Hello and welcome to Foley's End podcast. A podcast
created to plant the word of God into your heart,
giving you the tools you need to lead a life
full of the abundance Jesus said he came to give
us all. That's John 10 verse 10. I'm Gareth Cox.
And I'm Jessie Cox. And thank you for joining
us today for our special Christmas message. Jessie,
I can't believe we're recording our Christmas
message already. The year has flown by. Christmas
is a really important time for many reasons.
It brings families together. We get to show our
love and kindness to one another. We eat too
much and we share lots of presents. We also celebrate
the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus.
The presents that we give symbolize the most
significant gift of all. God gave us Jesus. The
Nativity story is focused around the birth of
Jesus. So today we're going to look at what the
Bible says instead of the fable that we've become
so familiar with. So Jessie, tell us what it
really is about. So I think one of the things
that we need to understand is that the story
of Christmas is not just a children's tale. It's
got relevance that we can apply to our lives
today. You know, over the years, over the decades,
it's been quietly moved into just a children's
nativity play that you only hear about at school
or a Church of England type nativity rendition.
But that's not what it is. Are you saying that
we shouldn't have children's nativities? No,
not at all. I mean, it might be the only version
of Jesus's birth that people here otherwise they're
not exposed to it no you know and even our children
you know it's not very many environments where
you can talk to them about it. So I'm not saying
that we shouldn't do it. We absolutely should.
But for us, it can't be just limited to a story
that we've heard passed down from other people.
It needs to be something that we look at ourselves
because it has got applications for our lives
today. And a lot of what we know isn't really
the full story anyway. you know, recently I was
having a conversation with somebody and they
were saying, you know, some scripture is meant
for the time that it was written and not for
us. And that's just, that's just not true. I
mean, 2 Timothy 3 verse 16 to 17 says, All scripture
is given by the inspiration of God and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instructions in righteousness that the man of
God may be perfect, thoroughly finished unto
all good work. And that verse says how much of
scripture is profitable? All, all of it. So the
story of Jesus' birth, we need to know about
it so that it isn't just a fable, it isn't just
a children's nativity play. It has applications
for our lives today and like I said before there
are so many myths surrounding the nativity story
but there's so many amazing things that we can
learn from it. I heard you say the word myth
then. Myths tend to suggest false information
perhaps. What do you mean by that? So, like,
for example, there's no mention of Mary riding
on a donkey at all. Well, but every nativity
has a donkey. Yeah, I know, but it's not in Scripture.
And everyone wants to dress up as a donkey. And
everybody, I mean, especially our two, but there
is no mention of a donkey at all in any of the
Scriptures. And it's not a big deal, right, whether
there's a donkey there or not. But I think it's
important that we understand, particularly as
Christians, and as people that want to be mature
in our understanding and knowledge of God, that
the nativity story isn't a complete and true
representation of the birth of Jesus. One of
the things that I think can really help us in
our understanding, Gareth, is to know that there
are four Gospels, as we know, right? Yeah, Matthew,
Mark, Luke and John. and only Matthew and Luke
give a recount of the birth of Jesus. And I think
we don't spend much time on this, but it's helpful
for us to understand that each one of the gospels
were written to a particular group of people.
So Matthew was written to the Jewish culture
and he was really establishing that Jesus was
the Messiah that they were waiting for. Mark
was written to the Romans who occupied most of
the known world at the time. The Gospel of Luke
was written to the Greeks who were pursuing to
bring about the perfect man and the Greeks were
obsessed with minds and physiques. And Luke represents
Jesus as the perfect man who grew in wisdom.
And the Gospel of John, you know, was written
many years after the other Gospels. And he wrote
those who had already responded to Jesus, to
the Church. So it's interesting when we look
at these, when we look at the story of Jesus,
it's good for us to know who was writing these
accounts and what they were written for. I'm
a big fan of a TV show called Mythbusters. Can
you bust any more myths for us in this story?
Yeah, so there's one other that I really would
like us to talk about today. Obviously everyone
knows about the three wise men, right? Yeah,
they're a big part of the story, right? It's
a big part of the story. But there's no mention
that there was three. You're kidding? No, I'm
not. There's no donkey in those three wise men.
Great. Was Mary and Joseph there? Yes, they were
there. So, there's no mention of it being three
at all in scripture. And, you know, we can only
kind of assume that the reason why people got
two three was because of the three gifts, which
were? Gold, frankincense and myrrh. And that
does make sense, doesn't it? Three kings, three
gifts. Number three. And, you know, the way that
we see the nativity story, we see, you know,
the wise men kind of arriving at the same time.
You know, it's three wise men because they just
need three children to turn up at the nativity.
That's why there's three wise men. Yeah. But
they turn up at the nativity, right? Yeah. But
scripture doesn't say that. So scripture says,
I wish people could see your face. It's possible
that the wise men... turned up way after Jesus
was born, because the story in the Bible tells
us that the wise men arrive, and they've been
following the star, and they go to Herod's palace,
because they see the star and they think, oh,
there's got to be a king born, so where do you
go to look for a king? The palace? Yeah. And
it was too much of a coincidence that everybody
descends exactly at the same moment that Jesus
was born. Yeah. And the reason, like I say, with
confidence, it's likely it was later is because,
you know, when Herod finds this out and he asks
them, you know, how long have you been following
the star? He gets mad and he wants to ensure
that he's the only king and he makes an order
that all children, all baby boys born in Bethlehem
to and under are to be killed. Yeah. So, but
he said to and under. Why has he said two years
and under? Well, there we go, there's your time
period. Yeah, because they could have been following
it for two years or there's a period of time
between them arriving there and not coming back
because they get warned in a dream well people
they talk about hearing the good news right so
we didn't have newspapers well we scribed things
on rock and things like that but we didn't have
newspapers we didn't have internet we couldn't
fax anyone like it's not possible so you would
have to hear it on the grapevine so the good
news would have been spread and that takes a
long time for it to spread that good news and
you know The Bible says that they were wise men.
If you look at your King James, it says wise
men. But if you look at the original word in
the Greek, it's a word called magi. And magi
means magicians or sorcerers or wise men. Whoa.
So they're often depicted in nativity as, you
know, men with kind of crowns on their heads,
but it's much more likely that they were sorcerers.
And again, I wish we could see your face. I love
that God chose to show himself to people that
in most churches today would have been deemed
unqualified or dangerous to know the things of
God. I bet you've got a verse for that. I have.
So 1 Corinthians 1 verse 27 says, I love that
because it says that he takes the things that
the world thinks are nothing and he uses those
things. He showed himself to not three wise kings
but to a group of people that were probably messing
around in magic and sorcery but were hungry and
wanted to know more about God. They were looking
for supernatural things and they knew enough
to recognize a significant star signified the
arrival of a king and they went looking where
kings were born, which is a palace. And that's
how they got hold of Herod. That's they turn
up at Herod's and they say we're looking for
a baby. It's got to be a king and Herod says
he's not here but when you find him come back
and tell me because he was going to kill him.
Yeah, because he wanted to go to the king. And
they have a dream and in the dream they're warned
by an angel not to go back to Herod. So after
they found the baby or the two -year -old they
go a different way so they don't go past Herod's
palace again. Fascinating. And this is what I
love about the nativity story. Because when you
know that, when you realize it wasn't three kings
that had all their stuff together, it was people,
like I said, that probably wouldn't be welcome
in church that found God. And that's because
we often disqualify people that God qualifies.
In Matthew 7 verse 7, it says, ask and it will
be given to you seek and you will find knock
and it will be open to you for everyone who asks
and everyone who seeks finds and to one who knocks
it will be open They were looking for God and
He showed Himself to them. And this is the problem
with religion in general. It's become a man -made
concept based on fables passed from generations.
But we have the real thing in book form. The
Bible is God -breathed and we have a copy of
it. Yet many ministers of the gospel don't stick
to the absolute truth of the story. So the essence
is kept, but the details lost. And in that detail,
there's applications for our lives today. So
you're saying it isn't just a Christmas story.
This is a lifetime story. Yeah. And you know,
everything about the Bible, it indicates God's
nature and who He is and what He thinks about
us. And when we reduce it to something that we
say over and over and over again, you know, we
lose the aliveness of it. We lose that bit that
is powerful and sharper than a two -edged sword
because it just becomes like repetition. And
even in the Lord's Prayer, before Jesus teaches
the Lord's Prayer, he says, don't use vain repetitions.
Don't do it. Because when we just repeat something
again and again and again, it does lose its power.
And I think, for me, this is something that's...
so important because as someone who knows that
God's asked me to teach the Word of God, it's
very important to me that I don't take anything
away or add to the Bible stories, but that I
present it as it is. And if you want a biblical
scripture to back that statement up, have a look
at Revelation 22 verse 18, because it warns us
not to add or take anything away from the Bible.
I think that's so important. And just like Easter,
which has become all about the yeast of honey
and chocolate, Christmas has become about a story
and it's been a watered -down nativity about
presents and the pressure to be perfect. You
know, God's message is a message of love and
that's what the Bible is. It's not based on our
perfection and how well we do, but in the perfection
of Jesus. And this is why I love that, the revelation
of the Magi, not the three wise men, because
they were not perfect. They didn't have it all
together, but God revealed Himself to them because
they sought, they hunted, they were hungry, they
were looking. We don't have to be perfect because
we put our faith in a perfect Jesus who fulfilled
every law and now we as believers are not able
to rest in who Jesus was. That's huge and that
really is the true message of Jesus' birth. It's
not just salvation or forgiveness of sins but
it is utter relief from performance, strife.
perfectionism and self -reliance, because we
can put our faith in Jesus. We've heard a lot
just then. The most important thing, I guess,
is we should back that up with some scripture,
just to make sure we're on the right page. Yeah,
absolutely. Like I said, we've got to stick to
what the scripture says. So, you know, I said
that Jesus was perfect who fulfilled every law,
right? So let's just back that up, make sure
that this isn't just Jesse's talking, this is
the truth. So Matthew 5 verse 17, Jesus is talking
here and he says, And Galatians 3 verse 13 says,
For it is written, cursed is everyone that hangs
on a tree. So that in Christ Jesus, the blessing
of Abraham might come to the Gentiles so that
we might receive the promised spirit through
faith. You know, Jesus fulfilled the law and
he redeemed us from it. And that's huge because
so much of what is taught in church is that,
okay, you've got saved just by God's goodness,
but now, now the hard work really starts, now
you've got to be perfect. Now you've got to follow
the letter of the law and you can't make a mistake
and God's not going to be happy with you if you
don't do that. That's not right. That's not what
the Bible says at all. And I said that Jesus
is perfect. Well, let's back that up. Hebrews
4 verse 15 says, for we do not have a high priest,
talking of Jesus, who is unable to sympathize
with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect
has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
He was perfect. He fulfilled it. He did what
we could not do. And then I said that it's our
job now to rest in what Jesus did for us and
not to strive to be perfect. And this is the
opposite of what religion tells us. In John 10
verse 10, Jesus says this, and I really want
you to listen to this because we say it every
single podcast, but like I said, if you keep
repeating it and you're not engaging your heart,
your mind, it's easy to skip over these truths.
But John 10 verse 10 says, this is Jesus, he's
talking now. He says, the thief comes only to
steal, to kill and to destroy, but I came that
they might have life and they might have it abundantly.
And Jesus didn't say, the thief comes only to
steal, to kill and to destroy, but I've came
that they might have forgiveness of sin and go
to heaven. He didn't say that, but that is what
most churches are preaching today. They say,
turn to Jesus and you'll get forgiven and you'll
go to heaven. But that's not what he said. And
let's just remind ourselves. He said, I came
that they might have life and they might have
it abundantly. Believing in Jesus doesn't just
give you forgiveness of sins. It gives you life
in abundance. And that word abundance means above
measure. Yet most of the church is saved and
stuck. They're going to heaven, but we're clinging
on by our fingertips. We're not experiencing
life in abundance more than we can expect, more
than we can imagine. And it's because we don't
understand who God is and what he's done for
us. And we can, in a sense, be forgiven for not
knowing that, because a lot of our leaders who
teach us, they don't know. And we're suffering
for a lack of knowledge. You know, Hosea 4 verse
6 says, my people perish for a lack of knowledge.
We don't understand that God has given us rest
because we don't have to be perfect. We can put
our trust in God and we can rest in that. Do
you want to read the next scripture, Gareth?
We're going to read from Hebrews 4 verse 11 now.
Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest.
lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
So this is a really interesting concept. I don't
know if it's something you've heard before, Gareth,
but basically what it's saying in Hebrew is that
there is a rest in God, but we have to labor.
What does labor mean? To work. Yeah, so we have
to labor. Work for the rest. Yeah. We have to
labor to get ourselves into a place of rest.
to trust God that He is perfect and we do not
have to be, because society, religion, the world
tells us that it's all down on us. But this is
the amazing story of what Jesus did for us. And
when you look at it like that, you think, wow,
that is incredible, I don't have to do anything.
No, all you have to do is believe. You just believe
that Jesus was enough. and you now have to work
to get yourself into that place of rest where
you can trust Jesus. You know, we've got a supernatural
rest that Jesus himself has given us, and we
don't have to be like everybody else. And when
we celebrate Christmas, we're celebrating more
than just Jesus' birth. We're celebrating his
birth, his life, his death, and his resurrection.
He said it is finished when he hung on that cross.
And now we are heavenly beings walking on the
earth because we have Jesus on the inside of
us. We are seated in heavenly places. That's
Ephesians 2 verse 6. We are one with the Father,
John 17 verse 22 to 23. As Jesus is, so are we
in this world. 1 John 4 17. We are the righteousness
in Christ Jesus, 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21. We
are a royal priesthood, 1 Peter 2 verse 9. You
know, I've just run through all those scriptures
really quickly, but you know, so many times we
don't know who we are because of Jesus. So we
can go through this season, this Christmas season,
feeling very stressed and overwhelmed. But that's
not what the story of Christmas is about. The
story of Christmas is that one of them is that
Jesus came so that we could have life in abundance
and He took things like sorcerers and revealed
Himself to them because it's not about our goodness
or how well we've performed, but it's about God's
goodness. and how much He saved us. And this
is why, I think, when the angels visited the
shepherds in the field, around about the time
that Jesus was born, in Luke 2 verse 14. Gareth,
you can read that, because it's one of your favorites.
Well, it's a song, isn't it, that we sing at
Christmas? So, glory to God in the highest, and
on earth peace, good will to all men. And this
is because when Jesus arrived, there is now peace.
good will to all men. There's peace with God
the Father. He's not looking for you to be perfect.
He's not looking for you to have it all together.
He just wants you and he just wants to be with
you and that's why he sent Jesus. Should we do
a little prayer? Good idea. Well if you're listening
to this and you're thinking you know, I do kind
of believe in God or, you know, I think it's
real but I've got some questions. You know, I
want to encourage you that if you seek, you will
find. If you look, you will find God because
He wants to reveal Himself to you. He wants to
show you who He is. So I'm going to pray and
you just say the words in whichever way you want
to and ask God to show you who He is. And if
you're listening to this and you are a Christian,
you've been a Christian for a while, but you
want to know more about Him, you can pray this
prayer too. Just ask God to show you who He is.
Father God, we want to just thank you for every
person that's listening to this right now. Father,
you know their circumstances and you know exactly
where they are. And Lord, we want to ask that
you would reveal yourself to each and every person
listening to this, that you would show them who
you are, that you would give them a real understanding
and a desire for your word for the Bible, for
that they would come to know you in a deeper
way. Father, thank you so much for this time
of Christmas. where we can remember what you've
done for us, not because we're good, but because
you're good. And God, for everybody here that's
listening, we just ask that you would help us
to remember that we can rest at this time of
year, that it doesn't have to be all stress and
strife and difficulty, that we can put our trust
in you and that you will show us your way. In
Jesus' name, amen. Amen. From everyone at Folly's
End, we wish you a very Merry Christmas. Our
prayer for you in 2026 is that you have a real
experience of God and you will know who Jesus
is and what He has done for you. So until we
speak again, be kind to yourself and each other.
You have been listening to the Folly's End podcast.
If you'd like to know more information, get in
touch via follysentrust .co .uk. Thanks for listening.
See you next time.