WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:11.660 real life presents the Jack Kibs podcast with intention and boldness to proclaim 2 00:00:11.660 --> 00:00:14.920 truth, equip the saints and impact our culture. 3 00:00:14.920 --> 00:00:18.320 We'll look all around the world and everything is lit up, everything is 4 00:00:18.320 --> 00:00:23.160 sparkly, everything's Christmas. But you know why? What's the true meaning to 5 00:00:23.160 --> 00:00:27.360 Christmas? Stay tuned, we're gonna find out. 6 00:00:28.360 --> 00:00:35.040 You can get the outlines of this podcast by going to JackKibs.com slash podcast. 7 00:00:35.040 --> 00:00:40.400 Today, if this podcast lifts you up and encourages you to live a more fulfilled 8 00:00:40.400 --> 00:00:45.240 life in Christ, then make sure you leave us one of those five star ratings. To us, 9 00:00:45.240 --> 00:00:50.840 that's like saying amen or yes, then that rating will encourage others to listen. 10 00:00:50.840 --> 00:00:56.920 Now open your hearts to what God's word has to say to you. Here is Jack Kibs. 11 00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:01.960 Well listen, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas first of all, but I'll tell you 12 00:01:01.960 --> 00:01:07.200 what, as we get into this program today, taking the opportunity to address really 13 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:12.480 the world. As all around the world, there are decorations that have gone up, there 14 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:16.640 are people that have gathered together. You know, it's quite interesting to find out 15 00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:23.560 to discover that of all the holidays in the world annually. There is one where 16 00:01:23.560 --> 00:01:32.000 more money is spent, where more family gatherings take place. Listen to this. In more countries, 17 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:39.440 than any other religious holiday in the entire world, including countries where Jesus, 18 00:01:39.440 --> 00:01:45.440 the Jesus of the Bible, the Jesus of Christmas is not exactly believed in. There's something 19 00:01:45.440 --> 00:01:50.320 about what we would call the spirit of Christmas. You know, it's interesting because there's 20 00:01:50.320 --> 00:01:56.840 a tendency for people to become more generous at Christmas time. I grew up in an era and 21 00:01:56.840 --> 00:02:02.360 at a time when companies gave Christmas bonuses. Do you remember that? Maybe that's still 22 00:02:02.360 --> 00:02:10.320 happening to you or for you or maybe you're one of the jolly givers of that Christmas bonus. 23 00:02:10.320 --> 00:02:17.480 What does this happen? And what's with the whole scene anyway about identifying one day 24 00:02:17.480 --> 00:02:25.080 to recognize a nativity scene? Because you'll see it in Egypt. You'll see it in Indonesia, 25 00:02:25.080 --> 00:02:32.000 South America. Nativity scenes in Brazil, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in Southern California, 26 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:39.960 where I'm at. You'll see nativity scenes all around the world. Why? The Bible is very clear 27 00:02:39.960 --> 00:02:47.800 as to why it is the ultimate important holiday that we should consider. And so in our time 28 00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:54.480 together this day, I want to take this moment to give you some things to think about at what 29 00:02:54.480 --> 00:03:00.400 we're calling Christmas. Now, first of all, let's set this out right now that technically 30 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:10.040 the birth of Jesus Christ, Christ mass, the gathering around Christ wasn't in some cathedral. 31 00:03:10.040 --> 00:03:17.440 It wasn't in some fancy church or some remarkable location with all of the architecture and 32 00:03:17.440 --> 00:03:24.560 all of the amazing setup and get up that we can imagine today. No, not at all. In fact, 33 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:30.480 frankly, it's very much the opposite. The fact of the matter is that the actual Christmas scene, 34 00:03:30.480 --> 00:03:38.440 as recorded in the Bible, didn't take place on December 25. It didn't happen at some grand 35 00:03:38.440 --> 00:03:46.200 polacious location. But it happened exactly how it was supposed to happen. You heard me 36 00:03:46.200 --> 00:03:53.120 right, that the coming of God into the world, that is what Christmas is all about. It's the 37 00:03:53.120 --> 00:04:00.360 advent of God into this world. And you've never heard that before. You need to hear it now. The 38 00:04:00.360 --> 00:04:06.200 reason why it is a holy day that people need to pay close attention to is because it's our 39 00:04:06.200 --> 00:04:13.440 opportunity to celebrate what might be the greatest revelation that man has ever known. Now, 40 00:04:13.600 --> 00:04:19.200 I hesitate for a moment because there's no doubt about it that the day that God, according to 41 00:04:19.200 --> 00:04:24.640 the Bible, took on human flesh and was born into this world. We call it Christmas. There's no 42 00:04:24.640 --> 00:04:32.560 doubt about it. It is absolutely great. I hesitate because I would argue with you today that that 43 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:40.080 day of his birth that we look to right now at the season spoke about a different season, a season 44 00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:47.680 that would come that the Bible says that Jesus Christ was born into the world because he had an 45 00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:59.360 appointment with the cross at Mount Calvary in Israel in Jerusalem that the baby born in Bethlehem 46 00:05:00.320 --> 00:05:05.840 was the Christ that would die in the cross on Resurrection Week or what is known as Easter. 47 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:12.400 I want you to think about this right now. It's not about the gifts. Those gifts, by the way, 48 00:05:12.400 --> 00:05:20.800 traditionally are all wrapped up in the token offering that a gift was given by God to us. And so the 49 00:05:20.800 --> 00:05:26.800 Christmas act of giving gifts is just us mimicking what God did for us. It's not about the gifts under 50 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:34.160 the tree. It's about the gift who went to the tree, the cross. But let's talk about that so that we 51 00:05:34.160 --> 00:05:39.520 might have a more meaningful Christmas. Number one, the Bible tells us, and I read right now, 52 00:05:39.520 --> 00:05:44.720 in Galatians chapter four, verse four, the Bible says, but when the fullness of time had come, 53 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:53.680 God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law. And I want to pause right there, 54 00:05:53.680 --> 00:06:00.480 that at just the right time, God sent forth his son. What does that mean? Did you know that the Jesus 55 00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:05.760 of the Bible, the Jesus of Christmas, the Messiah, Jesus Christ? Did you know that according to 56 00:06:05.760 --> 00:06:11.680 the Bible, the Old Testament prophets, that Jesus had to be born in Bethlehem? Did you know that? 57 00:06:12.880 --> 00:06:20.400 500 years written in the Hebrew Scriptures before Jesus Christ was born, Micah, the prophet, 58 00:06:20.400 --> 00:06:27.280 chapter five, verse two, announced that the Messiah of Israel, the Messiah of the world would be 59 00:06:27.280 --> 00:06:34.800 born into the world in Bethlehem. That's why you have a nativity scene. That's why there's a 60 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:45.120 donkey and a camel and a horse and a straw gathering scene, barn shaped setting as a nativity. 61 00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:51.680 Listen, the Messiah of God, according to the Bible, had to be born in Bethlehem. Question, was he 62 00:06:51.760 --> 00:06:58.000 born in Bethlehem? The next thing that we consider, the Bible tells us that when the fullness of time 63 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:06.480 had come, according to God, Jesus Christ was born at exactly the right time. Now, when we dig deep 64 00:07:06.480 --> 00:07:12.240 theologically, what are we talking about? When we get into the Bible, this is what we wind up 65 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:19.680 discovering. It doesn't mean that Jesus had to be born in December 25th. No, not at all. It doesn't 66 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:28.320 mean that Jesus was probably most accurately born in the early spring of that year, but that's 67 00:07:28.320 --> 00:07:35.600 not important either. Listen, what's not important is the fact that it was a certain year or 68 00:07:36.960 --> 00:07:44.880 at a certain particular time of politics or government or whatever it might be, not at all. Listen 69 00:07:44.960 --> 00:07:56.000 to this. The very first, can I say, Christmas announcement was made in Genesis chapter 3, verse 15. 70 00:07:56.000 --> 00:08:05.920 Let me explain. In Genesis 3, 15, Adam and Eve had just sinned. They took our humanity where we 71 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:16.400 came from. Our original mom and dad crashed humanity as they knew it, and all of these millennia 72 00:08:16.400 --> 00:08:22.960 later, it's you and I now, children of Adam and Eve, we have grown up in a culture that and in a 73 00:08:22.960 --> 00:08:30.720 world that is a world of sin. That's why there's war, line, cheating, stealing, violence, death. 74 00:08:31.440 --> 00:08:37.200 None of these things got invented. We invented those things. And the Bible says that we did that 75 00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:45.040 by disobeying God. And so God's answer to that disobedience that was first rooted in Adam and Eve, 76 00:08:45.840 --> 00:08:50.880 God announced in Genesis 3, 15, I'm going to do something about it. I'm paraphrasing. I'm going to 77 00:08:50.880 --> 00:08:58.720 do something about what you guys just did. I am going to send a Savior, a Messiah that's going to 78 00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:07.200 deliver you from this tyranny. In Genesis 3, 15, the Bible gives the answer that from a descendant of 79 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:15.840 Adam would come a woman and from her would come the Messiah. Genesis chapter 3, verse 15, one verse, 80 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:22.320 by the way, it's the first prophecy verse given in the Bible. The first prophetic verse of the 81 00:09:22.320 --> 00:09:28.960 Bible is about salvation. It's not about the end of the world and it's not about the rapture of 82 00:09:28.960 --> 00:09:34.320 the church or the second coming of Christ or this nation about to conquer the other nation. Those 83 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:40.320 things are important. They're in the Bible. But the most important prophecy of all is the Christmas 84 00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:45.680 prophecy of Genesis 3, 15. That Messiah would come through a woman. So I want to ask you this 85 00:09:45.680 --> 00:09:51.040 question. And right now we're thinking kind of cynically, right? Maybe we're home right now. We've 86 00:09:51.040 --> 00:09:56.640 got our shoulders back and we've got our arms crossed and we're saying, I don't believe in 87 00:09:56.640 --> 00:10:04.080 Christmas. Listen, I get it. I get where you're coming from, all the materialism and the commercialism. 88 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:10.400 Can I say God's not into that either. He's not into all this stuff that you and I have been 89 00:10:10.400 --> 00:10:19.600 buying and paying attention to. He's into this. Do you know who and why there's a Christmas? Who 90 00:10:19.600 --> 00:10:29.040 is Christmas? It's not Santa Claus. It's not you and me. And why is there a Christmas? What's 91 00:10:29.040 --> 00:10:35.280 that all about? Some very grumpy person somewhere might say, who invented this incredibly expensive 92 00:10:35.280 --> 00:10:44.160 ridiculous day? We did technically. God gave us the opportunity though to know the truth. 93 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:53.440 And the truth is this, that at the fullness of time, the word means at just the right time 94 00:10:53.440 --> 00:11:04.480 of human existence, God is announcing, I am going to send you the answer. So from Adam and Eve, 95 00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:10.960 all the way through the Old Testament, you think right now, you and I are living right now in 96 00:11:10.960 --> 00:11:18.160 this 21st century. So all of the Old Testament era, all of those thousands of years passed. 97 00:11:19.200 --> 00:11:26.080 And from the birth of Jesus, the thousands of years forward. Here we are now 2,000 years 98 00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:35.920 since the birth of Jesus. What are we to be doing? Why is Christmas important? Christ, Christ, 99 00:11:35.920 --> 00:11:44.640 Messiah, Mass, to gather or to look upon, to pay attention to? It's not a church service. 100 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:51.920 It's not a midnight Mass or it's not an early Sunday morning service. It's that from the days 101 00:11:51.920 --> 00:11:59.760 of Adam and Eve to the days when God culminates the end, we are to be looking to the key central 102 00:11:59.760 --> 00:12:07.360 moment of human history. And what is it? It is the birth of Jesus Christ into this world. 103 00:12:07.360 --> 00:12:12.400 We'll talk about the purpose in a moment and what it means to you. But the birth of Christ, 104 00:12:12.400 --> 00:12:20.000 listen to this, listen to this. You and I know that the world is older than 2,000 years. You know 105 00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:24.080 the world is older than that, don't you? And oh, by the way, all around the world, even though the 106 00:12:24.080 --> 00:12:30.080 world is older than that, why is it that every real legal document's got to be signed in the year 107 00:12:30.080 --> 00:12:37.440 of the coming of Jesus Christ? What happened back then 2,000 years ago that changed the course 108 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:47.840 where the world would go by that birthday to mark time? At just the right time, God gave or sent 109 00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:54.880 forth his son. The Bible says that God has a son. Did you know that? Now listen, I don't want 110 00:12:54.880 --> 00:13:01.680 to upset anybody. I'm not saying this to to deride or to speak disparaging to anyone. 111 00:13:03.040 --> 00:13:09.760 But my Jewish brothers and sisters, they tell me God doesn't have a son. God doesn't have a son. 112 00:13:09.760 --> 00:13:16.000 It's not possible. My Muslim friends tell me God doesn't have a son. In fact, all around the 113 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:24.000 dome of the rock mosque in Jerusalem is in Arabic, the declaration, God is not begotten, nor does God 114 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:31.920 have a son. Written all the way around the dome of the rock mosque. But the same will be stated 115 00:13:31.920 --> 00:13:39.200 by my Jewish friends. God doesn't have a son. That's a Christian concoction. And I want to 116 00:13:39.200 --> 00:13:46.960 announce to you, it is not. It is not because listen. The Old Testament says that God has a son. 117 00:13:46.960 --> 00:13:56.000 The Hebrew prophets announced that God has a son. For example, the Bible tells us that in Psalm 2 118 00:13:56.000 --> 00:14:01.840 of the Hebrew scriptures that we are to kiss the son of God less, he become angry with us. 119 00:14:02.480 --> 00:14:12.640 Interesting. The Bible tells us that in Proverbs 30 verse 4, that who is this, who holds the wind 120 00:14:12.640 --> 00:14:20.720 and the water and his hands and his fist and binds them up in the folds of the robe of his garment? 121 00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:28.000 He says, what is my name? And what is my son's name? If you can tell me, Proverbs 30 verse 4. 122 00:14:28.960 --> 00:14:37.440 David said in Psalm 22 that regarding God's son, that they would pierce his hands and his feet 123 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:43.280 at his crucifixion, David said that 1,000 years before Jesus Christ was born. 124 00:14:44.320 --> 00:14:49.760 Zechariah, the famous Hebrew prophet announced that the son of God, the Messiah of the world, would 125 00:14:49.760 --> 00:14:55.600 write into Jerusalem on the back of a little donkey that no one's ever ridden upon before. And we 126 00:14:55.600 --> 00:15:03.440 call that Palm Sunday because that's exactly what Jesus did. Oh, in Isaiah, chapter 7 verse 14, 127 00:15:04.400 --> 00:15:13.360 the great prophet Isaiah, 750 years before Jesus Christ was born, said that a virgin shall conceive. 128 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:18.480 The word implies in the Hebrew, a virgin will conceive and she will still be a virgin 129 00:15:19.120 --> 00:15:31.600 until she gives birth. A virgin will conceive and bring forth a son. Isaiah 9 chapter 6 tells us 130 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:42.000 that he will be God. Jesus Christ, according to the Old Testament, is God born into this world 131 00:15:42.640 --> 00:15:48.800 to fulfill all of the Old Testament scriptures. He came at exactly the right time that we call 132 00:15:48.800 --> 00:15:56.000 Christmas to go to the cross. You see, that's the real tree. That's the real gift. 133 00:15:57.600 --> 00:16:03.040 The New Testament often refers to the cross as a tree. It's not really a tree like you and I think 134 00:16:03.360 --> 00:16:14.240 of. It's a cross. That's how he received his crucifying wounds, the spear pierced in his side and 135 00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:21.520 the nails driven through his hands and his feet. The Bible says that God would go there in Isaiah chapter 53 136 00:16:21.520 --> 00:16:26.240 and that he would die for the iniquities, the sins of the world, the sins of you and I, 137 00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:32.000 our sins. Jesus did this. That's why it's a Merry Christmas, my friend. It's not about the gifts, 138 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:35.520 it's not about the economy, it's not about your wealth, it's not about your loss, 139 00:16:35.520 --> 00:16:42.320 it's not about the decorations, it's not about the season, it's about the moment that God sent 140 00:16:42.320 --> 00:16:48.960 his son into this world. He said that whosoever would believe in him would not perish but have 141 00:16:48.960 --> 00:16:57.200 everlasting life. And so the scripture says there in Galatians chapter 4 verse 4 that God sent forth 142 00:16:57.280 --> 00:17:04.560 his son born of a woman. Isn't that an amazing God sent his son born of a human being, a woman 143 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:14.400 born under the law. I love this. Jesus Christ was born under the tyranny and occupation of the 144 00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:21.760 Roman Empire over the land of Israel at that time. Jesus not only came at that time but he came 145 00:17:21.760 --> 00:17:31.200 at a time when so many traditions had taken precedence over the word of God that the Jewish people 146 00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:37.040 in Israel and for that matter around the world were paying more attention to what rabbis were saying 147 00:17:37.040 --> 00:17:46.640 instead of what their scriptures had already said. Keep your eye on Jerusalem, your king is coming 148 00:17:46.720 --> 00:17:54.800 the Bible said. Keep your eye on Bethlehem, the Messiah will be born there. Israel was told 149 00:17:56.400 --> 00:18:02.080 that the one who would come would be born under a scandalous rumor of a virgin birth. 150 00:18:03.360 --> 00:18:09.680 That's what the Bible says. And we have all of these things recorded in the New Testament exactly 151 00:18:09.760 --> 00:18:16.160 as the Old Testament promised them that they would be fulfilled. The answer was given in advance. 152 00:18:17.120 --> 00:18:22.800 It's an open book question or quiz, right? What's the answer to you finding forgiveness? 153 00:18:23.520 --> 00:18:29.040 What's the answer to you having your slate cleaned, your conscience cleared and you getting out 154 00:18:29.040 --> 00:18:36.640 of religion and into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? It's Christmas. It's you deciding 155 00:18:36.640 --> 00:18:42.800 to gather around Jesus yourself. You may be all alone no matter where you're watching this program. 156 00:18:42.800 --> 00:18:47.520 You could be somewhere in the world and you might say, Jack, I'm all alone. How can I gather 157 00:18:47.520 --> 00:18:53.120 around? There's nobody here with me. Hallelujah, my friend. You don't need anybody else because 158 00:18:53.120 --> 00:18:58.480 listen, no one's going to hold your hand into the kingdom of God. Nobody's going to hold your hand. 159 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:02.160 You're not going to go to heaven because your parents are going to go to heaven. You're not 160 00:19:02.160 --> 00:19:07.840 going to go there because your grandpa was a famous preacher or maybe your friends were very religious, 161 00:19:09.280 --> 00:19:17.600 highly respected tribal leaders in your country or your whole lineage is from some religious 162 00:19:18.560 --> 00:19:25.840 line of great preachers or great Baptist or Lutherans or Catholics or whatever. My friend, 163 00:19:25.840 --> 00:19:30.720 do you not realize that God cares nothing about those things? Zero. 164 00:19:31.920 --> 00:19:37.600 Zero. Jesus came born under the law. What does that mean? It means when Jesus by the time he makes 165 00:19:37.600 --> 00:19:45.520 it 33 years later to the cross by appointment, he fulfills all the demands of the law. Jesus was 166 00:19:45.520 --> 00:19:52.640 perfect. The Son of God fulfilled the demands of the law so that God is satisfied. The law is 167 00:19:52.640 --> 00:20:01.120 appeased. God receives a holy, holy, perfect human, but Jesus was not just a perfect human. He 168 00:20:01.120 --> 00:20:08.560 was God in human skin. And that's why he went to the cross. God died in our place on the cross. 169 00:20:08.560 --> 00:20:13.440 That's what Christmas is all about. Christmas shouts that he's going to go to the cross 170 00:20:14.560 --> 00:20:20.720 when he comes to the end of his ministry. The Bible announces this, but that's not all. The greatest 171 00:20:20.800 --> 00:20:26.240 joy about Christmas is actually what we celebrate at Easter. Resurrection week pass over. 172 00:20:26.880 --> 00:20:33.760 Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. He is alive. Jesus lives. This is not religion. It's a fact. 173 00:20:35.040 --> 00:20:41.600 And the question for you today is, do you know this? So let me ask you the question this way. Let 174 00:20:41.600 --> 00:20:47.760 me read to you the verse in closing this way. But when the fullness of time had come, 175 00:20:48.400 --> 00:20:56.080 are you ready to accept Christ? Is now the time for you? Are you finally ready to stop with religion 176 00:20:56.080 --> 00:21:02.560 and get a relationship with God that he sent forth his Son? Will you open up your heart and 177 00:21:02.560 --> 00:21:09.440 mind to consider the Son of God who takes away the sins of the world? And that he was born 178 00:21:09.440 --> 00:21:15.040 under the law that you can never be good enough. I can never be good enough. All of your morality 179 00:21:15.040 --> 00:21:21.760 in mind means nothing to God. Because Jesus Christ is perfect, your morality would have to be perfect. 180 00:21:21.760 --> 00:21:30.160 And it's not. Every single one of us, and I start with me, our sinners. And we need his saving 181 00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:38.480 grace. We need the free gift that comes from Jesus Christ. This is my friend. Maybe you're somewhere 182 00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:42.320 in the world and there's a Christmas tree in your living room or at the office, or I don't know 183 00:21:42.400 --> 00:21:49.360 where you're at. The best thing for you to do is take a running, flying leap and dive under that tree 184 00:21:50.400 --> 00:21:59.680 and say, Jesus, I'm giving you my life broken bruised pieces of my life. I give you my life. 185 00:22:00.320 --> 00:22:07.280 You can say that to him right now. Lord Jesus, receive me. I want to know and I want to live the 186 00:22:07.280 --> 00:22:14.400 reality of the true Christmas. I invite you, Lord, unpack my life. Take off the wrappings of my 187 00:22:14.400 --> 00:22:23.040 facade, of my insecurities and my sins. Lord, cleanse me of my sins. Put your Holy Spirit in me 188 00:22:23.040 --> 00:22:29.840 and make me a follower of yours. Well, if that's your prayer, God bless you, my friend and marry 189 00:22:29.840 --> 00:22:36.240 Christmas to you. I hope whatever you do at this Christmas season. You focus on Jesus, 190 00:22:36.240 --> 00:22:42.400 you let your friends and family know that it is all about him and use the fact of a tree and of 191 00:22:42.400 --> 00:22:49.920 gifts as really illustrations to point them to Jesus Christ. Listen, if you'd like to know more as 192 00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:57.200 usual, my friends, you can always find out more by going to jackibs.com. Always jackibs.com where you'll 193 00:22:57.200 --> 00:23:06.640 find out more about this Christmas Christ that saves in Jesus' name. Amen. So God bless you guys. 194 00:23:06.640 --> 00:23:16.560 Have a great Christmas. This jackibs podcast as well as all the broadcasts out reach opportunities 195 00:23:16.560 --> 00:23:21.280 are listed or supported. Will you consider partnering with us through a special gift? 196 00:23:21.280 --> 00:23:27.440 Go to jackibs.com to learn more and stay connected.