The Facts Surrounding Jesus' Birth & Early Years

Tom Shrader walks through the nativity accounts in Matthew 1–2 and Luke 2, correcting common misconceptions about the Christmas story and showing how these events fulfill Old Testament prophecy. He emphasizes three foundational truths: the virgin birth is essential to a sinless Savior, Jesus was born with the specific purpose of saving His people from their sins, and the gifts of the magi foreshadowed His roles as King, High Priest, and suffering Savior. The teaching closes with a call to obedience drawn from Luke 2:51–52, connecting Jesus' growth in wisdom and favor with God to the pattern of faithful, obedient living available to every believer.

“If Jesus is not born of a virgin, then Jesus has a sin nature just like you and me, and if there's no virgin birth, then there's no perfect sacrificial death.”

— Tom Shrader

Series: A Study Of The Life Of Jesus Christ (2003/2004)

Recorded: 2004 at East Valley Bible Church

Duration: 46 min

Themes: christmas, birth of jesus, nativity, virgin birth, obedience, prophecy, worship, savior, new believer, parent, curious seeker, longtime churchgoer, children's teacher, questioning faith, young adult, person raised in church

Scripture: Matthew 1:20-23, Matthew 2:1-18, Luke 2:1-20, Luke 2:41-52, Luke 2:9-10, Luke 2:14, Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2, Hosea 11:1, Jeremiah 31:15, Romans 10:9, Philippians 4:18, John 10:10, Luke 4:18, Matthew 20:28

Theological Themes: incarnation, virgin birth, messianic prophecy, old testament fulfillment, sinlessness of christ, atonement, christology, typology

Full Transcript

Introduction: Why Cover the Christmas Story in One Message

Today I want to talk about the facts surrounding Jesus' birth and early years. I am going to give you two passages of scripture to open to and keep a finger in, and we are going to cover almost 70 verses. That is not really our style, but I think it does the material justice. I found myself so bogged down in detailed study that I began wondering about the value of staying there week after week. I think we can glean so much from this passage while also leaving a reasonable burden on you to do a little study yourself — it will not hurt you to read this.

This is what we might call the Christmas story, especially the story of the birth of Jesus. What I have discovered over the years is that we are very familiar with this story. Many of you, most of you, almost all of you could tell me the story. If you have been around church, you have heard it ever since you arrived, and little kids hear it every year, so you have heard it for a long time.

What I have also observed is that over the years we have individually added things to the story. There are things we have come to associate as being true, things we would assume came from Scripture, that did not come from Scripture at all. So I thought it would be interesting to give you a little test — we will not collect these or anything — entitled: *So You Think You Know the Christmas Story.*

The Christmas Story Quiz

Here is the first question. Who saw the star in the east? The shepherds, Mary and Joseph, the three kings, the shepherds and the three kings, or none of the above? For the sake of your own personal dignity, I would not shout out any answers. The answer is E — none of the above. There were no three kings. These were wise men, not kings. That is painful, because growing up, "We Three Kings of Orient Are" was like my favorite song.

Here is the second question. How many angels spoke to the shepherds? One, three, a multitude, or none of the above? The answer is one. Luke 2:9–10 says one angel spoke.

The next question: when the angels shouted, what did they shout? Was it "Joy to the World, the Lord Has Come," "Hallelujah," "Unto Us a Child Is Born, and to Us a Son Is Given," "Glory to God in the Highest," "Glory to the Newborn King," or "My Sweet Lord"? The answer is D.

Peace on Earth — and to Whom It Applies

I want to pause here because this is an important point you can tuck away and use to dazzle your friends at parties around Christmastime. In the New American Standard, Luke 2:14 reads: *"Suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace among men.'"* That is typically where we see a period on a Christmas card — but that is not where the verse ends. It continues: *"with whom He is pleased."*

This extension of peace is not to every person who has ever lived or is now living. It is to those with whom He is pleased. Who is He pleased with? Without faith it is impossible to please God, so He is pleased with those who have faith — in our context, those who understand Jesus Christ and who He is as Lord and Savior.

The only place you are going to find real, lasting, permanent peace in this world is in a personal relationship with Christ. The world keeps saying you can find peace by getting this, buying this, or some other means, and you may find relief for a moment. But you are not going to find everlasting peace, and you are not going to find permanent peace. It is only with those with whom He is pleased.

How Many Wise Men Were There?

Here is the next question. How many wise men came to see Jesus? We have established they were not kings — they were magi, wise men. How many came? The answer is: we have no idea. All Scripture says is that magi came from the east. We have typically said there were three, and about the only reason we say that is because there were three gifts, so we assume each man came with one. But we do not know that. Scripture does not say that. This is how we add things to the story.

Here is a significant one. When the wise men came to see Jesus and presented their gifts, did they find Him in a manger, a stable, a house, or a Holiday Inn? They found Jesus in a house. That is important, because it opens up something most of us never really considered. By the point the magi arrive on the scene, Jesus is somewhere between a year and a half and two years old.

So that nativity scene with kings present at the manger in the stable — we have problems there on multiple counts. Not only were they not kings, they were not there at the birth at all. It has simply been depicted that way so consistently that we have absorbed it as fact without examining what Scripture actually says.

Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy

These events are the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Matthew 1:21 states, "Now all this took place that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled." Matthew is writing to the Jew, to talk about the coming Messiah. He quotes Old Testament scripture more than any other gospel writer — more than all of them combined, as a matter of fact. He uses the phrase of fulfillment twelve times throughout his gospel.

Consider just a few examples. Isaiah 7:14 declares, "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin will be with child, bear a son, you will call His name Immanuel." Matthew 1:23 echoes this: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, bear a son, you will call Him Immanuel, which translated means God with us." We see this same pattern of fulfillment in Micah 5 paired with Matthew 2:6, in Hosea 11:1 paired with Matthew 2:15, and in Jeremiah 31:15 paired with Matthew 2:18.

Depending on the scholar, somewhere between 60 and 70 Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled in the birth and early life of Christ. What does that tell us? It tells us that Jesus is the Messiah. It tells us that the scriptures are reliable, that God has a plan, and that His plan will not be derailed. Though He may have made a promise eight or nine hundred years before, and we might wonder whether He will ever fulfill it, God's promises never fail.

Jesus Was Born of a Virgin

The second thing to note is that Jesus was born of a virgin. Turn to Matthew chapter one, verse 20. Joseph has discovered that Mary is pregnant. He has not been with her, and he intends to separate from her. The angel appears and says, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." Matthew then adds, "Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which translated means, 'God with us.'"

Joseph woke from his sleep and did exactly what the angel commanded. He took Mary as his wife, kept her a virgin until Jesus was born, and called His name Jesus. There are two points worth drawing from this passage. The first is something of a side point, and it is perhaps more a reaction shaped by my own background. I come from a Catholic background, so I always take note when we arrive at passages that are in direct contradiction to Catholic teaching.

One such teaching is that Mary was forever a virgin. The Catholic Church holds this position, but it simply is not biblical. What scripture shows us is that Joseph and Mary did not come together physically until after Jesus was born. And as we continue in scripture, we are introduced to others in the family — which makes clear that their relationship as husband and wife did continue after the birth of Christ.

The Virgin Birth Is Essential

Jesus' father is not Joseph. Joseph is Jesus' stepfather — he is not the physical father of Jesus. The father of Jesus is the Holy Spirit. Jesus is born of a virgin, and that is absolutely critical. It is essential.

If Jesus is not born of a virgin, then Jesus has a sin nature just like you and me, and this is not hyperbole. If Jesus is not born of a virgin, then there is no perfect sacrificial death. This is a hill we die on. When you encounter liberal theologians or liberal church people saying the virgin birth doesn't matter, remember that the sister argument to that — one we will face coming into the Easter season — is that Jesus didn't really rise from the dead and that it doesn't matter, that it's just a story to symbolize things coming back to life.

Paul says in Romans chapter 10, "If we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, we'll be saved." In other words, if we don't believe that, we will not be saved. So if you are sitting talking to a friend who is wearing a cross, carrying a Bible, and saying they are a Christian, but they don't believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus, they are no more a Christian for it. The virgin birth is essential to our faith.

Jesus Was Born for a Specific Purpose

Here is the third thing: Jesus was born for a specific purpose. Remember what the angel said to Joseph? "Mary will bear a son, he'll call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." That is His purpose. That is why He was born.

I am getting ready to go to Tucson for Good Friday to speak at the prayer breakfast there. What they do is invite unbelievers in — they ask you to bring an unbelieving friend — and I'm told there will be four or five hundred unbelievers present. That is a great opportunity, and we are excited about it.

One of the things I need to have done is look up some simple research from accepted secular authorities that speak about Jesus' life and death — sources like Encyclopedia Britannica, which is universally accepted. I don't know many people who say Jesus never lived. What people miss is not that He died, but why He died. That He died is not earth-shattering news.

The Reliability of Scripture Under Attack

I have been talking a great deal about the Mel Gibson film. In fact, this morning I found a copy of a Newsweek article about it just before heading over to church — I apologize for the print quality. The article is running six pages and discusses how what Mel Gibson essentially did was go to the four Gospels and draw from them the story of the last twelve hours of Jesus' life. There is a paragraph in the article that will help you understand what you are up against.

After walking through what happened according to the Gospels, they write this: "But the Bible can be a problematic source. Though countless believers take it as the immutable word of God, Scripture is not always a faithful record of historical events." I will stop there — they do not give you a single example to support that statement. They simply throw it out. And then some person will repeat it to another person, and pretty soon a great many people believe it, without one fact being offered. Give me an example. There aren't any.

The article continues: "The Bible is a product of human authors who are writing in particular times and places with particular points to make and visions to advance." What they are saying is that this is not a reliable source. And this is the same argument happening within the church. The only way you can ordain openly gay bishops, for example, is to discard what Scripture says about it. So they won't walk into a church and say, "Throw the Bible out." Instead they will say, "The Bible contains truth, but it is not truth." And there is a serious problem with that. If the Bible only contains truth, then I have no truth detector — none of us do. The Bible is the Word of God.

The last paragraph of the article reads: "The arrest, the scourging, the crucifixion are depicted in harsh, explicit detail in the R-rated movie. One of Jesus' eyes is swollen shut from his first beating as he is dragged from Gethsemane. The Roman torture, the long path to Golgotha, bearing the wooden cross, and the nailing of Jesus' hands and feet to the beams are filmed unsparingly. The effect of the violence—"

The Passion of the Christ and Why Jesus Died

The reviews describe the film as at first shocking, then numbing, and finally reaching a point where many viewers may spend as much time clinically wondering how any man could have survived such beatings as they do sympathizing with his plight. It is going to be a brutal movie. What this movie will lack, however, is any explanation of why He died.

I ordered 3,000 copies of a book that John Piper has written giving us fifty reasons why Jesus died — not to sell them, but to give them to you. The understanding is that you will take them and use them with your friends who go to see this movie and have no idea why Jesus died. We are putting together a special website, cards, and other resources you can use as you talk to people about the film.

Mel Gibson was on television recently, and a week from tomorrow night he will be on with Diane Sawyer for about half an hour talking about this movie. People are going to be talking about it — who killed Jesus? I do not have an anti-Semitic bone in my body, and it never even occurs to me to frame it that way. Was it the Jews? The Romans? Ultimately He died for my sins, so in a sense I killed Him. Do not get sidetracked by that question, my friend, because you will miss the whole point.

The point is that He died an agonizing death. And the most agonizing part of that death is not what Mel Gibson is going to show you, though it is important to see. My sense is that you will come away understanding how much God hates sin. What you see in that violence is God's judgment of sin — all the sin of all the people who would ever believe, thrust onto Christ at that moment.

What the Cross Actually Accomplished

This is a very important distinctive of East Valley Bible Church: when Christ died on the cross, He did not make salvation possible — He secured salvation. He paid the price. He died for the specific sins of specific people. That is why, when you stand before God, you will not be judged for your sin, because it has already been judged and already been paid for. What you see coming upon Christ in those hours is the very judgment that you and I deserve.

For us as believers, this should deepen our love and our understanding of Him — who He is, what He has done — and give us a great opportunity to talk to the people around us. This is a real and meaningful moment to engage the world with the gospel.

The Magi and Their Gifts

This new family — Mary, Jesus, and Joseph — had visitors from the east. I want to invite you to look at the beginning of Matthew chapter two. These magi come from the east and visit Herod, wanting to know where Jesus is. Herod is troubled by this, not wanting any rival kings walking around. So in verse seven of chapter two, he calls the magi together secretly, determines from them the exact time the star appeared, and sends them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search carefully for the child, and when you have found him, come back and tell me, so that I may go and worship him too."

What is significant about these visitors may partly be what is left out. We do not know their names, how many there were, how they traveled, or precisely where they came from. We simply know that they came. And what may be especially significant — understanding that Matthew is writing to a Jewish audience — is that Matthew makes the point from the very beginning of the life of Christ that Gentiles come to worship Jesus, and that Jesus died for all types of people in all places.

They came bearing three gifts. Gold is the metal of kings. Seneca, the distinguished Roman orator and writer, noted that it was the custom in Persia to bring the king a gift of gold. So they come bearing gold — and I had never thought about this until my study preparation, but what did they actually do with it? Start a college fund? One author suggested it was God's way of providing the financial resources the family would need for their trip to Egypt. Perhaps — but the scripture does not say, so we cannot say for certain. It is certainly interesting to think about.

They also brought frankincense, the incense that was burned in temple worship — a sweet, fragrant aroma. Whether it was intentional or not, what the gift signified is that Jesus is the High Priest. Paul says in Philippians 4:18 that our sacrifices and our works are "a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice to God."

Then there is the last gift, and it is a strange one for a child: myrrh — embalming fluid. It is an unusual thing to give a newborn, but it makes perfect sense prophetically, because it points to Jesus' death. Myrrh was used in the burial process. Remember that when Nicodemus took Jesus' body, it was wrapped with one hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes. William Barclay summarizes this beautifully: gold for the king, frankincense for a priest, myrrh for the one who was to die. These were the gifts of the wise men, and even at the cradle of Christ, they foretold that He was to be the true King, the perfect High Priest, and in the end, the supreme

Herod's Plot Against Jesus

Herod sets out to kill Jesus. He doesn't know who Jesus is, so he puts a plan in place. An angel appears to Joseph and Mary, and they flee to Egypt. That is what we learn in verses 13 through 15. The angel comes and tells them of this plan, and away they go. Yet one more time, we see God protect His plan.

We also get an insight here into how evil Herod is. Herod understands this is the anointed one, and still his design is to kill Him. Ultimately, that is what happens — not that he kills Jesus, but Herod slaughters these babies. Matthew 2:16 tells us that when Herod discovers he has been tricked, he becomes furious and issues his order.

He orders that all the males in Bethlehem and the surrounding area, two years of age and under, be killed. We don't know specific numbers — the size of Bethlehem was somewhere between 300 and 1,000 people, so probably several dozen boys were killed. As for why two years and under, Herod took the time from the magi regarding the star, did some calculation, and figured Jesus should have been somewhere between a year and a half and two years old. To be sure, he simply ordered the death of all of them two years of age and under.

This gives us just a glimpse of how evil this man is. At the end of his life, he seemed to grow more and more ruthless. He killed his favorite wife, he killed two of his sons, and finally in the last year of his life he killed another son who was vying for the throne. Herod was a man of breathtaking cruelty.

Jesus at the Temple: The Journey to Jerusalem

Turning now to Luke's Gospel, we will spend the rest of our time in Luke 2:41–52. The story fast-forwards about ten years. Verse 41 tells us that His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of Passover. Under Jewish law, this journey was absolutely required of the men, though it was not obligatory for the women. Yet Mary makes this trip every year, and that repeated faithfulness gives us a glimpse of her piety and religious devotion.

Jesus is now twelve years old, and they went up according to the custom, as verse 42 describes. A male was mandated to go to Jerusalem for Passover from age thirteen onward. At thirteen, Jewish men would experience something called the Son of the Commandment — an initiation into full membership in the synagogue, similar to a modern-day bar mitzvah. The tradition in the years prior to that, however, was to begin bringing the boys along, and so Jesus is with them on this journey.

After spending the full number of days in Jerusalem, the family begins to return — but Jesus stays behind, and His parents are unaware of it. They assume He is somewhere in the caravan. They are traveling in a band from Jerusalem back toward home, a group gathered together for safety, likely people who knew each other well, probably relatives of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

Why Didn't They Notice?

It is striking that Mary and Joseph, who understood this was the Son of God, seem to have been playing things rather loosely here. They leave without even checking on Him. Why would that be? A couple of reasons come to mind. First, Jesus had never been a problem child. He is always perfect, so they naturally figured He would be fine. Second, they knew everyone in the group and simply assumed He was traveling with friends or relatives — a fair assumption, even if it looks a little negligent in hindsight.

Now consider the other side of this. Was Jesus being disobedient? That cannot be, because we know Jesus did not sin. So something else is going on, and hopefully the passage will make that clear.

A full day passes before Joseph and Mary begin asking around — have you seen Him? No. No. They search and do not find Him, so they turn back to Jerusalem. A day out, a day back: by the time they find Him, it is the third day.

Found in His Father's House

They find Him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. All who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. When His parents saw Him, they were astonished, and His mother said, "Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I have been anxiously looking for you."

Mary is frustrated — possibly a little angry, perhaps even at herself. And He answers her: "Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father's house?" That response sounds familiar to us, almost ordinary. Of course He would be there — He is the Son of God. Where else would you look?

But notice the reaction recorded in verse 50: they did not understand the statement. It made no sense to them. One author helps us grasp why this was such radical dialogue. In all 39 books of the Old Testament, God is referred to as father only 14 times, and always in relation to the nation — never in relation to an individual. Then Jesus comes along and addresses God as His own Father, stepping into an entirely new realm of relationship.

Growing in Wisdom and Stature

Now look at verse 52. Jesus keeps growing and increasing in wisdom and stature. Jesus is growing. This is not easy to fully get our arms around. Jesus is fully God and fully man. He created the world, and yet when He came to earth, someone had to teach Him that two plus two equals four. He is genuinely growing in understanding.

Jesus' Understanding of His Identity

Somewhere along the way, by age 12, Jesus understood who He is. He is saying that He and God the Father are one — that is what He is expressing, and that is how He articulates it later in His life. This is radical. No one has ever claimed anything like this.

Obedience and Growth

In verse 51, He goes with them to Nazareth and lives in subjection to them. He lives in obedience to them. He is a son who is faithful to his parents.

I don't know if this is entirely fair to the text, but I think there may be a connection between verses 51 and 52: He is living in obedience, and as He lives in obedience, He grows in wisdom and stature and favor with God and favor with man. I can guarantee you that in your life you will grow in wisdom and favor with God and favor with man as you live obediently before Him. That is your call.

There are a great many of you in this room right now, and most of you I don't know at all — but I can tell you what God wants from you. He wants one thing from you. There is only one thing God is looking for from you: obedience. He wants you to obey Him, and as you obey Him, something extraordinary happens.

The more you obey Him, the more you begin to know Him. The more you begin to know Him, the more you begin to love Him. The more you begin to love Him, the more you want to obey Him. And without any grand plan, you are growing in favor before God and favor before men. That is Jesus' life, and that takes us to essentially age 30.

Three Practical Lessons from His Birth and Life

There is a great deal we can learn from this — certainly we learn the faithfulness of God and the sovereignty of God — but let me give you three practical things. From His birth, His perfect life, His sacrificial death, and His bodily resurrection, Jesus brings meaning and purpose to our lives.

That is what the great thinkers throughout all of history have been wrestling with. Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? What is the meaning? What is the purpose? What is it all about? About three albums ago, Jimmy Buffett — and I enjoy a lot of his music; he certainly does a great job analyzing the issues of life, though I am not sure I would agree with his solutions — wrote this on the inside jacket of *Banana Wind*: "Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? Are questions that have yet to be answered."

Well, that is not true. Those are questions, to be sure — questions that have been asked through the ages — but they have been answered. Who am I? I am a sinner. Why am I here? To know and glorify God. Where am I going? I will spend eternity in heaven. I now have purpose and meaning in my life.

Jesus said it this way in John 10:10: "I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly." When we think about the Christian faith, we have a tendency to think in terms of heaven and paradise and eternity. That is good and fine — you need to think about that — but eternity and eternal life begin today.

If all Jesus wanted to do was get you to heaven, He would have saved you and taken you there immediately. If God's grand plan for your life were simply to get you to heaven, then at the point of conversion He would have taken you there. But He left you here, and you have the ability to understand life as it really is. That is why, as you draw closer to Him, you can look at the world and see what a confused place we live in — how messed up we are, how ethics and values are all upside down.

I am baffled by the man who breaks into my house and steals. I am baffled and frustrated by these Halliburton executives — everyone in the world is watching them, and they are stealing on top of it. They admit it; they acknowledge they have been caught. You would think that at some point enough would be enough. But that is the game: see how much money you can get, see how many degrees you can earn, see how far you can climb. Those pursuits are not all wrong in themselves — it is fine to make money, it is fine to pursue an education — but is that where you are going to find life? Abundant life? Real life?

I listened to a man on tape recently who said that even if there were no heaven, no promise of eternal life, no life after death, there is still no other life he would rather live than the Christian life — because he has peace in the midst of turmoil, fulfillment, happiness, and joy.

Healing and Freedom

Here is the second thing that His birth, His life, His death, and His resurrection give you: they heal your broken heart and secure your release. Luke 4:18: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and the recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who were downtrodden."

You are free. Here is what I have learned over the years, especially among people who were not genuinely converted as children: as you live life, you do a lot of really bad, really stupid, and really sinful things, and they hold you captive. Sin works this way — even when you commit it and even if you appear to get away with it, it holds you. There is guilt. You feel the weight of it and you do not know what to do with it. So you go to a counselor, you pay him $150 an hour, and he says, "Uh-huh... mm-hmm..."

The Meaning Christ's Birth Brings to Life

Where do I go to get rid of this stuff? I want relief. I don't want some guy to say, "Just imagine." What kind of an answer is that? What do I do with this guilt? Where do I find relief? I'm stuck. I'm a captive of this bondage to guilt and sin. Christ is the answer.

I left Friday to do a men's retreat, and my deal with them was: I'll come, but I'm not going to miss a Sunday. This is home. These are the people I care about, this is where I want to be, these are the people I love. I'll come and do your thing, but I'll be back here Sunday. So I agreed to do three sessions and took Chris Mueller along — Mueller is still up in Prescott finishing things up.

After one of the sessions, a man came up to me. I don't know exactly how to put it, but he just looked like he'd had a hard life. He looked tough. He said, "I've been sober for four months. I was strung out on drugs and everything. I lost my wife, lost my kids, then lost my girlfriend, lost the kids through her, lost all my money. I've got nothing — not one thing. I've lost everything. And this is the happiest I've ever been in my life, because Jesus saved me four months ago." Isn't that great? That's what it means to find real life — free from all of that, and free from all of that guilt.

I also met a man up there who had gotten out of prison on the west side the day before a hostage-taking. He said, "I sinned, I got converted, and every night while I was in prison I fell asleep listening to Larry Wright tapes. God was so good in there, in the midst of that cell. I didn't want to be there, but I had great freedom in the midst of that cell because of who I was in Christ." So the birth, the life, the death, and the resurrection of Christ bring meaning to life and heal the broken heart.

Saved From Sin: What the Cross Actually Accomplished

Most importantly, Christ saves you from your sin. Matthew 20:28 says, "The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve." When Jesus cried out, "It is finished," He meant the payment for your sin is done.

We do not believe that Jesus' death on the cross made salvation theoretically possible. We don't think Jesus died and said, "Well, I've done all I can do — now let's see what happens." I actually attended a church for two or three years where the pastor used to say, "God's voted yes, Satan's voted no — now you decide." What he was saying, in effect, is that Jesus' death on the cross didn't mean anything. It didn't accomplish anything.

Do you see how important this issue is? We're talking about what happened on the cross. If Jesus didn't actually die on the cross and save people, then all we're talking about is what might have potentially happened there. He died on the cross. Why? To fulfill His mission. What was that mission? To save His people from their sin — and that's you and me, if we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

With that comes great joy. There are tears, to be sure, but they are tears of joy. Do you know Christ? Have you reached that point? Do you understand the meaning and the purpose of life? Do you begin to understand that you have been released — that the broken heart, the hurt, the pain you may have carried for years and years is now gone, and that He has forgiven you?

Forgiveness Is Complete — Receive It

I was talking to a man not long ago who said, "I just can't forgive myself." I said, "Really? You're a believer?" Yes. "And God has forgiven you?" Yes. Then how arrogant are you — when God says He has forgiven you — to say you can't forgive yourself? What kind of self-pity and self-indulgence is that? We are people who love talking about ourselves, and that is a grade-A example of it. But we are forgiven. Now we can live life. Is it as simple as that? Yes. That's what Scripture teaches. Lives are changed. Lives are transformed. And that's probably the most exciting thing about the church for me — seeing lives changed and transformed, not just individually but as whole families.

The Joy of Ministering to Whole Families

During the week I do Priority Living, and I enjoy it. I'm in the marketplace, teaching men and women. But here's what's missing — I don't get the family. I don't get a shot at the whole family. We don't get to minister to everyone together. That's what makes what happens here so remarkable.

I was walking over from the ten o'clock service and I passed what I believe is about the third room in on this side of the building. In the window there was this little girl — she cannot be a year and a half old — just sitting there looking out. I thought, "I've got to get over there." I stopped and waved at her, and she laughed and fell over. How cool is that?

Then this morning, rushing to make the eight o'clock service and running a little tight, I passed a room to my left full of toddlers — kids just starting to walk. Someone in there was jumping around and moving all over the place. I thought it was Debbie Moon, so I went in to say hi. It wasn't — it was somebody else entirely. But as I stood there and they were laughing and saying, "Look at this! What's this?" — I stopped and noticed Pat Getz. Pat and Dave Getz's kids are long gone. The last thing they need is the aggravation of being surrounded by a bunch of little ones. And yet there she was, in that room with children about a year old, beaming ear to ear. I said, "Thank you so much for doing this." She said, "Tom, I love —"

Closing the First Thirty Years

We went through thirty years today. How remarkable is that? Thirty years, and now He is ready to go — to change water into wine, to do something. Next week, that is exactly where we are going. We will look at Jesus and the launching of His public ministry.

It is terrific when you get to see in a visible fashion what Jesus does in a life. We see whole families transformed, and it does not get any better than that. This is a place to come and to learn and to serve, and that is a great place to serve.

Closing Prayer

Father, help us see that. For those who are here, maybe they are hurting, maybe they have never experienced this freedom and this joy — God, would You bring them forward to talk to the people in the front here in the conference center. Have them call us, or have them talk to the person who invited them.

God, thank You for Jesus. Thank You for His life and His death. Thank You for His resurrection. Thank You for His love for His people. Thank You that His death on the cross was not a theoretical death, but an actual death that actually accomplished the salvation of His people. And as His people, we pray to You this morning with hearts filled with joy and thanksgiving. We pray to You in Jesus' name.