 Amen. So, Merry Christmas. We're ending our, we're going to kind of cap off our series that we've been working on for the last few weeks on the run-up to the details of the Christmas story. Of course, we've been talking about the events that preceded the birth of Jesus Christ. We talked about Elizabeth and Zechariah. We talked about John the Baptist. We talked about Mary and her interactions with Gabriel. And then, of course, we talked about Joseph as well. In Luke chapter 2, we see, you know, the birth of Jesus and the way that it happened. We're going to focus on the first part of that verse there, mainly the birth of Jesus and the shepherds that come to his birth. It's interesting enough to know that the shepherds were there at the birth of Jesus in the manger. The wise men were not, however. So, every nativity scene that you see is wrong. Not to burst your bubble, but the wise men, there's no evidence that there was three. Maybe there was more. But everyone thinks because there's three gifts, we'll just put three wise men and we'll shove them all in the nativity scene, put a camel and a donkey in there and it all looks pretty in someone's living room, right? But that's not, of course, the truth of the Bible. Not that that is really relevant, but let's look at Luke chapter 2 and see what we can look at. We got a pair of sermons on the birth of Christ for you today and let's get right into it. The Bible says, and in those days, there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. Boy, the more things change, the more things stay the same, right? And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria and all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city. And Joseph went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea under the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David. Turn to Micah chapter 5. So it's actually fairly significant that Jesus was actually born in Bethlehem. So this was a fulfillment of prophecy because it was prophesied. And it makes sense that God would have prophesied given evidence to where the Messiah would be born. So people could identify the evidence that was presented of Jesus being the Messiah. So God, he gave these prophecies about Jesus so people when Jesus was born or the Messiah was born would be able to identify that he was the Messiah because there's many false Christs. Many people even today say that they're Jesus, say that they're the Messiah. Look at Micah chapter 5 in verse number 2. The Bible says, but thou Bethlehem Ephrata, thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of these shall come forth unto me, unto me that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been of old from everlasting. So that, of course, can only fit the Messiah right there, saying that there's going to be a ruler in Israel that comes out of Bethlehem that is from everlasting. So that has to be Jesus Christ, that has to be the Messiah. Look at Luke chapter 2 in verse number 5. So we see that that's a fulfillment. Joseph, taking his family, you know, they're taking his pregnant espoused wife to Bethlehem to pay taxes in this case, is actually fulfilling this prophecy in Micah chapter 5 in verse number 2. But look at Luke chapter 2 and look at verse number 5. It says, to be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. So first of all, you know, we can get from this that Joseph and Mary, you know, while they were from, you know, the proper line that the Messiah was supposed to come from, the line of David, they both were. In Matthew chapter 1, we see Joseph's lineage in Luke chapter 3, we see Mary's. But the point I'm trying to make here, and it's evidence in verse number 7, you say, why? Why is that significant? Because this is kind of how God operates, you know, throughout the Bible. Joseph and Mary were normal people. They were not rich people. They were not super powerful people. He was not a king or a governor or some kind of ruler. They were just regular, everyday, average people. And that continues in this story. You look at verse number 8. It says, And there were in that same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. So here's some more, just normal people, just everyday working men. They're out, they're ranching, they're watching their livestock. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore, afraid. You say, Why would God go and find these normal working men at this time and bring them into this situation? Well, we'll see that in just a few verses here. The angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring to you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. That's basically the gospel right there. The gospel is called the good news. That's what the gospel means. So the angel is basically saying, Hey, you know, I'm bringing the gospel to you. You know, I'm bringing this good news to you, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. And suddenly there was an angel, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass as the angels were gone away from them into heaven that the shepherd said to one another, Let us go now even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste and they found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. This is why they were brought there, right there. Why? You say look at verse 17, just underline those four words. They made known abroad. They were used as witnesses to the birth of the Messiah and it was their job to go out and what to tell people. The point of the shepherds in the story, in the Christmas story is the same point as us is the exact same purpose. The purpose of the shepherds is the same purpose that we have when Jesus told us, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. We are the shepherds. We're the modern day shepherds. Every Christian that has ever lived has the same purpose as these shepherds. They were just the first. They were just the first when Jesus was born to go out and tell what? The good news, the gospel to the world. So this is just showing again, showing the pattern that God does what? God uses regular people all the time. You'll see that all throughout the Old Testament. God never uses some huge powerful man. He's using regular people to accomplish great things because it's all about God's glory. It's all about God's glory, not ours. So here we see these regular people that are used to run up to this point of not only Jesus being born, but to tell about Jesus. We see Mary and Joseph and Elizabeth and Zachariah and John the Baptist. John the Baptist was poor. He had nothing. He was literally in the desert just living off of bugs and honey, the Bible says. Just regular everyday normal people used by God for the greatest things. I mean, it's a great, first of all, that's just a great message for us right there. You say, well, I'm just a regular guy. I'm just a regular gal. How could I do great things in my life for the Lord? Well, that's exactly who God wants to do great things for the Lord. It's just regular people. Because the reason God does it is because he doesn't want people looking at some big, strong person and saying, look at how great and big and strong and smart that person is. He wants God's glory to be seen through just us, just regular people. And we see that with this whole Christmas story, which is why we studied that throughout the last few weeks. But this morning, all that just for to cap off the Christmas series sermon. But this morning we see the birth of Jesus Christ. He's literally born as, I mean, he's born as a baby in a barn, in a manger, in a trough where animals are fed. And the question I have this morning, and I don't know if you've ever thought about this, but basically I want to focus this morning on Jesus the man. Tonight we'll look at Jesus, God, Jesus is God. But this morning I want to look at Jesus the man. And especially this morning, even more specific on that, why a baby? Why did Jesus, why did the Messiah have to come as a baby? Why couldn't Jesus or God have created the Messiah to come to earth as a 30-year-old grown man? I mean, God could do it however he wanted. So why a baby? I want to answer two questions for you this morning. Focusing on Jesus the man. You know, why didn't Jesus come as a grown man? Why did he have to come as a baby and grow up as a child and an adolescent and then into a young man and then into a man and then have this ministry when he was 30 years old for three and a half years and then die on the cross? Why that way? And then the second thing I want to answer for you this morning is just why didn't God just come down as a heavenly being? Why didn't God just come down as a spirit and just God himself? Why did he have to be a man, period? I'm going to answer both of those for you this morning because look, God could have done it any way he wanted. He could have redeemed the world any way he wanted. The Messiah, you know, why? The first question is why the 33 years of life? You know, why are we talking about a baby here? The first answer to this question is in Hebrews chapter 4. You know, I mean just think about all the trouble. I mean, all the trouble that they went through taking care of Jesus as a baby. I mean, he was a baby and then the wise men went to Herod and visited him as a young child. You know, they visited him somewhere between zero and probably one and a half years old, the wise men. And then they had to, you know, Joseph had to be warned in a dream as we already studied to get the child out of there and go to Egypt because Herod would go and he would kill all the children under two years old to try to, you know, kill the Messiah. Of course, God protected. So I mean, God went to a lot of trouble to protect Jesus as a baby, as a young child. Why all that trouble? And then back to Nazareth and then just grow up and then as we just read in Luke chapter 2, he's in the temple and he's learning and he's listening to all the thinkers and the people in the temple speaking. So the answer for why a baby is in Hebrews chapter 4, just remember, God, God is a, you know, the Bible says in 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verse number 8, it says that God is the righteous judge. So God is the perfect judge is how I always, you know, tell people God. God's a judge that never makes mistakes. But another thing you need to realize about God is everything that God does is perfect. Everything that God does is, I mean, by perfect, I mean righteous and I mean complete. It's complete. God is also, think about it this way. We think about, you know, men. We think about leading our families. We think about if you lead people in your job. You know, we think about how do I be a leader and how do I do these things the right way. I think about this a lot, you know, as the pastor of a church. You know, I want to, I'm obviously not a perfect leader, you know, but God is a perfect leader and he gives us that perfect example of leadership to follow. So God's a perfect leader. He's a perfect everything. And look, a good leader, a good leader would never put people up to something that he was not willing to do himself. That's the first thing that I need you to understand. Look at Hebrews chapter 4 if you're there and look at verse number 15. So he said, why a baby? Why did God send the Messiah to be not just a man, but a man that lived this life of decades on this earth? Look at verse 15. The Bible says we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin. So the Bible here says is that, you know, comparing Jesus to, you know, he's the actual high priest. He's the perfect high priest. It's saying that he didn't send a Messiah here that is not going to understand what men go through in their lives, meaning our infirmities, meaning our temptations. Basically what he's talking about is just like what we go through with our flesh. You know, we talk about the flesh and the spirit all the time as we read the Bible, as we study the Bible, and the Bible here is saying is that our high priest, the Messiah, he understands all of those infirmities, those feelings, those temptations even. Yet the difference is that he is without sin. All right? Look at John chapter one in verse number 14. John chapter one in verse number 14. John chapter one in verse number 14. So I mean the point the point is is that a good leader will not expect someone to do something that he is not willing to do himself. Okay? That's the first point. That's why God sent a baby to live a life as a as a child, as a young man, as a man, and just be on this this earth for decades because he was to hear, he was here to experience our infirmities and the temptations yet he did it perfectly. He did it without all the mistakes and all the stumblings and all the sin that we do it with. Look at verse 14 of John chapter one. And the Word was made flesh, and look at these four words here, and dwelt among us, and we be held as glory. The glory is the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth. Look, the Bible says he lived among us. Dwelt means he lived a life among us. He lived among us perfectly. So the first thing is that God, and this is not just with the Messiah, this is throughout the the Bible and this is just the character of God. Go back to go back to Hebrews chapter nine. I'm going to read for you first Peter chapter two, verse number twenty-two. You go to Hebrews chapter nine. I'm going to read for you a few verses here, but God demonstrates things to us. That's what you need to understand, and this is why Jesus came as a baby, because God just doesn't tell us things. This is another thing that a perfect leader will do, or even a good leader will do. A good leader will demonstrate things. God demonstrates to us. In first Peter two, verse twenty-two, the Bible says, talking about Jesus who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. In second Corinthians chapter five, verse twenty-one, the Bible says, for he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, not in us, nothing in us, but he knew no sin. First John chapter three and verse five, and you know that he was manifested to take away our sins, and in him is no sin. Notice how he's taking away our sins. We're saved through his righteousness, but it's only because, and it's always coupled with the fact that he knew no sin, he did no sin, he had no sin. Jesus was sinless. So it was coupled with the fact that he did not have sin. Because look, if he had sin, it wouldn't have worked. That's why it's always coupled with that fact that he had in him is no sin. Look at Hebrews chapter nine, verse number fourteen. Hebrews chapter nine, verse number fourteen. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? So what the Bible is saying, the reason that Jesus came as a baby is because God is, I will show you how, God. That's why. God demonstrates things to us, and he came as a man as a baby to live for years and years and years before he even made that sacrifice to show that he had a life without spot, a life without sin that could be that sacrifice. Look, you think about it this way. It's the same thing as the, it's the same philosophy as the millennial reign. You ever thought about that? Like, why a millennial reign? Why is Jesus Christ going to come back on this earth and rule and reign for a thousand years? Why? I mean, this is why. Because God tells us in the Bible over and over and over and over again how to run a nation. God tells us again and again and again how to run a godly nation. I mean, that's the whole Old Testament. It's just like this failure again and again and again. He's like, I told you, I told you, I told you, he said in the millennial reign he's like, now I'm going to show you. Because that is who God is. Turn to Daniel chapter seven. Turn to Daniel chapter seven. God is a, is a God, I mean, I'm very thankful for this. He's a God that demonstrates. He's not just a God that just says, hey, do this, do that. He's going to show us how to actually rule a nation on this earth. Look at Daniel chapter seven in verse number thirteen. Daniel talking about this, he says in verse thirteen, he says, I saw in the night visions and behold one like unto the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the ancient of days and they brought him near before him and there was given to him, and there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom that all people, nations and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. So look, the millennial reign is just God showing us once again how to do things that we have fallen short on even though he's been telling us for thousands of years how to do it, he's going to show us how. You say, how is he going to do it? In Psalm chapter two, verse nine, the Bible says, thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, thou shalt dap them in pieces like a potter's vessel. The same thing is repeated in Revelation chapter two that Jesus Christ will rule them with a rod of iron. This is how Jesus is going to do it. Look, there's not going to be a constitution in the millennial reign. You know, I'm sorry, you know, but look, there will be this, the Bible. And here's the thing, that's the only thing that's needed even today. Even today that's the only thing that is needed. All these different things that we come up with as far as governments of men, they're just that fall short again and again and again. They're just pragmatism. They're just stop gap measures. They're just the best thing that we can think of outside the Bible. It's all they are until the real deal shows up in the millennial reign of Christ. He's going to demonstrate to us how to do it. That's why Jesus came as a baby. Because God's like, I'm going to demonstrate to you how to do this. Right? And you say, here's another one, just to get deeper on this. Why a thousand years? Why a thousand years? Here's my opinion. Did you know that you've talked to most historians that have analyzed empires since the beginning of history itself? You know what they'll tell you? They'll tell you the average age of an empire on earth up to this point is about 250 years. Most people will agree on that. You say 250 years, that doesn't seem like that long. Yeah, it's not that long. It's not that long. As a matter of fact, if you look at the America of 1776 in 2026, we will hit our 250th year birthday in 2026. So here's the thing. We're not that old when it comes to the millennial reign that Jesus is going to rule and reign. And look, we went through this clues and milestones sermon series over the last couple of months. And look, maybe we are the Babylon of Revelation chapter 18. I mean, it certainly fits. But when you look at all the things that need to happen to get up to that point yet, I just don't think we're going to make it that long. I mean, when you look at what's happening in this country today and the fact that most empires don't even, you know, their average is 250 years, you know, I mean, when I look at, you know, I mean, I told my wife just a few days ago, I was like, I think I'll just stop watching the news. Because it gets stupider and stupider every day. I don't know how we'll make it another 10 years, much less, much less 50 years and try to break that average. But I mean, it might be that we just don't get honorable mention enough to even, you know, be mentioned in the Bible. That's quite possible. All right, but look, Jesus is going to literally come here and he's going to demonstrate how to run a nation on this earth for four times longer than man has been able to do. That's why a thousand years, in my opinion. God, Jesus will show how God's way works. That's what he will show. And he'll prove it by ruling and reigning the earth for an entire, for a thousand years, which is four times longer than we were able to do on average here. All right, turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. So look, our God that we serve is a God that's not just telling us stuff, he demonstrates things. All right, that's why a baby. That's why Jesus came as a baby. Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. But why did Jesus have to be a man? If you look at the doctrines, the false doctrines, many false doctrines in Christianity are based on two directions. One is denying the manhood of Christ and the other is denying the deity of Christ, both with your false doctrines. Because Jesus was 100% man and also 100% God, which we'll discuss tonight. And I'll tell you why it was important that he was 100% God this evening. But Jesus had to be a man. We see that he had to be a baby, because that fits God's character of just demonstrating perfect leadership to us. Not wanting, not expecting us to go through something that he wouldn't go through himself and just demonstrating this perfect life. But here's another one. Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Just on this idea, why didn't God come in heavenly form? Why didn't he just come as this spirit that was just God? Because ultimately, ultimately the answer to this is ultimately there had to be a sacrifice that was worthy of covering our sins. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Look at verse number 50. The Bible says this. It says, Now this I say brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Now turn to 1 Peter chapter 1. So the only reason I read that for you is because something comes along with being a man. Something comes along with this flesh and that is this, blood. There had to be blood. Look at 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse number 19. Look at 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse number 19. We are redeemed only through blood, the Bible says. Look at verse number 19. It says, But with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish, there's that no sin, and without spot, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but has manifest in these last times for you. That means Jesus was always there. Jesus, I'll show you that tonight, Jesus was always there. He showed himself to people in the Old Testament. He was always there but now in these last times, so yes we are in the last days, we're not in the end times, but we're in the last days in these last times he's shown to you in the form of this baby being born that we just talked about in Luke chapter 2. Whom by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God. Turn to Hebrews chapter 9. The point is is that Jesus had to be a man because we are covered, we are covered by the precious blood of Christ. You say why the blood? Why is that important? Look at Hebrews chapter 9. Why did there have to be blood? Look at verse number 19. Hebrews chapter 9 verse number 19. The Bible says this. It says, For when Moses had spoken every preset to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats with water and scarlet wool and hyssop and sprinkled both the book and all the people, saying this is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. Moreover, he sprinkled the blood both on the tabernacle and the vessels of the ministry. Verse 22. And almost all things are by the law are purged with blood. And look at this part of this verse right here. It says, And without shedding of blood is no remission. What do we need? What do we need? For all have sinned, we need remission is what we need. And the Bible says here without the shedding of blood is no remission. So verse 23 kind of explains the whole point of what Moses and the Levites were doing in the Old Testament. It says it was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. All of those things in the Old Testament, the Bible says that, you know, the blood of calves and the blood of bulls and goats, you know, it doesn't forgive sins. It's just a pattern. It was just a mirror. It was just a shadow of the real heavenly thing to come. For Christ has not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are figures of the true, but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us. Look, Jesus had to be a man to shed his blood. That's the mechanics of how it works. And he was the perfect sacrifice. In Hebrews chapter 10, verse number three, it says about the old sacrifices. It says in those sacrifice there is remembrance again made of sins every year. So what those people were doing in the Old Testament is they were doing those sacrifices of the bulls and of the goats to remember their sins and to be in a good standing with their heavenly father and to, you know, foreshadow how they were actually going to be redeemed. They were believing in that redemption that was yet to come is what those people were trusting in as they were looking forward as we look back. They were saved in the exact same way. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Those bulls and those goats being sacrificed did not give them remission of their sins. It was a shadow of Jesus of that perfect sacrifice. It was a picture of the real thing to come. When you look at the, you know, the the sacrifice in, you know, the day of atonement in Leviticus chapter 16 and you look at all the bulls and you look at the goats and you look at all the different things that the priest did is like Jesus encompasses all of that. You say what part is Jesus of that? Everything. Because he was the perfect sacrifice. So look, he had to be a flesh and blood man. He had to be a man. In Luke chapter 22 and verse number 20 Jesus says likewise he took the cup after supper and he said this is the cup in the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you. The New Testament, the promise that God gave us is that the blood shed by Jesus, you know, provides the remission for our sins. All right, so look in 1 Peter chapter 1 that we just read these two things come together, you know, where it says the precious blood of Christ as a lamb without blemish and without spot. He was the perfect sacrifice but it was also the precious blood of Christ. So being the perfect sacrifice that lamb without spot mean he lived a perfect life he was without sin and he had to shed his blood. This is why Jesus had to be a man and to live that perfect life without sin. I mean there's no better there's no more complete way to do that than to be born into this world as a man, as a baby, live that life all the way up to the point when he was 33 years old and he shed his blood for mankind because if it was without if he had sinned one time if he had had one foolish thought that sacrifice would not be accepted because that lamb has to be without spot. So look Jesus as a man it really shows God's character towards us. It really shows you know how this was just a perfect gift to us. And we talk about you know Christmas gifts I mean this was the perfect gift to you know mankind. It was it was a gift without spot. He lived he went through exactly what we went through except he did it perfectly. He did it perfectly. Really what it shows really what it shows is God's this idea that Jesus was man fully man from a baby all the way up to you know someone who is 33 years old who had a ministry for you know three and a half years and then died on the cross was buried and rose again from the dead. We'll focus on that tonight but really what it shows it shows God's ownership of us. It shows I mean think about this he created man he created man it all went wrong it all went wrong not not not because of him because a man and then he came in man I mean man man rebelled man rebelled against God and it's interesting because as man rebelled against God God still took ownership of man. He still look it's easy you know this idea of ownership you know taking responsibility it's easy to take responsibility for things when they go well. You know when there's huge successes and everything's going right it's easy to be like I did that that was me. It's when things go wrong it's when things go wrong in you know our lives our families with our children that you know it's more difficult in those times to take responsibility or to take this word that I'm using to take ownership of those situations but look God demonstrate demonstrates perfect complete ownership of us. He creates us we rebel against him and yet he comes in and he provides a solution for us even though we didn't deserve it even though we are the ones that went wrong but look he just took complete ownership of us. I mean usually when we do the wrong thing that's when the excuses come in right this is when people don't want to own things but God created us and it's also interesting that he created us with the same tool that he saved us with think about that he created the world through the word through Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is the creator we rebel and then he takes ownership and fixes the entire situation with Jesus with the same he fixes us with the same tool that he created us with look he tries to manage us he tries to manage us in a perfect way with the Bible and we don't listen you know we don't listen you know so this gift this gift of of just God taking complete ownership of us and saving us with the same tool that he created us with it can't be earned I mean not only do we not only do we it's it's a gift it can't be earned we don't deserve it but not only do we don't we don't listen it can't be earned but most people in this world today they don't even think that they need this gift they don't even think that I mean you could ask most people today if they even want this gift and they would reject this gift most people live in a way I mean God God even planted in every man's heart the desire to seek him he planted this law in man's heart what you would call a conscience what the bible calls a conscience but most people actually go and they live in a way that covers their conscience so they no longer seek the Lord so when somebody comes and offers this gift to them they don't even want it they don't even recognize him they don't even want this gift somebody shows up on their door with that present and they don't want it they have no interest in it somebody shows up with that think about it that universal solution that universal solution to our problem and look he didn't buy it from a store he didn't buy it from a store he paid for it with the death burial and resurrection of his own son the same person that created every single person who's ever lived and this entire universe but they don't want it it's a gift that most people still will not take condemnation is a little bit different when you look at it that way isn't it all these people that think oh a god that would send people to hell and all these things but yeah but when you look at it from the fact that God created us he took complete ownership of us even after we were somebody that that messed everything up rebelled against him and want to have nothing to do with him and then he comes and he provides that solution for us and we don't want it condemnation condemnation damnation i mean it it makes a little bit more sense it's actually a righteous thing so look Jesus was a man he was born as a baby it demonstrates God God's complete ownership of us now for the saved people we should understand that you know once we're saved we need to take ownership of everything that God has told us that we should have ownership of in our lives i mean after salvation that's the bible right there after salvation the bible is about owning everything owning your life getting right becoming those shepherds becoming those people that go out and and make known the gospel and all these things but look this is basically the whole bible after salvation is God took ownership of you now you take ownership of what he tells you to do that's the bible in the nutshell i mean can we take ownership of ourselves you know we think about that our responsibilities think about you know our kids our marriage you know our our spiritual life you know these are things that God wants us to take ownership of he tells us you know here's what's in your wheelhouse here's what's not take ownership of these things but there's no ownership of anything today there's no ownership of anything today if it's right i did it if it's wrong here's the excuses not to want to have anything to do with it but God through Jesus just demonstrates this ownership i just read this book i don't know why i read it there was nothing new i literally learned nothing it just came up on like a feed that i should have recommended reading thing it was called extreme ownership this book it was just about owning your responsibilities you know through through business and through all these different things but there was literally nothing in this book that was anything different than what the bible teaches you know it was just another it was just another rip off of the bible basically you know because god turned to john chapter 14 turned to john chapter 14 just speaking of just jesus the man jesus the man i mean god he saves us by taking ownership by doing what we couldn't do as a man as a child as an adolescent as a baby and then in john chapter 14 and verse 15 all god says is i think this is there's a reason why this is one of the shortest verses in the bible one of the simplest verses in the bible god just says to us he's like if you love me keep my commandments this is nothing to do with your salvation jesus is your god is just saying he's just saying like he's like i look i loved you like i took ownership of you after you were a wreck after you you were a pile on the ground you had rebelled against me you wanted to have nothing to do with me 99% of the people in this world still want to have nothing to do with me but god's like you know what i saved you i provided a solution for you i lived this life that you couldn't have lived i demonstrated all of it i showed you what will happen if you actually follow the bible god's just saying hey if you love me could you keep could you do what i say could you show some love towards me he's just saying after all this can you show some respect and do what i ask you to do so look folks jesus had to be a man he had to come as a baby because god's god's ownership is an extreme ownership it's it's complete ownership everything that god does is complete everything that god does is perfect and jesus being born as a baby living a perfect life and then shedding that righteous spotless blood for us that's why jesus had to be a man because it was the perfect way to redeem us so mary christmas thank god and thank god for jesus christ being this man that that did what needed to be done so we can be covered in his righteousness let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer