22-1226P_THE WRAPPED GIFT FOR US
Mat 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Mat 2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
Mat 2:3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Mat 2:4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
Mat 2:5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
Mat 2:6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
Mat 2:7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
Mat 2:8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
Mat 2:9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
Mat 2:10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
Mat 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Mat 2:12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
*AND THAT'S WHY HE IS GOD; HE CAN TAKE SOMETHING THAT'S NOTHING, AND MAKE
SOMETHING OUT OF IT.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
19 Thinking of Bethlehem, and why did it happen to be that it was chosen to be the birthplace of the King of kings? And, you know, Bethlehem is a small place, very small town. I've often wondered why God didn't choose a more religious place for it, for this great event, such as Shiloh. Shiloh was the first place the tent--the ark was set after it crossed Jordan. Or Gilgal, another great religious city; or Zion, on the mountain, another great religious city; or even the proud capital of Jerusalem, with all of its sages and saints through the age. Why didn't God choose Jerusalem?
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
20 Why would He choose Bethlehem? Maybe it looked like He might've
chose some place, one of the great cities of refuge, that would've protected
His Son in case that some trouble come up. The refuge places like Ramoth-gilead,
that was a great refuge that was built, for the people could run into these
towers. Kadesh
was another great city of refuge; Hebron, another great city
of refuge.
Why God picked on little Bethlehem, and then did not choose
these greater cities...?... They had greater names, and more of a spiritual
background.
But, you know, God has a way of doing things, just His Own way about things. I'm so glad He does. See? Sometimes He takes things that doesn't have a spiritual background, or doesn't have any background at all. And that's why He is God; He can take something that's nothing, and make something out of it. And then that's what makes Him God. That's what makes us love Him. That's what makes us poor people appreciate Him, because that even though we, poor, with no background, yet God can do great things with us if He ever gets us under His control.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
23 Joshua, of course, was the one who taken the children of Israel over and divided up the ground. And this tribe of Judah was given this portion where Bethlehem is, which is in the upper northern corner of the province of Judah, a little strip that kind of runs out like a little peninsula. And in this place, this province, this great province, it's the northern wheat country, where the wheat belt was, where they raised lots of wheat and barley.
*NO MATTER WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO PEOPLE,
JUST AS LONG AS GOD CHOSE IT.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
24 And one of Caleb's sons established and
founded this city. Salmon was his name, he was one of Caleb's sons. If you want
to look that up, I'm skipping over a lot of these Scriptures, but I see some of
the brethren are putting them down. In I Chronicles 2, 15, also you find it in
Matthew 1:5, and where they--he established and founded this great city, which
was a small city. But it's great because of the great things that happened at
this city.
As I've always said, it isn't the great church; it's the
great God in the church. It isn't the great, holy mountain; it's the great Holy
Spirit that was on the mountain. It isn't the holy man; it's the Holy Ghost in
the man.
See, that's the way this city was. It was small in stature, and more in the valley, and it wasn't too much to look upon; it's population was small, and is yet today. But it was because God chose it to do something. That's what I like: something that God chooses. No matter what it looks like to people, just as long as God chose it.
WHICH MADE JESUS ALSO
PART GENTILE, EARTHLY SPEAKING.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
29 Now, you see, this harlot was a Gentile, and she was an ancient grandmother to our Lord Jesus. And also when--when Boaz, her grandson, come forth and married Ruth the Moabite, he also married into a Gentile. Which made Jesus also part Gentile, earthly speaking. Then when they brought their child forth, his name was Obed. And Obed had a son, and his name was Jesse. And Jesse had a son whose name was David. All this taken place in little Bethlehem. What is it? The lineage of the Lord Jesus, His background that the great spiritual men were overlooking, or the so-called spiritual men.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
30 And it was on this same grounds that Samuel the prophet anointed David to be king over Israel, right here at Bethlehem. And through David came forth the great Son, "Thou Son of David," the Son that was borned in a little stable manger over by the side of the hill, on the west side of the city. It was there on that hill where the Angels of God sang their first Noel.
THE WORD
"BETHLEHEM…"B-E-T-H" MEANS "HOUSE." "E-L"
MEANS "GOD." "E-L-H-A-M" MEANS "BREAD.":
"THE HOUSE OF GOD'S BREAD."
The word "Bethlehem," let's break it down. "B-e-t-h" means "house." "E-l" means "God." "E-l-h-a-m" means "bread.": "the house of God's Bread." How fitting it was then for the Bread of Life to come out of Bethlehem, "House of God's Bread." Oh, it's a beautiful story.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
32 It must've been just a little after dark, and the sun had gone down. The stars probably had been out, and the light was about two hours gone as the little donkey was placing his little, tired feet up along the backside of the hill west of Bethlehem, as he watched where he placed his little hoofs, because his cargo was precious. And Joseph was leading him gently along, as the little trio started up the hill, or been traveling all day long, coming from down to Nazareth. And she was expecting to be mother at any time, way past due, maybe.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
33 But all things are foreordained of God, that works together for good to them that love Him. It was ordained of God that there should be a heartless king in that day, the bloodthirsty Herod. God knew about that. God knew about the taxes, and how this brutal government did not have no thoughts of the mercy on that poor mother that was just about to be ready to deliver her firstborn Son just in a few days. But he commanded that they all should come to their native birthplace and pay taxes, "No matter what condition she's in, she's got to come, anyhow." God knew all about that. He foreknew all things. And He--He knows all things (See?) and He makes everything work together for good.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
34 The little trio was making no fuss about it, as they come up the hill. Finally, after much groaning, the little donkey... I can see them as they'd stop at the top of the hill, where they come up from the west side, from Nazareth, coming over. And after they topped the hill, to look down into the valley where little Bethlehem laid... Many torches was burning. Many people had gathered from all over Galilee to come into their birthplace there at Bethlehem, and through the province to be taxed of the Roman government. No matter what conditions, they'd stroll along the road, the sick and the needy, and the bedridden, the leper, the cancered, the--the--the--the poor, the lame, the halt, the blind. All had to come, because it was a government order. And Herod was behind it, and it must be done.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
35 And as our little party stops at the top of the hill, there must've been a large rock laying there. And I can see Joseph pick her up tenderly in his arms, and help her off the little mule, and--and set her up on the side of the rock. And the little mule sighed for his breath. And as Joseph then walked a few steps forward, looked down into little Bethlehem, and seen the streets crowded, and the roaring, the torches a-burning in the streets, and the yells of the people, and they was laying in the yards and in the courts, and all outside the city gates. Must've been some sight.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
36 Joseph must've said something like this, "Mary, dear, just think, just beyond the city on the north side, that's where Ruth the Moabite gleaned yonder in the fields of Boaz. Yonder, just beyond that, up over the mountain yonder, is where David with his slingshot took the lion to the ground, and pulled the sheep from his mouth. Must've been there, that where Joshua stood here with his gleaming sword, the fearless warrior of our people, and divided the lands, and give this inheritance to the tribe of Judah, to which we are--we are lineage to." And, at different things, of how that he must've been explaining to her what taken place.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
37 And then to hear no sound from behind him,
he must've turned to look, to see if she was still setting on the rock. And
when he turned, and he seen her pretty face turned towards the skies, he didn't
have to ask any more, because the reflection of the Star was looking back
through her eyes. He knew she was looking at something.
And she looked at him, and said, "Joseph, have you
noticed the Star hanging yonder?"
And when he looked in a surprise, say, "I hadn't noticed
It before, dear."
"Well, it's been following us ever since the sun went
down. I've watched it. It must mean something, because I have the most
wonderful feeling."
You know, God does things like that sometimes for His people, shows us a Light, or some way that we can know that He's near and He's on the scene. And no matter what the world has to say or do, He's still there, and everything will be all right. He just witnesses it back by the Holy Spirit, that we can feel It.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
42 And Joseph might've said something like this. "Mary, you know what? I've never been so happy in all my life when I've been drove around by the Roman government; but yet I have never been so happy as I am right now, and I don't know why. It seems like there's a sacredness over the little city tonight, where we roamed when we were boys and girls, back in our teenage and school age."
***THE GREATEST THING WAS EVER WRAPPED IN
HUMAN FLESH WAS WRAPPED IN IT
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
43 Way into the East, and many
hundreds of miles away from there, the Magi was already on their road. They'd
seen His Star, and was coming to worship God's little Gift Package that He was sending
to the world.
Just a little while
from then, and the world was going to receive its greatest Gift that it ever
received, a little Package wrapped up, a little, first little Christmas Package that was
ever wrapped in all the world, God wrapped It up.
I want to break in on my thought, and say this. The greatest thing was ever wrapped in human flesh was wrapped in It, God Himself wrapped His Ownself in a Christmas Package and sent it to the world.
***THAT'S THE REASON
IT'S REJECTED YET TONIGHT
Why did they refuse
It? Why couldn't they see It? Why did they turn It down? Why is it they didn't
want It? The
same reason they don't want It tonight. It wasn't handed to them in the custom
that they were used to gifts being handed. That's the reason It's rejected yet
tonight, is because It's not handed to the people in
the custom that they have been used to receiving gifts.
But God wrapped His Own Package. He's got a right to do it; He's the One that's a-giving It. He has a right to wrap It any way He wants to wrap It. Doesn't make any difference how it is, He's got a right to do it, because He's the One that's giving the--the Gift.
ANOTHER THING, THE
REASON OF IT WAS…
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
47 Another thing, the reason of it
was, as it was then, so as it wasn't customary for them to receive It the way
It was wrapped.
They was expecting something, a gift
coming, that would come down on chariots, with a Angel escort driving fiery
horses. But when It come as a little Baby being born in a manger, little did
they ever know the Scripture said, "I'll give this world a super
sign."
They asked for a sign one day. He said, "I'll give it to you. It will be the super sign. It'll be a sign that'll last through all ages. A virgin shall conceive and shall bear a Child, a Son, and they shall call His Name Emmanuel. That's the super sign. That's the Gift that I'm going to give." But It didn't come the way they was expecting It, and they turned It down.
GOD'S GIFT HASN'T COME
THE WAY PEOPLE WANTED IT TO COME, AND SO THEY'VE TURNED IT DOWN.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_
JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_
60-1225
49 So is it tonight, my brother. God's Gift hasn't come the way people wanted It to come, and so they've turned It down. They don't want It. They want It wrapped in the kind of a goods that they want to wrap It in. They want the tinsel on It. They want something flowerly, something that's perfumed, something that's glittering, something that's classic. But God don't send It all the time like that. He sends It in the power, the way He wants to send It.
ANOTHER THING, IT WAS
BROUGHT BY THE POOR.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
50 Another thing, It was brought by
the poor. Mary
and Martha, or Martha, rather, or... Mary and Joseph was very poor people. They
were peasants. And because It was brought by the poor, they didn't want It.
So is it today. When this great Gift of the Church, the Holy Spirit, falls upon the poor and humble, the rich don't want It. They don't want to humble themselves. They want It with class, but they don't want It the way God sends It. Many people wants to receive the Holy Ghost, but--but they want to get It the way they want It. But, oh, I'm so glad that you can't do it that way. You have to do it the way God sends It to you, and humble ourselves to receive It.
Isa 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
Isa 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
Isa 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
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