<TITLE>03. Par 15-17</TITLE>L-15   If you will turn with me for a reading in the Holy Writ, Saint Luke, the 2nd chapter. Can you hear me all right?
Is there any transposition in the microphones? Can you hear me in the back all right? If you can, raise your hand. Thank you. The 2nd chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Luke.
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
(And this tax was first made known... was governor of Syria.)
And all went to be taxed, every one to his own country.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, into the city of Nazareth, into Judaea,... the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while she was there, the days of her accomplishment that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in the manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there was in the same country shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone around about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring... good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, laying in a manger.
And suddenly there was the... And suddenly there... with the angel a multitude of... 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, the shepherds said one to another, Let us go now even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord has made known unto us.
And they came in haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger.
And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning the child.
And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things which they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
May the Lord add His blessings to the reading of His Word.

L-16   Now, it's a... Why this great event was revealed to shepherds? That would be kind of an astounding thing for us. I have some Scriptures written here, and a few notes that I will try to run over, to explain to you why to the best of my knowledge. And maybe then after this, that the Lord with His grace, tonight, will take the why's away from us. But did... Most all of us, I suppose, at one time or other, has wondered why that this greatest event of all time was revealed to shepherds. Why was It revealed to shepherds and not to the theologians of that day; they were the one were trained to hear It? And why did It come and bypass the rich, and come to the poor? Also, why did It bypass the learned and wise, and come to the humble and unlearned? There is a few questions of why in this.

L-17   And another reason I might say, notice, the babe was borned in Bethlehem. Which Bethlehem in the Hebrew interpretation, as we had a couple years ago here, Bethlehem means the "house of God's bread." And we proved in the Scriptures, He could not come any other place. Bethlehem was founded by Rahab and her--her husband. Rahab was a harlot that a general courted, from the--the Israelite army, after they had taken Jericho. And by faith she believed the message of God, in her condition, and she was saved. And from there, when Joshua divided up the lands of where each one would be,...


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