Radio Broadcast Transcript

“TODAY ALL AROUND THE WORLD, CHRISTIANS CELEBRATE A TIME SET ASIDE TO REMEMBER THE BIRTH OF THE GOD/MAN, THE MESSIAH OF OLD. ALTHOUGH THE WORLD STILL QUESTIONS HIS COMING, THE BIBLE CONFIRMS HIS BIRTH WAS FOUND IN JESUS CHRIST.”

I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment on our SPECIAL Christmas Broadcast, I’ll tell you all about the wonderful Christmas story…

…Today the most sought after and best selling book of all time still remains to be the Bible of Christianity. Many are perplexed by this for in their eyes it is nothing more than a dangerous fairytale of antiquity. Yet mankind still seeks to know the God of the Bible, who created all things. As today is Christmas day, millions upon millions of Christians will flock to their worship centers to remember the wonderful promises of old that were fulfilled more than 20 centuries ago in a little town called Bethlehem . Songs have been written, sermons have been preached, and stories have been told about the little baby who was born to a lowly couple named Joseph and Mary, who was the fulfillment of God’s great promise to the world of humanity He created when the world and universe began. Yes, that little town of Bethlehem , that night long ago changed history and still does for all who long to find that little babe born that day…

…Yes, in Bethlehem was born the Savior, the Messiah of the world! Today the truth is, “you cannot escape Jesus Christ. In his day, His birth affected Caesar’s politics, the ministry of the angels, and the activities of common men. In that day, shepherds were looked upon with disdain; but God singled them out to be the first human messengers of Messiah’s birth. His coming touched worshipers and even scholars. Moreover, the angels of Heaven sang about Him, and He is still the theme of the greatest music. Luke, the Gospel writer wrote about Him, and He is still the subject of the greatest literature. The shepherds hastened to behold Him, and He is still at the center of the world’s greatest art. Teachers listened to Him and marveled, and He is still the focal point for all truth and wisdom.”

What is it about this lowly birth and life of the one called Jesus Christ, that so infused into the world of humanity, a timeless love by man, and yet relentless hate by others? Well, it’s all bound up in what God promised long ago -- He would send a Savior to the world of humanity He created in the Garden of Eden…

… Have you ever wondered about it? How is it that Jesus Christ is truly the Messiah, the Savior of the world? The answer is because God said so, and prophesied of His birth thousands of years before He ever entered the world of humanity. Now I’d like to quote extensively some of the key promises of God found in the Holy Scriptures that no man can contest or deny. Promises of old made that clearly reveal that Jesus of Nazareth was and is the Savior of the world, who’s birth we celebrate today.

For instance, if we go back to the Garden of Eden, and mankind’s creation itself, we read.

Gen 3:15 (NLT) From now on, you[Satan] and the woman will be enemies, and your offspring and her offspring will be enemies. He [woman’s child] will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

This was the very first prophecy that told Adam and Eve after they sinned, that God would rescue them from the fate of impending eternal death that awaited their disobedience of rejecting God’s will and raising up their own. God promised Eve, that from her children would come a “DELIVERER,” who would break the bond of sin and its penalty of death upon all the human race that would come forth from her and Adam. Later on, God again renewed this promise of a Messiah to Abraham of old and said,

Gen 12:3 (NIV) I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

Though Abraham’s children to come, God would raise up the Messiah and Savior of the world…

…Then as the years went by, God’s Word through the prophets, foretold of the coming birth of the infinite God/Man and Savior, Jesus Christ. We read,

Gen 49:10 (NIV) The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.

Isa 11:1 (NIV) A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

Rom 15:12 (NIV) And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him."

In these verses of old, written some hundreds and others thousands of years before the birth of Jesus Christ, all foretold that God’s promised Savior, the Messiah who would one day be born and rise up to rule the world. Here in outline form, is a list that has been compiled of all that led up to the coming of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World. Here we discover even the day, time, place, and events to surround His birth and coming were all foretold. For instance, we see:

The Promised Seed would come through a child of Eve’s - (Genesis 3:15 )

The Line of Seth was chosen by God to bring forth this Godly Seed - (Genesis 4:25 -26)

Through Noah’s son Shem the blessings of a Messiah would come (Genesis 9:26 )

Through Abraham and his child, the Savior of the world would appear (Genesis 12:1-3)

Through Isaac and His descendants, the Savior seed of the woman would come (Genesis 17:19 & 21:12 )

Through Jacob and His Descendants (Genesis 25:22-23 & 28:13-14)

Through The Tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10)

In the Family of Jesse (1 Samuel 16:1 & Isaiah 11:1, 10)

In the Person of David (1 Samuel 16:12-13; Isaiah 9:6-7; 2 Samuel 7:12-16)

The Messianic Line would come through Solomon (2 Samuel 7:12 -17 and 1 Chronicles 28:4-5)

The Messiah was to be announced by a forerunner, John the Baptist (Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1)

The Savior was to be Born by the Miracle of the Virgin Birth (Isaiah 7:13 -14)

The Time of Messiah’s Birth is announced by the exact time of His death (Daniel 9:24 -27)

The Place of Messiah’s Birth was to be Bethlehem ( Micah 5:2-3)

A miracle light in the heavens, would announce and reveal the Messiah’s Birth (Numbers 24:17)

Angels from Heaven would appear to shepherds announcing a Savior was born (Luke 2:8-11)

These are just a few of the biblical announcements that began at man’s creation over 4000 years ago in the Garden of Eden, that predicted a “miracle” child would be born, apart from a human father, a child that would be God Himself come in human flesh. So writes John in his opening Gospel who declared,

John 1:1-3 (NIV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

John 1:14 (NIV) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Yes indeed, the world may scoff and reject Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah, as the infinite God/Man, but true believers who have been saved from their sins still believe and have experienced the Messiah’s salvation and love. The question this Christmas day is -- Have you? The old adage still stands: “WISE MEN STILL SEEK HIM.” God’s love has forever been proven in that God became a man, so that mankind might become God’s own possession now and in eternity. All who have sought to find the Messiah, and embraced Him in and through Jesus Christ, the Bible says, their sins are forgiven, their lives are saved and the blessed hope of tomorrow is theirs -- to spend eternity in the very presence of God the Son our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now it’s true at least in America , we’ve made Christmas a foolish time of fairytales, and fantasies that have nothing to do with the Christmas story or Christmas itself. Many today, including children all across the nation, know little to nothing of what Christmas means.

We need to remind them all -- it’s a celebration of a birthday, the birthday of the king of the world, the Creator God Himself who became a man…

…Friend, I hope you have given due honor of the season to the One who has provided all things necessary to save you from your sins? The Bible says,

Rom 3:23 (NIV) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Rom 6:23 (NIV) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Indeed, God’s Word has given us these clear marks of identifying prophecies that prove beyond a doubt, that the birth in Bethlehem to Joseph and Mary, prior to the 1^st century, was the fulfillment of God’s promise to send a Savior. So the angels of Heaven declared that day,

Luke 2:11-14 (NIV) Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Have you received this Savior and Messiah into your heart? If not today is the most appropriate day of all, to see Jesus clearly in your mind’s eye, and understand that God’s love was fulfilled that day long ago when Christ was born. May the facts and truths of these marvelous prophecies comfort you and give hope for tomorrow, and the blessed joy of this Christmas Day…

…Merry Christmas my friends, God’s blessings to you, as we rejoice in God our Savior, who still stands ready to save all who will come to Him in repentant faith and surrender of their lives to this infinite God and man the Lord Jesus Christ. See you next week, the Lord willing for a brand new year of messages of hope and help to all who listen. God bless you, this is Dennis Finnan host and speaker, signing off and wishing you the most blessed Christmas Day of all. Good by for now.

·         Radio talk #5205

·         Broadcast date: December 25, 2005

·         Speaker: Dennis L. Finnan, Commentator

·         Program: The World, the Word & You! Radio Broadcast

·         Address: P.O. Box 60033 Grand Junction, CO 81506

The World, the Word & You! Broadcast is a non-denominational ministry based on the historic fundamental evangelical interpretation of the Scriptures. A copy of our doctrinal statement is available upon request. These weekly radio commentaries are not exhaustive studies of any particular subject due to the time limit of broadcasting. Actual broadcasts can be heard in selected areas around the nation, as funding provides. Dennis Finnan has been the speaker for over 25 years, and serves as General Director.

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