Jonathan Beale

And we're going to get to the, when she meets Simeon in the temple, then we get the fullness of what you're saying, where Simeon tells her, you know, a sword will also pierce your heart. Like you are moving towards sacrifice of your own. It's not only your son that will be sacrificed, but you will also...

Or it's David's dance in the presence of the Ark. She's being treated as the Ark of the Covenant in the story because it says that the presence of God will descend upon you. And so the image is that she is the waters, like the Holy Spirit comes down upon her as the waters of creation, but also the presence of God descends upon her as the Ark of the Covenant.

Or it's David's dance in the presence of the Ark. She's being treated as the Ark of the Covenant in the story because it says that the presence of God will descend upon you. And so the image is that she is the waters, like the Holy Spirit comes down upon her as the waters of creation, but also the presence of God descends upon her as the Ark of the Covenant.

And then that will... Obviously, these are... The text is going to tease all of these things out, right? Because these are things that you always have to remember how crazy what we're saying is. It is crazy to say that this man is God. And so the story slowly teases out as we move towards the... So it was deliberate on the part of the angel to omit that. Yeah. Or to intimate it.

And then that will... Obviously, these are... The text is going to tease all of these things out, right? Because these are things that you always have to remember how crazy what we're saying is. It is crazy to say that this man is God. And so the story slowly teases out as we move towards the... So it was deliberate on the part of the angel to omit that. Yeah. Or to intimate it.

Yeah, to intimate it.

Yeah, to intimate it.

People write towards purposes. And so there are different reasons why you would include it and different reasons why you would exclude it. I mean, in the Gospels it says, I think it's in the Gospel of John where it says, you know, all the books of the world cannot contain the story of Jesus. And so if we ask why is this person saying this detail and why this other person is not saying this detail.

People write towards purposes. And so there are different reasons why you would include it and different reasons why you would exclude it. I mean, in the Gospels it says, I think it's in the Gospel of John where it says, you know, all the books of the world cannot contain the story of Jesus. And so if we ask why is this person saying this detail and why this other person is not saying this detail.

Because you see that, I mean, in the entire rest of the gospel, you'll have Christ saying, okay, don't say this. Don't say this. Don't say this. Wait, this is not, like, nobody's ready for this yet. Wait, wait, wait. And then as things start to become clear, then the message gets out.

Because you see that, I mean, in the entire rest of the gospel, you'll have Christ saying, okay, don't say this. Don't say this. Don't say this. Wait, this is not, like, nobody's ready for this yet. Wait, wait, wait. And then as things start to become clear, then the message gets out.

And Augustus is the first god emperor. It's important to understand.

And Augustus is the first god emperor. It's important to understand.

The shepherds are also counter to city because they're the opposite of civilization. They have these flocks, they move around, they don't stay in one place, they don't have agriculture, they don't have all the things, all the tropes of the city.

The shepherds are also counter to city because they're the opposite of civilization. They have these flocks, they move around, they don't stay in one place, they don't have agriculture, they don't have all the things, all the tropes of the city.

Yeah, so although, you know, the conditions are- But there is a desire to create a foil though, I think, you know, because even if we talk about the Pax Romana, we haven't gotten to the, right after that, when the angels announced, they say, glory to God in the highest peace on earth of men of goodwill, right? It's basically, it's trying to say,

Yeah, so although, you know, the conditions are- But there is a desire to create a foil though, I think, you know, because even if we talk about the Pax Romana, we haven't gotten to the, right after that, when the angels announced, they say, glory to God in the highest peace on earth of men of goodwill, right? It's basically, it's trying to say,

I think it is creating a foil to the Roman rule, which is here's the great emperor, without maybe not necessarily criticizing, but here's the great emperor, here's this piece, but now here's the true emperor that's hidden at the bottom of the world in a cave, in a manger, and that this is through this that the true peace will be found.

I think it is creating a foil to the Roman rule, which is here's the great emperor, without maybe not necessarily criticizing, but here's the great emperor, here's this piece, but now here's the true emperor that's hidden at the bottom of the world in a cave, in a manger, and that this is through this that the true peace will be found.

But it also has to be, like for it to be the fullness, you also have to have these extremes where the angels appear above, these singing angels, the music of the spheres, and then the lowest aspect of reality being connected together so that you say, oh, this is the fullness of God's revelation, the fullness of God's presence in the world represented by these two extremes with the angels up above.