5In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly dicision of Abjah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. 7But they had not children, because elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.
8Once when Zechariah's divison was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9he was chosen by lost, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10And when the time for the burining of incense came, all the assembled wordhipers were praying outside.
11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the alter of incense. 12When Zechariah saw him, he was start.ed and was gripped with fear. 13But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. 14He will be a joy amd delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15for he will be freat in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. 16Many of the people of Isreal will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17And he will go on berfore the Lord , in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the reighteous - to make reay a people prepared for the Lord."
As the old testament ends...Malachi 4:5 See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. 6He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers;
No prophetic voice for 400 years
As the new testament begins
2 children are born
One prepares the way, one is the way
John sthe Baptist acnnounce the kingdom
Intro
The arrival of Jesus is the seed of the kingdom
The promise of the kingdom is here
When the kingdom comes
Hearts are changed
The hearts of the fathers are turned to the children
Patriarchal society...power used for ones own benefit
There is no mention of the prodigal son's mother
Most kingdoms are about
power, territory, genocide, lust, greed, power
But this kingdom is different
Hearts of the fathers to their chirdlre.
This is the work of John the Baptist
When the Missiah comes, this is what everyone is supposed to be about
this is the work of everyone in God's kingdom
the Christmas story, tho simple is hard to put into everyday life...
A baby is born...and what?
I know this story...please make it come alive
One way that this has been done over the years is by artists and writers who have captured part of the Christmas message in great works of our time. It is hard to catch, but there is something about these great films that speak to us about the true meaning of Christmas
Grinch story - Tell the story
Happy whos in whoville
Singer: You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch/your a nasty, wasty skunk/Your heart is full of unwashed socks, you soul is full of gunk/Mr. Gri-inch/The three words that best describe you are as follows, and I quote: Stank, stank, stunk!
Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lost, bu the Grinch who lived just north of Whoville - did not. The grinch hated Christmas - the whole Christma season. Now, please don't ask why; no one quite knows the reason. It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight. Or it could be that his head wasn't screwed on just right. But I think that the most likely reason of all may have been that his heart was two sizes to small.
Grinch: That's the one thing I hate! All the noise, noise, noise, noise!
Grinch: I must stop this whole thing! Why, for fifty-three years I've put up with it now. I must stop Christmas from coming...but how?
Narrator: The he got an idea. An awful idea. The grinch got a wonderful, *awful* idea!
Middle
Grinch: I know just what to do!
Narrator:...The Grinch laughed in his throat.
Grinch: I'll make a quick Santy Clause hat and a coat.
Narrator: and he chuckled and chuckled...
Grinch: What a great Grinchy trick. With this caot and this hat, I'll liik just like Saint Nick!
narrator: Then he slunk to the ice box. He took the Whos' feast, he took the who pudding, he took the roast beef. He cleaned out that ice box as quick as a flash. Why, the grinch even took their last can of Who hash.
Late
Grinch: Pooh-pooh to the Whos!
Narrator: ...he was grinchily humming.
Grinch: They're finding out now that no Christmas is coming! They're just waking up, I know just what they'll do. Their months will hang open a minute or two, then the Whos down in Whoville will all cry, "Boo Hoo."
Grinch: That's a noise
Narrator Grinned the Gricn...
Grinch: That I simply must hear!
Narrator: So he paused - and the Grinch put a hand to his ear. And he did hear a sound rising over the snow, It started in low...this it started to grow. LET's WATCH
Show Video At This Point
Narrator: But this...this sound wasn't sad. Why...this sound sounded glad. Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small, was singing, without any presents at all! He hadn't stopped Christmas from coming, it came! Somehow or other, it came just the same.
Grinch: It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!
Narrator: He puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! Maybe Christmas, he thought , doesn'c come from a store. Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!
Narrator: And what happenedn then? Well, in Whoville they say that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day. And then - the true meaning of Christmas came though, and the Grinch found the strength of *ten* grinchesm plus two!
Narrator: He brought back everything, all the food for the feast. And he, he himdlef, the Grinch - carved the roast beef
Final scene: "Christmas day is here at lost, as long as we have hands to clasp. Christmas day will always be, just aslong as we have we. Welcome Christmas, while we stand, heart to heart and hand in hand.
What were his problems - How do we relate to this?
His kingdom was about him.
He was talking to himself
When our hearts are stuck on ourselves - they get smaller
We get blind
People vs things People vs ideas
We have to choose if we will love things or love people
That will determine if our heart is little or big
Don't you just love it? They didn't need the stuff
Do you need the stuff?
What if you came down the stairs and there was nothing there?
Would you still gather in the kitchen and sing and hold hands?
I wonder what Christmas will be like for those who lost everything in the Independence fire?
When our hearts are turned towards God we remember what is really important
Slavtion army bell ringing
The message of Christmas ti transformational...hearts are turned
- To one another and back to God
- The hearts of the rich is turned to the prro
- The hearts of the homeless, welcome the rich
- Old to young - young to old
- Left to the right - Right to the left
- White to black - black to white
- Fathers to their children - children to their parents
- Wives to husbands - husbands to wives
- Every heart turned back to God
We remember what is really important
Where is your heart turned?
This king who is coming invites you to turn you heart toward others
and so we light a candle and prepare our hearts.
In Israelite Society
name and the life of a father were continued in the life of his son
When a man had a son, his son was an assurance that his name would be not forgotten
Sones helped their father in his old age,
brought him prestige in the community,
and protected the family in times of danger.
In a patriarchal society men are the leaders of their household
and they make decisions on behalf of their families.
- Where we live
- What faith are we?
- Who will my children marry?
- Haw many wives do I have?
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