If you stand up real close next to a painting, all you can see are the colors and the brushstrokes.

You have to take a few steps back in order to get the full picture.

Today on Truth for Life, Alastair Begg explains why we similarly need a fuller understanding of biblical history in order to truly grasp the significance of the Christmas story.

His father, Zachariah, that is the father of John the Baptist, was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied.

Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.

He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant, David, as he said through his holy prophets of long ago,

salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,

to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,

the oath he swore to our Father Abraham,

to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,

and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness

and righteousness before him all our days. And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the

most high, for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the

knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,

because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven

to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path

of peace. And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he lived in the

desert until he appeared publicly to Israel. Amen. I don't know about you, but whenever I go to a new

city, I like to take the bus tour.

I know there isn't a bus tour in every city, but in the major cities, there are usually bus tours.

Most recently, I did it in San Francisco.

I've been there many times, but no one would let me take the bus tour.

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