walked. They traveled during 229 00:14:57.320 --> 00:15:01.080 daylight hours and found places to rest at night, Mary, 230 00:15:01.320 --> 00:15:04.840 heavy with child, probably rode on a donkey while Joseph 231 00:15:04.879 --> 00:15:08.799 walked beside her. Every jostle, every bump in the road 232 00:15:09.320 --> 00:15:13.759 must have been uncomfortable. The days were long, the nights 233 00:15:14.039 --> 00:15:18.720 brought little comfort. They passed through different regions, moving from 234 00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:22.360 Galilee down through the hills. They had to be careful, 235 00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:26.919 stay with the group, watch for dangers. Joseph carried the 236 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:31.159 responsibility of keeping Mary safe, of getting her to Bethlehem, 237 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:34.480 and then finding a place for her to rest. As 238 00:15:34.519 --> 00:15:38.120 they traveled, Mary must have felt the child moving within her. 239 00:15:38.919 --> 00:15:42.519 She knew her time was close. Each mile brought them 240 00:15:42.559 --> 00:15:45.799 nearer to Bethlehem and nearer to the moment when the 241 00:15:45.879 --> 00:15:48.799 Son of God would enter the world. Did they talk 242 00:15:48.840 --> 00:15:51.240 about what was coming, Did they remind each other of 243 00:15:51.279 --> 00:15:55.159 the Angel's messages? Did they wonder how it would all unfold? 244 00:15:55.799 --> 00:15:59.399 We don't know. The Bible doesn't tell us their conversations 245 00:15:59.480 --> 00:16:02.559 or their private thoughts during this journey. What we know 246 00:16:03.240 --> 00:16:07.200 is that they kept going step by step, mile by mile, 247 00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:12.159 trusting that God was leading them and he was Every 248 00:16:12.279 --> 00:16:15.840 step south was a step toward the fulfillment of prophecy, 249 00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:19.080 toward the moment when Heaven would touch Earth in the 250 00:16:19.120 --> 00:16:25.799 most intimate way possible. Finally, Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem. 251 00:16:26.120 --> 00:16:29.039 They were exhausted from the journey, and Mary's time to 252 00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:32.039 give birth was very near. Now they needed to find 253 00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:35.440 a place to stay, but Bethlehem was packed with people. 254 00:16:35.919 --> 00:16:39.399 Everyone from David's lineage had come to register, and the 255 00:16:39.440 --> 00:16:44.360 small town couldn't hold them all. Luke chapter two, verse 256 00:16:44.399 --> 00:16:48.360 six tells us while they were there, the time came 257 00:16:48.399 --> 00:16:51.480 for the baby to be born. They needed shelter, and 258 00:16:51.559 --> 00:16:54.840 they needed it quickly. Joseph must have gone from door 259 00:16:54.879 --> 00:16:59.759 to door, knocking, asking, pleading, Did anyone have room? Could 260 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:02.559 any no one taken a pregnant woman about to give birth. 261 00:17:03.080 --> 00:17:06.319 Verse seven gives us the answer, and she gave birth 262 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:09.839 to her first born, a son. She wrapped him in 263 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:12.599 cloths and placed him in a manger because there was 264 00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:16.240 no guest room available for them, no guest room, no 265 00:17:16.359 --> 00:17:20.319 proper place. Every door was closed, every space was taken. 266 00:17:20.759 --> 00:17:24.759 The inns, the homes, the guest quarters all full. No 267 00:17:24.839 --> 00:17:28.200 one made room for a carpenter and his pregnant wife, 268 00:17:28.640 --> 00:17:31.440 so they ended up in a stable. This was likely 269 00:17:31.480 --> 00:17:34.839 a cave carved into the hillside where animals were kept 270 00:17:34.920 --> 00:17:38.480 donkey's sheep, maybe cattle. It was a place of straw 271 00:17:38.599 --> 00:17:42.720 and manure, of animal sounds and smells. It was cold, 272 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:47.119 it was rough. It was completely unsuitable for childbirth. But 273 00:17:47.240 --> 00:17:50.200 it was all they had. So Mary prepared to give 274 00:17:50.240 --> 00:17:54.279 birth in a stable surrounded by animals, with only Joseph 275 00:17:54.319 --> 00:17:59.240 to help her, no midwife, no female relatives, no comfort 276 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:03.359 or dignity. The irony is staggering. The creator of the 277 00:18:03.480 --> 00:18:06.039 universe was about to be born, and there was no 278 00:18:06.240 --> 00:18:10.039 room for him in the comfortable places. The King of 279 00:18:10.119 --> 00:18:13.359 kings would make his entrance in the lowliest of settings. 280 00:18:13.799 --> 00:18:17.400 This wasn't a failure of God's plan. This was the plan. 281 00:18:17.920 --> 00:18:21.359 The Messiah would come not in power and glory, but 282 00:18:21.519 --> 00:18:25.319 in humility and poverty. He would identify with the lowest, 283 00:18:25.400 --> 00:18:29.519 the forgotten, the ones with nowhere to go. But at 284 00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:33.599 that moment, Mary and Joseph simply dealt with the reality 285 00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:36.200 before them. They had a stable, and it would have 286 00:18:36.319 --> 00:18:40.440 to do there. In that stable, Mary gave birth. The 287 00:18:40.440 --> 00:18:44.240 Gospel of Luke describes it simply in chapter two, verse seven. 288 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:50.039 She gave birth to her first born, a son. No 289 00:18:50.279 --> 00:18:55.559 elaborate details no dramatic description, just the plain fact. The 290 00:18:55.599 --> 00:19:00.000 Son of God was born. The eternal word became flesh. 291 00:19:00.480 --> 00:19:04.519 The promised Messiah entered human history as a baby. Mary, 292 00:19:04.920 --> 00:19:08.559 like every mother, endured the pain of labor, and when 293 00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:11.720 it was over, she held her son in her arms. 294 00:19:12.119 --> 00:19:15.079 She looked into the face of the child the Angel 295 00:19:15.160 --> 00:19:19.039 had promised, the child conceived by the Holy Spirit, the 296 00:19:19.160 --> 00:19:23.039 child who would save his people from their sins. The 297 00:19:23.160 --> 00:19:28.440 verse continues. She wrapped him in cloths. These were strips 298 00:19:28.440 --> 00:19:32.640 of fabric used to swaddle newborns, a common practice that 299 00:19:32.759 --> 00:19:37.480 helped babies feel secure and kept them warm. Mary tended 300 00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:40.599 to her baby just as any mother would, rapping him 301 00:19:40.640 --> 00:19:44.720 carefully protecting his tiny body. Then came the detail that 302 00:19:44.799 --> 00:19:47.839 shows just how humble this birth was, and placed him 303 00:19:47.839 --> 00:19:51.519 in a manger. A manger was a feeding trough for animals. 304 00:19:51.839 --> 00:19:54.880 It was probably made of stone or wood filled with hay. 305 00:19:55.359 --> 00:19:58.440 This became the new born king's first bed. No cradle, 306 00:19:58.559 --> 00:20:02.640 no soft linens, no nurse, just a manger in a stable. 307 00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:05.960 The son of God, who created the stars and set 308 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:09.240 the planets in motion, who spoke the world into existence, 309 00:20:09.799 --> 00:20:13.720 lay in a feeding trough. The one whom angels worship 310 00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:18.759 entered the world in absolute poverty. No crowds gathered, no 311 00:20:18.839 --> 00:20:23.000 officials took note, no royal announcements were made. The birth 312 00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:27.720 that would change everything happened in complete obscurity, witnessed only 313 00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:31.119 by Mary and Joseph and perhaps a few animals. But 314 00:20:31.240 --> 00:20:34.880 this was exactly how it needed to be. The Messiah 315 00:20:34.920 --> 00:20:37.440 came not to the powerful and proud, but to the 316 00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:41.599 humble and poor. He identified with the lowest. From his 317 00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:44.799 very first breath, he knew what it meant to have 318 00:20:44.920 --> 00:20:49.119 no proper place, to be overlooked, to be born into hardship. 319 00:20:49.680 --> 00:20:53.519 Mary held her son close, Joseph stood watch over them both, 320 00:20:54.480 --> 00:20:57.400 and there in that stable, with the smell of animals 321 00:20:57.400 --> 00:21:01.200 and the sound of Bethlehem's crowded streets outside, the rescue 322 00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:05.400 of humanity had begun. While Mary and Joseph were settling 323 00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:09.039 into their humble stable with the new born Jesus, something 324 00:21:09.279 --> 00:21:14.200 extraordinary was happening in the fields outside Bethlehem. Shepherds were 325 00:21:14.200 --> 00:21:17.680 out there, keeping watch over their flocks during the night hours. 326 00:21:18.359 --> 00:21:23.039 These weren't respected members of society. Shepherds lived rough lives, 327 00:21:23.079 --> 00:21:27.400 sleeping outdoors, constantly moving with their sheep. Their work made 328 00:21:27.400 --> 00:21:31.920 them ceremonially unclean according to religious laws, and most people 329 00:21:31.960 --> 00:21:35.759 looked down on them. They were considered unreliable, so much 330 00:21:35.839 --> 00:21:39.640 so that their testimony wasn't even accepted in Jewish courts. 331 00:21:40.440 --> 00:21:44.240 But on this night, God chose these overlooked men to 332 00:21:44.319 --> 00:21:49.720 receive the first announcement of the Saviour's birth. Luke Chapter two, 333 00:21:50.079 --> 00:21:54.319 verse eight sets the scene. And there were shepherds living 334 00:21:54.359 --> 00:21:57.279 out in the fields near by, keeping watch over their 335 00:21:57.279 --> 00:22:01.640 flocks at night. It was an ordinary night. They were 336 00:22:01.640 --> 00:22:05.480 doing what they always did, watching for predators, making sure 337 00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:09.920 the sheep stayed together, probably talking quietly among themselves or 338 00:22:09.960 --> 00:22:15.480 sitting in silence under the stars. Then suddenly everything changed. 339 00:22:16.519 --> 00:22:20.160 Verse nine tells us what happened. An Angel of the 340 00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:22.839 Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord 341 00:22:22.960 --> 00:22:27.079 shone around them, and they were terrified. Imagine the darkness 342 00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:32.359 being ripped apart by blazing light. An angel stood before them, 343 00:22:32.680 --> 00:22:36.880 surrounded by the glory of God, a brightness beyond anything natural, 344 00:22:37.119 --> 00:22:40.920 a holiness that made them shake with fear. They had 345 00:22:40.960 --> 00:22:45.279 never seen anything like this. Nothing in their simple shepherd 346 00:22:45.319 --> 00:22:49.039 lives had prepared them for this moment. Their first reaction 347 00:22:49.240 --> 00:22:52.680 was pure terror. They probably fell to the ground, shielding 348 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:56.920 their eyes, hearts pounding. Was this judgment? Were they about 349 00:22:56.920 --> 00:23:00.519 to die? But the Angel spoke, and his fur words 350 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:03.480 were meant to calm their fear. Verse ten records what 351 00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:06.559 he said, do not be afraid. I bring you good 352 00:23:06.640 --> 00:23:09.519 news that will cause great joy for all the people. 353 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:14.720 Good news, not judgment, not condemnation, good news, and not 354 00:23:14.880 --> 00:23:18.200 just for the rich or powerful or religious elite, but 355 00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:22.400 for all people, even for shepherds. Then came the announcement 356 00:23:22.480 --> 00:23:26.480 they would never forget. Verse eleven. To day, in the 357 00:23:26.519 --> 00:23:29.200 town of David, a savior has been born to you. 358 00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:34.680 He is the Messiah, the Lord to day, right now, 359 00:23:35.160 --> 00:23:37.920 not in the future, not as a distant promise. The 360 00:23:38.079 --> 00:23:42.000 Savior had been born, The Messiah, the one Israel had 361 00:23:42.039 --> 00:23:46.160 been waiting for. The Lord himself had arrived, and it 362 00:23:46.240 --> 00:23:49.920 happened in Bethlehem, the town of David, just a short 363 00:23:49.960 --> 00:23:53.079 distance from where they were standing. The shepherds must have 364 00:23:53.119 --> 00:23:57.559 been stunned. The Messiah born to night. Here, the Angel 365 00:23:57.640 --> 00:24:00.279 continued in verse twelve, giving them a sign so they 366 00:24:00.279 --> 00:24:03.680 could find this newborn king. This will be a signed 367 00:24:03.720 --> 00:24:06.559 to you. You will find a baby wrapped in cloths 368 00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:11.279 and lying in a manger, a manger, not a palace, 369 00:24:11.880 --> 00:24:15.599 not even a proper house, a feeding trough in a stable. 370 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:20.359 The sign was the humility itself. The Messiah had come 371 00:24:20.400 --> 00:24:23.480 in poverty in a way that shepherds could relate to. 372 00:24:24.519 --> 00:24:29.000 He was accessible to them, born in circumstances they understood. 373 00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:32.559 Before the shepherds could fully process what the Angel had 374 00:24:32.599 --> 00:24:37.440 told them, something even more spectacular happened. The lone Angel 375 00:24:37.839 --> 00:24:41.839 was joined by an entire army of heaven. Luke Chapter two, 376 00:24:41.960 --> 00:24:46.400 verse thirteen describes the moment. Suddenly a great company of 377 00:24:46.440 --> 00:24:50.359 the heavenly host appeared, with the Angel praising God and saying, 378 00:24:50.880 --> 00:24:55.880 the sky exploded with divine beings. Hundreds, maybe thousands of 379 00:24:55.920 --> 00:25:00.119 angels appeared, filling the night with supernatural light and glory. 380 00:25:00.440 --> 00:25:03.440 These were the armies of Heaven, the servants of God, 381 00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:06.559 and they had come to celebrate the birth of the Savior. 382 00:25:07.240 --> 00:25:10.759 What did they say? Verse fourteen gives us their song 383 00:25:11.559 --> 00:25:14.960 Glory to God in the Highest Heaven, and on earth, 384 00:25:15.079 --> 00:25:19.000 peace to those on whom His favor rests. Glory to 385 00:25:19.079 --> 00:25:22.559 God in the Highest. The angels gave honor and praise 386 00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:25.279 to God for what he was doing this birth was 387 00:25:25.319 --> 00:25:29.480 worth celebrating in heaven. The plan of salvation, set in 388 00:25:29.599 --> 00:25:33.720 motion before the world began, was now unfolding on earth, 389 00:25:34.079 --> 00:25:37.720 and peace on earth to those on whom God's favor rests. 390 00:25:38.240 --> 00:25:42.079 The Messiah's coming would bring peace, not the absence of conflict, 391 00:25:42.319 --> 00:25:45.680 but the peace that comes from being reconciled to God. 392 00:25:46.200 --> 00:25:50.000 This peace was for those who received God's favor, those 393 00:25:50.039 --> 00:25:53.400 who would believe and trust in the Savior. The shepherds 394 00:25:53.440 --> 00:25:57.240 watched and listened, overwhelmed by the sight and sound of 395 00:25:57.279 --> 00:26:02.000 this heavenly worship. How long did it last, we don't know, 396 00:26:02.960 --> 00:26:05.559 but it was enough to change them forever. Then, as 397 00:26:05.599 --> 00:26:09.680 suddenly as they had appeared, the angels were gone. Verse 398 00:26:09.720 --> 00:26:12.759 fifteen tells us when the angels had left them and 399 00:26:12.839 --> 00:26:16.440 gone into heaven, the shepherd said to one another, let's 400 00:26:16.480 --> 00:26:19.960 go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened 401 00:26:20.319 --> 00:26:24.519