Matthew 2; Luke 2 Part 1 • Dr. Bradley R. Wilcox • Jan. 9 - Jan. 15 

Brad Wilcox is always a favorite. Thank you so much.

Thank you for this beautiful podcast. We send love from the Baltic Mission, where we are “abiding”in the field, keeping watch over His sheep. What an inspiring and empowering thought! Thank you all for all you do to bless and strengthen us!

Hey guys! Love this meeting of the minds and of the testimonies. It inspires me to study better, on my own like Br. Wilcox talks about in part 2. So I read the verse about swaddling clothes with the question Br. Bytheway asked about why the angel mentions swaddling clothes. Since I have always wondered "why shepherds?", his question was right up my alley. It was mentioned that the shepherds were tasked with watching for the firstborn lambs. What a task! Now that I keep chickens, I can see how tricky that could be. Anyway, I read a commentary somewhere about how it is possible the shepherds in Bethlehem were in charge of lambs for sacrifice, and keeping them from being blemished after birth; It said they would have put the lamb in the manger for that purpose. So the manger already had the image of the sacrificial lamb for these shepherds. So when the angel said "a Savior is born", we assume they knew it was a human baby. But coming from their way of life, they well could have pictured a lamb here as well, until the angel said "wrapped in swaddling clothes", which would mean a human baby. For them to make that connection must have been powerful and humbling: Knowing that their lowly daily chores uniquely prepared them to understand the significance of what the angel was saying must have brought them such joy. And a very cool "God is so smart!" moment. Thanks for sharing guys! Love ya!

The comments add so much to the commentary! So very interesting and exciting!

I keep learning so much. Thank you more than words can express

I can't get Dr. Chadwicks description of what he feels is happening at this time. I thought it was so beautiful to have that other understanding as well.

I loved this! Thanks so much all 3 of you and I love Bro Wilcox. Have him on as often as you like

Love, love , love listening to the three of you! Thank you for your videos!

Live this episode..I always look forward to being taught by Brad..... Happy new year from England 🇬🇧

Grateful that you all are in my orbit!!! I love listening and learning from you! ❤🇨🇦

I still love Dr. Brad Wilcox's "His Grace is Sufficient" and "There is a Hurry" talks. This podcast is great! Happy New Year and listening from Ghana.

Thank you for this uplifting “Christmas” podcast! I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned so many truths from the scriptures while listening. I sure hope that Dr/Brother Brad Wilcox is invited to return for the 2023 Christmas podcast! (The 2022 Christmas guest offered theories about the Nativity events that felt dismissive of the scriptural accounts.) Repeat this podcast next Christmas!! It was terrific! Thank you for your dedicated service to all who love Jesus Christ, His Restored Gospel and the Scriptures.🙏🏻

I always get excited when Brad Wilcox joins! One of my favorite trios!! You know who would also be a great guest? Shauna Seamons. :)

Alas! After all those long hours of updating Andy my Moto E Smart 🤓 Phone 🤳📱📲 in general thanks 🙏☮️🕊️🕉️🏳️😊👍 so very much for sharing this upload!

Thanks

In the documentary THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM By Frederick (somebody) is very illuminating with his research. The planet Jupiter lines up with Regulus the star. Both of those bodies signify king. Meaning symbolically THE SON OF GOD, KING OF KINGS. Very enlightening!

Thank you so much, for years and years, I have often wondered the significance of the shepherds. I always felt that they were more than just normal keepers of the flocks. I always thought that they were important because they would notify the town of coming dangers and of course good events also. I feel that today I have a much better understanding of the reason the Angel appeared to the Shepherds. THANK YOU!!!

Swaddling clothes were also wraps that shepherds used to cover new born lambs. It would have been something the shepherds would recognize and the symbolism of Christ being the “Lamb of God.”

I read an interesting paper about where the Savior was born called "The Case for Migdal Edar" which posits that Micah 4:8 as well as Micah 5:2 are very specific. 5:2 makes it clear that it would be Bethlehem, and 4:8 refers to the "tower of the flock;" i.e. Migdal Edar. A good read with some very interesting insights on the fact that Bethlehem's "industry" was the breeding and raising of the sacrificial lambs for Temple sacrifices, and how the shepherds knew exactly where to go and could, therefore, make haste to the location, that being the tower of the flock. Not definitive, of course, but worth reading.

I'm an embroiderer, so I'm sure women in the Old Testament would embroider those swaddling clothes and make sense to me. Then that marriage bands thus embroidered would be used as swaddling bands and would be symbols of covenential agreement and family. Even today, given that the Lord enrobes us as and when we enter the holy temple, that embroidery is a temple craft that goes back to Adam. Thank you

The swaddling clothes also were used for the baby lambs used for their sacrifices. That In itself would be a sign as well as these were shepherds and they would see this easily

The one Book of Jasher that is out there (the version I read once said it had come out--published--partly by the support and interest of the Mormon church in like the 1880s--it appears to include material coming from Jewish legends from like the 1300s) has items that are mentioned in the Ten Commandments movie also, and that book claims that basically the same story of the wise men that Matthew mentions, with many similar details, happened at the birth of Abraham. Anyway, I think if any of the kinds of details that Matthew mentions could have also happened at the birth of Abraham, that could be why Matthew would mention the story with the details he does, to help support the message of the gospel of Matthew that Jesus is a legal descendant authority-wise of Abraham through the covenants--it reminds me of how all prophets' lives mirror Jesus' life in many respects.

30:38 John, THANK YOU for your comment on what you say to YM leaders!! I have been serving as YW Pres for a few years now, and let me just say that it’s not the most comfortable calling I’ve ever served in. We are so focused on the youth, and that’s good. But…I am so exhausted from raising my own teenagers and the non-stop service that is provided at church feeling like I don’t really make much of a difference. Your comment just gave me another perspective to think about and I feel renewed. Your comment was an answer to a prayer. Thank you for listening to the Spirit. ❤

Wise men following the star (at 25:14). I read an article in a Religion journal when I was an undergrad where the writer made the point the "star" would have been noticeable over other stars in terms of brightness. A star like a comet (with a tail like Halley's comet) would have stood out. The author made a connection between the year of Christ's birth coinciding with the return of a comet. That was supposedly the star they followed.

Coincidence: Listening to podcast and doing Family History. Just recorded John Willard born 25 December 1806, Hawkhurst, Kent, England. It's probably his baptism date, but close enough!

Which talk did you get Neal A. Maxwell's words from? I would like to read the whole talk. Thank you!

John, Hank, and Brad - I think it is a very real possibility that the wise men came from America. Read Helaman 16:14.

Great podcast! Music still too loud at certain parts like at the end. Headphones in it's painful lol thanks!!

Did the angel watch over the flocks while the shepherds went to Jesus? 🤔

I've been trying to find this, how do we know Mary was a descendant of David? What verses have that?

Sp good

It also sounds like none of the family members were close enough to the Holy Ghost to recognize the presence of the future savior like Elizabeth and the future John The Baptist. Would that be indictive of the type of culture at that time?

Wait, where does he get the idea that the wise men were Israelites? I thought Dr. Gaye said they were gentiles in the previous episode. 🤔

Love you all. ? Numbers 24? 17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. Is this the Savior’s star? Or…

Sometimes laughing, joking is a nature to the humans being!!!!.. Why some peoples are not comfortable when others peoples are happy or enjoying their own life???!!. 🤭🤭 if a person believing in GOD,!!! WHY SHOULD be invy???!!!.. GOD did not teaching us to be invy or stalking about others peoples happier???!! 🤭🤭or personal life!!!!!... Everyone have a right to chose what ever they like, as long as not harming others and againts the law of GOD, if peoples are not comfortables about others peoples happy life, omg,!!! That person, must have a mental problems, thank you.