Amid defeat, oppression, and captivity, a prophetic chorus of hope was uttered from the darkness. The message to the hurting and broken is this: a hero is coming!
Today's Bible verse is Isaiah 9:6, from the King James Version.
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<v Speaker 1>For a child is born to us, a son is
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<v Speaker 1>given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders.
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<v Speaker 1>This name will be called Wonderful counselor Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
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<v Speaker 1>Prince of Peace. Isaiah nine six. Dear Heavenly Father, we
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<v Speaker 1>stand in awe and wonder at your birth. You are
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<v Speaker 1>the wonderful counselor Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.
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<v Speaker 1>The promise foretold so long ago has become our living hope,
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<v Speaker 1>our anchor hard joy Lord. In the midst of the festivities,
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<v Speaker 1>may we not lose sight of the true reason for
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<v Speaker 1>our celebration. Help us to reflect on the miraculous gift
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<v Speaker 1>of grace, to share your love and peace with those
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<v Speaker 1>around us, and to live in gratitude for the salvation
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<v Speaker 1>you offer. May our hearts be filled with the warmth
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<v Speaker 1>of your love, our holmes with the joy of your presence.
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<v Speaker 1>In the precious and holy name of Jesus, we pray, Amen.
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<v Speaker 1>Thank you for praying with me today. Continue your journey
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<v Speaker 1>with Jesus Christ on our next episode of Stories of
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<v Speaker 1>the Messiah with Rabbi Schneider.
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<v Speaker 2>All humanity had will whispers, The ancient world had distant
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<v Speaker 2>memories of Eden, but the image of paradise with God
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<v Speaker 2>became fuzzy at times. Yet, even though humanity had strayed
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<v Speaker 2>from him, the Lord had not abandon them. He was
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<v Speaker 2>determined to restore the world and rid people of their shame.
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<v Speaker 2>The promise of a son who had crushed the head
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<v Speaker 2>of the serpent was not void. God was still on
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<v Speaker 2>the move. God was about to orchestrate a symphony of
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<v Speaker 2>men and women into an anthem of salvation from the
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<v Speaker 2>ashes of dysfunction, disobedience, and disarray. God would raise voices
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<v Speaker 2>to herald his redemption and remind people that hope.
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<v Speaker 1>Is not dead.
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<v Speaker 2>The whispers would soon rise into a chorus. The Savior
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<v Speaker 2>will come, The Promised Son will be born.
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<v Speaker 3>Hello, and welcome to another Christmas episode of the Jesus Podcast.
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<v Speaker 3>Hi'm Ethan from pray dot Com. Before we immerse ourselves
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<v Speaker 3>in the narrative of angels, wise men and shepherds will
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<v Speaker 3>set the stage. Christ's birth was not a random event.
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<v Speaker 3>It was a culmination of hundreds of foreshadowings and prophecy.
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<v Speaker 3>Consider the Old Testament books like instruments in an orchestra.
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<v Speaker 3>Each has different sounds and tunes, but they all symphonize
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<v Speaker 3>into one beautiful song. The Old Testament books are all
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<v Speaker 3>instruments contributing to the glorious anthem of Jesus Christ. Our
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<v Speaker 3>story today is less of a story and more of
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<v Speaker 3>a song. It will weave together old Testament events. It
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<v Speaker 3>will weave together Old Testament events and prophecies like notes
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<v Speaker 3>in a piece, reminding us that Christ's birth is the
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<v Speaker 3>crescendo of God's glorious symphony. Let's immerse ourselves in that
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<v Speaker 3>song now afterward will mine its depths for rich truths
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<v Speaker 3>and Christmas themes.
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<v Speaker 2>The tale began with Adam and Eve in the garden
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<v Speaker 2>when God promised that a sun would.
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<v Speaker 1>Rise to defeat even then.
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<v Speaker 2>Generations later, God chose a man named Abraham to embark
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<v Speaker 2>on a journey of faith. God promised Abraham that his
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<v Speaker 2>lineage would bless the entire world. I will make you
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<v Speaker 2>into a great nation. Kings will come from you. Your
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<v Speaker 2>offspring will be as numerous as the stars. God told him.
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<v Speaker 2>Through his lineage, the seed was sown for the coming
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<v Speaker 2>of the Messiah. Abraham believed in God's goodness, which was
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<v Speaker 2>accounted to him as righteousness, but that faith was tested
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<v Speaker 2>when God told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, but
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<v Speaker 2>Isaac was spared by an angel in the final moments.
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<v Speaker 2>Isaac's story carried the echo of this promise. He symbolized
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<v Speaker 2>the future Christ child, who would willingly give himself for
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<v Speaker 2>the world. Generations passed, and the lineage of Abraham carried
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<v Speaker 2>on through Isaac, Jacob, and the twelve tribes of Israel
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<v Speaker 2>that came forth from him. Their descendants became enslaved and
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<v Speaker 2>oppressed under the boot of he Egypt, but God's promise
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<v Speaker 2>remained alive. He delivered them using a boy who escaped
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<v Speaker 2>an evil decree to kill children. He grew up to
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<v Speaker 2>be Moses, God's servant. It was he who prophesied of
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<v Speaker 2>a greater leader than him. God will raise up a
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<v Speaker 2>prophet from the midst of you. He declared, you will
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<v Speaker 2>be like me, only greater. It is unto him you
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<v Speaker 2>will obey. For years, God's people pined after this promised prophet,
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<v Speaker 2>and years later, on the grassy plains of Bethlehem, a
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<v Speaker 2>boy was chosen to carry that promise. He was the
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<v Speaker 2>new thread woven to the tapestry of redemption. David, the
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<v Speaker 2>shepherd turned king, received God's promise. His throne God declared,
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<v Speaker 2>would be established forever, paving the way for the Messiah,
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<v Speaker 2>the everlasting King, from the line of David. In the
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<v Speaker 2>dusty streets of ancient Bethlehem, as described by the prophet Micah,
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<v Speaker 2>a prophecy was whispered on the wind, if you will
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<v Speaker 2>become a ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old
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<v Speaker 2>from ancient times, Bethlehem, a small town with humble shepherds,
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<v Speaker 2>was set to cradle a king. The prophet Isiah offered
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<v Speaker 2>his prophetic voice, declaring that a virgin would conceive and
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<v Speaker 2>bear a son named Emmanuel, or God with us. This
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<v Speaker 2>child would be a wonderful counselor Mighty God, everlasting Father,
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<v Speaker 2>and prince of peace. His government and peace would never end,
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<v Speaker 2>reigning on David's throne with justice and righteousness. With words
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<v Speaker 2>strummed together like a harmonious harp, Hoseiah illustrated a powerful
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<v Speaker 2>image of God's love, describing his people as a child
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<v Speaker 2>he had taught to walk, held by the hands healed,
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<v Speaker 2>and bent down to feed. This same compassionate paternal image
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<v Speaker 2>foreshadowed the loving relationship God would extend to humanity through Christ.
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<v Speaker 2>Jeremiah added another melody prophesying the new covenant God would
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<v Speaker 2>make with his people. He would put his law in
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<v Speaker 2>their minds, righted on their hearts, and forgive their wickedness.
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<v Speaker 2>This covenant of love, mercy, and intimacy foretold the error
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<v Speaker 2>of the Messiah. Yet before this promised hero would come,
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<v Speaker 2>a voice would cry out in the wilderness, a man
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<v Speaker 2>with the voice of Elijah himself, declaring the coming kingdom
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<v Speaker 2>of God. He would make a way for Messiah to come.
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<v Speaker 2>His voice would be the sounding trumpet, awakening God's people
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<v Speaker 2>to look in awe at his redemptive plan.
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<v Speaker 3>The glory of the Lord is being revealed.
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<v Speaker 2>Yet amid these joyous declarations, the prophecy of Isaiah also
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<v Speaker 2>foretold a suffering servant, one who would be despised, rejected,
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<v Speaker 2>and carry our sorrows, one who would be pierced for
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<v Speaker 2>our transgressions, a symbol of divine love and sacrifice. Little
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<v Speaker 2>could any of these prophets know that this suffering servant
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<v Speaker 2>would be a carpenter from Nazareth, hanging from a rugged cross.
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<v Speaker 2>But before we can speak of his death, we must
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<v Speaker 2>look towards his birth. The prophecies of old, woven through centuries,
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<v Speaker 2>converged in a humble manger where a child was born.
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<v Speaker 2>The echoes of Abraham, Isaiah, Micah, Joseiah, Jeremiah, Malachi, and
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<v Speaker 2>Samuel resounded in his birth. The Christmas miracle fulfilled their words,
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<v Speaker 2>bringing hope, redemption, and proof that God was indeed with us.
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<v Speaker 3>This story paints as a breath taking picture of the
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<v Speaker 3>prophecies foretold in the Old Testament, culminating in the birth
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<v Speaker 3>of Christ. This adaptation is a vivid reminder that God's
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<v Speaker 3>plans are intricate, detailed, and perfect in their timing. Let's
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<v Speaker 3>now explore the three main themes that further deepen our
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<v Speaker 3>understanding of this beautiful story. First, we must understand that
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<v Speaker 3>Christ's birth was not an accident. The birth of Jesus
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<v Speaker 3>was no random event. It was foreseen and foretold through
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<v Speaker 3>various hints spread across the Old Testament. Genesis chapter three,
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<v Speaker 3>verse fifteen was God's first hint. The promise to Eve
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<v Speaker 3>that her offspring would crush the serpent's head pointed to
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<v Speaker 3>Jesus's work on the cross. Isaiah chapter seven, verse fourteen
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<v Speaker 3>prophesied a virgin birth, signaling something divine and unprecedented. Micah
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<v Speaker 3>chapter five, verse two points to Bethlehem as the birthplace
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<v Speaker 3>of a ruler descended from David. Jeremiah's prophecy in Jeremiah
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<v Speaker 3>Chapter thirty one spoke of a new covenant and God's
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<v Speaker 3>eternal plan to establish a closer relationship with his people.
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<v Speaker 3>These examples, along with others from Abraham, Moses, and David,
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<v Speaker 3>show the intentional unfolding of God's plan of salvation intricately
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<v Speaker 3>woven through centuries. The New Testament Gospel finds its roots, context,
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<v Speaker 3>and richness in the Old Testaments stories and prophecies. Understanding
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<v Speaker 3>the fullness of God's love and the enormity of Christ's
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<v Speaker 3>sacrifice requires a deep appreciation for the narrative unfolding across
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<v Speaker 3>the Bible. Commandments given to Moses and the prophetic writings
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<v Speaker 3>build the foundation for understanding our need for redemption. The
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<v Speaker 3>commandments given to Moses and the prophetic writings build the
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<v Speaker 3>foundation for understanding our need for redemption. In our first
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<v Speaker 3>season of Stories of the Messiah, we showcased how different
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<v Speaker 3>characters foreshadowed Christ. From Abraham's near sacrifice of Isaac to
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<v Speaker 3>the passover Lamb. These Old Testament events symbolize Christ's ultimates sacrifice.
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<v Speaker 3>The Gospel is not an isolated story, but part of
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<v Speaker 3>a grand narrative that spans the entire Bible. This perspective
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<v Speaker 3>illuminates the richness and complexity of God's love and salvation.
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<v Speaker 3>Christmas is not just a moment in time, but a
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<v Speaker 3>climax in a grand divine symphony that played out over
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<v Speaker 3>thousands of years. This story underscores several essential lessons for
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<v Speaker 3>us today. God's promises given to Adam, Abraham, David, and
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<v Speaker 3>through the prophets were all fulfilled in Jesus. He keeps
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<v Speaker 3>his word even across generations. While humanity often grows impatient,
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<v Speaker 3>God's timing is perfect. The waiting led to the perfect
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<v Speaker 3>moment for Christ's birth, demonstrating that his plans, though they
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<v Speaker 3>may see slow, turn out beautifully in the end, turn
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<v Speaker 3>out beautiful in the end. The birth of Christ is
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<v Speaker 3>a profound event, not merely for what happened in that manger,
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<v Speaker 3>but for everything that led to it. From whispers in
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<v Speaker 3>the garden of Eden to a growing chorus across centuries,
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<v Speaker 3>the Old Testament prophecies build a majestic symphony culminating in
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<v Speaker 3>Christ's birth. This Christmas, as we celebrate the birth of
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<v Speaker 3>our Savior, Let's remember Christ's birth was carefully planned, foretold,
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<v Speaker 3>and executed by a loving God. Let's remember that the
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<v Speaker 3>Gospel's full beauty shines through understanding the entire biblical narrative.
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<v Speaker 3>And finally, let's learn to rely on God's timing. Though
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<v Speaker 3>sometimes slow by our standards, God's promises always lead to
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<v Speaker 3>a beautiful culmination. Reflecting on these truths can infuse our
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<v Speaker 3>Christmas celebrations with a deeper sense of awe, gratitude, and joy.
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<v Speaker 3>As we hear the familiar Christmas carols and share in
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<v Speaker 3>the festivities, may we also hear the ancient whispers of
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<v Speaker 3>God's love and redemption, now sung by a joyful chorus
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<v Speaker 3>declaring the Savior is born. In our next episode, we'll
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<v Speaker 3>witness the birth of a special child. Many would consider
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<v Speaker 3>him to be a God. I know what you might
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<v Speaker 3>be thinking, but we aren't quite ready to meet Jesus. First,
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<v Speaker 3>we'll meet a boy by the name of Octavian history
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<v Speaker 3>knows him by a different name, Caesar Augustus
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