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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. Here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

We’re going to talk about something that all of you know about a little bit anyway, and that is the story of Christmas. But a little bit different perhaps, because everybody wants to know, well, what is truth? What is truth? What does Christmas mean to you? Well, I want you to go ahead and take your Bible and turn to the book of Isaiah chapter seven and verse 14. And while you’re doing that, I want to share with you a little bit about in very short period of time.

I did not have any clue what Christmas was about except Santa Claus. I’ll have to be honest with you. My mother and dad, I never saw them in a church. I never saw them read a Bible. And I never heard them have prayer in our home. So I I wasn’t raised in a Christian environment. And so I didn’t know anything about Jesus Christ. I’d heard the words, but it was always when my dad was drunk and he would swear and think like that.

And that’s the truth. Cause I didn’t go to church, I didn’t hear stuff about the Bible. But I did hear about Santa Claus. Isn’t that amazing? Every little boy and girl all I hear about Santa Claus. And I hope I’m not gonna ruin anybody’s Christmas here this morning. I hope not. Anyway, we used to take and go out into the field and we would chop down a little old pine tree and me and my sister, we weren’t that old.

So we just did the best we could and took two boards and put a nail through the bottom of it and stood up in the corner. But we always wonder how come some of the rich folks, and we didn’t live around rich folks, we lived around poor folks. But you’d go to school and you’d always hear about what other kids had gotten, and we didn’t get much of anything. And so we wanted us a good Christmas. So we had a meeting with my dad and told him that what we wanted.

And we laid it all out. We didn’t want a lot just to know something. Anyway, my dad guaranteed us that this Christmas was going to be different. We were going to have the most of any kid in the whole world. He said he was just going to wait until Santa Claus came up. He’s going to shoot Santa Claus. Gonna kill him and get all of the presents and bring them home. And we was going to have the best Christmas anybody has ever had.

Now we didn’t care about the next year and Santa Claus being dead and things like that. We didn’t care. I want to know this Christmas I’m going to get something. And so we got some of my dad’s old Prince Albert tobacco cans that he had laying all over the yard. You know when we cut up the little linings out of them and got you made some silver strips and put them on there. And they got some popcorn and run it through the popcorn and put it on the tree.

And they got some pine cones. See, back in those days, you had to do all of this on yourself. You know, you didn’t go out and store and buy these things. You just did it. But anyway, Christmas morning, we could wait. We ran in there and there wasn’t nothing under the tree. But nothing. Zero. And you’re talking about three heartbroken kids. We were. And we cried, oh we cried. And I was only 15, maybe I was 16.

All right, I was only maybe five or six. I mean, if the truth be told. Anyway, we finally got my dad, you know, because he finally come back home, he was drunk. Oh, he was drunk. And he was staggering all over the place. He went out in the front yards and he was sitting beside this tree. And he still had a drink. He was just drinking. So we went out there to him and we were still crying. We were very upset.

And my dad, he promised us, he swore. He says, kids, I’m telling you, I’m telling you the truth. I saw him coming over and I shot at him, but I missed him. And there were three little dumb kids. We bought that. It wasn’t my dad’s fault. He couldn’t help. He couldn’t, you know, Santa could have been way up to high in the sky. But I never did really have a good feeling about, you know, Christmas. And lo and behold, one day I finally found out the truth.

One that somebody wasn’t real and I never heard about Jesus until I got a little bit up in age and I began to understand a little bit more. Started coming to me slowly. But I had so many questions and I had doubts and I want to know if there is a true and living God why don’t he reveal himself? You know why don’t he show himself? Say hey there’s God. little that I know, he did. He had already done it 2,000 years ago.

You see, Jesus Christ coming into the world is God’s way of revealing Himself. Jesus was not the normal man. Jesus had a miraculous birth. And so as you go through and you read and you study and you find out like in Isaiah 7, in looking verse 14. Look what he says there in verse 14. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Be holy virgin shall conceive and bury son shall call his name Immanuel. Now Immanuel is an untranslated Hebrew word which means God with us.

God that made the heavens and the earth is going to do something like what? into the world and take upon a flesh body like ours. You see, the thing that was going to make him so different from everybody else is that he would live a perfect life. He would have no sinful nature. He wouldn’t do anything wrong. One thing you can say about all the people born into the world, we have all sinned. We all are in the same boat.

And we all think wrong, say wrong, do wrong, we make mistakes, we have faults and flaws, we worry, we fret, we’re in despair, and that’s because we’re human. And lo and behold, a child was going to be born. But what I want you to do is I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Matthew, in the book of Matthew. Now in this Christmas story, I want to talk to you about several things. One in Sunday school we will talk about Mary, her part in the Christmas story.

And during the church service this morning I’m going to talk about the Christmas story but it’ll be about John and his part in the Christmas story. And tonight I’m going to talk about Joseph and his part in the Christmas story. So in the book of Matthew and chapter Matthew chapter one. And notice in chapter one, you will see something a little bit different in the book of Luke. But chapter one says, and so and so, see that in chapter one?

Look in verse two. Abraham begat Isaac. Isaac begat Jacob. And Jacob begat and begat begat and forgot. All the way through these, it’s always they begat begat begat. But whenever you read over there in the book of Luke, when it talks about another genealogy, it says the son of the son of the son of. Here they are born because the Father, Father doesn’t. But over in the other one, it’s used a different phrase. It uses the son of the son of.

And because there’s a line over there that’s a little bit different, but if we have time, we’ll take a look at it. But right now, I want you to look there in Matthew chapter 1 verse 18. And verse 18, it says, if there is any truth in the Bible, if it is the Word of God, if you read it and you can kind of get a grasp of it, it lets you know the truth. In verse 18, now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise.

when as his mother Mary was a spouse to Joseph. Now, you’ll notice, says his mother, but it doesn’t say his father. Doesn’t say he, his father was Joseph. And that’s very important because Jesus did not have an earthly father that fathered him. Now, that’s why when it comes down through here and it says his mother Mary, but then say, but he didn’t think about his father. She was engaged to be married to Joseph, this young woman, and the Bible said 700 years in advance that a virgin was going to have a child.

Now it’s worded in the book of Jeremiah chapter 31 that who had seen such a strange thing as this that a woman shall encompass a man. But what’s neat is is without having a man, father the child. So it says here, she was going to have a child and she was already engaged. Now, generally when they were, they committed themselves to an engagement period, it could last a year. And he was supposed to get everything ready and prepared and so forth.

But they were looked upon as a husband and a wife, though they haven’t come together. They had not touched each other. And so he says here, Mary was espoused Joseph before, yet at before they came together. She was found with child of the Holy Ghost. In other words, the child that was in her was not because of a human man, it was because of the Holy Spirit. And that is explained a lot clearly in the book of Luke where the Holy Spirit shall overshadow thee.

And so the Holy Spirit placed the seed within the woman and Jesus Christ was to be born. So anyway, look at this in verse 19. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately. Now let’s just suppose for a moment. Have you ever considered all the problems that God causes?

And here you are, a sweet little say, 17 year old little Jewish girl. You know the Lord, you love the Lord, and you just want to serve the Lord and be whatever God wants you to be. Isn’t that wonderful? And now the Holy Spirit comes and lo and behold, hey, I got some news for you. You’re going to have a baby. And she said, how can I have a baby saying, I know not a man. I mean, she understood that, hey, takes two to tango.

Something’s wrong with this picture. And lo and behold, she’s now going to have a child. How would you, and just picture for a moment, and for you men, it’ll be a little bit more difficult. Pretend that you’re pregnant. You’re going to have a baby. And you’re in love with this man, and you’re going to get married to this man. And lo and behold, he finds out, hey, I didn’t do that. Who did this? Do you realize the shame, the disgust, the fear, all these things that goes into the mind of an individual?

And how would you like to explain it to your mom and dad? A mom, I got a problem. I need to talk to you about. Sooner or later, somewhere along the line, there’s explanations that you have to be given because it’s not normal for a woman to have a child unless she’s married to a man or somebody taking advantage of her. So, how would you like to be in this? Now who created this problem? Who created the problem? God, God created this problem.

And look what she had to go through and live with, And here’s Joseph, the man she’s married to were going to be married and they were under their engagement, his fossil period. And he’s willing to put her aside, not to make her a public example. I guess because he really loved her. So evidently he did not know and understand how this could be. So what happens, and verse 20, But what he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared into him in a dream.

Saint Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take into thee, Mary, thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. Now he has to believe this story, this dream. He’s got to believe this. Would you have believed it? Do you think for a moment that people back in these days weren’t skeptical about what was said and done? I mean, how would you like to be Mary? And look what the Lord said. But there’s a difference between Mary and John the Baptist and his folks.

I’ll show you that in a little bit. Yeah, we have time. But it says that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. It’s of God. God did this. And now here’s a woman that’s pregnant. And the man, how would you like to be Joseph at this time? I mean, you would, how much would it take for you to really believe her story? And he said, God had to intervene because the normal thing is to question and to doubt.

Because you see, what just happened to her doesn’t happen to everybody. This has never happened before. This will never happen again. This is only one time in the world. This will ever happen. And it happened to them. And so he says in verse 21, And she shall brainforth a little girl. No, she shall brainforth a son, and get this, shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. So right from the very beginning, Joseph was even told what his name would be and the purpose of him being born.

So Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, Jehovah, Yasha, he is the one who saves, he keeps, and protects, and defends. This is why in the Old Testament, God over about 2,000 years gave prophecies, telling in advance what was going to happen and where was he supposed to be born in Bethlehem, Afrata. As it says in the book of Micah chapter 5 and verse 2, about Bethlehem, Afrata, though, though, there’ll be little among the thousands of Judea. Yet out of these shall he come forth, that is to be ruler in Israel, who’s going forth of been from old to everlasting.

The one that’s going to be born never had a beginning, never has an ending. That’s why John the Baptist said afterward, he says, He that cometh after me was before me. Good stuff. But anyway, look what he says here. And he makes a statement in verse 23, Behold, they quote the scriptures that we just read just a moment ago, Behold a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son, thou shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us.

But when it says up there, Behold, a virgin shall be with child. After she was impregnated by the Holy Spirit, she was still a virgin. A virgin shall be with child. She was a virgin before and she still is. Joseph had never touched her. Here’s a young woman gonna have a young man. And verse 24, then Joseph been raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had been him and took unto him his wife and knew her not, till she had brought forth her firstborn son and called his name Jesus.

So this is how the story begins. But there’s a little bit more to the story. Take your Bible and I’ll turn over there to the book of Luke, to the book of Luke, and chapter one, Matthew, Mark, Luke. And I want you to look there in verse 26, Chapter one of Luke and verse 26. Now this was an expected baby. This was a prepared baby. This was a prophesied baby. This was a perfect baby. My parents thought I was the perfect child.

Not really. Did you know that my dad really wanted to put me in a burlap sack and throw me in a river and drown me? That is the truth. My mom would just wouldn’t let him. He would have done so. Anyway, as we’ll move in right along. Here in Luke chapter 1, look down in verse 26. And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee named Nazareth. Now, they were from Bethlehem, see, but they came up there to the Nazareth and they lived in Nazareth, but they had to go to Bethlehem toward the taxes.

But anyway, verse 27, to a virgin espouse to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David. Because you see he had to be on the line of David to claim the throne of David. So after all these years, you know, there’s King David and he had some sons and Nathan and Solomon and the line goes on down and lo and behold, a down in the future, you know, a thousand years later. There has to be a man born of the right line, and there has to be a woman born of the right line of the right family.

And they had to live in a right place because the sun has to be born in a certain city that’s mentioned over 700 years in advance. Coincidence? Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin. This is the word of God. And it’s truth. And look what he says here. It makes the statement in verse 28. And the angel came in unto her and said, Hey Ola, thou that are highly favored. The Lord is with thee, blessed are thou among women.

I don’t believe she was the blessed above women, but among women, but she was blessed because many of the women wanted to be the one that would bring the Messiah into the world. And she has this honor. And verse 29, and when she saw him, she was troubled at his sayin’ and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. I mean, when’s the last time you saw an angel? It’s so all it’s my husband. Then you married and then he turned into the little devil, right?

We would just let that alone and just stay with this here. Let me look at that. So it says here in verse 30, And the angel said unto her, fear not merry, for thou has found favor with God. favor with God. That means favor to have a child. In verse 31, and behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son, shall call his name Jesus. He shall be great. Now look what it says about this child she’s going to have.

Now she didn’t make this happen. Joseph didn’t make this happen. But this is what happened. He shall be great, shall be called the Son of the highest, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his Father David. He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be? See, I know not a man. And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee, therefore also that,” And you ought to underline these two words, holy thing shall be born of thee shall be called the son of God.

And behold, by cousin Elizabeth she has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is a six month with her, and when they got together and they one heard it and the The babe leaped in the womb talking about John the baddest before he was born because he, they were cousins, Mary and Elizabeth. And so she had gone to see her. And don’t you think those two ladies really had some things to talk about? I mean, one, a miracle because she was a virgin and the other one, she was an old woman.

But it doesn’t say she was an old woman. It says that Zachariah was an old man and his wife. what he said to Yana. And my wife is well stricken in years. I’m an old man. Why didn’t he just say, I’m an old man. She’s an old woman. Because even back then they knew psychology a little bit. And knew I better not say it like that. She’s just stricken in age. But anyway, she’s all kind of good stuff found in the Word of God.

Take your Bible and just turn over there to another good scripture. Let me just read this down here for you. It says in verse 39, and Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with hasten to a city of Judah, entered into the house of Zachariah and saluted Elizabeth, came to pass that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost because she was going to have a baby too.

I mean a miracle of all miracles. I’m going to preach that sermon a little bit later. Verse 40, and she spoke out with a loud voice and said, blessed are thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb. Wouldn’t it be great if all women believed that today? The fruit of the womb. And do you believe that it would have been okay for Mary to have an abortion? No. What about Elizabeth? Should she have had an abortion? No.

I don’t believe that that is a wise thing to do. But look what he says here in verse 45. And blessed is she that believed, for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. God is going to perform all that he said he’s going to do. You see, He hadn’t told many things in that, then last part of the chapter here in chapter 2. And as Zechariah is rehearsing the things about his own son, and he’s talking about all the promises that God had made and the covenant that he had made and the, the Jacob, his father and all these things, it just overwhelms things.

BIST! Is it? It’s happening in their day. And they knew the visitation of the Lord. You know when the Bible says in Luke chapter 19, when God was going to destroy the nation of Israel, it was because they knew not the day of his visitation. When God came to earth. It’s like, you know, a visitor coming to your house or somebody coming to church. The Lord says in the Old Testament, I’m coming, I’m coming, I’m coming, here I come.

And He told them where He would come, the year He would come and how He would come. And lo and behold, He shows up and the Bible says He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. They didn’t know Him. And so because of hardheadedness, people we fused to believe. And yet he gave them all this revelation, the prophecies, and lo and behold, here he is. And they would not believe the truth.

So I want you to look there in verse 46. And look what Mary said. Now this is the mom. Mary says, my soul does magnify the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my what? Now you ought to underline those last two are my Savior. You do not need a Savior if you have no sins to be saved from. You don’t need a Savior if there’s no hell to be saved from. So the Bible says that Mary said, in so many words, indirectly, I am a sinner.

And she also says, I’m going to a place I need to be saved from. It means that Mary could go to hell. It means that when she understood, she says, this is my Savior. The woman is going to have a child that’s going to save her. Why? Because this was the be the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.

What an awesome story. You know, a man couldn’t make up a story like this. And then how do you tell the next guy 200 years later to add a little bit more to it? And then how do you tell the next guy down the road, add a little bit more information so that after a couple thousand years somebody is born that fulfills all those things to the T and does Does it miss a lick? Can it just happen? Is it just a coincidence?

They were just lucky guesses? Or could it be possible that there really is a God in heaven that knows what’s going to take place before it ever happens? You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part two of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free 1-800-576-3771 That’s 1-800-576-3771 To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the radio broadcast link.

If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at six o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound and we will be changed.

Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon and just keep looking up.