100:00:00,020 –> 00:00:10,040I have to tell you we marveled as we watched his life. He was everything God200:00:10,040 –> 00:00:16,799intended a human being to be. Imagine we said to each other, imagine if other men300:00:16,799 –> 00:00:22,299and women could become like him. Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin400:00:22,299 –> 00:00:26,000Smith. I am David Pick, glad you could be with us today. And Colin, we often think500:00:26,000 –> 00:00:30,760about characters from the Christmas Story like Mary, Joseph, the wise men…but600:00:30,760 –> 00:00:33,880today we’re looking at the Christmas Story through the eyes of the angel700:00:33,880 –> 00:00:39,000Gabriel. Here’s the story of Jesus viewed from heaven itself and there’s a800:00:39,000 –> 00:00:42,840fascinating reference in the New Testament. Even angels longed to look900:00:42,840 –> 00:00:46,459into these things. So let’s take a look at the Christmas Story from the1000:00:46,459 –> 00:00:50,040perspective of the angels, who were witnesses to it. Of course they knew1100:00:50,040 –> 00:00:54,580Christ in his glory before he came. What an astonishing thing it must have been1200:00:54,619 –> 00:00:59,040for them to see him born as a baby. So stay with us if you can as we hear1300:00:59,040 –> 00:01:01,060Gabriel’s story. Here’s Colin…1400:01:01,060 –> 00:01:04,459It really is great to be here and, you know, I guess1500:01:04,459 –> 00:01:10,300the first thing to say is it really doesn’t feel all that strange because1600:01:10,300 –> 00:01:18,779you see every time you worship my colleagues are here. So, this is a1700:01:18,779 –> 00:01:24,400familiar place and the truth is that my colleagues are around you far more1800:01:24,500 –> 00:01:32,199than you probably think. You know the great privilege of my life is to stand1900:01:32,199 –> 00:01:40,540in the presence of God. I see how the divine love flows between the Father and2000:01:40,540 –> 00:01:46,419the Son and the Spirit, and then from them to us all.2100:01:46,419 –> 00:01:47,639But what I want you to2200:01:47,639 –> 00:01:53,260understand today is that you can experience the love of God in a way2300:01:53,540 –> 00:01:57,220that is beyond anything I can ever know.2400:01:59,160 –> 00:02:01,959Let me tell you about it.2500:02:01,959 –> 00:02:05,260See our Father has made three2600:02:05,260 –> 00:02:12,940orders of creation. There are the animals, they have bodies but they don’t have2700:02:12,940 –> 00:02:19,479souls. Then there are us the angels, we have souls but we do not have bodies.2800:02:19,500 –> 00:02:22,759We can appear as you know but we have no physical form.2900:02:23,660 –> 00:02:27,139Then there are you the humans.3000:02:27,139 –> 00:02:35,179You are body and soul knit together in a strange and wonderful union which to us3100:02:35,179 –> 00:02:43,839is endlessly fascinating. You know we are amazed at how often human beings miss3200:02:44,520 –> 00:02:48,320the unique glory of your creation.3300:02:48,320 –> 00:02:55,919It used to make us laugh you know, in past generations your scientific materialists3400:02:55,919 –> 00:03:01,100dismissed the spiritual and and they placed all their interest in the3500:03:01,100 –> 00:03:06,500physical as if a human being were no more than a highly developed animal or3600:03:06,500 –> 00:03:11,500a programmable machine. Had they never heard of love?3700:03:11,500 –> 00:03:16,539Did they really believe that what they experienced in the birth of a child or3800:03:16,539 –> 00:03:24,160around the Christmas tree with the family was just the chemical stimulus of3900:03:24,160 –> 00:03:31,119something going on in the brain? Boy, if you think of yourself as a highly4000:03:31,119 –> 00:03:35,899developed animal or a programmable machine you have totally undersold4100:03:36,860 –> 00:03:44,580and misunderstood the glory of your unique nature created by God.4200:03:44,580 –> 00:03:50,779Of course today as we watch the human world we see the opposite problem.4300:03:50,779 –> 00:03:57,940Spirituality is back in vogue and so now folks have the idea that as long as you4400:03:57,940 –> 00:04:02,660are spiritual in some way it really doesn’t matter what you do with your4500:04:02,899 –> 00:04:14,179body. So we see kids spending hours and hours looking at grotesque images on4600:04:14,179 –> 00:04:21,540film and in video games completely unaware of how what they see with their4700:04:21,540 –> 00:04:27,440eyes goes through the body and right into the soul. And it shrivels the4800:04:27,440 –> 00:04:36,519emotions it dulls the conscience and dampens spiritual life in fact it dulls4900:04:36,519 –> 00:04:45,359all the senses which is exactly what your enemy wants. Now just a word of5000:04:45,359 –> 00:04:49,619personal introduction before I get into my story. Did you know that there are5100:04:49,619 –> 00:04:56,399only two angels mentioned by name in the Bible apart from the other Fallen one5200:04:56,459 –> 00:05:01,579who I won’t speak about today but one’s name is Michael, my colleague, the5300:05:01,600 –> 00:05:09,160Archangel, the other is me, Gabriel. I was chosen to be God’s special messenger, a5400:05:09,160 –> 00:05:17,079great privilege, not on one but on three occasions. The first was when I was sent5500:05:17,079 –> 00:05:22,500to the Prophet Daniel. He’d been given a vision that he didn’t understand.5600:05:22,739 –> 00:05:26,679Actually, Christians have struggled to understand it a great deal ever since as5700:05:26,679 –> 00:05:31,839well but I was sent at least to help him to make sense of it all. I remember when5800:05:31,839 –> 00:05:37,339I appeared to him he was utterly devastated, prostrate on the floor he was,5900:05:37,339 –> 00:05:45,059trembling it took him days to recover. The second time I was sent on a mission6000:05:45,059 –> 00:05:51,459was to a man called Zechariah, the priest serving in the Temple of God. My mission6100:05:51,459 –> 00:05:57,359then was to announce the birth of John the Baptist. When I appeared to Zechariah6200:05:57,359 –> 00:06:02,920it seemed the same he also was gripped with fear. I told him the word of God but6300:06:02,920 –> 00:06:06,660he didn’t believe it well you can’t have spiritual leaders going around6400:06:06,660 –> 00:06:13,600speaking unbelief can you. And so speech was taken from him until his son was6500:06:13,679 –> 00:06:21,839born and then his speech returned and he used it to praise and glorify God I tell6600:06:21,839 –> 00:06:26,459you that’s so that you understand that my previous visits to Daniel and6700:06:26,459 –> 00:06:32,399Zechariah had obviously been quite devastating for them and so when I was6800:06:32,399 –> 00:06:39,279summoned for my third mission and told that it was to visit a country girl in6900:06:39,600 –> 00:06:45,920early teens my first instinct was to say are you sure you have the right angel7000:06:45,920 –> 00:06:55,260for this? There is a young woman I was told to whom you must give this7100:06:55,260 –> 00:07:02,880message it is the most important announcement we have ever made and the7200:07:03,459 –> 00:07:10,720world hangs upon it. When I heard the message I was to give I was the one who7300:07:10,720 –> 00:07:17,600couldn’t speak I could hardly take it in and the truth is I still can’t. If you7400:07:17,600 –> 00:07:27,140had seen his glory as I did if you knew him as I do you would have been staggered7500:07:27,339 –> 00:07:36,059and speechless as well. Well I took down the details and off I went. Not to7600:07:36,059 –> 00:07:41,799Jerusalem not to the temple not to a daughter of Caiaphas the high priest but7700:07:41,799 –> 00:07:52,660to a peasant girl in the despised down in the hill community of Nazareth why7800:07:52,679 –> 00:08:01,040She was chosen I cannot say God’s choices are as inscrutable as they are7900:08:01,040 –> 00:08:10,619glorious. All I can tell you is that He also has the right to choose. Her name8000:08:10,619 –> 00:08:16,279was Mary and she was a virgin. She was already pledged to be married to8100:08:16,279 –> 00:08:20,820a man called Joseph who was in the line of descent that came from David. Their8200:08:20,920 –> 00:08:27,579marriage was planned but it had not yet taken place. When I appeared I gave her8300:08:27,579 –> 00:08:34,500my warmest greeting. Greetings I said you who are highly favoured the Lord is with8400:08:34,500 –> 00:08:37,859you. Honestly I don’t know who was more8500:08:37,859 –> 00:08:44,739afraid she of what was happening or me as to how she might respond. I mean if8600:08:44,739 –> 00:08:49,440she were to scream and run away what was I to do next.8700:08:49,640 –> 00:08:56,099It was obvious to me that she was a woman of great faith she seemed to sense8800:08:56,099 –> 00:09:01,200that I had come as a messenger from the Lord. I saw how much she was troubled and8900:09:01,200 –> 00:09:11,000so I said to her don’t be afraid Mary. You have found favour with God. See I9000:09:11,020 –> 00:09:19,479I’ve noticed that with humans when God comes close your first instinct is to9100:09:19,479 –> 00:09:28,479assume the worst you just assume that God coming near means trouble for you no9200:09:28,479 –> 00:09:33,559human conscience is completely clear before God and so your first instinct is9300:09:33,559 –> 00:09:37,159to be more comfortable with God at a distance than near at hand.9400:09:37,520 –> 00:09:43,539I guess that’s what Mary was thinking to, that’s why I said to her you have found9500:09:43,559 –> 00:09:50,539favour with God the word favour means grace you know that word well9600:09:50,539 –> 00:09:57,880you have been graced by God that’s what I told her and it wasn’t just her it’s9700:09:57,880 –> 00:10:04,559all of you as well the whole human race has been graced by God in the coming of9800:10:04,559 –> 00:10:10,799Jesus into the world the only question is how you will respond to God’s grace9900:10:10,799 –> 00:10:19,599that is held out to you in his Son Jesus well then I gave hir this message you10000:10:19,599 –> 00:10:26,320will be with child I said and you will give birth to a son you’re to give him10100:10:26,320 –> 00:10:33,059the name Jesus he will be great he will be the Son of the Most High and the Lord10200:10:33,200 –> 00:10:37,140God will give him the throne of his father David he will reign over the10300:10:37,140 –> 00:10:47,179House of Jacob forever and his kingdom will never end I paused and I wondered10400:10:47,179 –> 00:10:51,539what she’d say it seemed like time stood still just as10500:10:51,539 –> 00:11:01,039it does in eternity and then she spoke how will this be since I am a virgin she10600:11:01,599 –> 00:11:04,200she asked me now that was when I realized that she10700:11:04,200 –> 00:11:08,900had not grasped what I was really saying she thought that I meant that she and10800:11:08,900 –> 00:11:12,320her husband would at some time in the future have a son who would turn out to10900:11:12,320 –> 00:11:15,359be one of the great figures of human history but since she was not married11000:11:15,359 –> 00:11:22,039that was not yet possible. So I tried to explain it wasn’t easy to11100:11:22,039 –> 00:11:26,159find words to express the greatest mystery your world or ours has ever11200:11:26,440 –> 00:11:36,239know but what I said to her was this the Holy Spirit will come upon you I said11300:11:36,239 –> 00:11:42,059the power of the Most High will overshadow you so the holy one to be11400:11:42,059 –> 00:11:48,119born will be the Son of God. You’re listening to Open the Bible with11500:11:48,119 –> 00:11:52,960Pastor Colin Smith and Gabriel’s Story part of our series Christmas Stories11600:11:52,960 –> 00:11:59,039back to Gabriel Story now here’s Colin. How the light and life of heaven could11700:11:59,039 –> 00:12:06,919take a human form is beyond what even angels can grasp how he could be11800:12:06,919 –> 00:12:15,099helpless as a human child is beyond what we can fathom it is a mystery to me11900:12:15,099 –> 00:12:20,119still as much as it is and always will be to you but what I tell you is it12000:12:20,400 –> 00:12:30,099happened all I can say is what I said to Mary with God nothing is impossible12100:12:30,099 –> 00:12:38,640well after that I held my breath well actually angels don’t have breath but12200:12:38,640 –> 00:12:43,119it’s just a way of speaking that you would understand I waited to see what12300:12:43,119 –> 00:12:49,539she would say God would never do this work through someone unwilling he has12400:12:49,539 –> 00:12:54,380his way of course of drawing our will but he he does not force his way or his12500:12:54,380 –> 00:13:00,979will on anyone no Mary had a choice to make as all of us do in response to God12600:13:00,979 –> 00:13:09,880and I trembled as I waited to hear what she would say then she spoke I am the12700:13:09,880 –> 00:13:19,219Lord’s servant she said let it be to me as you have said and so it was that nine12800:13:19,219 –> 00:13:25,099months later Jesus was born a whole company of my colleagues appeared in the12900:13:25,099 –> 00:13:29,760sky that night praising God and announcing the good news to men and13000:13:29,760 –> 00:13:37,320women I have to tell you we marveled as we watched his life he was everything13100:13:37,320 –> 00:13:43,960God intended a human being to be imagine we said to each other imagine if other13200:13:44,320 –> 00:13:51,760men and women could become like him his ministry brought more goods to the world13300:13:51,760 –> 00:13:57,739than anything we had seen in all of human history and that happened over a13400:13:57,739 –> 00:14:03,900period of just three years and that is why we could hardly believe what happened13500:14:03,900 –> 00:14:11,059next. You people crucified him.13600:14:11,059 –> 00:14:18,940I’ll never forget that day we watched as he was scourged and and bound and and13700:14:18,940 –> 00:14:28,020led away we waited for him to call us for deliverance but he never did when he13800:14:28,020 –> 00:14:32,679was nailed to that cross we said to the father please let us go now but he held13900:14:32,679 –> 00:14:35,059us back14000:14:35,659 –> 00:14:43,099God’s forbearance at human sin has always amazed us14100:14:43,099 –> 00:14:48,919but this had to be humanity’s day of reckoning we knew that God’s judgment14200:14:48,919 –> 00:14:57,719must fall that day but as we watched we realized that the judgment for human14300:14:57,760 –> 00:15:06,140sins was falling on Jesus that he was absorbing it in his own body on your14400:15:06,140 –> 00:15:14,179behalf that he was actually making himself the sacrifice the sacrifice for14500:15:14,179 –> 00:15:24,840your sins then he died and heaven fell silent14600:15:24,880 –> 00:15:30,239course we fully expected his spirit to return to heaven where he belongs but14700:15:30,239 –> 00:15:34,739that would have meant abandoning his humanity which would have been of no14800:15:34,739 –> 00:15:41,340help to you so it wasn’t until the third day that we understood what God14900:15:41,340 –> 00:15:47,260was really doing I will never forget that glorious morning the corpse of15000:15:47,260 –> 00:15:54,580Jesus had been laid out in a sealed Tomb and it was animated that morning with15100:15:54,619 –> 00:16:00,979his life his human body was transformed it was energized it was adapted for all15200:16:00,979 –> 00:16:06,500eternity women came to the tomb that morning looking for his body and one of15300:16:06,500 –> 00:16:13,460my colleagues was sent to tell them he is risen after that he appeared to his15400:16:13,460 –> 00:16:19,580disciples many times and then he ascended into heaven you can imagine our15500:16:20,340 –> 00:16:29,020in receiving him back but I’ll tell you your joy should be greater than ours15600:16:29,020 –> 00:16:36,580you see he didn’t die for angels it wasn’t the nature of angels that he15700:16:36,580 –> 00:16:45,359assumed when he came into the world he became a man he died and rose for15800:16:45,359 –> 00:16:54,400folks like you and there’s a man in heaven and his name is Jesus he’s there15900:16:54,400 –> 00:17:02,440for you he’s the pioneer he’s the first of many men and women who will become16000:17:02,440 –> 00:17:09,599like him and share his resurrected body soul his risen new humanity into16100:17:09,599 –> 00:17:14,339everlasting life he’s your hope he’s your savior16200:17:14,380 –> 00:17:21,300he’s your king he’s your Lord now all the talk up there is about the day of16300:17:21,300 –> 00:17:26,760his second coming I’ll be with him then so will Mary and Joseph and all of the16400:17:26,760 –> 00:17:31,680disciples along with everyone else who has ever put their trust in him and all16500:17:31,680 –> 00:17:36,040his people who are still living will rise to meet him in the air you’ll see16600:17:36,040 –> 00:17:43,939me then though you’ll be much more interested in him you know talking about16700:17:43,939 –> 00:17:50,300seeing angels it reminds me sometimes we hear people say oh if only I could see16800:17:50,300 –> 00:17:56,520an angel then I would believe as if an appearance from one of us could be16900:17:56,520 –> 00:18:03,900greater than what God has already done in Christ my colleagues did a fair bit17000:18:03,900 –> 00:18:09,560of appearing before he came but since he’s come you shouldn’t expect to see us17100:18:09,579 –> 00:18:15,819today we’re always at work but since he’s come there is nothing that we can17200:18:15,819 –> 00:18:20,280add to what God has revealed in him candles are of great value in the17300:18:20,280 –> 00:18:25,760darkness but what would be the point of lighting a candle in the brilliance of17400:18:25,760 –> 00:18:33,640the midday Sun and when I got a couple of minutes and then I really must fly17500:18:33,640 –> 00:18:41,660so let me just say this there are some things known to us that are hidden from17600:18:41,660 –> 00:18:50,780you and there are some things known to you that are hidden from us we can’t17700:18:50,780 –> 00:18:59,479imagine what it’s like to be forgiven to be reconciled to share the nature of17800:18:59,739 –> 00:19:08,219Christ and to have his spirit living within your own being see we have not17900:19:08,219 –> 00:19:15,180experienced your tragedy so we cannot imagine the joy of your restoration18000:19:15,180 –> 00:19:20,680we’ve never been lost so we cannot know what it is to be found we have not sinned18100:19:20,680 –> 00:19:27,219so we cannot know what it really is to be forgiven we are his servants but you18200:19:28,079 –> 00:19:34,760sons and his daughters adopted into his family for all eternity the intimacy18300:19:34,760 –> 00:19:42,459with God that is possible for you is staggering to us we see his presence but18400:19:42,459 –> 00:19:51,660you share his nature he has made himself one with you and bound himself to you18500:19:52,520 –> 00:19:58,239that’s why I said you can experience the love of God in ways that are beyond18600:19:58,239 –> 00:20:05,099anything that is possible or me but then there are other things that are known to18700:20:05,099 –> 00:20:19,020us and hidden from you you can’t imagine heaven or hell I’ve seen them both you18800:20:19,119 –> 00:20:28,319can’t begin to imagine what he has saved you from or what he has saved you for18900:20:28,500 –> 00:20:38,000but having seen it I tell you we find it staggering that so many human beings19000:20:38,000 –> 00:20:42,060give such little thought to their eternal future living as if this19100:20:42,060 –> 00:20:47,060fleeting world that is passing away was everything totally unaware of the19200:20:47,060 –> 00:20:52,119eternity that is just beyond the line of your sight19300:20:52,319 –> 00:21:00,319Jesus came into the world to seek and to save the lost and we see men and women19400:21:00,319 –> 00:21:05,239losing their way all the time I have to tell you that whenever anyone repents19500:21:05,239 –> 00:21:10,680and comes back to him there is such joy and celebration among all the angels of19600:21:10,680 –> 00:21:16,040heaven. God is for you and however far you may be19700:21:16,040 –> 00:21:20,680from him at this very moment he wants you back and this is why Christ has19800:21:20,680 –> 00:21:27,000come into the world. Believe in him and you will not be disappointed19900:21:27,000 –> 00:21:33,560follow him and you will never go wrong. Live for him you will find your lives20000:21:33,560 –> 00:21:39,140true meaning and your purpose and I know that I speak for all of my20100:21:39,739 –> 00:21:48,839that Jesus Christ is our greatest joy. Is he yours?20200:21:48,839 –> 00:21:55,939see that’s how you know if you belong to heaven. Christ is the joy of heaven and20300:21:55,939 –> 00:22:01,619he’s the joy of all who belong there too.20400:22:01,619 –> 00:22:07,239That’s my story.20500:22:07,420 –> 00:22:16,579So, may God bless you Give to you very, very wonderful and a very20600:22:16,579 –> 00:22:18,560happy Christmas.20700:22:19,140 –> 00:22:23,699You’ve been listening to Pastor Colin Smith on Open the Bible and Gabriel’s20800:22:23,699 –> 00:22:28,400story it’s part of our series Christmas stories and if you’ve missed any of the20900:22:28,400 –> 00:22:32,160series so far or you want to go back and listen again you can do that by coming21000:22:32,239 –> 00:22:35,920online to our website oncethebible.org.uk21100:22:35,939 –> 00:22:41,680Open the Bible is entirely funded by our listeners and we’re very grateful so if21200:22:41,680 –> 00:22:46,140you already give to the work of Open the Bible thank you so much. If that’s21300:22:46,140 –> 00:22:49,839something you’re considering doing in the future we have an offer for you this21400:22:49,839 –> 00:22:53,800month which I hope you’ll be interested in. During the month of December if you21500:22:53,800 –> 00:22:58,560are able to set up a new direct debit to the work of Open the Bible in the amount21600:22:58,560 –> 00:23:04,180of five pounds per month or more or a one-off gift to open the Bible of 5021700:23:04,180 –> 00:23:09,260pounds or more we’d love to say thank you by sending you three copies of John’s21800:23:09,260 –> 00:23:13,719Gospel. You might want to keep one for yourself and give two of them away or21900:23:13,719 –> 00:23:17,800you might want to give all of them away. I recently caught up with Amanda22000:23:17,800 –> 00:23:23,239Cunningham, who is Open the Bible UK’s operations and communications manager22100:23:23,280 –> 00:23:28,540and I asked her to tell me more about this free gift. Thank You David. Yes we22200:23:28,540 –> 00:23:33,459are really excited to be giving away not just one but three of these ESV22300:23:33,459 –> 00:23:40,079journaling copies of John’s Gospel as well as an Open the Bible bookmark with22400:23:40,079 –> 00:23:45,760five questions to reflect on as you open the Bible. Each page of text is a blank22500:23:45,760 –> 00:23:50,959page opposite on a lovely thick cream paper which means they’re perfect for22600:23:51,060 –> 00:23:56,280writing notes reflections or prayers or if you’re giving it to an inquiring22700:23:56,280 –> 00:24:00,239friend perhaps you could suggest that they write down any questions that they22800:24:00,239 –> 00:24:05,359want to ask you or anything that they’re struck by. I also really love the22900:24:05,359 –> 00:24:10,619beautiful gold ink illustrations in the book and the unique gold foil stamped23000:24:10,619 –> 00:24:15,439cover which gives it a feel of luxury so I definitely wouldn’t feel embarrassed23100:24:15,439 –> 00:24:19,520about giving this gospel as a Christmas gift but if you do feel a little23200:24:19,619 –> 00:24:23,380nervous about giving it to someone why not bundle it in with the box of23300:24:23,380 –> 00:24:27,900chocolates or the pair of socks that you’re already giving after all what23400:24:27,900 –> 00:24:32,219could be a more precious gift this Christmas than the Living Word of God23500:24:32,219 –> 00:24:37,939and these beautiful illustrated Gospels of John would be a perfect way to give23600:24:37,939 –> 00:24:41,680that gift thank you Amanda so those three copies23700:24:41,680 –> 00:24:45,880of John’s Gospel are our gift to you if you’re able to begin a new direct debit23800:24:45,880 –> 00:24:50,040to the work of open the Bible this month in the amount of five pounds per23900:24:50,040 –> 00:24:56,140month or more or a one-off gift of 50 pounds full details terms and conditions24000:24:56,140 –> 00:25:02,500on our website that’s at openthebible.org.uk for pastor Colin Smith24100:25:02,500 –> 00:25:06,420and open the Bible I’m David pike and I hope you’ll join us again next time on24200:25:06,420 –> 00:25:09,439open the Bible24300:25:10,439 –> 00:25:13,800you24400:25:13,800 –> 00:25:18,800Abraham experienced God’s blessing during his lifetime but he was still24500:25:18,800 –> 00:25:21,680waiting and looking for something when he died24600:25:21,680 –> 00:25:26,839find out what that was next time on open the Bible