Recognising Jesus
Series: Prepare Him Room
Speaker: Steve Jeffrey
Date: 24th December 2025
Passage: John 1:1-14
00:00:00 --> 00:00:09 Well, good evening, everyone. Great to be in church with you tonight. My name's Steve. I've not met you before, which I can't tell if I have or not. It's all black out there.
00:00:10 --> 00:00:26 I'm the senior pastor here at St Paul's, and in this Christmas season, the last number of weeks for us, we've been really focusing on really the song that we've just sang right at the beginning about preparing him room.
00:00:26 --> 00:00:45 That is a season of actually inviting Jesus into the centre of our life, and the reason for that is that despite the fact that Christianity and Christmas makes an astounding claim, it is in fact believable.
00:00:45 --> 00:01:03 And it's not just believable, but it is unbelievably good when you come to see what Christmas is declaring, because if you can get to the centre of Christmas and the meaning of Christmas, you actually get to the centre and the heart of the Christian faith.
00:01:03 --> 00:01:18 That this is an infinite God who has made all things, who has made himself known to us, and yet fully aware that we're in 2025, and many in our world do not believe this.
00:01:18 --> 00:01:21 And in fact, it's not a new thing.
00:01:21 --> 00:01:30 Back in 1961, the Russian Yuri Gagarin was the first human being to go into space.
00:01:30 --> 00:01:38 At the time he went into space, Nikita Khrushchev was the premier of Russia.
00:01:38 --> 00:01:52 And one of the things that Khrushchev said, which really kind of went global in the media, was that when Gagarin went up into space, he discovered that there was no God there.
00:01:52 --> 00:01:53 He found no God.
00:01:53 --> 00:01:56 He had to look out the window of the spacecraft and he couldn't see God.
00:01:56 --> 00:02:08 And so in response to Khrushchev making that claim, the Oxford professor, C.S. Lewis, wrote an article titled The Seeing Eye.
00:02:09 --> 00:02:17 And so what Lewis writes there in this article is that if there was a God, he said, if there was a God who created us,
00:02:19 --> 00:02:25 then that God would not be discovered by going up into space to look for them.
00:02:25 --> 00:02:36 You could not relate to God in the same way that a human being might relate to another human being, a human being on the first floor,
00:02:36 --> 00:02:39 and the way that they would relate to a human being on the second floor.
00:02:40 --> 00:02:44 He said, because both of them are the exact same beings.
00:02:45 --> 00:02:54 Lewis wrote that for God to relate to humanity, the way that God relates to humanity is the same kind of way that,
00:02:54 --> 00:02:58 for instance, Shakespeare might relate to Hamlet.
00:02:59 --> 00:03:03 Shakespeare is the creator of Hamlet and the world of Hamlet.
00:03:03 --> 00:03:20 And so Hamlet has no way of knowing or acknowledging Shakespeare at all unless Shakespeare was to write himself into the play of Hamlet.
00:03:20 --> 00:03:36 And so Lewis's point is that the only way that we could know if there is a God who exists was if that God was to write themselves into the story,
00:03:36 --> 00:03:39 the history of his world.
00:03:39 --> 00:03:41 And therefore,
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 not just write himself in,
00:03:43 --> 00:03:56 but write himself in as a character in that story so that other characters could interact with the God who's written himself into the story.
00:03:56 --> 00:03:59 And so the claim of Christmas,
00:03:59 --> 00:04:03 which is really the central claim of Christianity,
00:04:04 --> 00:04:10 is that that is exactly what the God who has made all things has actually done.
00:04:10 --> 00:04:16 God does not just write information about himself and send it to us,
00:04:17 --> 00:04:22 but that he has, in fact, written himself into the very drama of history.
00:04:22 --> 00:04:27 That is the extraordinary claim of Christianity.
00:04:28 --> 00:04:30 It's the story of Christmas.
00:04:32 --> 00:04:35 And it's a story that isn't just,
00:04:35 --> 00:04:35 you know,
00:04:35 --> 00:04:39 good for our heads to get our minds around in some way.
00:04:39 --> 00:04:43 It's actually a true story that happened in history.
00:04:43 --> 00:04:46 And this still leaves us,
00:04:47 --> 00:04:53 even if you were to grapple with that and come to acknowledge it in some philosophical way,
00:04:54 --> 00:04:57 it still leaves us with the so what question.
00:04:58 --> 00:04:58 That is,
00:04:59 --> 00:05:00 if that did happen,
00:05:01 --> 00:05:05 if Christmas is true in any way,
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 what does it mean for us?
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 And in actual fact,
00:05:12 --> 00:05:13 to flip that around,
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 if Christmas isn't true,
00:05:15 --> 00:05:20 we don't just lose the wonder of this time of year.
00:05:21 --> 00:05:21 We, in fact,
00:05:22 --> 00:05:23 lose everything.
00:05:24 --> 00:05:25 Lose everything.
00:05:26 --> 00:05:27 We lose meaning.
00:05:27 --> 00:05:28 We lose life.
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 We lose good and evil,
00:05:31 --> 00:05:32 even you and me.
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 So what I want to do in the next little bit of our time together
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 is look at the story of Christmas,
00:05:38 --> 00:05:41 the alternatives that are out there with that.
00:05:41 --> 00:05:45 And I know it's late at night and maybe your brain like mine is switching off.
00:05:45 --> 00:05:46 So I'll try to be brief.
00:05:46 --> 00:05:48 And I don't assume that I'm going to be able to,
00:05:48 --> 00:05:49 you know,
00:05:49 --> 00:05:50 convince you in this moment.
00:05:50 --> 00:05:52 But just to give you a snapshot.
00:05:53 --> 00:05:54 So first of all,
00:05:54 --> 00:05:56 no news story.
00:05:56 --> 00:05:59 In his global bestseller,
00:05:59 --> 00:06:00 Sapiens,
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 A Brief History of Humankind,
00:06:02 --> 00:06:07 the Israeli historian Yuval Harari,
00:06:08 --> 00:06:10 what he attempts to do in his book there
00:06:10 --> 00:06:14 is to tell the story of humanity from its beginning.
00:06:15 --> 00:06:17 And what Harari,
00:06:17 --> 00:06:18 as a person,
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 rejects the claims of Christianity.
00:06:21 --> 00:06:22 He rejects the claims of Christmas.
00:06:23 --> 00:06:25 But he does recognise
00:06:25 --> 00:06:29 the substantial influences it has had
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 on the history of humanity.
00:06:31 --> 00:06:34 And what he does is he argues in his book
00:06:34 --> 00:06:36 that in fact,
00:06:36 --> 00:06:39 our deepest moral beliefs today
00:06:39 --> 00:06:43 are not self-evident truths
00:06:43 --> 00:06:47 that many in our world want to claim right now.
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 They're not self-evident truths at all.
00:06:49 --> 00:06:50 He says they are,
00:06:50 --> 00:06:51 in actual fact,
00:06:52 --> 00:06:53 they are beliefs
00:06:53 --> 00:06:56 that are grounded in the Bible.
00:06:56 --> 00:07:00 This is how he puts it.
00:07:00 --> 00:07:01 For instance,
00:07:01 --> 00:07:02 the idea of equality
00:07:02 --> 00:07:06 is inextricably intertwined
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 with the idea of creation.
00:07:09 --> 00:07:10 If we do not believe
00:07:10 --> 00:07:12 in the Christian myths
00:07:12 --> 00:07:13 about God,
00:07:14 --> 00:07:14 creation,
00:07:14 --> 00:07:15 and souls,
00:07:16 --> 00:07:17 what does it mean
00:07:17 --> 00:07:20 that all people are equal?
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 Now,
00:07:22 --> 00:07:23 most people
00:07:23 --> 00:07:24 in our society
00:07:24 --> 00:07:25 nowadays
00:07:25 --> 00:07:26 have a sense
00:07:26 --> 00:07:28 that human rights
00:07:28 --> 00:07:29 are good,
00:07:29 --> 00:07:30 that things like racism
00:07:30 --> 00:07:31 are wrong,
00:07:32 --> 00:07:32 anti-Semitism
00:07:32 --> 00:07:33 is wrong,
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 that men
00:07:35 --> 00:07:36 and women
00:07:36 --> 00:07:37 are equal,
00:07:37 --> 00:07:38 that things like murder
00:07:38 --> 00:07:39 is evil,
00:07:39 --> 00:07:40 and that the rich
00:07:40 --> 00:07:41 should oppress
00:07:41 --> 00:07:42 the poor.
00:07:42 --> 00:07:43 the poor,
00:07:43 --> 00:07:44 but why?
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 Why do we have a sense
00:07:47 --> 00:07:47 that those things
00:07:47 --> 00:07:48 are good and right?
00:07:50 --> 00:07:51 What Harari says
00:07:51 --> 00:07:53 is that in actual fact,
00:07:53 --> 00:07:54 if there is no God
00:07:54 --> 00:07:56 who has created all things,
00:07:57 --> 00:07:58 he says,
00:07:58 --> 00:07:59 there is in fact
00:07:59 --> 00:08:00 no moral facts
00:08:00 --> 00:08:01 at all.
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 They are just opinions,
00:08:04 --> 00:08:05 nothing more
00:08:05 --> 00:08:06 than just opinions.
00:08:08 --> 00:08:09 The British historian
00:08:09 --> 00:08:10 Tom Holland
00:08:10 --> 00:08:12 makes a very similar book
00:08:12 --> 00:08:14 in his book
00:08:14 --> 00:08:14 Dominion.
00:08:15 --> 00:08:17 He stopped himself
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 believing in a God
00:08:19 --> 00:08:20 as a kid,
00:08:20 --> 00:08:21 but after years
00:08:21 --> 00:08:22 and years
00:08:22 --> 00:08:24 as a historian
00:08:24 --> 00:08:25 and as a researcher,
00:08:25 --> 00:08:27 he actually found himself
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 being drawn back
00:08:29 --> 00:08:30 to the person
00:08:30 --> 00:08:31 of Jesus
00:08:31 --> 00:08:33 as he's portrayed
00:08:33 --> 00:08:34 in the New Testament.
00:08:36 --> 00:08:37 It was mainly
00:08:37 --> 00:08:39 because he found
00:08:39 --> 00:08:41 that many of the values
00:08:41 --> 00:08:42 that he held deeply,
00:08:43 --> 00:08:44 he held them dearly,
00:08:45 --> 00:08:46 were intimately
00:08:46 --> 00:08:46 connected
00:08:46 --> 00:08:47 to the person
00:08:47 --> 00:08:48 of Jesus.
00:08:50 --> 00:08:51 They weren't just
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 inherent beliefs.
00:08:56 --> 00:08:57 Human rights,
00:08:57 --> 00:08:58 equality,
00:08:58 --> 00:08:59 equality of men,
00:08:59 --> 00:08:59 women,
00:08:59 --> 00:09:00 love for foreigners,
00:09:00 --> 00:09:01 care for the poor,
00:09:01 --> 00:09:01 vulnerable,
00:09:02 --> 00:09:02 the marginalized,
00:09:03 --> 00:09:04 are specifically
00:09:04 --> 00:09:06 Christian beliefs.
00:09:09 --> 00:09:11 And history shows us
00:09:11 --> 00:09:12 that it was only
00:09:12 --> 00:09:13 as Christianity
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 spread in the world
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 that these beliefs
00:09:17 --> 00:09:18 became generally accepted
00:09:18 --> 00:09:19 and particularly
00:09:19 --> 00:09:20 became the foundation
00:09:20 --> 00:09:21 and framework
00:09:21 --> 00:09:23 for Western civilization.
00:09:24 --> 00:09:26 Because the ancient world
00:09:26 --> 00:09:28 in Jesus' time
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 laughed at these ideas.
00:09:30 --> 00:09:34 and yet we exist
00:09:34 --> 00:09:35 in a culture,
00:09:35 --> 00:09:36 in a society nowadays,
00:09:37 --> 00:09:38 where the broad consensus
00:09:38 --> 00:09:39 is that you can actually
00:09:39 --> 00:09:41 keep the values,
00:09:41 --> 00:09:42 but you can get rid
00:09:42 --> 00:09:43 of the God
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 who's behind those values.
00:09:46 --> 00:09:47 And Harari explains
00:09:47 --> 00:09:48 what happens
00:09:48 --> 00:09:49 when we do that.
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 As far as we can tell
00:09:51 --> 00:09:52 from a purely
00:09:52 --> 00:09:53 scientific viewpoint,
00:09:54 --> 00:09:55 human life
00:09:55 --> 00:09:56 has absolutely
00:09:56 --> 00:09:57 no meaning.
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 that is based
00:09:59 --> 00:10:00 entirely on scientific terms,
00:10:01 --> 00:10:01 human life
00:10:01 --> 00:10:02 has no meaning.
00:10:02 --> 00:10:04 Humans are the outcome
00:10:04 --> 00:10:06 of blind evolutionary processes
00:10:06 --> 00:10:07 that operate
00:10:07 --> 00:10:08 with our goal
00:10:08 --> 00:10:09 or purpose.
00:10:09 --> 00:10:10 Our actions
00:10:10 --> 00:10:11 are not part
00:10:11 --> 00:10:12 of some
00:10:12 --> 00:10:13 divine cosmic plan.
00:10:14 --> 00:10:14 Hence,
00:10:15 --> 00:10:16 any meaning
00:10:16 --> 00:10:17 that people
00:10:17 --> 00:10:17 ascribe
00:10:17 --> 00:10:18 to their lives
00:10:18 --> 00:10:20 is just
00:10:20 --> 00:10:21 a delusion.
00:10:23 --> 00:10:25 Any honest
00:10:25 --> 00:10:26 atheist
00:10:26 --> 00:10:27 agrees
00:10:27 --> 00:10:27 with Harari
00:10:27 --> 00:10:28 at this point.
00:10:30 --> 00:10:31 Now,
00:10:31 --> 00:10:32 there are certainly
00:10:32 --> 00:10:33 people
00:10:33 --> 00:10:33 who think
00:10:33 --> 00:10:34 their lives
00:10:34 --> 00:10:35 have no meaning,
00:10:35 --> 00:10:36 but on the most part,
00:10:37 --> 00:10:37 none of us
00:10:37 --> 00:10:39 actually want Harari
00:10:39 --> 00:10:40 to be right
00:10:40 --> 00:10:40 at all.
00:10:41 --> 00:10:42 That meaning
00:10:42 --> 00:10:44 in our lives
00:10:44 --> 00:10:45 is a delusion.
00:10:46 --> 00:10:48 The bad news story
00:10:48 --> 00:10:49 is though
00:10:49 --> 00:10:50 that if there
00:10:50 --> 00:10:52 is no God,
00:10:53 --> 00:10:54 then we are left
00:10:54 --> 00:10:55 with the reality
00:10:55 --> 00:10:57 that we live
00:10:57 --> 00:10:58 and we die
00:10:58 --> 00:10:58 and we decay
00:10:58 --> 00:10:59 and that
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 is it.
00:11:02 --> 00:11:02 That's it.
00:11:04 --> 00:11:05 But Christmas,
00:11:06 --> 00:11:07 which is why
00:11:07 --> 00:11:08 it is full of
00:11:08 --> 00:11:09 joy
00:11:09 --> 00:11:10 and light
00:11:10 --> 00:11:10 and hope,
00:11:11 --> 00:11:11 Christmas
00:11:11 --> 00:11:13 is the alternative.
00:11:14 --> 00:11:15 The Christmas story
00:11:15 --> 00:11:16 is in fact
00:11:16 --> 00:11:17 the good news story.
00:11:18 --> 00:11:18 So that's where
00:11:18 --> 00:11:19 we want to jump
00:11:19 --> 00:11:20 into that passage there.
00:11:20 --> 00:11:21 If you've got it
00:11:21 --> 00:11:21 in front of you
00:11:21 --> 00:11:23 in John chapter 1,
00:11:23 --> 00:11:24 you see,
00:11:24 --> 00:11:24 at the beginning
00:11:24 --> 00:11:26 of John's biography
00:11:26 --> 00:11:27 on the life of Jesus,
00:11:28 --> 00:11:29 we don't get,
00:11:29 --> 00:11:30 he doesn't start
00:11:30 --> 00:11:31 with the birth of Jesus,
00:11:32 --> 00:11:33 but he starts
00:11:33 --> 00:11:33 with the birth
00:11:33 --> 00:11:34 of the universe.
00:11:35 --> 00:11:37 And he mentions here
00:11:37 --> 00:11:39 a key figure
00:11:39 --> 00:11:41 who he calls
00:11:41 --> 00:11:42 the Word.
00:11:43 --> 00:11:44 I'll read the first
00:11:44 --> 00:11:45 few verses for us.
00:11:45 --> 00:11:46 In the beginning
00:11:46 --> 00:11:47 was the Word
00:11:47 --> 00:11:48 and the Word
00:11:48 --> 00:11:49 was with God
00:11:49 --> 00:11:49 and the Word
00:11:49 --> 00:11:50 was God.
00:11:51 --> 00:11:51 He was with God
00:11:51 --> 00:11:52 in the beginning.
00:11:53 --> 00:11:53 Through him,
00:11:54 --> 00:11:54 that's talking
00:11:54 --> 00:11:55 about the Word,
00:11:56 --> 00:11:56 through him
00:11:56 --> 00:11:58 all things
00:11:58 --> 00:11:58 were made.
00:11:59 --> 00:11:59 Without him
00:11:59 --> 00:12:00 nothing was made
00:12:00 --> 00:12:01 that has been made.
00:12:02 --> 00:12:03 In him was life
00:12:03 --> 00:12:04 and that life
00:12:04 --> 00:12:05 was the light
00:12:05 --> 00:12:07 of all mankind.
00:12:08 --> 00:12:08 The light
00:12:08 --> 00:12:09 shines
00:12:09 --> 00:12:10 in the darkness
00:12:10 --> 00:12:12 and the darkness
00:12:12 --> 00:12:14 has not overcome it.
00:12:14 --> 00:12:15 And so
00:12:15 --> 00:12:17 what you do
00:12:17 --> 00:12:18 is if you read
00:12:18 --> 00:12:19 John's biography
00:12:19 --> 00:12:21 as it unfolds,
00:12:21 --> 00:12:22 we in fact discover
00:12:22 --> 00:12:24 that the key figure
00:12:24 --> 00:12:25 that he's referring to here
00:12:25 --> 00:12:27 known as the Word
00:12:27 --> 00:12:28 is in fact
00:12:28 --> 00:12:29 Jesus.
00:12:31 --> 00:12:32 You see,
00:12:32 --> 00:12:33 what the Bible teaches
00:12:33 --> 00:12:35 is that the created God
00:12:35 --> 00:12:37 is one God
00:12:37 --> 00:12:38 in three persons,
00:12:38 --> 00:12:38 Father, Son
00:12:38 --> 00:12:40 and Holy Spirit
00:12:40 --> 00:12:42 who have always
00:12:42 --> 00:12:43 existed together
00:12:43 --> 00:12:46 for all eternity
00:12:46 --> 00:12:47 in perfect love
00:12:47 --> 00:12:48 relationship
00:12:48 --> 00:12:49 with one another.
00:12:49 --> 00:12:50 What that says is
00:12:50 --> 00:12:52 what the Christian faith
00:12:52 --> 00:12:52 believes
00:12:52 --> 00:12:53 at the centre
00:12:53 --> 00:12:55 of all reality,
00:12:55 --> 00:12:57 of all ultimate reality
00:12:57 --> 00:12:58 is a God
00:12:58 --> 00:13:00 of perfect love
00:13:00 --> 00:13:01 relationship.
00:13:03 --> 00:13:04 And what happens
00:13:04 --> 00:13:05 on the very first Christmas,
00:13:06 --> 00:13:07 it marks the moment
00:13:07 --> 00:13:09 when God
00:13:09 --> 00:13:09 the Son,
00:13:10 --> 00:13:10 the Word,
00:13:10 --> 00:13:11 the Creator
00:13:11 --> 00:13:11 of all
00:13:11 --> 00:13:13 became a human being
00:13:13 --> 00:13:16 with a very specific purpose.
00:13:17 --> 00:13:18 John's biography
00:13:18 --> 00:13:19 tells the story
00:13:19 --> 00:13:21 of our lives
00:13:21 --> 00:13:22 being part
00:13:22 --> 00:13:24 of a loving
00:13:24 --> 00:13:25 cosmic plan
00:13:25 --> 00:13:27 of a loving God.
00:13:28 --> 00:13:29 I'll read it again,
00:13:30 --> 00:13:30 verse 9.
00:13:30 --> 00:13:32 The true light
00:13:32 --> 00:13:33 that gives light
00:13:33 --> 00:13:34 to everyone
00:13:34 --> 00:13:35 was coming
00:13:35 --> 00:13:36 into the world.
00:13:37 --> 00:13:38 He was in the world
00:13:38 --> 00:13:40 and though the world
00:13:40 --> 00:13:41 was made through him,
00:13:41 --> 00:13:42 the world did not
00:13:42 --> 00:13:43 recognise him.
00:13:44 --> 00:13:45 He came to that
00:13:45 --> 00:13:45 which was his own
00:13:45 --> 00:13:47 but his own
00:13:47 --> 00:13:47 did not receive him.
00:13:48 --> 00:13:49 Yet to all
00:13:49 --> 00:13:50 who did
00:13:50 --> 00:13:51 receive him,
00:13:51 --> 00:13:52 to those
00:13:52 --> 00:13:53 who believed
00:13:53 --> 00:13:53 in his name,
00:13:53 --> 00:13:54 he gave the right
00:13:54 --> 00:13:55 to become children
00:13:55 --> 00:13:56 of God,
00:13:56 --> 00:13:57 children born
00:13:57 --> 00:13:58 not of natural descent
00:13:58 --> 00:13:59 nor of human decision
00:13:59 --> 00:14:00 or a husband's will
00:14:00 --> 00:14:02 but born of God.
00:14:04 --> 00:14:04 And then
00:14:04 --> 00:14:06 we read
00:14:06 --> 00:14:06 right at the end,
00:14:06 --> 00:14:08 the Word became flesh
00:14:08 --> 00:14:09 and made his dwelling
00:14:09 --> 00:14:10 amongst us.
00:14:10 --> 00:14:11 We have seen
00:14:11 --> 00:14:12 his glory,
00:14:12 --> 00:14:13 the glory
00:14:13 --> 00:14:14 of the one and only
00:14:14 --> 00:14:15 who came
00:14:15 --> 00:14:16 from the Father
00:14:16 --> 00:14:17 full of grace
00:14:17 --> 00:14:18 and truth.
00:14:20 --> 00:14:21 And a couple of verses
00:14:21 --> 00:14:22 later it tells us
00:14:22 --> 00:14:23 the one full of grace
00:14:23 --> 00:14:23 and truth
00:14:23 --> 00:14:25 is none other
00:14:25 --> 00:14:26 than Jesus the Christ.
00:14:28 --> 00:14:29 So what that's saying
00:14:29 --> 00:14:30 there is that
00:14:30 --> 00:14:33 Jesus is the
00:14:33 --> 00:14:33 author
00:14:33 --> 00:14:35 of the story
00:14:35 --> 00:14:38 of history
00:14:38 --> 00:14:41 but he's also
00:14:41 --> 00:14:42 the lead character.
00:14:43 --> 00:14:44 The God
00:14:44 --> 00:14:45 who made the universe
00:14:45 --> 00:14:46 who creates
00:14:46 --> 00:14:47 and defines history
00:14:47 --> 00:14:49 enters it,
00:14:50 --> 00:14:51 enters history
00:14:51 --> 00:14:53 in order to
00:14:53 --> 00:14:53 redeem it
00:14:53 --> 00:14:54 and rescue it.
00:14:55 --> 00:14:56 And instead of
00:14:56 --> 00:14:57 being celebrated,
00:14:57 --> 00:14:57 he's rejected.
00:14:57 --> 00:14:58 instead of being
00:14:58 --> 00:14:59 honoured,
00:14:59 --> 00:15:00 he is killed.
00:15:01 --> 00:15:02 And the wonder
00:15:02 --> 00:15:03 of it though,
00:15:04 --> 00:15:05 in writing himself
00:15:05 --> 00:15:06 into the story,
00:15:06 --> 00:15:07 the wonder of it
00:15:07 --> 00:15:09 is his death
00:15:09 --> 00:15:10 was written
00:15:10 --> 00:15:11 into the script
00:15:11 --> 00:15:12 as the central
00:15:12 --> 00:15:13 part of it.
00:15:14 --> 00:15:16 It wasn't an accident.
00:15:16 --> 00:15:21 So if it is true
00:15:21 --> 00:15:22 that there is a God
00:15:22 --> 00:15:22 who made us
00:15:22 --> 00:15:23 and loves us,
00:15:24 --> 00:15:25 then this is
00:15:25 --> 00:15:26 fantastic news.
00:15:26 --> 00:15:27 Christmas
00:15:27 --> 00:15:27 is
00:15:27 --> 00:15:29 unbelievable
00:15:29 --> 00:15:30 news.
00:15:32 --> 00:15:33 There is
00:15:33 --> 00:15:33 in fact
00:15:33 --> 00:15:34 such a thing
00:15:34 --> 00:15:35 as meaning
00:15:35 --> 00:15:35 and purpose.
00:15:36 --> 00:15:37 There is
00:15:37 --> 00:15:37 in fact
00:15:37 --> 00:15:38 such a thing
00:15:38 --> 00:15:39 as good
00:15:39 --> 00:15:40 and evil.
00:15:42 --> 00:15:42 And yet,
00:15:42 --> 00:15:44 if you sit
00:15:44 --> 00:15:45 and you
00:15:45 --> 00:15:45 ponder it
00:15:45 --> 00:15:46 and let it
00:15:46 --> 00:15:47 sink in a little
00:15:47 --> 00:15:48 bit,
00:15:48 --> 00:15:48 you also
00:15:48 --> 00:15:49 start to see
00:15:49 --> 00:15:51 that this
00:15:51 --> 00:15:52 Christmas news
00:15:52 --> 00:15:53 is also
00:15:53 --> 00:15:55 terrible news.
00:15:55 --> 00:15:55 It is
00:15:55 --> 00:15:56 humbling news
00:15:56 --> 00:15:58 because it's
00:15:58 --> 00:15:58 saying that
00:15:58 --> 00:15:59 all of us,
00:16:00 --> 00:16:01 all of humanity,
00:16:01 --> 00:16:01 we need us,
00:16:02 --> 00:16:03 we need
00:16:03 --> 00:16:03 saving.
00:16:04 --> 00:16:05 We need
00:16:05 --> 00:16:06 rescuing.
00:16:06 --> 00:16:06 We need
00:16:06 --> 00:16:07 saving from a
00:16:07 --> 00:16:08 judgement that we
00:16:08 --> 00:16:09 rightly deserve
00:16:09 --> 00:16:10 for living
00:16:10 --> 00:16:11 our day-by-day
00:16:11 --> 00:16:12 life,
00:16:12 --> 00:16:13 trying to
00:16:13 --> 00:16:13 create purpose
00:16:13 --> 00:16:14 and meaning
00:16:14 --> 00:16:15 for ourselves
00:16:15 --> 00:16:16 and keeping
00:16:16 --> 00:16:16 God at
00:16:16 --> 00:16:17 arm's length.
00:16:19 --> 00:16:19 Now,
00:16:19 --> 00:16:20 some of us
00:16:20 --> 00:16:22 are deeply
00:16:22 --> 00:16:23 aware
00:16:23 --> 00:16:23 of our
00:16:23 --> 00:16:24 failures
00:16:24 --> 00:16:24 and our
00:16:24 --> 00:16:25 sin,
00:16:25 --> 00:16:26 even if we
00:16:26 --> 00:16:26 might not
00:16:26 --> 00:16:27 use the
00:16:27 --> 00:16:28 word sin.
00:16:29 --> 00:16:30 If there
00:16:30 --> 00:16:31 is a God
00:16:31 --> 00:16:32 who sees
00:16:32 --> 00:16:32 everything
00:16:32 --> 00:16:33 and knows
00:16:33 --> 00:16:33 everything,
00:16:35 --> 00:16:35 then we
00:16:35 --> 00:16:36 know that
00:16:36 --> 00:16:36 this isn't
00:16:36 --> 00:16:37 good.
00:16:39 --> 00:16:39 Now,
00:16:39 --> 00:16:40 on one
00:16:40 --> 00:16:40 level,
00:16:40 --> 00:16:40 that's
00:16:40 --> 00:16:41 good and
00:16:41 --> 00:16:41 that's
00:16:41 --> 00:16:42 healthy.
00:16:43 --> 00:16:43 The
00:16:43 --> 00:16:43 Christmas
00:16:43 --> 00:16:44 story,
00:16:45 --> 00:16:45 the message
00:16:45 --> 00:16:46 of Christianity
00:16:46 --> 00:16:48 is in
00:16:48 --> 00:16:49 no way
00:16:49 --> 00:16:51 a self-help
00:16:51 --> 00:16:52 message
00:16:52 --> 00:16:53 where we
00:16:53 --> 00:16:54 are told
00:16:54 --> 00:16:55 that you're
00:16:55 --> 00:16:55 kind of
00:16:55 --> 00:16:56 mostly good
00:16:56 --> 00:16:57 enough and
00:16:57 --> 00:16:58 God just
00:16:58 --> 00:16:58 gives you
00:16:58 --> 00:16:59 that little
00:16:59 --> 00:16:59 bit extra
00:16:59 --> 00:17:00 help along
00:17:00 --> 00:17:00 the way.
00:17:02 --> 00:17:02 You see,
00:17:02 --> 00:17:03 every time
00:17:03 --> 00:17:03 we see
00:17:03 --> 00:17:04 Jesus helping
00:17:04 --> 00:17:05 someone in
00:17:05 --> 00:17:06 the biographies,
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08 it's those
00:17:08 --> 00:17:09 who knew
00:17:09 --> 00:17:09 they weren't
00:17:09 --> 00:17:10 enough.
00:17:11 --> 00:17:12 They're the
00:17:12 --> 00:17:12 ones that
00:17:12 --> 00:17:13 Jesus
00:17:13 --> 00:17:13 welcomes.
00:17:15 --> 00:17:16 Those who
00:17:16 --> 00:17:16 were considered
00:17:16 --> 00:17:17 too bad
00:17:17 --> 00:17:19 or too
00:17:19 --> 00:17:19 broken
00:17:19 --> 00:17:21 were the
00:17:21 --> 00:17:21 preferred
00:17:21 --> 00:17:22 company
00:17:22 --> 00:17:23 of Jesus,
00:17:24 --> 00:17:24 the Son
00:17:24 --> 00:17:24 of God.
00:17:26 --> 00:17:27 And that's
00:17:27 --> 00:17:27 us.
00:17:29 --> 00:17:29 You see,
00:17:29 --> 00:17:30 the reality
00:17:30 --> 00:17:31 is none
00:17:31 --> 00:17:32 of us
00:17:32 --> 00:17:34 gathered here
00:17:34 --> 00:17:35 right now
00:17:35 --> 00:17:37 would escape
00:17:37 --> 00:17:38 even a
00:17:38 --> 00:17:38 moment of
00:17:38 --> 00:17:39 embarrassment.
00:17:40 --> 00:17:41 If every
00:17:41 --> 00:17:42 single one
00:17:42 --> 00:17:42 of our
00:17:42 --> 00:17:43 thoughts
00:17:43 --> 00:17:44 and our
00:17:44 --> 00:17:44 actions,
00:17:45 --> 00:17:45 every
00:17:45 --> 00:17:45 motor
00:17:45 --> 00:17:46 heart
00:17:46 --> 00:17:47 was
00:17:47 --> 00:17:48 projected
00:17:48 --> 00:17:48 on these
00:17:48 --> 00:17:49 screens
00:17:49 --> 00:17:50 and live
00:17:50 --> 00:17:51 streamed
00:17:51 --> 00:17:52 for everyone
00:17:52 --> 00:17:52 to see
00:17:52 --> 00:17:53 tomorrow,
00:17:55 --> 00:17:56 the reality
00:17:56 --> 00:17:57 is I'd be
00:17:57 --> 00:17:58 crushed if
00:17:58 --> 00:17:59 it was just
00:17:59 --> 00:18:00 today's
00:18:00 --> 00:18:00 tally was
00:18:00 --> 00:18:01 thrown up
00:18:01 --> 00:18:01 on the
00:18:01 --> 00:18:01 screen.
00:18:02 --> 00:18:03 And yet
00:18:03 --> 00:18:04 this God
00:18:04 --> 00:18:05 sees it
00:18:05 --> 00:18:06 all,
00:18:06 --> 00:18:07 the all
00:18:07 --> 00:18:08 seeing eye.
00:18:08 --> 00:18:09 He sees
00:18:09 --> 00:18:09 it all.
00:18:11 --> 00:18:12 This is
00:18:12 --> 00:18:12 terrible,
00:18:13 --> 00:18:14 but it's
00:18:14 --> 00:18:14 not the
00:18:14 --> 00:18:15 end of
00:18:15 --> 00:18:15 the story.
00:18:16 --> 00:18:16 You see,
00:18:16 --> 00:18:16 the Christmas
00:18:16 --> 00:18:17 story,
00:18:18 --> 00:18:18 we are told
00:18:18 --> 00:18:20 Jesus is
00:18:20 --> 00:18:20 presented with
00:18:20 --> 00:18:21 three gifts.
00:18:21 --> 00:18:22 We sang it
00:18:22 --> 00:18:22 just a moment
00:18:22 --> 00:18:23 ago.
00:18:23 --> 00:18:24 Three gifts
00:18:24 --> 00:18:25 by the
00:18:25 --> 00:18:26 astrologers who
00:18:26 --> 00:18:27 came from
00:18:27 --> 00:18:27 the east,
00:18:27 --> 00:18:28 the Magi.
00:18:28 --> 00:18:29 And one
00:18:29 --> 00:18:29 of those
00:18:29 --> 00:18:30 gifts was
00:18:30 --> 00:18:30 myrrh.
00:18:31 --> 00:18:31 Now,
00:18:31 --> 00:18:32 any new
00:18:32 --> 00:18:33 mother in
00:18:33 --> 00:18:34 first century
00:18:34 --> 00:18:34 Palestine
00:18:34 --> 00:18:35 would have
00:18:35 --> 00:18:36 been thrown
00:18:36 --> 00:18:37 by this
00:18:37 --> 00:18:37 gift of
00:18:37 --> 00:18:37 myrrh.
00:18:38 --> 00:18:39 Why are
00:18:39 --> 00:18:39 you giving
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40 me myrrh?
00:18:40 --> 00:18:41 It's because
00:18:41 --> 00:18:42 myrrh was
00:18:42 --> 00:18:43 used to
00:18:43 --> 00:18:44 embalm
00:18:44 --> 00:18:44 the dead.
00:18:46 --> 00:18:47 Myrrh was
00:18:47 --> 00:18:47 a symbol
00:18:47 --> 00:18:48 of death.
00:18:49 --> 00:18:50 It's like,
00:18:50 --> 00:18:51 you know,
00:18:51 --> 00:18:51 instead of
00:18:51 --> 00:18:52 baubles hanging
00:18:52 --> 00:18:52 on your
00:18:52 --> 00:18:53 Christmas tree,
00:18:54 --> 00:18:54 you know,
00:18:54 --> 00:18:55 hanging little
00:18:55 --> 00:18:55 coffins on
00:18:55 --> 00:18:56 there instead.
00:18:57 --> 00:18:58 Bizarre.
00:19:00 --> 00:19:00 And yet
00:19:00 --> 00:19:01 that's what
00:19:01 --> 00:19:01 Jesus came
00:19:01 --> 00:19:02 to do.
00:19:02 --> 00:19:02 He came
00:19:02 --> 00:19:03 to die.
00:19:04 --> 00:19:04 That's in
00:19:04 --> 00:19:05 fact what
00:19:05 --> 00:19:05 he needed
00:19:05 --> 00:19:06 to do to
00:19:06 --> 00:19:07 bring about
00:19:07 --> 00:19:08 reconciliation
00:19:08 --> 00:19:09 between God
00:19:09 --> 00:19:10 and humanity.
00:19:11 --> 00:19:12 Jesus would
00:19:12 --> 00:19:13 die for the
00:19:13 --> 00:19:14 sins of
00:19:14 --> 00:19:14 humanity.
00:19:15 --> 00:19:16 About 33
00:19:16 --> 00:19:17 years after
00:19:17 --> 00:19:18 his birth,
00:19:18 --> 00:19:18 he was
00:19:18 --> 00:19:19 crucified just
00:19:19 --> 00:19:20 outside of
00:19:20 --> 00:19:20 Jerusalem.
00:19:22 --> 00:19:22 But his
00:19:22 --> 00:19:23 death was
00:19:23 --> 00:19:23 not the end
00:19:23 --> 00:19:24 of the story
00:19:24 --> 00:19:25 because three
00:19:25 --> 00:19:26 days later,
00:19:26 --> 00:19:27 I'm getting
00:19:27 --> 00:19:28 into Easter
00:19:28 --> 00:19:28 here.
00:19:29 --> 00:19:29 Come back
00:19:29 --> 00:19:29 for the
00:19:29 --> 00:19:30 full story.
00:19:30 --> 00:19:32 But three
00:19:32 --> 00:19:33 days later,
00:19:33 --> 00:19:34 the tomb
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 was empty
00:19:35 --> 00:19:36 and Jesus
00:19:36 --> 00:19:37 appeared to
00:19:37 --> 00:19:37 his followers
00:19:37 --> 00:19:38 and over
00:19:38 --> 00:19:39 500 people
00:19:39 --> 00:19:39 at different
00:19:39 --> 00:19:40 times and
00:19:40 --> 00:19:40 he was
00:19:40 --> 00:19:41 alive
00:19:41 --> 00:19:42 physically.
00:19:43 --> 00:19:44 He faced
00:19:44 --> 00:19:44 death in
00:19:44 --> 00:19:45 order to
00:19:45 --> 00:19:46 defeat death.
00:19:46 --> 00:19:47 He paid for
00:19:47 --> 00:19:48 our sins so
00:19:48 --> 00:19:48 that we don't
00:19:48 --> 00:19:49 have to.
00:19:49 --> 00:19:50 He knows
00:19:50 --> 00:19:52 the deepest
00:19:52 --> 00:19:53 secrets
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 of our
00:19:54 --> 00:19:54 hearts.
00:19:55 --> 00:19:55 He knows
00:19:55 --> 00:19:56 the failures
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 and the
00:19:57 --> 00:19:57 shame that
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58 we carry
00:19:58 --> 00:19:59 but he
00:19:59 --> 00:20:00 loves us
00:20:00 --> 00:20:01 all the way
00:20:01 --> 00:20:01 to death
00:20:01 --> 00:20:02 and back
00:20:02 --> 00:20:04 and all
00:20:04 --> 00:20:04 we have to
00:20:04 --> 00:20:04 do is
00:20:04 --> 00:20:05 trust him.
00:20:06 --> 00:20:07 That in
00:20:07 --> 00:20:08 reality is
00:20:08 --> 00:20:08 the answer
00:20:08 --> 00:20:09 to the
00:20:09 --> 00:20:09 so what
00:20:09 --> 00:20:10 question of
00:20:10 --> 00:20:10 Christmas.
00:20:12 --> 00:20:12 That is,
00:20:13 --> 00:20:13 the so what
00:20:13 --> 00:20:14 question is
00:20:14 --> 00:20:15 this good
00:20:15 --> 00:20:15 news story
00:20:15 --> 00:20:16 can be in
00:20:16 --> 00:20:17 fact your
00:20:17 --> 00:20:18 good news
00:20:18 --> 00:20:18 story.
00:20:19 --> 00:20:20 So which
00:20:20 --> 00:20:22 story is
00:20:22 --> 00:20:22 yours?
00:20:23 --> 00:20:25 You see,
00:20:25 --> 00:20:26 the Christmas
00:20:26 --> 00:20:26 story is
00:20:26 --> 00:20:27 part of
00:20:27 --> 00:20:27 God's
00:20:27 --> 00:20:28 story of
00:20:28 --> 00:20:28 time and
00:20:28 --> 00:20:29 eternity
00:20:29 --> 00:20:30 and it
00:20:30 --> 00:20:30 really has
00:20:30 --> 00:20:31 four parts
00:20:31 --> 00:20:32 very briefly
00:20:32 --> 00:20:32 there.
00:20:33 --> 00:20:33 Chapter
00:20:33 --> 00:20:33 one,
00:20:33 --> 00:20:34 the God
00:20:34 --> 00:20:34 who stands
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 outside of
00:20:35 --> 00:20:35 creation,
00:20:35 --> 00:20:36 who always
00:20:36 --> 00:20:36 existed,
00:20:37 --> 00:20:37 creates all
00:20:37 --> 00:20:38 things by
00:20:38 --> 00:20:38 speaking into
00:20:38 --> 00:20:39 existence.
00:20:39 --> 00:20:40 It's the
00:20:40 --> 00:20:40 only
00:20:40 --> 00:20:41 storyline.
00:20:42 --> 00:20:43 That is,
00:20:43 --> 00:20:43 the Christian
00:20:43 --> 00:20:44 storyline is
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45 the only
00:20:45 --> 00:20:46 storyline of
00:20:46 --> 00:20:47 all storylines
00:20:47 --> 00:20:48 in the
00:20:48 --> 00:20:49 history of
00:20:49 --> 00:20:49 humanity
00:20:49 --> 00:20:52 that declares
00:20:52 --> 00:20:53 that a
00:20:53 --> 00:20:54 divine being
00:20:54 --> 00:20:55 created all
00:20:55 --> 00:20:56 things out
00:20:56 --> 00:20:56 of love.
00:20:57 --> 00:20:58 That was
00:20:58 --> 00:20:58 the purpose
00:20:58 --> 00:20:59 of it.
00:21:00 --> 00:21:00 Chapter
00:21:00 --> 00:21:01 two,
00:21:01 --> 00:21:01 humanity
00:21:01 --> 00:21:02 rejects the
00:21:02 --> 00:21:03 authority and
00:21:03 --> 00:21:03 love of
00:21:03 --> 00:21:04 God.
00:21:04 --> 00:21:04 All people
00:21:04 --> 00:21:05 live life
00:21:05 --> 00:21:06 with no
00:21:06 --> 00:21:06 consideration
00:21:06 --> 00:21:07 for God
00:21:07 --> 00:21:08 and relationship
00:21:08 --> 00:21:09 with God
00:21:09 --> 00:21:10 and with each
00:21:10 --> 00:21:10 other and
00:21:10 --> 00:21:11 with our
00:21:11 --> 00:21:11 world is
00:21:11 --> 00:21:12 deeply
00:21:12 --> 00:21:12 fractured.
00:21:13 --> 00:21:13 All
00:21:13 --> 00:21:13 brokenness
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 and evil
00:21:14 --> 00:21:15 and carnage
00:21:15 --> 00:21:15 in this
00:21:15 --> 00:21:16 world is
00:21:16 --> 00:21:16 connected to
00:21:16 --> 00:21:17 chapter two.
00:21:18 --> 00:21:18 Chapter
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 three is
00:21:19 --> 00:21:19 God's plan
00:21:19 --> 00:21:20 to reverse
00:21:20 --> 00:21:21 all this
00:21:21 --> 00:21:21 brokenness
00:21:21 --> 00:21:22 and sin.
00:21:22 --> 00:21:23 That's what
00:21:23 --> 00:21:23 we're talking
00:21:23 --> 00:21:24 about here
00:21:24 --> 00:21:25 in the
00:21:25 --> 00:21:25 Easter and
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 the Christmas
00:21:26 --> 00:21:26 story.
00:21:27 --> 00:21:29 Jesus takes
00:21:29 --> 00:21:29 the punishment
00:21:29 --> 00:21:30 of God
00:21:30 --> 00:21:30 for our
00:21:30 --> 00:21:31 rebellion.
00:21:31 --> 00:21:32 It's the
00:21:32 --> 00:21:32 death that
00:21:32 --> 00:21:33 we should
00:21:33 --> 00:21:33 have died.
00:21:34 --> 00:21:34 Everyone who
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 puts their
00:21:35 --> 00:21:35 trust in
00:21:35 --> 00:21:36 him is
00:21:36 --> 00:21:37 gathered back
00:21:37 --> 00:21:37 into
00:21:37 --> 00:21:38 relationship
00:21:38 --> 00:21:38 with God
00:21:38 --> 00:21:39 and with
00:21:39 --> 00:21:39 each other.
00:21:40 --> 00:21:40 Chapter
00:21:40 --> 00:21:43 four is
00:21:43 --> 00:21:44 not really
00:21:44 --> 00:21:45 the end
00:21:45 --> 00:21:45 of the
00:21:45 --> 00:21:46 story at
00:21:46 --> 00:21:46 all.
00:21:46 --> 00:21:46 It's the
00:21:46 --> 00:21:47 beginning of
00:21:47 --> 00:21:47 a chapter
00:21:47 --> 00:21:47 that has
00:21:47 --> 00:21:48 no end.
00:21:48 --> 00:21:49 It's a
00:21:49 --> 00:21:49 chapter where
00:21:49 --> 00:21:50 God, where
00:21:50 --> 00:21:51 Jesus reigns
00:21:51 --> 00:21:52 with his
00:21:52 --> 00:21:53 people in
00:21:53 --> 00:21:53 a world of
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 perfection and
00:21:54 --> 00:21:54 peace that
00:21:54 --> 00:21:55 is remade.
00:21:55 --> 00:21:56 That's the
00:21:56 --> 00:21:56 good news
00:21:56 --> 00:21:57 story of
00:21:57 --> 00:21:57 Christmas.
00:21:58 --> 00:21:59 Written in
00:21:59 --> 00:22:01 history and
00:22:01 --> 00:22:02 billions of
00:22:02 --> 00:22:03 people over
00:22:03 --> 00:22:03 the past
00:22:03 --> 00:22:05 2 years
00:22:05 --> 00:22:06 have found
00:22:06 --> 00:22:06 hope and
00:22:06 --> 00:22:07 light and
00:22:07 --> 00:22:08 meaning and
00:22:08 --> 00:22:09 joy in
00:22:09 --> 00:22:10 that story.
00:22:12 --> 00:22:12 There is
00:22:12 --> 00:22:13 another story
00:22:13 --> 00:22:14 however that's
00:22:14 --> 00:22:15 risen in the
00:22:15 --> 00:22:15 last couple
00:22:15 --> 00:22:15 of hundred
00:22:15 --> 00:22:16 years only.
00:22:17 --> 00:22:18 It's taken
00:22:18 --> 00:22:19 up residence
00:22:19 --> 00:22:20 particularly in
00:22:20 --> 00:22:21 the soul of
00:22:21 --> 00:22:21 Western
00:22:21 --> 00:22:22 civilization
00:22:22 --> 00:22:25 mainly in
00:22:25 --> 00:22:25 a big way
00:22:25 --> 00:22:26 in the last
00:22:26 --> 00:22:27 60 years.
00:22:27 --> 00:22:28 The technical
00:22:28 --> 00:22:29 term for it
00:22:29 --> 00:22:29 is philosophical
00:22:29 --> 00:22:31 naturalism.
00:22:32 --> 00:22:33 It's really
00:22:33 --> 00:22:34 secular
00:22:34 --> 00:22:35 materialism.
00:22:36 --> 00:22:36 It's a
00:22:36 --> 00:22:37 three-chapter
00:22:37 --> 00:22:37 story.
00:22:39 --> 00:22:40 In the
00:22:40 --> 00:22:41 first chapter
00:22:41 --> 00:22:41 it states
00:22:41 --> 00:22:42 that there's
00:22:42 --> 00:22:43 no supernatural
00:22:43 --> 00:22:44 or spiritual
00:22:44 --> 00:22:45 or personal
00:22:45 --> 00:22:46 power that
00:22:46 --> 00:22:47 rules the
00:22:47 --> 00:22:47 physical
00:22:47 --> 00:22:48 universe.
00:22:48 --> 00:22:49 Everything
00:22:49 --> 00:22:49 that can
00:22:49 --> 00:22:49 be seen
00:22:49 --> 00:22:50 and measured
00:22:50 --> 00:22:51 is a result
00:22:51 --> 00:22:52 of an
00:22:52 --> 00:22:52 explosion that
00:22:52 --> 00:22:53 appeared out
00:22:53 --> 00:22:53 of nothing
00:22:53 --> 00:22:55 billions of
00:22:55 --> 00:22:56 years ago.
00:22:58 --> 00:22:58 Chapter
00:22:58 --> 00:22:59 two of the
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 story is
00:23:00 --> 00:23:01 that against
00:23:01 --> 00:23:02 all scientific
00:23:02 --> 00:23:03 evidence and
00:23:03 --> 00:23:03 even scientific
00:23:03 --> 00:23:05 reason and
00:23:05 --> 00:23:05 even scientific
00:23:05 --> 00:23:07 logic in
00:23:07 --> 00:23:08 any way life
00:23:08 --> 00:23:10 came from
00:23:10 --> 00:23:11 no life
00:23:11 --> 00:23:12 miraculously
00:23:12 --> 00:23:14 and eventually
00:23:14 --> 00:23:15 humanity
00:23:15 --> 00:23:16 evolved from
00:23:16 --> 00:23:17 the prehistoric
00:23:17 --> 00:23:17 suit to be
00:23:17 --> 00:23:18 the dominant
00:23:18 --> 00:23:18 species of
00:23:18 --> 00:23:19 the earth
00:23:19 --> 00:23:20 and therefore
00:23:20 --> 00:23:22 despite every
00:23:22 --> 00:23:23 sense that we
00:23:23 --> 00:23:23 might feel
00:23:23 --> 00:23:26 there is no
00:23:26 --> 00:23:27 such thing
00:23:27 --> 00:23:28 as right
00:23:28 --> 00:23:28 and wrong.
00:23:29 --> 00:23:30 No matter
00:23:30 --> 00:23:31 how much I
00:23:31 --> 00:23:31 create purpose
00:23:31 --> 00:23:32 there is no
00:23:32 --> 00:23:33 such thing as
00:23:33 --> 00:23:33 purpose and
00:23:33 --> 00:23:34 meaning.
00:23:35 --> 00:23:36 Everything in
00:23:36 --> 00:23:37 this world is
00:23:37 --> 00:23:37 an accident
00:23:37 --> 00:23:39 so life has
00:23:39 --> 00:23:40 no purpose
00:23:40 --> 00:23:41 and it's best
00:23:41 --> 00:23:42 therefore just to
00:23:42 --> 00:23:43 make the most
00:23:43 --> 00:23:44 of life,
00:23:44 --> 00:23:45 live it the best
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 you can because
00:23:46 --> 00:23:46 chapter three will
00:23:46 --> 00:23:48 come and
00:23:48 --> 00:23:48 chapter three is
00:23:48 --> 00:23:49 just simply the
00:23:49 --> 00:23:49 end.
00:23:51 --> 00:23:51 The sun will
00:23:51 --> 00:23:52 burn up,
00:23:52 --> 00:23:53 humanity will
00:23:53 --> 00:23:54 cease to exist,
00:23:54 --> 00:23:55 there's no form
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56 of afterlife or
00:23:56 --> 00:23:57 survival of the
00:23:57 --> 00:23:58 conscious and
00:23:58 --> 00:23:59 the story of
00:23:59 --> 00:24:00 materialism is
00:24:00 --> 00:24:00 that what you
00:24:00 --> 00:24:01 have right now
00:24:01 --> 00:24:02 is as good as
00:24:02 --> 00:24:03 it's going to
00:24:03 --> 00:24:03 get.
00:24:05 --> 00:24:06 The Christmas
00:24:06 --> 00:24:07 story says
00:24:07 --> 00:24:08 that we have
00:24:08 --> 00:24:09 a loving
00:24:09 --> 00:24:10 creator who
00:24:10 --> 00:24:10 has triumphed
00:24:10 --> 00:24:11 over evil at
00:24:11 --> 00:24:12 great cost to
00:24:12 --> 00:24:13 himself to
00:24:13 --> 00:24:14 love each one
00:24:14 --> 00:24:15 of us dearly
00:24:15 --> 00:24:17 and we look
00:24:17 --> 00:24:17 forward to a
00:24:17 --> 00:24:18 day when
00:24:18 --> 00:24:19 everything wrong
00:24:19 --> 00:24:20 in this world
00:24:20 --> 00:24:20 will be made
00:24:20 --> 00:24:22 right and
00:24:22 --> 00:24:22 we'll live with
00:24:22 --> 00:24:24 him in blissful
00:24:24 --> 00:24:25 joy for
00:24:25 --> 00:24:26 eternity.
00:24:27 --> 00:24:28 Whichever
00:24:28 --> 00:24:30 story you
00:24:30 --> 00:24:31 hold to,
00:24:32 --> 00:24:33 it starts with
00:24:33 --> 00:24:33 a premise
00:24:33 --> 00:24:34 where you need
00:24:34 --> 00:24:35 to put faith.
00:24:37 --> 00:24:39 which story
00:24:39 --> 00:24:40 is yours?
00:24:41 --> 00:24:42 The Christmas
00:24:42 --> 00:24:43 story might be
00:24:43 --> 00:24:43 hard to believe
00:24:43 --> 00:24:46 as in fact so
00:24:46 --> 00:24:47 is the secular
00:24:47 --> 00:24:48 materialistic story
00:24:48 --> 00:24:50 but the Christmas
00:24:50 --> 00:24:51 story is
00:24:51 --> 00:24:52 unbelievably good
00:24:52 --> 00:24:52 news.
00:24:54 --> 00:24:55 But to get to
00:24:55 --> 00:24:56 the point of
00:24:56 --> 00:24:57 being good
00:24:57 --> 00:24:59 news, we
00:24:59 --> 00:25:00 must start by
00:25:00 --> 00:25:01 seeing humanity
00:25:01 --> 00:25:03 is that we
00:25:03 --> 00:25:06 are the
00:25:06 --> 00:25:07 villain in
00:25:07 --> 00:25:08 God's story
00:25:08 --> 00:25:09 and Jesus
00:25:09 --> 00:25:10 is the
00:25:10 --> 00:25:10 hero.
00:25:10 --> 00:25:10 So
00:25:10 --> 00:25:12 the
00:25:12 --> 00:25:12 man
00:25:12 --> 00:25:13 is the
00:25:13 --> 00:25:13 one
00:25:13 --> 00:25:14 who
00:25:14 --> 00:25:14 is the
00:25:14 --> 00:25:14 one
00:25:14 --> 00:25:15 who
00:25:15 --> 00:25:16 is the
00:25:16 --> 00:25:16 one
00:25:16 --> 00:25:16 who
00:25:16 --> 00:25:17 is the
00:25:17 --> 00:25:17
00:25:17 --> 00:25:17 who
00:25:17 --> 00:25:18 !