New Years P5 Radio Broadcast Friday 12/30/2022

Classic Christianity – New Years P5 (12-30-22)

The Star of Bethlehem Came to Rest Over Jesus

~ “And they, having heard the king, departed, and behold, the star, that they saw in the east, went before them, until, having come, it stood over where the Child was.” ^{Matthew 2:9 Literal Standard Version}

~ “Well, after they had heard the king, they went on their way. And then the star, that and then the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them, until it stopped over the place where the child was. Now folks, we could sit here all day long, and talk about that being just a normal star in the sky, and you got people to talk about the planets are all lined up. And, and that’s what happened. And you got all kinds of studies on that type of thing. I don’t care how you line up the stars, a star doesn’t lead you to a place. And so this star that we’re talking about was something special that God put there. It wasn’t something that could be explained by the study of stars. It was a unique thing in the sky. And that star, the only thing you could call it was a star, but it was something up there of a light that led them to the place of Christ Jesus, and then stopped. Stars don’t start and stop. Have you noticed that? So it stopped over the place where the child was. Now when they saw the star, they were overjoyed. And coming to the house, saw the child with his mother Mary and they bowed down and worshiped him.”

~ Thank you so much for tuning into Classic Christianity with Bob George through our Classic Christianity Radio program and the books Bible study CDs and DVDs we have available for purchase online at BobGeorge.net. It is our desire in prayer at Bob George Ministries that you continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory, both now and forever. Amen. Let’s join Bob. Now as he gets started with today’s lesson.

Bob George 0:40

Well, after they had heard the king, they went on their way. And then the star, that and then the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them, until it stopped over the place where the child was. Now folks, we could sit here all day long, and talk about that being just a normal star in the sky, and you got people to talk about the planets are all lined up. And, and that’s what happened. And you got all kinds of studies on that type of thing. I don’t care how you line up the stars, a star doesn’t lead you to a place. And so this star that we’re talking about was something special that God put there. It wasn’t something that could be explained by the study of stars. It was a unique thing in the sky. And that star, the only thing you could call it was a star, but it was something up there of a light that led them to the place of Christ Jesus, and then stopped. Stars don’t start and stop. Have you noticed that? So it stopped over the place where the child was. Now when they saw the star, they were overjoyed. And coming to the house, saw the child with his mother Mary and they bowed down and worshiped him. Now that’s why I say folks Jesus was not born in a house he was born to manger wasn’t he? And so and then it said that Joseph and Mary returned back to Nazareth, after they had completed all the purification things. So now if for some reason and their Scripture doesn’t tell why they’re back in Bethelem, we don’t know, it could be that they moved back there after being in Nazareth, they move back because being close to the temple, recognizing the fact that their son was someone somewhat special. And recognizing that Jerusalem is the holy city, it could have very well been say, we need to go live there close to Jerusalem, and educate this boy in Jerusalem. We don’t know those things. And we don’t need to know them. What we do know is they were back in Bethlehem, for some reason or another, living in a house. This is after the birth. This was within a two year period. And so we don’t know when within that two year period. But as we read on as to what Herod did, I would assume it was closer to the one or two year period that we’re going to talk about in a moment.

Now they saw the child they bowed down and worshiped him, and then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. Maybe that’s why they get to three wise men. One wise man had gold, and another had incense and other had myrrh. I just like us to come up with that. And But at any rate, they all had those things, and they laid them at the feet of Christ. And having been warned in a dream, not to go back to here, they returned to their country by another route. So what you assumed took place there as they were in Bethlehem. And instead of going back from Bethlehem through Jerusalem, they took an alternate route, and escaped Jerusalem for fear of their lives.

Now, when they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. Here’s another dream. And he said, Get up and take this child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you for Herod is going to search the child to kill him. So he got up and took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled with the Lord had said through the prophet Hosea out of Egypt, I called my Son. When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious. And he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem, and in its vicinity, who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. So here was Herod. And he had learned the time from the Magi, as to the approximate the time of the birth of the Messiah, the time then that they had seen this star leading them to the Messiah. And he knew that he if he set a rule to kill every boy, under two years of age, he’d be sure to get this one. And so on an attempt to kill one child, he ended up killing every boy under two years of age. How many of you have a child under two? How’d you like to take that little baby and have someone rip him out of your arms and go cut their heads off? Can you imagine the lament? the heartache of mothers and fathers, seeing their children dragged from their homes and killed for no reason? Just kill. Why? because of this madman. That was so egocentric, that he said, No one’s going to be king with me. And so it goes out and kills every one of the boys. Every one of you and I who have had boys, children, can imagine taking a one year old, almost a two year old and having them snatched out of your home, to be murdered by a maniac. That’s what took place. Folks, you ask yourself the question sometimes. Where was God in all this? Where was God when John the Baptist was beheaded? Where was Jesus says, this is relative. And we asked ourselves that question sometimes Oh, where was God and all this? Folks, the answer to that is God was exactly where he’s always been, on his throne. When God created man, He created man with a free will. Did he not? He could have created us as a robot. And we would just be little robots running around down here. If you were a robot, could you love God? By freewill? No. And if God was going to create a creation in whom he could love and interact, then he had to create a creation in such a way who could respond to that love and interact with that love. And in order to do that, in the foreknowledge of God and His creative work, He created man with a will, he also created the angelic beings with a will. And some of those, 1/3 chose to follow satan to this earth, in rebellion to God right out of heaven. Angels were not propagated. They were created individually by the hand of God. And yet, with a will chose to turn their back on God. So you and I were created with a will. And I have to say, thank God for that. Because if I didn’t have a will, how can I be choosy? To love God? How could you make choices? The answer is you couldn’t. You’d be a robot, just like these little things. Did you turn the remote control on. Now was there a gamble with that? Is there a gamble in giving man a freewill? And what is the gamble? The gamble is that even though we are created by the hand of God, we can choose to rebel against God. Is that right or wrong? We have a will today, don’t we? I could choose to live a life that is commensurate with who I am as a child of God. And I can also choose on occasion to live contrary to that. That’s some of the things James was talking about. How can this be out of the same mouth? I can praise God and with his same tongue curse man. And he said that should not be?- That’s true. It should not be but is it possible? Sure. Why? Because one day I choose to praise God. And another moment I choose to blast you. Is that true or not? And so Free Will was given to man. God had to do that. Now if freewill is given to man, then can people like Herod choose who needs God? Can a man say I want to be God? Well, I want to tell you folks, if Lucifer said, I want to be God, for sure we can do can we not? And is not the temptation that was given in the Garden of Eden, that you can be what? Like God, you can choose, you don’t need God to teach you right from wrong and good from evil. Choose it yourself. You don’t need God for those things. You determine right from wrong and good from evil. You control what’s going on. And I am absolutely convinced that what indwelling sin is is nothing more or less than that propensity inside of each and every one of us to want to control everything.

We want to control Do we not? I want to be in control. After all, if I’m the center of the universe, that I want the universe to flow around me. Isn’t that right? And that the way we are? Right, the center, I want everyone to please me. I want everyone to do what I want to do. I want everyone to treat me the way I deserve to be treated wonderfully. Is that not right or wrong folks? We are self centered, egocentric, and we want to control everything. That’s indwelling sin. Now, is that what not is that? Not what God does? Does he not control the universe? We say I could do it better. I love that song that Tony Bennett did years ago if I ruled the world, what a wonderful place it would be. If I just ruled the world, and I look at that and say that’s a good song just kind of describes me. But that’s the way we are. And so we have to understand that folks, that that is a desire that is in your flesh and in my flesh that is there. And it raises its ugly hand. Anytime you lead. Anytime we’re not allowing Christ to control our lives. That propensity to want to control is right there isn’t right. Am I right or wrong guys? So what you’re dealing here is, are we going to allow Christ’s to control our lives? Or are we going to allow our flesh to control our lives? He gave us a will. Now if God gave a will, how is he going to stop a Herod from killing those babies? What’s he going to have to do? Take away the will of Herod for sure would he? Or just blast him? Well, if you start just annihilating everyone who chooses to do something contrary to God, what are you going to have left? Apes fish. Not people. Where does he Where do you stop that? You see? Where do you stop it? Say, where was God, when Hitler was annihilating the people, same places always been. And he gave Hitler a free will. And Hitler had a choice. All of his life, he had a choice. I could walk with God. Or I could feed my own evil nature. Guess what he chose? The feed his own nature, what to do with the result of that? Well, you start out killing one and you kill two. And after a while, it’s easy. And you kill millions. Where it was God? Same place, he’s always been. How can he stop that? kill Hitler? What Lord? Why can’t you figure that out? kill Hitler. He killed Hitler, there’d be another one right behind. You didn’t end up having to kill all of us. And so what you have to understand, folks is as long as God chose to give man a will, you’re going to find evil in the world. And you’re also going to find righteousness. And all of it’s a choice. And we’re in the we’re in the driver’s seat, so to speak, in regard to making a choice. Am I going to be controlled by God? Or am I going to be controlled by Satan? Stop it. I gotta stop. If I gave you will, the only way that you would see total non whale on this earth is if God just jerked the freewill away from every man on the earth, every man who was ever born and make robots, they wouldn’t see any evil at all. But as long as we have a free will, you’re gonna see good, you’re gonna see. So true in your own family. Well, then, if it’s true in your own family, why wouldn’t it be true in the world?

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Bob George 15:19
The people will come in and say we want peace in the world, how are you going to peace and have peace in the world until you have peace in a country? How are you going to have peace in the country until you have peace in your own state? Are you going to have peace in your own state, if you can’t have peace in your own county? Are you going to have peace in your county if you don’t have peace in your city, how you’re going to have peace in your city if you can’t have peace in your home, and how you’re going to have peace in your home? If you can’t get along with each other? That’s where Christ is relevant international peace. And so we’re right down folks to the to the thing that when God gave man a free will, then we have a we have an opportunity to choose. And that answers questions like this. Where was God? When those little babies are being killed? is right where he always was on his throne. Giving man of freewill to choose crying out to them with everything that he can do. Come to me come to me and man, with the same tenacity turning and say, do it my way.

A voice is heard and Rhema weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more children gone. Now After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared at a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and he said get up and take this child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who are trying to take the child’s life are dead. And I would also assume that after that had taken place, he figured he had gotten the Messiah. And so he had no more worry, this king has been annihilated. So he got up and he took the child, then his mother, and they went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reining in Judea, in place of his father, Herod, he was afraid to go there. And having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, he will be called a Nazarene.

And so folks, what we have tried to do here is to see how that this Lord Jesus Christ, how he was born, being led again by God, in always, and then we back up into Luke Go back to Luke two again, we lost those first few years of Christ. There’s no record of that. But what was interesting to me, was when we were in Israel, where there’s a city that is outside of Nazareth, and I believe about I’m mistaken, it was called Sepphoris. I think that’s the pronunciation. But it was there in this city, which is just a few miles from where Jesus was in Nazareth. And there was a huge building project that took place in that city. That very easily Jesus and his family could have been working there, as carpentry in their carpentry work. But even more important than that is Jesus grandfather was the head of, of the synagogue there. And, and that’s where they trained rabbis in that city. And when you realize that Jesus was called a rabbi, and that he could not be a rabbi, if he hadn’t been schooled in the rabbinical training, and it as much as his grandfather, Heli was the head of this Hebrew seminary, to train for rabbinical work. It makes sense that that’s where Jesus was, in this period of time, was being trained in rabbinical schools. His knowledge of the scripture was unbelievable, which you could attribute to Him being God. But it also makes sense that he was being trained in rabbinical school in his grandfather’s rabbinical training place. Otherwise, how would they call him Rabbi? And so there’s a lot of things that are being discovered today through archaeological findings that are shedding some light on these early years of Jesus. And when I go to Israel in April, our guide that we had the last time is going to be our guide again. And he is the one who showed us this information and some of the archeological findings around it. And also had showed me a book that had been written in regard to this subject. And I’m going to try to pick that up when I’m there and bring it back and share with you because it’s fascinating to learn that that is certainly a very viable possibility that that’s exactly what Jesus was doing in those years, was studying in school.

Now we pick up again, in verse 41. In chapter two. Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. So again, we know that every year they went in for the feast, which could explain why they were there, when when, when the wise men were there, the three of them. Now, when he was 12 years old, they went up to the feast according to the custom. And after the feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in there accompany they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends, because they would go in great caravans and kids being kids. And you know, Mom, Dad, I want to go back with my cousins and this and that. So everybody was safe there. They were with family. So they just assumed that’s where he was. But when they didn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. And after three days, they found him in the temple courts sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, Son, why have you treated us like this? That sounds just like a mother. Why are you doing this to me? Well, I’ve been worried sick. Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you. Do you think she might have been a little angered? Guys, that’s what we’ve talked about before. This may not be 100% True, but it sure is a lot true, whereby anger is a secondary response to fear. And this is a typical example that your first response is I’m fearful that my kids gone, then after you find them, you’d like to cut their head off. So you’ll normally find that many times the root of your anger is fear. And you will see that anger is just a secondary response to that fear. So instead of trying to deal with anger, deal with the fear, okay, everyone who saw him was amazed, his mom said, we have been searching for you. Why were you searching for me, he said? Didn’t you know that I had to be in my Father’s house? But they did not understand what he was saying to them. And isn’t that something? Here is Mary and Joseph revealed this whole thing by an angel, a dream from God, a virgin birth, that’ll be enough to make you think at least. And yet, it says they did not yet understand what was going on here. And you know guys, I don’t have any problem at all understanding. You know, that’s why people go in seeking signs and miracles and signs and miracles and signs and miracles as you’d think one would do. But no, after one, I need another one. Because if your faith is built upon signs and miracles, you’re going to always need one. And that’s why Jesus said, bless are, you who don’t see that believed. And he said to people, you’re an adulterous generation, always looking for a sign and a miracle. I’ll show you a miracle. And he said, Watch me raised from the dead. So guys in a final analysis, I believe Jesus was saying to us the final miracle, that ought to be enough, through all of the rest of this, that if you cannot believe me, when I’ve been raised from the dead, that it’s no fault of mine. I’ve given you every sign you need. You see, folks, even though we know that the virgin birth was a virgin birth, man could still say not so sure about that. And it could be debated. But when someone’s raised from the dead, that’s a hard one to debate. So the final miracle of God that He said, I’m going to give to you, if you cannot believe me in regard to who I am with that miracle, then you’re not gonna believe anything. And I’m not going to show you any other miracle. And I see people today seeking miracles and signs and wonders and excitement. And you say, marvelous what to do for you? If it increased your faith, something’s wrong with your faith. Because if your faith isn’t big enough To believe Jesus because of the resurrection, something’s wrong with your faith. And if I need keep needing an assurance, something’s wrong. And it’s like people who are constantly saying, I need, I need I need, or I thirst, thirst, I thirst. And Jesus said, When you drink of regular water, you’re going to thirst again. But when you drink my water, you’ll never thirst again. And so folks, all of these things were set into motion, not so that we become sign seekers and miracle seekers, but that we can put our faith squarely and securely in revealed truth as it relates to the person of Jesus Christ. And so he says, They didn’t understand what he was saying. But he said, he then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. It’s an unusual kid. And his mother, once again treasured all of these things in her heart, and Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with men.

Well, that’s interesting, isn’t it to just study those first years, the Lord Jesus Christ, and to just again try to enter into that. What is interesting to me and my mind flashes back. And I imagine that those of us that went to Israel the last time when they’re talking about going back, there was a road that we went on back road that evidently was the one they took into Jerusalem. And we drove on that bus and I tell you if anyone wasn’t saved on that they would have been by the time they took that bus trip. I mean, you were looking down of all the women were in the center of the bus, no one was in your chair, right, the center of the bus. It was very frightening. Except to us, we didn’t bother me, I’m macho. But it’s a remarkable thing to me, as I was saying how all of these things are revealed for one purpose only and that so that we can come to know Christ.

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