*Bonus* The Story of Jesus

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Hey, I know you didn't expect to
hear from me on a weekday, but I

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thought I would embrace the
spirit of the season of giving.

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And as there is only one more
sleep till Christmas, I wanted

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to put something in your digital
stocking as a thank you for

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listening and keeping in line
with the show's goal of

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centering minds on the spiritual
things.

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What better time than this to
spend a moment reflecting on the

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story of Jesus?
Now, this will be a little

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longer than what you're used to,
and I know nobody asked for more

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Daniel doubt this week, but bear
with me.

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I hope it's encouraging.
What I've done is simply read

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through the accounts of Jesus
birth, his death, and his

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resurrection, and I promise that
any commentary from me will be

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minimal.
Maybe that's the best gift I

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could give you this year.
I'll list the sections of

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scripture in the show notes, but
I plan to read it as one

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narrative.
Merry Christmas.

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Let's hear the story of Jesus
now.

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In the sixth month the Angel
Gabriel was sent by God to a

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city of Galilee named Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man

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whose name was Joseph of the
House of David.

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The virgin's name was Mary.
And having come in, the Angel

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said to her, Rejoice, highly
favored one, the Lord is with

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you, Blessed are you among
women.

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But when she saw him, she was
troubled at his saying, and

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considered what manner of
greeting this was.

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And the Angel said to her, Do
not be afraid Mary, for you have

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found favor with God, and
behold, you will conceive in

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your womb and bring forth a son,
and shall call his name Jesus.

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He will be great, and he will be
called the Son of the Most High,

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and the Lord God will give him
the throne of his father David,

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and he will reign over the House
of Jacob Forever, and of his

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Kingdom there will be no end.
And Mary said to the Angel, How

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can this be, since I do not know
a man?

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And the Angel answered and said
to her, The Holy Spirit will

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come upon you, and the power of
the Highest will over shadow

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you.
Therefore also that holy One who

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is to be born will be called the
Son of God.

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Now indeed Elizabeth your
relative has also conceived a

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son in her old age, and this is
now the 6th month for her who

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was called Baron.
For with God nothing will be

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impossible.
And Mary said, Behold, the maid

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servant of the Lord, let it be
to me, according to your word.

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And the Angel departed from her.
And Joseph also went up from

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Galilee out of a city of
Nazareth into Judea to the city

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of David, which is called
Bethlehem, because he was of the

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house and lineage of David, to
be registered with Mary, his

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betrothed wife, who was with
child.

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And so it was that while they
were there, the days were

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completed for her to be
delivered, and she brought forth

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her first born son, and wrapped
him in swaddling clothes, and

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laid him in a Manger, because
there was no room for them in

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the end.
Now there were in the same

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country shepherds living out in
the fields, keeping watch over

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their flock by night.
And behold, an Angel of the Lord

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stood before them, and the glory
of the Lord shone around them,

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and they were greatly afraid.
Then the Angel said to them, Do

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not be afraid, for behold, I
bring you good tidings of great

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joy, which will be to all
people.

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For there is born to you this
day in the city of David a

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Savior who is Christ the Lord.
And this will be the sign to

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you, that you will find a babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes,

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lying in a Manger.
And suddenly there was with the

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Angel a multitude of the
heavenly host, praising God and

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saying, glory to God in the
highest and on earth, peace and

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goodwill toward men.
And so it was when the angels

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had gone away from them into
heaven, that the shepherd said

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to one another, Let us go now to
Bethlehem, and see this thing

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that has come to pass, which the
Lord has made known to us.

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And they came with haste, and
found Mary and Joseph and the

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Babe lying in a Manger.
Now when they had seen him, they

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made widely known the saying
which was told them concerning

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the child.
And all those who heard it

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marvelled at those things which
were told them by the shepherds.

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But Mary kept all these things,
and pondered them in her heart.

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And the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God for

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all the things that they had
heard and seen as it was told

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them.
Now before I leave you to enjoy

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your Christmas, let's Fast
forward and see the culmination

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of the plan that the birth of
Christ set into motion.

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Then the soldiers led him away
into the hall called the

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Prayeratorium, and they called
together the whole Garrison.

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And they clothed him with
purple, and twisted a crown of

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thorns, and put it on his head,
and began to salute him.

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Hail, King of the Jews.
And they struck him on the head

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with a Reed, and spat on him,
and bowing the knee, they

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worshipped him.
And when they had mocked him,

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they took the purple off of him,
put his own clothes onto him,

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and let him out to crucify him.
And they compelled a certain

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man, Simon, as he was coming out
of the countryside to bear his

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cross.
And they brought him to the

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place called Golgotha, which is
translated Place of a Skull.

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And they gave him wine mingled
with myrrh to drink, but he did

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not take it.
And when they had crucified him,

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they divided his garments,
casting lots on them, to decide

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what every man should take.
Now it was the third hour, and

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they crucified Him.
And the inscription of His

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accusation was written above
King of the Jews.

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And with Him they also crucified
2 robbers, 1 on his right and

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the other on his left.
So the Scripture was fulfilled,

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which says, And He was numbered
with the transgressors, and

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those who passed by blasphemed
him, wagging their heads and

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saying, Ah, you who destroy the
temple and build it in three

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days, save yourself and come
down from the cross.

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Likewise the chief priests also
mocking among themselves with

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the scribes, said, He saved
others, himself He cannot save.

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Let the Christ the King of
Israel descend now from the

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cross, that we may see and
believe.

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And even those who were
crucified with Him reviled him.

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Now when the 6th hour had come,
there was darkness over the

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whole land until the 9th hour.
And at the 9th hour Jesus cried

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out with a loud voice saying,
Eloy, Eloy, Lama Sabakhthanai,

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which has translated, My God, my
God, why have you forsaken me?

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And some of those who stood by,
when they heard that, they said,

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look, he is calling for Elijah.
Then someone ran and filled a

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sponge of sour wine and put it
on a Reed, and offered it to him

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to drink, saying, Let him alone,
and let us see if Elijah will

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come to take him down.
And Jesus cried out with a loud

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voice, and breathed his last.
And the veil of the temple was

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torn in two from top to bottom.
So then the centurion who stood

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opposite him saw that he cried
out like this, and breathed his

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last.
And he said, truly, this man was

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the Son of God.
Now on the first day of the

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week, very early in the morning,
they and certain other women

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with them came to the tomb,
bringing the spices which they

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had prepared.
But they found the stone rolled

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away from the tomb, and they
went in, and did not find the

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body of Lord Jesus.
And it happened, as they were

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greatly perplexed about this,
that behold, 2 men stood by them

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in shining garments.
Then as they were afraid, and

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bowed their faces to the earth,
they said to them, Why do you

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seek the living among the dead?
He is not here, but He is risen.

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Remember how He spoke to you
when He was still in Galilee,

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saying, The Son of Man must be
delivered into the hands of

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sinful men, and be crucified.
And on the third day rise again,

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and they remembered his words,
and then they returned from the

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tomb and told all of these
things to the 11 and to all the

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rest.
And it was Mary Magdalene and

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Joanna, Mary the mother of
James, and the other women with

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them, who told them these
things.

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Their words seemed to them like
an idle tale, and they did not

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believe them.
But Peter arose and ran to the

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tomb, and stooping down, he saw
the linen clothes lying by

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themselves, and he departed,
marveling to himself at what had

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happened.
And we know the rest of the

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story.
It always does the sole good to

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see the big picture, doesn't it?
I hope you're encouraged and

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moved by the story of our
Savior, of his birth, of his

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life, his death, and his
resurrection.

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Know that he did it for you.
If you don't usually reflect on

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that at this time of year, maybe
you should.

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Maybe we should reflect on it
every day, all the while making

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sure it doesn't lose its impact.
I hope you have a great week.

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Thank you for listening from my
family to yours.

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Merry Christmas.
I'll see you Sunday.