Wrapped in Truth (#1041 - Elim)

The phrase “no room at the inn” is often heard during Christmas, but its spiritual weight carries far beyond the nativity scene. In this timely and prophetic episode of the Unshakable podcast, Pastor Ben Cooper reveals how this simple statement speaks directly to the modern world—and challenges us to examine our own hearts.

When the innkeeper turned Mary and Joseph away, he unknowingly echoed a message still ringing out today: “There’s no room for Jesus.” From school systems to governments, media to even religious organizations, Christ is increasingly pushed to the margins. But the greater question is: Have we done the same in our personal lives?

This powerful message explores:

• What “no room at the inn” means in today’s society
• Why many Christian spaces have replaced truth with tradition
• How the modern church can unintentionally close the door on Jesus
• The prophetic connection between Jesus’ birth and burial wrappings
• How to make room for Christ in your life, not just in your theology

Pastor Ben makes a striking connection between Jesus being wrapped in cloths at birth and again at death—revealing that both moments involved people covered in His presence and His blood. Mary, Nicodemus, and Joseph of Arimathea each represent moments where Jesus was embraced, wrapped, and honored. In the same way, we’re called to wrap the Word within us and be covered in the blood of Christ, not merely follow surface-level religious traditions.

In an age where religious performance is mistaken for biblical faith, this episode is a call to return to Scripture—not rituals. Pastor Ben urges believers to walk in authentic faith, not plastic religion. We’re not called to reject church, but to pursue Bible-based Christianity rooted in the Word, not man-made customs.

So, where is God calling you to make room for Jesus today? What distractions, traditions, or systems have taken His place in your life?

This message will stir your heart, provoke thought, and push you toward true intimacy with Jesus Christ. Whether you’re in the U.S., Ghana, the U.K., the Philippines, or anywhere else around the world, this episode speaks to anyone who wants to move from religion to relationship with Jesus.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome and Ministry Introduction
• 2:05 No Room at the Inn: Scripture Introduction
• 6:26 The Significance of Being Wrapped
• 13:15 The Innkeeper's Prophetic Message
• 22:12 From Birth to Cross: The Wrapping Connection
• 33:12 Religion vs. Relationship with Christ
• 42:40 Closing Prayer and Communion

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:03

Welcome to Reverend Ben Cooper's podcast. We are a radio and podcast ministry based here within the UK. Your support is vital through prayer and through sowing a seed of faith. We are so thankful to have so many people around the globe downloading and listening to our podcasts. The globe downloading and listening to our podcasts, whether you are on spotify, apple podcast, google, alexa, amazon music and so many other platforms. For more information about our ministry, please find us on pastorbencoopercouk. We would love to hear from you as you partner with us as we reach the world for jesus. Please send us an email through our contact form on pastorbencoopercouk. Also, you can find our latest books on Amazon under hashtag one, hashtag two and hashtag three under Christian Straight Talk hard-hitting, real-life conversations taken from our podcasts.

Speaker 1: 1:05

Your financial gifts play a crucial role in supporting our radio ministry, helping us share the gospel through these podcasts and providing free copies of the Gospel of John and Bibles around the globe. Please pray for this ministry as we stretch out beyond the boundaries, as we walk by faith. If you'd like to support our mission, please consider clicking the support button on Spotify, apple Podcasts or Buzzsprout. You can give a one-time gift or set up a regular contribution of £3, £5, £8 or £10. You can also leave a legacy by clicking in the links within pastorbencoopercouk. Thank you for partnering with us in this ministry, as we spread the message of hope far and wide through this radio ministry. So, whether you are on the daily commute or at home listening to our podcast, grab a cup of coffee, sit back, relax.

Speaker 2: 2:05

Good evening, good evening, good evening wherever you are this evening. God bless every one of you, wherever you are across the world, as we gather in the house of the Lord. May God bless you and strengthen you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. As we just rest and be still in the name of Jesus. He's the King of kings and the Lord of lords. May God bless you. The visuals the visuals are a little bit laggy tonight, but we're getting the internet will be along sometime next week, tuesday. The internet will be there. May God bless you wherever you are across the world. Tonight we thank God for your life and as we just gather around the Word of God and just rest and be still, may God bless you and strengthen you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. We're going to turn straight into the Gospel of Luke this evening. So if you're with me, can you turn to the Gospel of Luke. We're going to go straight to the New Testament. We thank you for everyone that's joined us on radio this evening, all those that are on visual across the world and those that are with us, you know, in the house of the Lord and for everyone else that will listen to this back for a podcast later on as it gets uploaded. But may God bless you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. I believe you can hear us. If anyone can put some thumbs up online so I can see this monitor that we can. We've got some good sound and everything's okay. That'd be absolutely amazing. Thank you to everybody that is standing with us and partnering with us as we push the gospel out for Jesus Christ across the world. You know, the Lord is good. His mercy endures forever. We're living in extremely powerful times and God is with every one of us and we just need to pray that the Lord will strengthen us to carry us, you know, and to open our hearts and our minds. But I just pray for each and every one of you, wherever you are at this moment in the house of the Lord spiritually, and for those that are online with us. Join us wherever you are across this beautiful world. Tonight we thank God. Thank you for the thumbs up that I can see that's going on on the monitor in front of me.

Speaker 2: 3:50

Right, we're going to get straight in the world. We're going to the Gospel of Luke, chapter two. We're in the Gospel of Luke, chapter two, and we're going to pick it up in verse six. So if you have a Bible, grab yourself a Bible. We're going to go to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 2, and we're going to pick it up in verse 6. And as we look at these scriptures, if anybody is making notes on the other side of the world, if anyone wants to know what the title is of this Bible study tonight, it's very, very simple. There's no room at the end.

Speaker 2: 4:18

So when you look at these scriptures, it's very, very interesting to see where we are sitting across the globe and everything that's happening within the world and everything that's happening across this planet in which we walk. You know we are getting ready for the second coming of Jesus Christ. We are getting ready for the second coming of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, and the world is eagerly awaiting. You know what do I mean by that, sorry, and what I mean by that is very, very clear when you look across the globe, it is trying to deny Jesus Christ, whether that's for education, whether that's through media, whether that's through the social economics of the world and through social media. It's very interesting that the world is not preparing for the second coming of Jesus Christ. And are we ready? We're looking in the scriptures right now, in the first presentation of the King. You know, all the way through the Old Testament, all the way up through, what we find is very, very clear is the prophecy of Jesus Christ, the coming King.

Speaker 2: 5:15

And if you are with me tonight, turn into the good books, turn to the Gospel of Luke, chapter two, and we're going to pick it up in verse six. And, as I said a a moment ago for those that are following, uh, I'm making a bit of a study series for themselves and, uh, you will want to touch us up. There's no room at the inn now. This is such a classic line when you think about it, what the innkeeper said. But without any further ado, let's get in and let's read what it says.

Speaker 2: 5:39

Verse six we understand very clearly in the uk, across the the world, right at this moment in time, religion is practicing Lent and it is looking at all that sort of stuff. But we're not going to talk about Lent, we're not going to follow Lent because we don't dabble with religion. We're going to get straight in the Word and we're going to see what the Word is telling us. You know, and the Word is telling us tonight, there's no room at the inn. Relevance is that? What is the relevance of that scripture in our lives? Let me tell you this that innkeeper is saying something very profound and very prophetic. What he's delivering across the world, he's telling the world before our very eyes and what we are capturing right now there's no room for Jesus.

Speaker 2: 6:19

When you understand what, I understand what, what that inn actually represented. And the innkeeper said there's no room. So let's just pick it up, let's just pick this up at this moment in time. And it says while they were still there at this time, it came for the baby to be born and she gave birth to her firstborn son. You know, it's very interesting there. You know her firstborn, so that is a very clear indicator that later on Jesus had brothers and he had sisters. And when you study the word, you will find that out. And it said gave, brought, brought into the world her firstborn and gave him, gave them a son, and she wrapped him in clothes or cloths, depending what you're reading from, wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no room in the inn.

Speaker 2: 7:04

It's really, really interesting that this innkeeper, he says something very interesting. He says something off the bat of his conversation. He was a busy businessman, he was busy in life, everything that was going on. And he just said something very, very interesting that is right now, very profound, for where we sit in education, where we sit in work, where we sit in life, where we sit on across the platform in the world, there's no room at the inn, there's no room for Jesus.

Speaker 2: 7:30

We've got to make room for Jesus. We've got to make room for Christ in our lives. Yes, we're born again, we're spirit-filled, we're blessed and highly favoured, we're wonderfully and we're fearfully made, and God is with each and every one of us. But what we've got to come to understand is the world and the innkeeper was representing the world there is no room for you, there is no room for this baby, there is no room for you as a mom, as a dad, as this new family. There is no room for you. And we've got to be extremely careful as we live our lives and as we go to school, we go to university, we go to work, we migrate into the world and we walk into the fabric, what is before us, of the life that is around us, and as we walk into that and as we experience all that we will find across many cultures, many platforms, many areas of life, just as that innkeeper said, and the world is just telling us that right now, certain governments around the world, certain areas of life, is just simply saying there's no room for Jesus. But I want to tell you that there is room for Jesus. There is so much room for Christ because Christ is omnipresent, he's omnipotent, he is the King of Kings and he is the Lord of Lords, and God is with you wherever you are.

Speaker 2: 8:41

What I find absolutely fascinating is that Mary and Joseph experienced, before this birth, they experienced something very profound and very opening to their young lives as young man and a young woman what they experienced. They experienced fear. So all the way through Jesus's life, right the way up into the cross, he was in a house. That was a house that was a normal house, a house that was a busy house, a house that was moving in and out, you know, a house was at work, everything was going on, but his mom and his dad experienced fear. So if you are experiencing fear tonight, wherever you are across the world and in the house with us tonight, and whatever's going on in your life, if you're experiencing fear.

Speaker 2: 9:21

We need to come to the cross of Calvary as we break bread and we take it out cup together tonight, because there is room for Jesus. You need to know that there is room for Jesus Christ. There is room, but the world will tell you there is no room. I love the fact that what his mum done there. It says that she wrapped him up and this is the only time that we see Christ wrapped up. I know through the scripture, through life and everything, as a young child, but the the first wrapping is critical that he was wrapped up by his mum. His mum wrapped him up and we know through the scripture, you know that when he Christ was on the third day, when he was in the tomb and he came back and and the world and certain areas of culture and life at this moment are looking at Easter and they're looking at Lent and everything that goes along with that. You know we don't follow Lent. I don't certainly follow Lent at all. I'm not religious. I have a relationship with Jesus Christ. I believe in the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

Speaker 2: 10:17

So when we look at this word wrapping there is so much in this text, but I want to let you know that the world, as the world said that, as that innkeeper gave that prophetic piece of speech, there is no room at the inn. There's no room, there's no room for Jesus. And you will find certain cultures, you will find life, you will find education, you will find business, you will find even religion. There is no room for Jesus. But let me tell you, jesus Christ is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, and Christ has made room. Christ has made room for you, god has made room for you in the kingdom of God. And this innkeeper says something so profound, so powerful, and it resonates and it rings across the platform of the world and through history and everything. There's no room at the inn. You know governments are saying this and everything. There's no room at the inn. You know governments are saying this right now there is no room for Jesus in this government. There is no room in education. There's room for everything else, there's room for so much more, but there is no room for you. When his mom just wraps him up, the Bible says that she wrapped him up and the wrapping is critical.

Speaker 2: 11:25

We spent some time sermonizing, you know podcasting, and just unpacking the text when Christ was in the tomb and it says on the third day, and the disciples and the Mary ran down to the tomb and everything went along with that and they found that the grave clothes had been unwrapped and they were folded up by itself. You know, it's very significant to the birth. The Bible says in the Gospel of John, john, chapter one, verse one if you've got a Bible, turn to the Gospel of John. In the beginning was the Word. Now I quote this and I speak this and I push this out a lot because it is a fundamental text that I need to clearly understand In the beginning, as soon as you get that line. It speaks about creation. It speaks about the fundamental points of creation. In the beginning was. In the beginning was the word. Now what is the word? Suddenly, we see that this word is being wrapped up Now. There is no room for the word. Now. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the coming king, he's the saving king. Jesus says I am the living word. The Bible is clear that Jesus Christ is the living word and he and the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. It's critical for me to have this clear understanding of what the Bible says about Jesus.

Speaker 2: 12:54

The world says and the innkeeper stood in that doorway and the innkeeper was representing the world. At this point he just thought he was just an innkeeper. He just thought he was someone just manning the door of his inn and the bed and breakfast and everything that was going on there. There is no room. But what he didn't realize that he was the voice piece for education. He was a voice piece for government. He didn't realize that he was a voice piece for the atheists. He didn't realize that he was the voice piece for the non-believers in the world. He was saying there is no room for you, there is no room for the living word, and we've got to understand that the living word is before all things and the word is great and the word is power and the word is life and the word is hope. The living word of God is yes and amen. And the living word of God is living in each and every one of us in the house and everybody online and everyone on radio and everybody in the world of podcast and streaming with us tonight, but the world around you. So what we find is that Mary and Joseph have got this young child. We know that it's Christ, we know that it's the Messiah, understand that it's Jesus. It's the savior of the world. It is the living word.

Speaker 2: 14:07

And Mary and Joseph couldn't quite grapple with what was going on. They both had a visitation, they both was told from the angel of the Lord. When, when the angel came down and spoke to Mary first, then spoke to Joseph when he was referring to about, uh, divorcing her quietly and just backing out quietly and just very respectfully, we both under they both understood very clearly what their calling was. But amongst their calling, something was really really profound there and what I want to let you know tonight wherever you are across the world, there is no room for Jesus within the world, because the innkeeper tells us that. But when you look at Mary and Joseph when they're calling, when they were being called unto this mission, this work, the first thing that their skin and their bones reacted to was the fear of what they were being called to. So if you are in ministry, there's a lot within this text.

Speaker 2: 14:56

Tonight there is so much wrapped up and I'm not using that as a pun, as Jesus was wrapped up, it says there and he was wrapped in cloths and he was placed in a manger because there was no room in the inn. Now God wraps things up. God hides things within a wrapping. When Jesus was in the tomb I'll come back to the tomb a moment when Christ was in the tomb, he was hidden from the natural world. He was hidden from the natural eyes. He was hidden from the natural world. He was hidden from the natural eyes. He was hidden from this world, this physical world, and he was wrapped and the world around him was looking at this tomb and came to a clear understanding that there's no way.

Speaker 2: 15:35

So the three days is very significant in the Jewish history and the Jewish tradition of everything to do with burial. So when you look at all this stuff that's going on, these little scriptures just pulled out are very significant. Jesus was wrapped by his mom. And when you look at the next time we read about the wrapping of Christ, where we find the next wrapping up of Jesus is when he is placed in the tomb for three days. So the scriptures only refer for three days. So the scriptures only refer to the birth, when he was wrapped up, and the scripture then refers to when he gave his life. And he did give his life, because we got to understand what the scripture says, that he gave his life, if you go to the scripture and you ransack the scripture.

Speaker 2: 16:20

The Bible says that when Jesus Christ was on the cross of Calvary, no Roman soldier took his life, no authoritarian took his life. They might have punched at his side, they might have nailed him to the cross of Calvary, they might have beat him and whipped him and spat upon him and whipped his back so his flesh was ripped in pieces, so his ribs were on show and everything. I've got to be careful. There's a young man in the house. I've got to be careful. I've got to be careful because there's young people in the house. I've got to be careful. I don't want to be too graphic A story about that.

Speaker 2: 16:50

We're pushing it across the world, but we understand that's the most brutal way to leave the earth. And when you look at Christ, very clearly the Bible tells us that no one took Jesus' life. I need to get this, I really need to get this that no one took Jesus off the earth. Yes, they crucified him, the physical preparation for death, but Christ was not going to leave the earth until that line, that famous line. That's in the Word.

Speaker 2: 17:16

And what did he say, and the Bible says, after he took that drink, after he had gone through that process, after they crucified him, after they nailed him on the cross, after they lifted him up high on wine and they'd done everything that they'd done, after they'd done everything there, it's really clear to understand, really really clear to understand that Jesus Christ said it is finished. When he said it is finished, something profound, something really happened that is beyond human understanding. When he said it is finished, what happened? Something really happened that is beyond human understanding. When he said it is finished, what happened there? What happened there? Christ gave up his life, he gave up his spirit, christ gave it over. That's what I've got to understand that it was Jesus that gave it up. It wasn't anyone that took him, it was him following the word of God, it was the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords following the word. It was Christ following what was written. It was happening before our very eyes that Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, said it is finished. Now there's a lot going on Now.

Speaker 2: 18:21

I have to really push the way through this, because we're time conscious tonight and what we've got to realize is is I spoke about the wrapping up of Jesus. The Bible talks about the unwrapping the Bible talks about there's no room at the inn. So what? We have to get out our mind to understand that these small texts that we're in, this small area of scripture that we're in tonight, it's a very powerful and a very prophetic opener to so much more. The innkeeper says there's no room, his mum wraps him up and then when we look at the wrapping, the wrapping is extremely significant. It is telling us so much, just through the wrapping up of Jesus, that the living word was wrapped and protected and taken care of by two human beings.

Speaker 2: 19:08

Now, when I say this, I have to be very careful how I present this that we have to protect the word. Now, what do you mean? Protect the word? Now, am I talking about protect the word as in protecting it, as the life will be taken from it? No, what I'm talking about is protecting the word as in not allowing the scripture to be taken out of context. So when we look at these scriptures that we're in at this moment in time, I've got to be careful that I'm not under a ministry, not under pastors, not under leaders, that take the scriptures out of context.

Speaker 2: 19:41

I've got to protect. I've got to protect it because, just like Mary and Joseph, they was given the mission of protecting the word because it says that they fled from where they was. They fled from where they was and where did they go? They went into Egypt. They had to go and they had to be hidden.

Speaker 2: 20:00

Sometimes we have to protect the word and we have to hide, not because the word is less of a power that is out there, but so often we have to go away and we have to nurture and we have to grow with the word. Because what happened to Mary and Joseph? They was growing with the living word and we have to sometimes go off to a place that no one knows us and we have to grow with the word, we have to nurture, we have to grow. We have to have these experiences of being wrapped up. Now the word was wrapped up and sometimes we have to wrap ourselves up in the living word of God. We've got to be wrapped up in it because, just as the innkeeper said, there's no room, there's no room in the inn.

Speaker 2: 20:51

Now that line that he dropped I will repeat myself, because it's really important for me to understand, as a Bible-believing believer, that the world is telling us there is no room for the Word. Jesus tells us what was being wrapped up. We understand through Scripture that this is a child, that this is Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. But the Gospel of John, 1, verse one, gives us a clearer understanding that this is not only Jesus, but this is God. That is not only God, this is the Holy Spirit. So we have to take care not that God and the Holy Spirit and Jesus can't take care of themselves, and we got to protect them.

Speaker 2: 21:30

What we are looking at is that we've got to be wrapped up in the word. We've got to wrap the word up and we've got to go to a place where we allow the word for us to grow. And as the word was growing, as the word was growing, mary was growing as a parent. Joseph was growing as a parent. So as the word starts to grow, yes, as the word starts to grow, I start to grow and I start to move with the Word. It's really, really interesting how God used the child to show us that I've got to grow. I've got to grow, yes, I might be an adult.

Speaker 2: 22:04

We might look at this story and go well, how are you pulling all this from this? It is pretty simple what the Holy Spirit is saying that I've got to grow with the living word Because the word starts. What do you mean? The word grows. The word does grow. How does it grow? It grows simply through revelation. It is already where it should be.

Speaker 2: 22:28

But what Christ is showing us, what God is showing us, what the scripture is showing us? That we have to be nurtured. We have to be nurtured like Jesus. We have to be protected, we have to be wrapped up. We have to have this experience of being wrapped up with the word and Mary, if you can imagine, mary was holding the word so close. She was the only human being to carry Jesus with inside the physicality, the autonomy of her body. She was the only human being to carry Jesus with inside the physicality, the autonomy of her body. She's the only one on planet earth that had the privilege and the honor and the gift to carry Christ on the inside as the human Christ. But now, when Christ became as a word, became flesh, suddenly, what we start to find over the 33 years, and when Christ died on the cross and Christ died and Christ gave up his spirit, so Christ gave way, so that we would have life, and have life in abundance.

Speaker 2: 23:23

So there's a few things happening tonight. We're talking about wrapping, we're talking about nurturing, we're talking about the innkeeper is telling the, telling us there's no room for Jesus. There's no room for Jesus, there's no room in education, there's no room for Jesus in business, there's no room for Jesus in government, there's no room for Jesus in religion. What do you mean? There's no room for Jesus in religion. You know, you look at religion now and it is going through plastic Lent. It's going through all that sort of stuff. It's going through Lent at this moment in time.

Speaker 2: 23:51

Let me tell you, lent won't get you saved. Religion won't get you saved. Church won't get you saved. I won't get you saved. Healing won't get you saved. There's only one way to salvation and that is Jesus Christ. He is the Savior of the world. He says I am the way, the truth, the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. There might be many gods across the world, there might be thousands, there might be hundreds of thousands of gods portrayed across the world, but there is only one God and he is the God of Israel. And he came and he presented himself as a child to the world.

Speaker 2: 24:24

Yes, we might say this is a Christmas story. What am I doing? Talking about a Christmas story in a religious time? The reason I'm talking about a Christmas story in a religious time, the reason I'm talking about a Christmas story in a religious time, is, very simply, I'm not religious. I don't follow the religious calendar. What I do is that I come against the religious calendar with the gospel of truth, because I cannot allow religion to dictate to me and to anybody else in the circle of the flock that I'm responsible for. Because as soon as I die and when I die and I'm called up to heaven, god and Christ and the Holy Spirit is going to say something to me Well done, good and faithful servant.

Speaker 2: 25:01

What I do not want Jesus Christ to do is to say, away from me, I don't know you. And then I say to him Lord, but I wore the collar, lord, I wore all the clergy clothes. But then Jesus says well, you didn't preach the gospel. But yes, I did, I'd done Lent, I'd done Easter. And then Jesus says to me well, show me Lent in the scripture, show me the Easter bunny in scripture. And then I find myself lost. So I cannot deliver what religion is doing, and it might seem that I'm a church hater and I don't like religion. It's got nothing to do with that, but it's just.

Speaker 2: 25:31

When I get to glory I need to make sure that I am delivering and bringing out, because I'm responsible for a certain amount of flock under the wings and under what God has given me the responsibility. Everybody online as this crisscrosses the globe, and everybody in the house and everybody under the ministry, because I will answer to God. Ealing won't be standing next to me, the leaders of Ealing won't be there, no one will be there. No one will be there. It'll be just me, father, son and Holy Spirit, and I want, I want Jesus Christ to go. Well done, good and faithful servant.

Speaker 2: 26:03

You made it by the skin of your teeth, you got in by the seat, your pants, but you made it. But what I? What I cannot afford to do is to follow the curriculum. Oh, I'm using that word because that's what it does. It uses the school curriculum, it uses the west calendar, it uses all that sort of stuff. Religion follows all that sort of stuff and I can't follow that, because when I get home to glory, I need to make sure that them, them words.

Speaker 2: 26:29

That I hear is you're in the door, your name's in the Lamb's book of life, so you might hear and you might say, oh my goodness, he does the opposite. It's not because I'm rebellious Well, I might be a little bit, but that's in my own flesh. But what it's to do with is I'm preaching. Well, I don't even call myself a preacher, I just get by by the seat of my pants. I'm not a theologian, you know. I just get us through and there are great preachers, there's great pastors out there, and I pray that you will find great preachers and great pastors out there, because there's amazing Bible teachers out there, you know, and go and find yourself a church. You know that are really amazing preachers and teachers, because that's really really critical. I just get us by by the skin of our pants, I'll get us into heaven, but you'll feel a flame on your trainers. I nearly said something else, but I wouldn't do a thing like that.

Speaker 2: 27:18

So when you look at these scriptures, there was, there is a lot going on. There is a lot going on in this. There's the rapping, there's this, there's this prophetic language coming from the innkeeper. There's no, no room. And then suddenly we got. Mary and Joseph are presented with themselves that there's nowhere for us to rest this word. What are we going to do with this word? What are we going to do with this child? What are we going to do in this situation? What do we do? We are responsible for the word. We are, I am, you are, we are responsible for the word. We need to protect it, not because the word is not capable, but I have been given a responsibility to protect. What do you mean? Well, when you look at many denominations, they have not protected the word. How explain? Unravel a little bit more, okay. When you look at the government, when you look at governments, the governments try to tear and remove christianity out of this nation, everything that goes on.

Speaker 2: 28:18

So the scriptures that we're in tonight are very, very simple scriptures. They're not. They're not brain aching, you know. But when you look in luke chapter 2, verse uh, verse 6, it tells I'm going to read it again and it says they was there for a while. There there was, there was time for the baby to be born, and it says there, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. Now that line there, now that line alone, that that that is out of the old Testament, a son. A son will be given. You know there are so many places that we could land tonight, so many places we could go to, but as you look at these scriptures, there it says birth to a firstborn a son. She wrapped him. Now the next time we read a line like that wrapped, is when Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple, and you read about Nicodemus.

Speaker 2: 29:06

Now Nicodemus is the one that we know that went to Jesus by night, and it's really interesting that I'm going to use this analogy just for me, because my brain is a little bit weird. So when I look and think about Nicodemus, I look at Nicodemus and think about Nicodemus as representing the Old Testament, the Torah. I look at Nicodemus and every time his name is mentioned and banded around, I think that Nicodemus is the one that represents the old scripture, because Jesus says to him you are Israel's teacher, and Nicodemus you don't know. So Nicodemus was an academic, he was in academia, he was very high and very lifted up character, he knew all the bells and the whistles. So when you look at Nicodemus, he was representing the Old Testament. Just hold it a minute, because my mind works in picture form. This is how, and I'm just thinking aloud, you know, I'm just thinking aloud at the moment. So Nicodemus at the cross of Calvary, I'm talking about rapping again. I'm not talking about I'm not going to go in and do an MNN, I'm not talking about that type of rapping. I'm talking about the wrapping up of Jesus Christ. So when you look at these scriptures here, you find that Nicodemus at the cross of Calvary this is where we mention the, the wrapping, again, that they wrapped him, that they wrapped him up. But then you find there is a third time. So Nicodemus represents the old scripture.

Speaker 2: 30:29

Then you got Joseph, so you've got the who was Joseph. Joseph was a old scripture. Then you've got Joseph, so you've got the who was Joseph. Joseph was a disciple. So straight away you've got the Old Testament and the New Testament. Because if you look at Joseph, he was called. Joseph, was called a disciple. So you can only be called a disciple once Jesus is on planet Earth, because you can't be called a disciple of Jesus if Jesus isn't around. That's pretty obvious, obvious. I don't need a too much brain power to work that one out. So you could only become a disciple when Christ was on the earth and Christ called you. So Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple, he was a follower of Jesus. What does that make him? That makes him a New Testament believer, and I know what you're saying. I know what you're saying.

Speaker 2: 31:13

The New Testament wasn't even written. At this point, we have the law, we have the Torah, we have what we call the Old Testament. So, as we have the New Testament, they did not have the New Testament. Because they was living and writing and as their lives unfolded, you know you could imagine this pen and as they was living their lives unfolded. You know you could imagine this pen and as they was living their lives, the new testament was being written, because the old, the new testament was about them, for them, and showing us how their lives was.

Speaker 2: 31:41

So when christ was on the cross of calvary, what we find? There was no new testament, because christ is the new testament. He says I am the new covenant. So we might need to refer to the new testament in the scripture as the new covenant, because christ is the new testament. He says I am the new covenant. So we might need to refer to the new testament in the scripture as the new covenant, because christ is the new covenant. And when you look at the old testament.

Speaker 2: 31:58

So, at the cross of calvary, what do we have now? This is after jesus said it is finished. So that's critical for me to understand that the, the body of jesus, was taken off the cross. And without going into too much detail because of young ears we have in the house tonight, if you can imagine what it was like taking someone off the cross of Calvary you know Hollywood and all that sort, the passion of the Christ and all that sort of stuff you know it cannot get to the place of what the real actions were like was taking someone off the cross. I will not go there, I will not speak about it, but you can start to gather some form of a picture. So what we have now? Now bear with me a moment.

Speaker 2: 32:44

I've been talking about a wrapping. In the scripture that we've been talking about, looking at the wrapping up of Jesus. It says that his mum wrapped him up and she kept him close. The innkeeper said there's no room. Now this brings us to the cross, because the wrapping is completely relevant for where we are in the season that Lent is telling us at this moment.

Speaker 2: 33:05

Now, lent and the churches together and all that are getting ready for Easter. I'm not getting ready for Easter. I'm not getting ready for the little bunny, I'm not getting ready for the Duracell bunny. I'm getting ready for the Passover, the passing over of what? The passing over of God. When you go to Exodus, chapter 12, you get clear instruction about the Passover. The scripture doesn't talk about Easter, it talks about the Passover, because this is about the Passover.

Speaker 2: 33:31

So religion is getting ready with hot cross buns. It's getting ready with an Easter egg hunt in the churches. It'll all be doing that, hiding the eggs. Oh yeah, in a bouncing pastor, a bouncing with big ears on. Here comes the Easter bunny. It's lovely, pastor dressed up and pastor, be Father Christmas as well, another demonic force, you know, in the church it's all we need in it. Pastors dressing up as as father christmas, pastors dressing up as easter bunnies. Now that brings complete confusion to me. I don't know about you guys, but that actually does my noggin in. That makes my eyes spin behind these glasses. So what?

Speaker 2: 34:05

We have now at the cross of calvary, we have the old testament, nicodemus represent in the Old Testament. We have the New Testament being represented by a disciple. So we understand that the disciple was at the cross. We understand that the Old Testament was at the cross and what happened? What happened to both of them Very, very quickly. So when the body was taken off, something happened. Now I'll be very, very quick. It says, and we understand that as the body came off, now this body was completely lifeless, completely dead. Jesus was dead, but there would have been a terrific amount of blood beyond human understanding. So when you I'm just just because the blood is going to take us to the table in just a few moments, because this is critical. So the first wrapping was by mary. The second wrapping of jesus was by nicodemus and by joseph. The old testament representation and the new testament.

Speaker 2: 35:10

But what is the significant part of part of Joseph and Nicodemus going to Jesus at the cross and gathering the body? They wrapped him. But not only that. When they took Jesus and they carried Jesus, they would have been what? They would have, literally from head to toe, been covered in the blood of Jesus. Very significant, the way God uses picture form. It wouldn't have been like I could imagine it. He was going up in a nice clean suit and they both turned up in nice clean attire and they picked it up. They would have been literally saturated in the blood of Jesus. This is critical for where we are.

Speaker 2: 35:51

So, nicodemus representing the old, joseph representing the new. So suddenly, what do we have? We have the old and the new, the old and the new coming together, the old and the new coming together. You can't separate the old and the new, the new from the old. The Bible is woven together. There is over 63,000 cross-references in the Word of God old to new, new to old. It crisscrosses beyond human understanding. It crisscrosses beyond the human mindset. So what we have at the cross very, very quickly, I'm really time conscious we are literally we've got 11 minutes on the clock. Quickly, I'm really time conscious. We are literally we've got 11 minutes on the clock. So what we have is the Old Testament, the New Testament, the cross of Calvary, Jesus Christ, the savior of the world, and both of them were covered in the blood.

Speaker 2: 36:46

The Bible talks about the blood of Jesus. The blood was over Nicodemus, representing the old. The blood was over the New Testament, joseph representing the new. And what happens is it says that they wrapped him. They wrapped him. So that's twice that we read that Jesus is wrapped. So the first time as a child, the second time as a 33 year old adult, a male. Jesus was a male. He was the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He was a man. They wrapped him and as they wrapped him, he would have been wrapped in this burial cloth very significant just like Lazarus. They lay him in the tomb. They would have been completely covered in blood, because we need to make sure that we're covered in the blood. The Old Testament talks about the blood. It talks about a lamb, a sacrificial lamb. The New Testament talks about Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.

Speaker 2: 37:42

So this scripture that we've been in tonight, I've done it no justice whatsoever. I've done it no justice in any area whatsoever, shape and form. But what I'm getting to? At this time, when the occult world is doing Lent and going all through those wheels, we've got to make sure that we don't take our eyes not off the hot cross bun, but not take our eyes off of Jesus, off the cross. It's not the hot cross bun and the Easter bunny and the Easter egg hunt that's coming and all the church is looking for. We've got four-day weekend. We've got Good Friday, saturday, sunday and Bank Holiday Monday. Thank you, Jesus, hallelujah. Do you know what? It's not about the hot cross bun, it's not about the Easter bunny, it's about the blood.

Speaker 2: 38:25

So, when you come to the cross, what'd you find at the cross? You find a terrific amount of bloodshed. What'd you find at the cross? The old Testament, the new Testament, carrying the word Cause. It is about the word. This time is about the living word of God, and I've got to make sure that I'm covered from head to toe in the blood of Jesus. Eight minutes, let's take this cup, let's break bread together right now, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. He is the king of kings and the lord of lords. So that little scripture that we've been in. Have you got a bit of bread? Have you got a bit of wine to represent the body of Christ and the blood of Jesus? Remember where we are quick, as quick as we can grab the bread, grab the wine. All of us in the house, everybody online tonight.

Speaker 2: 39:05

When you look at that scripture that I was in verse 6 of Luke, chapter 2, let me read it again. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born and she gave birth to her firstborn a son. The Old Testament being fulfilled. Firstborn a son, the Old Testament being fulfilled. She wrapped him very significant in clothes and placed him in a manger, because there was no room at the inn. He was wrapped. Nicodemus Joseph wrapped him. They placed him. Where did they place him? They placed him in a tomb. It was representing what Mary laid him in. She laid him in a manger. Twice Christ has been laid. The first time he was laid in a manger. The second time, I understand, through a child yes, we understand right now all the way through. But then, a second time in his adult life, he was laid to rest.

Speaker 2: 40:03

Again, we are looking at this Christ. You know I'm running out of time. We've got to get to the bread and the wine. God bless you wherever you are across the world. We thank you for those that are online at this moment. We thank you for those that are in the world of podcasts. We thank you for those that are on radio across the world and wherever you are tonight, and for us that's in the house tonight.

Speaker 2: 40:23

You know Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and he is the Lord of Lords. I pray that you will feel the love of Jesus over your life. Jesus was wrapped, he was unwrapped and he was revealed. So there comes a point when the word is wrapped up and taken and hid and we grow with the word as believers, we grow as the word gets us to grow. The word gets us to grow and grow and grow with Christ. His mom grew with him. His dad grew with him. You know, the word suddenly became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

Speaker 2: 40:59

There is so much to get from this. I urge you, wherever you are, don't follow religion. Untangle yourself from Lent. Untangle yourself from churches together. Don't get caught in churches together. Now, it's not a way to finish an online service. Don't get tangled with churches together. It's really important that we don't get tangled with churches together. It's really important that I get found in the Word of God, that I become like Nicodemus. He was covered in the blood. Joseph was covered in the blood.

Speaker 2: 41:27

Father, we thank you that this bread symbolizes the body of Christ and as I break bread right now, in the name of Jesus, I thank you, father, that this bread represents the body of Christ. And Lord, as I break this right now, I thank you for that, lord, in the name of Jesus. Lord, bless this bread in your name. Come Holy Spirit, stir us. We pray. I thank you that this is not about Lent. This is not about the occult talking about Easter and Lent and everything. This is about the Bible talking about Jesus Christ. This is about the occult talking about Easter and Lent and everything this is about the Bible talking about Jesus Christ. This is about the living word. Bless this bread in Jesus' name, amen.

Speaker 2: 42:10

Let me tell you, let me make this loud and clear Do not follow the occult that is doing church activity at this moment in time. You've got to follow the word of God. You've got to follow the word of God. I've got to follow the word of God. The more I want Jesus, the more I find that my physical world is far away from him. The more I want Jesus and I want to be holy, the more I find. But actually we are not. The more you want Jesus, the more you're closer to him. But we might find in the physical realms we're not.

Speaker 2: 42:49

I pray for each and every one of you tonight, wherever you are across the world, that we will never surrender to religion, we will never surrender to the occult world, plain, plastic church. That we stand on the word of God. That you become a braggadocious wild brother and sister for Jesus Christ, and you stand on the word of faith and you never give up, because the word is the same yesterday, today and forevermore. Father, I pray right now that you will wash us in the blood that was shed at the cross the blood Think about that a moment that Nicodemus and Joseph had the privilege, the privilege of being soaked to skin depths in the blood of that word. We don't talk about that. Nicodemus was covered. Joseph was covered. They was carrying the body of a dead man and that dead man was the savior of the world and the man, Jesus. They was covered in the blood, covered in the blood. They had the privilege of their clothing saturated in the blood of Jesus.

Speaker 2: 44:01

I want to be saturated in the blood of Jesus. So, lord, as I take this cup, cleanse me from the crown of my head to the sole of my feet. Wash me in the blood. Cleanse me in the name of Jesus. I thank you that I'm a sinner saved by grace. I thank you that I'm a sinner saved by grace. I thank you that I'm a slave to righteousness, that I don't belong to that plastic religious stuff out there that will burn when the fire of God falls on it.

Speaker 2: 44:33

You watch religion. It will burn and it will be consumed and it will go. But if you are a Bible-believing believer, you can stand on the rock and God is with you wherever you are. Cleanse me as I take this cup In Jesus' name, amen. We literally have two minutes and then we're crossing over. Not crossing over to the other side, but we are crossing over. We are crossing over. I will drop off the peg not literally drop off the peg, well, I don't know. Jesus might call me home in a minute and a half. We never know.

Speaker 2: 45:09

And a lot of people went amen, amen, hallelujah, jesus, you know. Brothers and sisters, wherever you are across the world, don't allow plastic religious authoritarians to control you. And they are in the Pentecostal movements, they are in most movements. But make sure you're covered in the blood of Jesus Christ and you are a Bible-believing believer. You believe in the Word of God. Jesus said something very profound we're out of here any moment. You must be born again. May God bless you. May the hand of God be over you as we cross over to classic worship For those that are going to stay with us online. May God bless you as you listen. God bless you. In the name of Jesus, we pray as we duck out of this. The hand of God is with each and every one of you. Never give up. The fire of God is with you. The anointing is over you. We will see you soon. Sunday morning bright eyed, bushy, toweled, filled with the Holy Spirit, 10.45. Online in in Jesus' name, amen.

Speaker 3: 46:22

I invite you to say the Lord's Prayer with me, our Father, who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us of our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Speaker 1: 46:53

Thank you for listening to us today on Reverend Ben Cooper's podcast. We hope you found inspiration and guidance in today's audio. Remember the journey of faith is a continuous one and your questions and thoughts are important. You can send us a text or an email and we will get back to you. So, wherever you are around the world, thank you for listening to our podcasts and radio ministry. For more information about our ministry, please find us on pastorbencoopercouk. Please support us with prayer. Also, you can sow a financial seed into this ministry. You can also leave us a legacy to support and continue the work of this radio ministry. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share it with others who might benefit. Until next time time, stay blessed.