WEBVTT 00:00:00.020 --> 00:00:03.640 There is something about December that makes the world feel different. 00:00:04.430 --> 00:00:05.340 The lights go up. 00:00:05.570 --> 00:00:06.500 The music changes. 00:00:06.980 --> 00:00:07.980 The days get shorter. 00:00:08.520 --> 00:00:09.580 The nights get quieter. 00:00:10.200 --> 00:00:13.860 And even though the calendar fills up faster than any of us would like, 00:00:14.290 --> 00:00:16.960 there is still this quiet pull on the heart. 00:00:17.600 --> 00:00:18.240 Slow down. 00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:19.460 Look again. 00:00:20.240 --> 00:00:21.740 Remember what God has done. 00:00:22.620 --> 00:00:24.140 And the longer I walk with the Lord, 00:00:24.470 --> 00:00:29.720 the more convinced I am that Advent is not only about looking forward to the coming of Christ, 00:00:30.120 --> 00:00:32.259 It is also about looking backward. 00:00:32.900 --> 00:00:36.940 It's about remembering that His arrival in Bethlehem was not sudden. 00:00:37.480 --> 00:00:38.400 It was not a surprise. 00:00:39.120 --> 00:00:41.640 It was not a last-second rescue plan. 00:00:42.480 --> 00:00:44.400 The manger was always the plan. 00:00:44.960 --> 00:00:49.040 And today, we are going to sit with one of the most powerful scenes in Scripture, 00:00:49.710 --> 00:00:51.860 a scene that happens after the resurrection, 00:00:52.380 --> 00:00:57.000 but explains Christmas better than almost any other passage in the Bible. 00:01:04.720 --> 00:01:09.760 Welcome to Verses We Missed. I'm your host, your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. 00:01:10.580 --> 00:01:14.240 Every week we slow down and spend time with the quieter parts of Scripture. 00:01:14.920 --> 00:01:21.000 The verses that hide in plain sight. The ones that reward a slower reading and a prayerful heart. 00:01:21.740 --> 00:01:24.660 This is your midweek breath of Scripture and grace. 00:01:25.640 --> 00:01:28.960 And today we're looking at Luke 24, verse 27. 00:01:30.140 --> 00:01:33.880 It may not seem like a Christmas verse at first glance, but stay with me. 00:01:34.580 --> 00:01:36.980 This may be the ultimate Christmas verse, 00:01:37.400 --> 00:01:40.720 because what Jesus does in this scene is breathtaking. 00:01:41.700 --> 00:01:44.960 He pulls back the curtain on the entire Old Testament, 00:01:45.560 --> 00:01:47.260 and he says something very simple. 00:01:47.800 --> 00:01:49.960 All of this was pointing to me. 00:01:52.380 --> 00:01:53.340 Let me paint the moment. 00:01:54.360 --> 00:02:01.260 It's Resurrection Sunday. Jesus has risen, but not everyone knows yet. Two disciples are walking 00:02:01.330 --> 00:02:08.220 from Jerusalem to a village called Emmaus. They're discouraged, confused, heartbroken. 00:02:08.860 --> 00:02:14.960 They had hoped that Jesus was the one, but the cross shattered their expectations. 00:02:16.170 --> 00:02:21.640 As they walk, a stranger joins them. They do not recognize him, but it is Jesus, 00:02:22.260 --> 00:02:28.320 And instead of revealing himself immediately, he begins a Bible study, a personal, private 00:02:28.530 --> 00:02:31.740 walk through the Scriptures that had shaped their entire lives. 00:02:32.720 --> 00:02:34.200 He listens to their confusion. 00:02:34.910 --> 00:02:36.660 Then he gently challenges it. 00:02:37.140 --> 00:02:41.940 And finally, he opens the Scriptures to them, which leads us to our verse. 00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:44.460 Luke 24, verse 27. 00:02:45.300 --> 00:02:46.040 And here it is. 00:02:46.880 --> 00:02:51.299 And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all 00:02:51.320 --> 00:02:57.760 the scriptures concerning himself. Let me read that again more slowly. Beginning with Moses 00:02:58.840 --> 00:03:04.640 and all the prophets, he explained what was said in all the scriptures concerning himself. 00:03:05.880 --> 00:03:09.180 That one sentence can change how we read the entire Bible. 00:03:10.240 --> 00:03:16.419 What does Jesus mean when he says the scriptures were about him? He does not mean that every verse 00:03:16.440 --> 00:03:23.600 is a direct prediction. He means the whole story of God from Genesis to Malachi is a story with a 00:03:23.820 --> 00:03:31.940 direction, a story with a center, a story with a promised Redeemer at the core. Let me show you 00:03:31.940 --> 00:03:39.760 what that looks like. In Genesis, the moment Adam and Eve fall, God announces a plan. A descendant 00:03:39.760 --> 00:03:46.400 will come who will crush the serpent's head. The world is barely broken, and already the manger is 00:03:46.420 --> 00:03:54.120 distance. Abraham. God promises that through Abraham's offspring, all nations will be blessed. 00:03:54.800 --> 00:04:03.440 Not just one nation, all nations. Christmas is already taking shape. Passover. You have a lamb, 00:04:04.140 --> 00:04:11.900 blood that saves, a people delivered from darkness into light. Do you see it? These are shadows of 00:04:11.920 --> 00:04:17.680 the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And now the law and the sacrifices. Every 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:24.400 offering, every priest, every drop of blood. All of it points to a greater priest and a perfect 00:04:25.100 --> 00:04:33.220 sacrifice. The Prophets. A virgin will conceive. A king will reign forever. A shepherd will gather 00:04:33.380 --> 00:04:39.820 his flock. A suffering servant will bear our griefs. The Old Testament is not a disconnected 00:04:39.840 --> 00:04:47.740 library of ancient stories. It is a single story with a single center. From the first page to the 00:04:47.900 --> 00:04:55.140 last page before Matthew, the Bible leans toward Jesus. This is why the angels sang at his birth. 00:04:55.960 --> 00:05:00.960 This is why Simeon held him in the temple and said, My eyes have seen your salvation. 00:05:02.220 --> 00:05:08.380 This is why the star appeared. This is why the shepherds ran. They were not witnessing a beginning. 00:05:09.020 --> 00:05:14.700 They were witnessing a fulfillment. The manger was always the plan. 00:05:15.940 --> 00:05:23.200 Now, let's pause for a moment, because everything I just said is not only about theology. It is about 00:05:23.730 --> 00:05:30.560 your life. The disciples on the Emmaus Road thought they knew the story. They thought everything had 00:05:30.670 --> 00:05:37.540 fallen apart. They thought the ending was written. But Jesus says, Let me show you how this fits. 00:05:38.520 --> 00:05:41.900 Maybe you're living in a chapter that does not make sense right now. 00:05:42.540 --> 00:05:45.240 A season that feels confusing or unfinished. 00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:49.520 A moment where you're asking God what He is doing. 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:52.860 Christmas tells us something important. 00:05:54.020 --> 00:05:56.060 God does not forget His promises. 00:05:56.820 --> 00:05:58.840 He does not abandon His plan. 00:05:59.720 --> 00:06:02.460 He does not leave any part of the story wasted. 00:06:03.400 --> 00:06:07.220 It may feel slow to us, but the plan of redemption took centuries. 00:06:08.020 --> 00:06:10.860 God is never rushed, but He is never late. 00:06:11.800 --> 00:06:16.260 Your life is held by the same author who held the entire story of Scripture. 00:06:17.260 --> 00:06:18.440 He knows the path. 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:20.080 He knows the purpose. 00:06:20.980 --> 00:06:23.440 He knows what the next chapter is for. 00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:29.900 And when Jesus interprets the Scriptures about Himself, He is also showing us how He works with us. 00:06:30.680 --> 00:06:32.980 He helps us see the story we are in. 00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:37.640 As we approach Christmas, we remember something sacred. 00:06:38.520 --> 00:06:45.140 Jesus did not arrive unexpectedly. He arrived faithfully. He arrived according to promise. 00:06:45.920 --> 00:06:51.420 He arrived according to Scripture. And just as surely as He came the first time, 00:06:51.690 --> 00:06:58.520 He will come again. Advent is not only about looking backward, it is also about looking forward. 00:06:59.180 --> 00:07:04.939 The child in the manger is the King who will return. The God who kept His promises for thousands 00:07:04.960 --> 00:07:14.860 of years will keep His promises to you. Let's pray. Father, thank you for the story you have 00:07:14.960 --> 00:07:20.420 been telling since the beginning. Thank you that Jesus was not an afterthought or an interruption, 00:07:20.880 --> 00:07:26.520 but your plan from the very start. Thank you for the promise kept in the manger and the promise 00:07:26.640 --> 00:07:33.019 yet to come. Teach us to see your hand in the scriptures and teach us to see your hand in our 00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:39.360 own story. In this Advent season, give us hearts full of hope, eyes full of wonder, 00:07:39.870 --> 00:07:45.380 and faith that rests in your promises. In Jesus' name, amen. 00:07:56.020 --> 00:08:00.739 Beloved, if this episode encouraged your heart today, if it helped you see the beauty of the 00:08:00.760 --> 00:08:06.820 story God has been telling? Would you consider returning some of that value? Time. Tell someone 00:08:06.900 --> 00:08:13.920 about the show. Talent. Share your art or creativity. Treasure. You can stream sats or 00:08:14.160 --> 00:08:22.640 support the show at lifespringmedia.com support. This is a weekly show released every Tuesday at 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:28.459 10 p.m. Pacific, so it's waiting for you Wednesday morning, your midweek breath of scripture and 00:08:28.480 --> 00:08:33.919 grace. And for the month of December, I am rerunning the LifeSpring Why Christmas podcast's 00:08:33.940 --> 00:08:40.520 debut season from 2006. It's a show I co-hosted with my good friend, James Cooper, who runs the 00:08:40.800 --> 00:08:46.320 internet's best Christmas website, which is celebrating its 25th year, whychristmas.com. 00:08:46.980 --> 00:08:52.080 It's a short 10 to 15 minute daily show, right up till Christmas, that shares the story of 00:08:52.220 --> 00:08:57.099 Christmas and some of the customs and fun things around Christmas from around the world. You can 00:08:57.120 --> 00:09:05.020 Find it at lifespringmedia.com or just look for LifeSpring with an exclamation mark behind it on your podcast app, LifeSpring! 00:09:06.460 --> 00:09:10.080 The shows I've produced over the years should come up, including the Why Christmas Show. 00:09:10.720 --> 00:09:12.540 Take a listen. I think you'll like it. 00:09:13.180 --> 00:09:17.440 Until next time, may God remind you that your life has a place in His story. 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:19.980 May He surround you with His goodness. 00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:23.940 And may the hope of Christ's coming fill your heart with joy. 00:09:25.220 --> 00:09:26.440 May God bless you richly. 00:09:27.260 --> 00:09:29.540 My name is Steve Webb. Bye.