Transcript
A (0:00)
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of peace. Isaiah 9:6 Dear heavenly Father, we stand in awe and wonder at your birth. You are the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. The promise foretold so long ago has become our living hope, our anchor, our joy. Lord, in the midst of the festivities, may we not lose sight of the true reason for our celebration. Help us to reflect on the miraculous gift of grace, to share your love and peace with those around us and to live in gratitude for the salvation you offer. May our hearts be filled with the warmth of your love, our homes, with the joy of your presence. In the precious and holy name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Thank you for praying with me today. Continue your journey with Jesus Christ on our next episode of Stories of the Messiah with Rabbi Schneider.
B (1:46)
All humanity had were whispers. The ancient world had distant memories of Eden, but the image of paradise with God became fuzzy at times. Yet even though humanity had strayed from him, the Lord had not abandoned them. He was determined to restore the world and rid people of their shame. The promise of a son who had crushed the head of the serpent was not void. God was still on the move. God was about to orchestrate a symphony of men and women into an anthem of salvation. From the ashes of dysfunction, disobedience and disarray, God would raise voices to herald his redemption and remind people that hope is not dead. The whispers would soon rise into a chorus. The Savior will come. The promised Son will be born.
C (2:38)
Hello and welcome to another Christmas episode of the Jesus Podcast. I'm Ethan from Pray.com before we immerse ourselves in the narrative of angels, wise men and shepherds, we'll set the stage. Christ's birth was not a random event. It was a culmination of hundreds of foreshadowings and prophecies. Consider the Old Testament books. Like instruments in an orchestra, each has different sounds and tunes, but they all sound symphonize into one beautiful song. The Old Testament books are all instruments contributing to the glorious anthem of Jesus Christ. Our story today is less of a story and more of a song. It will weave together Old Testament events. It will weave together Old Testament events and prophecies like notes in a piece, reminding us that Christ's birth is the crescendo of God's glorious symphony. Let's immerse ourselves in that song now. Afterward, we'll mine its Depths for rich truths and Christmas themes.
B (3:52)
The tale began with Adam and Eve in the garden, when God promised that a sun would rise to defeat evil. Then, generations later, God chose a man named Abraham to embark on a journey of faith. God promised Abraham that his lineage would bless the entire world. I will make you into a great nation. Kings will come from you. Your offspring will be as numerous as the stars, God told him. Through his lineage, the seed was sown for the coming of the Messiah. Abraham believed in God's goodness, which was accounted to him as righteousness. But that faith was tested when God told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. But Isaac was spared by an angel. In the final moments, Isaac's story carried the echo of this promise. He symbolized the future Christ child who would willingly give himself for the world. Generations passed, and the lineage of Abraham carried on through Isaac, Jacob and the twelve tribes of Israel that came forth from their descendants became enslaved and oppressed under the boot of Egypt. But God's promise remained alive. He delivered them using a boy who escaped an evil decree to kill children. He grew up to be Moses, God's servant. It was he who prophesied of a greater leader than him. God will raise up a prophet from the midst of you, he declared. You will be like me, only greater. It is unto him you will obey. For years, God's people pined after this promised prophet. And years later, on the grassy plains of Bethlehem, a boy was chosen to carry that promise. He was the new thread woven to the tapestry of redemption. David, the shepherd turned king, received God's promise. His throne, God declared, would be established forever, paving the way for the Messiah, the everlasting king. From the line of David. In the dusty streets of ancient Bethlehem, as described by the prophet Micah, a prophecy was whispered on the wind. Out of you will come a ruler over Israel whose origins are from old. From ancient times, Bethlehem, a small town with humble shepherds, was set to cradle a king. The prophet Isaiah offered his prophetic voice, declaring that a virgin would conceive and bear a son named Emmanuel or God. With us, this child would be a wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father and Prince of Peace. His government and peace would never end. Reigning on David's throne with justice and righteousness, with words strummed together like a harmonious harp, Hosea illustrated a powerful image of God's love. Describing his people as a child he had taught to walk, held by the hands, healed and bent down to feed. This same compassionate, paternal image foreshadowed the loving relationship God would extend to humanity. Through Christ, Jeremiah added another melody, prophesying the new covenant God would make with his people. He would put his law in their minds, write it on their hearts and forgive their wickedness. This covenant of love, mercy and intimacy foretold the error of the Messiah. Yet before this promised hero would come, a voice would cry out in the wilderness. A man with the voice of Elijah himself, declaring the coming kingdom of God. He would make a way for Messiah to come. His voice would be the sounding trumpet, awakening God's people people to look in awe at his redemptive plan. The glory of the Lord is being revealed. Yet amid these joyous declarations, the prophecy of Isaiah also foretold a suffering servant. One who would be despised, rejected and carry our sorrows. One who would be pierced for our transgressions, a symbol of divine love and sacrifice. Little could any of these prophets know that this suffering servant would be a carpenter from Nazareth, hanging from a rugged cross. But before we can speak of his death, we must look towards his birth. The prophecies of old, woven through centuries, converged in a humble manger where a child was born. The echoes of Abraham, Isaiah, Micah, Hosea, Jeremiah, Malachi and Samuel resounded in his birth. The Christmas miracle fulfilled their words, bringing hope, redemption and proof that God was indeed with us.