Each and every generation gets one step closer to the return of Christ Jesus. And with each generation, the return of Christ seems to be seen differently. Why is that? Is there more to the return of Christ than we originally thought? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to a deeper meaning of Jesus, our blessed hope, in his message, Jesus The Messiah Pt. 2: Jesus, Our Blessed Hope.
Luke 4:18-19 Revelation 19:11-16 Philippians 2:9-11 Colossians 2:14-15 Revelation 20:14 1 Corinthians 15:54b-55 Titus 2:13 2 Peter 3:9 1 Timothy 2:4 2 Thessalonians 2:8 Psalms 24:8 Psalms 24:10
Today, Christmas is becoming more and more controversial to celebrate. Many could argue that Christmas itself is under attack. Many don’t realize that this isn’t new. Christmas has always been under attack from the very beginning. 2,000 years ago, there was a war between good and evil. God Himself was the subject of an attack by the enemy. But when was this attack, and when was Christ ever really in jeopardy? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the very first attack on Christmas in his message, The Hope of Christmas Pt. 2: The Dragon Who Tried to Steal Christmas.
Matthew 2:1–2 Matthew 2:9–11 Matthew 2:7–8 Hebrews 4:13 Revelation 12 Esther 1:13
The Dragon Who Tried to Steal Christmas
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy Him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and His mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
Matthew 2:13-18
What does this have to do with the dragon trying to steal the very hope of Christmas?
1And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.
Every Christmas season, we read the same Christmas verses on the Birth of Christ Jesus, Matthew 2, Luke 2, Isaiah 9, etc. These are everyone’s go-to Christmas verses, but what if there’s a Christmas verse we’ve missed that’s hidden in plain sight? A Christmas verse that was given to bring hope to all people? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the Christmas promise we’ve all missed in his message, The Hope of Christmas Pt. 1: The Promise of Christmas.
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 9:6-7
Jesus is the promise or prophecy of Christmas fulfilled. It’s His birth that gives us hope because, without Jesus, there is no salvation. There is no hope. There is no light in the world. There is nothing.
1In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Luke 2:1-7
Jesus fulfilled the first promise of His coming 2,000 years ago (the first Christmas), but that’s not the end of the story. Jesus will come again.
2000 years ago, Jesus was born in the city of David, the town of Bethlehem, but why? Why did the Messiah have to be born in Bethlehem? What’s so special about Bethlehem? Does it have to do with the Messiah being the descendant of David? Or maybe it was just a perfect shot to Egypt? Join ArieRashelle as she searches through Scripture to find the answer in her video, Why Was Jesus Born in Bethlehem?
1 Kings 11:9-13 2 Chronicles 11:5-12 Jeremiah 23:5-6 Ezekiel 34:11-16 John 6:35 Matthew 2:18 Jeremiah 31:15 Genesis 21:12-13 1 Kings 11:11-13 John 1:29-30 Hebrews 9:11-28
Why Was Jesus Born in Bethlehem?
The Physical Reason Jesus Had to be Born in Bethlehem
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Luke 2:1-7
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in the city of David.
Bethlehem Fun Fact
Bethlehem is Spiritually or Symbolically Called ‘Rachel’
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
Matthew 2:16-18
To avoid the massacre that Herod ordered in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph fled with Jesus to Egypt. This fulfilled the promise that the Messiah (the Descendant of David) would be called out of Egypt.
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy Him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and His mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
