It has stood the test of time.
00:00:06.43\00:00:10.51
God's book, the Bible.
00:00:10.84\00:00:15.41
Still relevant in
today's complex world.
00:00:16.34\00:00:20.35
It Is Written,
sharing hope around the globe.
00:00:21.42\00:00:28.72
¤ [Stinger - Thoughtful]]  ¤
00:00:36.26\00:00:42.40
JB: This is It Is
Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
00:00:44.84\00:00:47.41
Thanks for joining
me. In 1994, the movie
00:00:47.41\00:00:51.38
"Schindler's List"
won seven Academy Awards,
00:00:51.38\00:00:54.95
including the
Oscar for Best Picture.
00:00:54.95\00:00:59.02
It told the story of a
Czech German businessman named
00:00:59.02\00:01:02.19
Oskar Schindler,
who employed Jews in
00:01:02.19\00:01:05.59
his factories so he could
shield them from the horrors
00:01:05.59\00:01:09.36
of the Holocaust.
It's said that, in total,
00:01:09.36\00:01:13.03
Oskar Schindler saved
the lives of 1200 Jews
00:01:13.03\00:01:17.14
who would almost have
certainly perished without his
00:01:17.14\00:01:20.01
direct intervention.
Millions died in the Holocaust,
00:01:20.01\00:01:25.68
victims of the madness of
Adolph Hitler's final solution.
00:01:25.68\00:01:30.32
Europe was paralyzed by Hitler's
megalomania, but there were
00:01:30.32\00:01:34.16
some who dared to stand against
Hitler and risk everything to
00:01:34.16\00:01:38.89
give others the gift of freedom.
¤ [Dark Brooding Underscore] ¤
00:01:38.89\00:01:43.37
Here in Switzerland,
during World War II,
00:01:43.37\00:01:45.87
one unlikely hero was
personally responsible
00:01:45.87\00:01:48.90
for saving more than
800 Jews from the Nazis
00:01:48.90\00:01:52.57
as well as hundreds of others,
including Allied servicemen.
00:01:52.57\00:01:56.48
And it was faith in God that
drove this unlikely hero to risk
00:01:56.48\00:02:00.48
his life; to suffer
torture and unspeakable abuse;
00:02:00.48\00:02:04.92
to be imprisoned; to
live in constant danger.
00:02:04.92\00:02:08.99
Faith in God led this man to
give all he had so that others
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might be saved and not
perish. ¤ [Pensive Melody] ¤
00:02:13.73\00:02:18.60
Today, in Cologne, France,
a village of 3,000 people just
00:02:18.60\00:02:23.10
outside Geneva, Switzerland,
there's a monument recognizing
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the heroism of
this man of faith.
00:02:27.31\00:02:30.58
A simple monument paying tribute
to an extraordinary life.
00:02:30.58\00:02:36.58
John Weidner was Dutch. He
was raised largely in France
00:02:36.85\00:02:41.12
because his father taught
at this Christian college.
00:02:41.12\00:02:45.36
And as Hitler's noose began
to tighten around the collective
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Jewish neck, he became
aware of the desperate situation
00:02:48.73\00:02:52.83
facing many Dutch Jews.
00:02:52.83\00:02:56.14
His upbringing gave him a
strong respect for liberty--
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religious and personal.
Seeing Jews being herded into
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detention camps
affected him profoundly.
00:03:05.25\00:03:08.28
The simple thing would have been
to look the other way as Nazi
00:03:08.28\00:03:11.19
aggression
increased in the late 1930s.
00:03:11.19\00:03:14.79
That's what the majority did.
After all, what could one person
00:03:14.79\00:03:19.66
possibly do in the face of
the overwhelming force and power
00:03:19.66\00:03:23.70
of the Nazi regime?
Especially when resistance often
00:03:23.70\00:03:28.00
meant persecution,
imprisonment, torture, or death.
00:03:28.00\00:03:33.94
But doing nothing isn't the
simple thing, when your heart
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glows with love for God
and compassion for others.
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John Weidner couldn't just do
nothing, even when choosing to
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do something to help was
tantamount to signing his own
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death warrant.
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This is not just another story
about another brave man who
00:03:53.26\00:03:56.77
resisted
Hitler's machine of war.
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Now, even if it was, it
would still be one of the most
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remarkable stories
that you'll ever hear.
00:04:02.07\00:04:04.77
But this is a story that
has implications for us today,
00:04:04.77\00:04:08.71
because it's an account of
someone who demonstrated true
00:04:08.71\00:04:12.05
self-sacrificing
love, even as Jesus did
00:04:12.05\00:04:15.65
when He was on the Earth.
And this is a story that shows
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us that faith in God
leads a believer to actions,
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and not just words. ¤
[Dark Brooding Underscore] ¤
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Time's a funny thing, isn't it?
World War II in Europe was one
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of the most horrific
times in all of history.
00:04:30.10\00:04:34.07
Yet today, you'd never know--
at least, not by appearances.
00:04:34.07\00:04:38.71
Geneva, Switzerland, is
a beautiful, affluent city.
00:04:38.71\00:04:43.04
Across the border in
France, life is a quiet,
00:04:43.04\00:04:46.65
go-about-your-business
sort of affair.
00:04:46.65\00:04:49.42
But if we could go back in time
not many decades, things would
00:04:49.42\00:04:53.72
be completely
different. Not peace, but fear;
00:04:53.72\00:04:58.49
and jeopardy in
the place of safety.
00:04:58.56\00:05:02.36
These very streets, these fields
and these hills were the scenes
00:05:02.36\00:05:07.07
of incredible drama. In
fact, it was these hills
00:05:07.07\00:05:10.77
which provided an escape route
for many people fleeing Nazi
00:05:10.77\00:05:14.48
persecution. In 1939,
there were 300,000 Jews
00:05:14.48\00:05:21.45
living in France. By
1940, thousands more Jews
00:05:21.45\00:05:26.05
were fleeing to France
from Belgium and Holland.
00:05:26.05\00:05:29.29
France was a haven,
but in June of 1940,
00:05:29.29\00:05:34.30
when the French army
gave way, France was divided
00:05:34.30\00:05:37.57
into two sections.
Northern France was occupied by
00:05:37.57\00:05:41.64
Germany, while the south of
France, a so-called free zone,
00:05:41.64\00:05:46.88
was administered by a French
government that cooperated
00:05:46.88\00:05:50.21
with the Nazis. Many
Jews in southern France
00:05:50.21\00:05:54.22
were housed in camps,
which before long made them easy
00:05:54.22\00:05:58.85
targets for the Nazis. As
long as they were in camps
00:05:58.85\00:06:02.79
in France, the
Gestapo could take
00:06:02.79\00:06:05.63
Jews from the camps
for any reason at all,
00:06:05.63\00:06:09.86
and those people would usually
never be heard from again.
00:06:09.86\00:06:14.40
¤ [Gentle Melody] ¤ By
1941, Jewish refugees were
00:06:14.40\00:06:19.84
pouring out of Belgium
and Holland and into France,
00:06:19.84\00:06:24.11
but it was becoming
increasingly difficult for them
00:06:24.11\00:06:26.21
to get out of France. If
they could get to Switzerland
00:06:26.21\00:06:29.85
or Spain or England,
then they would be safe.
00:06:29.85\00:06:33.49
Now, initially John
Weidner began working with
00:06:33.49\00:06:36.16
Dutch diplomats. But
as diplomatic solutions to
00:06:36.16\00:06:39.39
this crisis became increasingly
impossible to achieve, it became
00:06:39.39\00:06:43.47
obvious that an underground
resistance movement was needed.
00:06:43.47\00:06:49.67
A key factor in helping so many
escape was this mountain range,
00:06:49.67\00:06:54.08
the Saleve.
Beyond is Mont Blanc, the
00:06:54.08\00:06:57.18
highest mountain in Europe.
Because Weidner went to school
00:06:57.18\00:07:00.78
at the bottom of this mountain
range, he knew it intimately.
00:07:00.78\00:07:04.59
His knowledge of the trails and
the cliffs and the hiding places
00:07:04.59\00:07:07.92
of this rugged landscape made
it an excellent escape route.
00:07:07.92\00:07:12.56
Ahead of time, God had prepared
John Weidner so that at the
00:07:12.56\00:07:17.10
right time God could
use him in incredible ways.
00:07:17.10\00:07:21.77
I'll tell you
more in just a moment.
00:07:21.77\00:07:24.01
¤ [Gentle Theme] ¤ >:
Every Word is a one-minute
00:07:25.47\00:07:27.18
Bible-based daily
devotional presented by
00:07:27.18\00:07:29.94
Pastor John Bradshaw
and designed especially
00:07:29.94\00:07:32.38
for busy people like you.
Look for Every Word on selected
00:07:32.38\00:07:36.12
networks, or watch it
online every day on our website,
00:07:36.12\00:07:39.19
ItIsWritten.com.
00:07:39.19\00:07:41.29
¤ [Rythmic Melody] ¤
00:07:41.82\00:07:46.19
JB: During the Christmas season
there's a lot of rushing in a
00:07:49.00\00:07:51.90
lot of lives, and a lot of plans
being made and a lot of gifts
00:07:51.90\00:07:54.74
being given and a lot
of food being consumed.
00:07:54.74\00:07:56.87
And very often,
something gets lost.
00:07:56.87\00:08:00.91
Stillness. Jesus and
His parents were in a
00:08:00.91\00:08:04.31
quiet place when Jesus was born.
The shepherds were assembled on
00:08:04.31\00:08:08.08
the silent hillsides;
the wise men traveled,
00:08:08.08\00:08:11.25
but not along busy
freeways, and they didn't get
00:08:11.25\00:08:13.29
stuck in traffic even
once. But get this: when Herod
00:08:13.29\00:08:17.33
the king heard these
things, he was troubled,
00:08:17.33\00:08:19.66
and all Jerusalem with
him. That's Matthew 2:3.
00:08:19.66\00:08:23.00
That first Christmas, the only
one who was uptight was Herod,
00:08:23.00\00:08:26.03
and those he
caused to be agitated.
00:08:26.03\00:08:28.04
If it's really about peace and
goodwill and family and Jesus,
00:08:28.04\00:08:31.31
try to enjoy the peace
of Jesus this Christmas.
00:08:31.31\00:08:33.84
Merry Christmas.
00:08:33.84\00:08:34.78
I'm John Bradshaw
for It Is Written.
00:08:35.68\00:08:37.78
Let's live today by
every word. [Pensive Melody]
00:08:37.78\00:08:44.22
JB: Planning for your financial
future is a vital aspect of
00:08:44.22\00:08:46.55
Christian stewardship.
For this reason, It Is Written
00:08:46.55\00:08:49.59
is pleased to offer free planned
giving and estate services.
00:08:49.59\00:08:53.56
For information on how
we can help you, please call
00:08:53.56\00:08:55.70
1 (800) 992-2219. Call today,
00:08:55.70\00:09:00.67
or visit our special
website, www.HisLegacy.com.
00:09:00.67\00:09:07.01
¤ [Pastoral Melody]  ¤
JB: This is It Is Written.
00:09:08.11\00:09:12.25
I'm John Bradshaw. I'm
glad you've joined me today,
00:09:12.25\00:09:15.15
and I want to wish you
today a very merry Christmas.
00:09:15.15\00:09:18.85
The view from up
here is breathtaking.
00:09:18.85\00:09:23.12
I'm not so sure how much notice
escapees took of their view when
00:09:23.12\00:09:26.13
they were fleeing for
their lives from the Nazis.
00:09:26.13\00:09:29.36
But standing here today,
it's not easy to drink in
00:09:29.36\00:09:33.03
as much of the
scenery as you'd like to.
00:09:33.03\00:09:36.34
Up here, we're in France.
This was a dangerous place to be
00:09:36.34\00:09:39.97
if you were a Jew during World
War II, because you were in
00:09:39.97\00:09:42.98
Nazi territory. Switzerland,
00:09:42.98\00:09:45.95
freedom for Jewish
refugees, is just down there,
00:09:45.95\00:09:49.55
only a mile or so
away. There's Lake Geneva,
00:09:49.55\00:09:53.62
with the beautiful, historic
city of Geneva right there.
00:09:53.62\00:09:57.19
In John Weidner's
day, Geneva was the home of
00:09:57.19\00:09:59.59
the League of
Nations. Replaced in 1946
00:09:59.59\00:10:03.40
by the United Nations.
Today, Geneva is the home of the
00:10:03.40\00:10:07.54
World Health Organization,
a number of U.N. agencies,
00:10:07.54\00:10:12.44
the International Red Cross,
the World Trade Organization,
00:10:12.44\00:10:17.28
as well as banks and
watchmakers and a lot of very
00:10:17.28\00:10:21.32
wealthy people.
¤ [Music swells] ¤
00:10:21.32\00:10:27.79
John Weidner spent years living
here when his father taught at
00:10:27.79\00:10:30.86
the college at the
foot of the Saleve.
00:10:30.86\00:10:33.73
So he knew this area
like the back of his hand.
00:10:33.73\00:10:37.03
He personally accompanied
individuals or groups of people,
00:10:37.03\00:10:40.80
young and old, fleeing for their
lives across these mountains.
00:10:40.80\00:10:45.81
He was often
chased by Nazi soldiers.
00:10:45.81\00:10:49.04
Many times he was shot at.
Frequently he'd have to hide
00:10:49.04\00:10:53.11
among the rocks up
here to save his life.
00:10:53.11\00:10:56.45
Weidner's mission
wasn't for the faint of heart.
00:10:56.45\00:11:00.09
It was incredibly dangerous,
and it wasn't only his own life
00:11:00.09\00:11:05.86
that was in danger.
Weidner and others founded an
00:11:05.86\00:11:10.90
organization called Dutch Paris,
named because a lot of their
00:11:10.90\00:11:15.54
work involved getting
Jews out of the Netherlands,
00:11:15.54\00:11:18.41
through Paris and on to safety.
00:11:18.41\00:11:21.28
There were about
300 people involved.
00:11:21.28\00:11:24.01
Some hid Jews in their
homes or in their businesses
00:11:24.01\00:11:27.62
or on their farms.
Other people forged documents.
00:11:27.62\00:11:31.22
Some provided food,
some money, some influence.
00:11:31.22\00:11:35.62
Church officials were
involved. Government officials.
00:11:35.62\00:11:39.06
People who knew which parts
of the border were electrified,
00:11:39.06\00:11:42.20
and which were not.
People living down near the
00:11:42.20\00:11:45.10
border helped immensely.
But out on the front lines
00:11:45.10\00:11:49.97
was John Weidner. He
founded, coordinated and
00:11:49.97\00:11:54.54
worked in an
organization that saved hundreds
00:11:54.54\00:11:57.95
and hundreds of lives. ¤
[Transitional Bright Melody] ¤
00:11:57.95\00:12:05.95
Weidner ran a textile business
in Lyon in France, which was the
00:12:07.49\00:12:11.89
home of the Resistance movement.
He had run a business in Paris,
00:12:11.89\00:12:16.46
but he lost it to the Nazis.
So he started another business.
00:12:16.46\00:12:20.40
The reason he felt like he
needed to run a business was
00:12:20.40\00:12:22.94
because having a business would
provide a legitimate opportunity
00:12:22.94\00:12:26.11
for him to travel in a time
when people couldn't move about
00:12:26.11\00:12:29.21
freely. But
operating his business
00:12:29.21\00:12:32.18
in Lyon, the home
of the Resistance,
00:12:32.18\00:12:34.85
became too dangerous for him,
so he abandoned the business
00:12:34.85\00:12:38.19
and walked away from
it. So he came to Annecy,
00:12:38.19\00:12:41.92
also in France, about
25 miles away from Geneva.
00:12:41.92\00:12:45.96
And he opened another
textile business here,
00:12:45.96\00:12:49.00
just across the
street from beaut.
00:12:49.00\00:12:52.63
This would provide him with a
couple of things he desperately
00:12:52.63\00:12:55.20
needed. Like his
other businesses,
00:12:55.20\00:12:58.24
it would provide Weidner
with money, which he could use
00:12:58.24\00:13:01.61
to save lives. This
time, having a business
00:13:01.61\00:13:04.81
this close to the border would
give him a good reason to be
00:13:04.81\00:13:08.68
close to the border.
And that's where he needed
00:13:08.68\00:13:12.95
to be, if he was going
to save people's lives.
00:13:12.95\00:13:16.12
¤ [Suspensful Underscore] ¤
00:13:16.12\00:13:19.06
It was a different world
then. During the war, the border
00:13:20.50\00:13:24.33
between France and Switzerland
was fortified and guarded
00:13:24.33\00:13:27.44
and defended. There
was barbed wire and dogs
00:13:27.44\00:13:31.01
and fences and
soldiers with guns.
00:13:31.01\00:13:34.71
A person had to have travel
papers everywhere they went.
00:13:34.71\00:13:38.01
If you didn't have
them, you could be arrested
00:13:38.01\00:13:40.38
and imprisoned.
There was no such thing
00:13:40.38\00:13:43.69
as real freedom.
You'd never know, would you,
00:13:43.69\00:13:47.86
what went on here, on
these peaceful, idyllic streets
00:13:47.86\00:13:51.56
years ago. If only these streets
00:13:51.56\00:13:55.06
could speak. ¤
[Forboding Underscore] ¤
00:13:55.06\00:13:58.17
John often took refugees to stay
at his store here, in Annecy.
00:13:58.17\00:14:02.60
If there were too many of
them for him to safely keep,
00:14:02.60\00:14:05.47
some would stay a
couple of blocks away
00:14:05.47\00:14:07.38
in the back room of a
gift shop run by a Swiss woman
00:14:07.38\00:14:11.01
committed to
helping the Resistance.
00:14:11.01\00:14:14.38
She was eventually
executed by the Nazis.
00:14:14.38\00:14:18.62
Fear and
mistrust were everywhere.
00:14:19.02\00:14:21.89
It was impossible to know
who was a spy or an informant.
00:14:21.89\00:14:25.76
In order to save
lives, John had to contend
00:14:25.76\00:14:28.16
with police officials and
border guards and soldiers.
00:14:28.16\00:14:32.70
In fact, once he got into Geneva
by dropping from a bridge into
00:14:32.70\00:14:37.17
the coal car of a train.
Things were going great until
00:14:37.17\00:14:42.11
soldiers stopped the
train, looking for fugitives.
00:14:42.11\00:14:46.31
What would John do?
Well, the driver of the train
00:14:46.31\00:14:48.65
was sympathetic to the
Resistance, so he hid John
00:14:48.65\00:14:51.62
Weidner in a closet
inside the locomotive.
00:14:51.62\00:14:55.56
Soldiers searched the locomotive
and they came to within inches
00:14:55.56\00:15:01.06
of where John was.
That's how dangerous
00:15:01.06\00:15:03.43
it could be. As
a matter of fact,
00:15:03.43\00:15:05.80
it even got worse. ¤
[Suspenseful Underscore] ¤
00:15:05.80\00:15:12.77
A young lady who was part of
the Dutch Paris group one day
00:15:13.94\00:15:17.45
dropped a notebook.
She had made the terrible
00:15:17.45\00:15:21.32
mistake of writing down names
of people who were involved in
00:15:21.32\00:15:25.55
Dutch Paris in that notebook.
That was a serious no-no.
00:15:25.55\00:15:30.46
The notebook was noticed;
it was grabbed by the Gestapo,
00:15:30.46\00:15:34.56
who wanted to know
what the names meant.
00:15:34.56\00:15:37.90
They arrested the young lady
and demanded that she tell them
00:15:37.90\00:15:41.80
who these people
were, where they lived,
00:15:41.80\00:15:44.27
and what they did. Of
course, she flatly refused.
00:15:44.27\00:15:47.88
They took her
away to a jail cell,
00:15:47.88\00:15:49.98
where they threatened to torture
her and they threatened to
00:15:49.98\00:15:53.15
bother her
family. At the same time,
00:15:53.15\00:15:55.85
they promised her
that if she cooperated,
00:15:55.85\00:15:58.85
her father, who was in prison,
00:15:58.85\00:16:01.26
would be released from prison.
She still would not cooperate.
00:16:01.26\00:16:07.13
So they took her to a room
where they forced her to watch
00:16:07.13\00:16:10.17
prisoners being tortured.
It was all just too much
00:16:10.17\00:16:14.54
for the young lady. She cracked.
00:16:14.54\00:16:16.94
She wanted to safeguard
herself and her family,
00:16:16.94\00:16:20.54
so she named
names, she gave addresses,
00:16:20.54\00:16:23.98
she divulged details.
Well, her father was released
00:16:23.98\00:16:29.05
from prison, but he
was rearrested the next day
00:16:29.05\00:16:32.85
and put back into prison.
One hundred fifty members of
00:16:32.85\00:16:36.56
Dutch Paris were arrested.
Forty of them were executed.
00:16:36.56\00:16:42.73
So what moves a person
to do what John Weidner did?
00:16:46.60\00:16:50.97
Before he died in 1994 he
said, "I didn't have a choice."
00:16:50.97\00:16:56.11
Clearly he wasn't
motivated by personal gain.
00:16:56.11\00:16:58.98
Even though there was a lot
of money to be made in getting
00:16:58.98\00:17:01.62
people across the
border to safety, John Weidner
00:17:01.62\00:17:04.99
did everything he
did as a labor of love.
00:17:04.99\00:17:08.56
He was never paid;
he never took money
00:17:08.56\00:17:10.86
from anybody he saved.
He did it all because God's
00:17:10.86\00:17:14.20
love had gripped his heart.
And when God's love grips a
00:17:14.20\00:17:18.20
person's heart, it leads that
person to say, what can I do to
00:17:18.20\00:17:22.87
demonstrate the love
of God? What can I do
00:17:22.87\00:17:26.44
to make a difference?
That's what moved Jesus,
00:17:26.44\00:17:30.88
when He came into this
world to make a difference
00:17:30.88\00:17:34.62
for you and me.
That was John Weidner's
00:17:34.62\00:17:37.15
experience. I'll have
more in just a moment.
00:17:37.15\00:17:40.92
¤ [gentle piano transition]  ¤
00:17:41.82\00:17:44.56
JB: There's a special gift
I'd like to offer you today.
00:17:45.89\00:17:48.96
It's this study called
"The Second Coming of Jesus,"
00:17:48.96\00:17:52.70
and you can get it
right now by calling
00:17:52.70\00:17:54.44
1 (800) 253-3000
or writing to us at
00:17:54.44\00:17:58.71
It Is Written, P.O. Box
6, Chattanooga, TN 37401.
00:17:58.71\00:18:04.65
When you call or write, we'll
send you this study to your
00:18:04.65\00:18:07.32
address in North America.
It's beautifully illustrated,
00:18:07.32\00:18:10.82
simple to follow, yet it's
an in-depth study on a very
00:18:10.82\00:18:14.16
important Bible subject. I
would like you to have this,
00:18:14.16\00:18:17.46
and we'll send it to
your address in North America,
00:18:17.46\00:18:20.03
completely free of charge.
So, call now, 1 (800) 253-3000.
00:18:20.03\00:18:25.50
That's 1 (800)
253-3000. If the line is busy,
00:18:25.50\00:18:30.27
please do call
again. And let me say,
00:18:30.27\00:18:33.44
It Is Written is
supported by people like you.
00:18:33.44\00:18:36.64
We would not be on the
air if it were not for the
00:18:36.64\00:18:39.35
generosity of people who support
the mission of It Is Written.
00:18:39.35\00:18:43.65
To contribute, you can
call the number on your screen,
00:18:43.65\00:18:46.09
you can write to the address,
or you can visit us online at
00:18:46.09\00:18:49.49
www.ItIsWritten.com. Your
prayers and your financial
00:18:49.49\00:18:54.73
support are deeply
appreciated. Again, call us,
00:18:54.73\00:18:58.60
1 (800)
253-3000, or write to us.
00:18:58.60\00:19:02.74
It Is Written, P.O. Box
6, Chattanooga, TN 37401.
00:19:02.74\00:19:09.71
¤ [Foreboding Underscore]  ¤
00:19:11.68\00:19:15.65
JB: Probably the best
known verse in the entire Bible
00:19:20.59\00:19:23.63
is John 3:16. It
says, "For God so loved
00:19:23.63\00:19:28.06
the world that he
gave his only begotten son,
00:19:28.06\00:19:32.23
that whosoever believes
in him should not perish
00:19:32.23\00:19:35.27
but have everlasting
life." The next verse,
00:19:35.27\00:19:38.37
John 3:17, is not
quite so well known
00:19:38.37\00:19:42.28
but it's equally as powerful.
It says, "For God did not send
00:19:42.28\00:19:45.98
his Son into the world to
condemn the world, but that the
00:19:45.98\00:19:49.45
world through
him might be saved."
00:19:49.45\00:19:52.62
See, everything God did
in the plan of salvation,
00:19:52.62\00:19:56.16
everything God does
in the plan of salvation,
00:19:56.16\00:19:58.93
all God did in sending
Jesus into this world was done
00:19:58.93\00:20:03.26
in order to save humanity.
To lift up and save a people who
00:20:03.26\00:20:08.20
didn't deserve to be
saved. John Weidner was someone
00:20:08.20\00:20:12.51
who gave. No, he
didn't lose his life
00:20:12.51\00:20:16.01
doing what he did,
but he came awfully close.
00:20:16.01\00:20:19.35
There were times he was shot
at while swimming across a river
00:20:19.35\00:20:22.55
to safety. One
time, in Lyon, he and an
00:20:22.55\00:20:25.39
accomplice were
actually arrested and sentenced
00:20:25.39\00:20:28.29
to be executed,
but just minutes before
00:20:28.29\00:20:31.13
the execution was
scheduled to be carried out,
00:20:31.13\00:20:33.83
he managed somehow to
escape out a prison window.
00:20:33.83\00:20:37.50
He and his accomplice
dropped three floors onto the
00:20:37.50\00:20:40.54
cobblestone streets
below and escaped to safety.
00:20:40.54\00:20:45.54
The Los Angeles Times reported
after Weidner's death in 1994
00:20:45.54\00:20:50.41
that Weidner had been
interrogated in Lyon by the
00:20:50.41\00:20:53.31
notorious war
criminal Klaus Barbie.
00:20:53.31\00:20:55.95
The Butcher of Lyon.
It has been estimated that
00:20:55.95\00:20:58.59
somewhere between 11,000
and 25,000 people were executed,
00:20:58.59\00:21:04.46
tortured or sent to
concentration camps directly
00:21:04.46\00:21:08.66
by Barbie himself. But
somehow Weidner managed to
00:21:08.66\00:21:11.77
escape Barbie's interrogations.
He escaped only to come back
00:21:11.77\00:21:17.37
into the fray and put his
life on the line again and again
00:21:17.37\00:21:21.31
and again. The
Gestapo really wanted John
00:21:21.31\00:21:25.41
Weidner-- so much so that they
offered a reward of 5 million
00:21:25.41\00:21:29.62
francs for his capture.
Now, in 1945 that was about
00:21:29.62\00:21:33.56
$50,000.00. Just
think of what it would be
00:21:33.56\00:21:36.59
worth today.
They wanted Weidner.
00:21:36.59\00:21:40.00
They didn't get
him, but they came close.
00:21:40.00\00:21:43.40
And they knew how to play dirty.
The Anti-defamation League
00:21:43.40\00:21:48.97
honored Weidner
posthumously in 2014.
00:21:48.97\00:21:53.21
The press release of that event
had this to say: "Weidner was
00:21:53.21\00:21:57.65
high on the
Gestapo's most-wanted list.
00:21:57.65\00:22:01.35
In an attempt to get
Weidner to turn himself in,
00:22:01.35\00:22:04.25
the Gestapo arrested his sister,
Gabrielle, in February of 1944,
00:22:04.25\00:22:10.99
while she was
attending church in Paris.
00:22:10.99\00:22:15.33
In one of the more
agonizing decisions of his life,
00:22:15.33\00:22:18.97
Weidner was forced to
choose between continuing his
00:22:18.97\00:22:21.87
rescue work or surrendering
himself in exchange for
00:22:21.87\00:22:26.14
Gabrielle's freedom. He
chose to continue his work.
00:22:26.14\00:22:32.68
Gabrielle Weidner died in the
Ravensbruck concentration camp
00:22:32.68\00:22:36.99
in February of 1945.
00:22:36.99\00:22:39.72
Can you imagine? Some
people have given a lot,
00:22:41.19\00:22:43.59
haven't they? Interesting.
00:22:43.59\00:22:46.09
After World War II, Weidner
went to the Netherlands and he
00:22:46.09\00:22:48.80
visited that young lady.
The one whose carelessness cost
00:22:48.80\00:22:52.23
the lives of all
those Dutch Paris members.
00:22:52.23\00:22:55.34
He visited her in her
home, and he forgave her.
00:22:55.34\00:23:00.68
Now, if you think Weidner went
through a lot-- and he did--
00:23:00.68\00:23:03.78
don't make the mistake of
forgetting about those who
00:23:03.78\00:23:06.45
paid the highest price.
One censor says that when World
00:23:06.45\00:23:09.72
War II began there 139,717 Jews
living in the Netherlands, more
00:23:09.72\00:23:16.39
than half of them in Amsterdam.
By the time World War II was
00:23:16.39\00:23:21.20
over, only 35,000 of
them were still alive.
00:23:21.20\00:23:25.17
Millions
perished in the Holocaust.
00:23:25.17\00:23:28.70
Weidner lived
during World War II
00:23:28.70\00:23:30.74
for one purpose, and
that was to save others.
00:23:30.74\00:23:33.41
People he didn't know.
People who weren't the same
00:23:33.41\00:23:36.38
religion as he was.
People who were the targets
00:23:36.38\00:23:39.55
of a brutal regime.
Now, he had the opportunity
00:23:39.55\00:23:42.85
to flee. To escape to England.
00:23:42.85\00:23:45.05
And England would
have meant safety.
00:23:45.05\00:23:48.69
But Weidner didn't go.
Instead, he chose to remain on
00:23:48.69\00:23:51.86
the continent, because going
to England would have meant
00:23:51.86\00:23:55.40
that many people who
would have been saved,
00:23:55.40\00:23:58.47
would not have been
saved. Weidner couldn't face
00:23:58.47\00:24:01.94
that thought. He just had to do
00:24:01.94\00:24:05.37
what he had to do. He
was honored by France,
00:24:05.37\00:24:10.95
Great Britain,
Belgium, The Netherlands, and
00:24:10.95\00:24:13.98
the American Jewish Congress.
The nation of Israel recognized
00:24:13.98\00:24:18.55
Weidner as a righteous Gentile.
A tree with his name attached to
00:24:18.55\00:24:23.36
it was planted on the Hill of
Remembrance, along the Avenue of
00:24:23.36\00:24:27.76
the Righteous, in Yad Vashem--
Israel's official memorial to
00:24:27.76\00:24:32.50
the victim's of the Holocaust.
00:24:32.50\00:24:35.94
He moved to the
United States in the 1950s.
00:24:38.61\00:24:42.44
He married, he settled
in California, and he ran a
00:24:42.44\00:24:45.75
successful business.
He said this in a speech
00:24:45.75\00:24:49.88
honoring Holocaust victims:
"During my father's lifetime,
00:24:49.88\00:24:55.66
he taught me, my
family, his parishioners,
00:24:55.66\00:24:58.46
and the community that
the most important quality
00:24:58.46\00:25:02.26
in a human being was to love,
respect, and treat our fellow
00:25:02.26\00:25:06.47
man as we wished to be
loved, respected, and treated.
00:25:06.47\00:25:12.34
I was a witness to the
barbaric treatment of the Jews
00:25:12.34\00:25:15.14
by the Nazis. I
personally observed the
00:25:15.14\00:25:18.51
killing of a jewish infant
who was torn out of the arms
00:25:18.51\00:25:22.02
of his mother," he said.
00:25:22.02\00:25:24.32
"I was determined to heed
the teachings and example of my
00:25:24.32\00:25:28.02
father, and I did everything
that I could to save as many
00:25:28.02\00:25:33.40
lives as possible."
00:25:33.40\00:25:36.63
He saved a future Nobel
Prize winner; he saved future
00:25:38.53\00:25:41.90
government officials;
he met General Eisenhower;
00:25:41.90\00:25:45.04
he met the queen
of The Netherlands.
00:25:45.04\00:25:47.94
But through it all, John Weidner
remained simply a man who was
00:25:47.94\00:25:52.21
dedicated to serving
and saving. The truth is,
00:25:52.21\00:25:57.62
he lived for others. And
isn't that what Christmas
00:25:57.62\00:26:00.96
is about? The
Christmas story tells us
00:26:00.96\00:26:03.29
about God sending Jesus
into the world to save others.
00:26:03.29\00:26:06.86
At Christmastime, typically
we ask "What are you going to
00:26:06.86\00:26:09.83
get for Christmas?"
when perhaps the question we
00:26:09.83\00:26:12.60
should be asking is,
"What are you going to give?"
00:26:12.60\00:26:16.81
This Christmas, my family
and I are thankful for freedom.
00:26:16.81\00:26:20.81
We're thankful for John Weidner,
and the forgotten heroes
00:26:20.81\00:26:23.35
like him. Freedom
and love for others
00:26:23.35\00:26:25.81
ran through their veins.
We're thankful that Jesus came
00:26:25.81\00:26:30.02
to this earth as
a baby in a manager,
00:26:30.02\00:26:32.49
and that He's coming back
soon, as a conquering King.
00:26:32.49\00:26:36.83
What a day that will be! We
say with John, who wrote the
00:26:36.83\00:26:40.73
book of Revelation,
"Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
00:26:40.73\00:26:49.40
¤ [Silent Night on
Piano] ¤ Let's take a moment to
00:26:49.40\00:26:51.41
pray together. Our
Father in heaven, this
00:26:51.41\00:26:53.74
Christmas we've been reminded
about someone who lived to give.
00:26:53.74\00:26:59.01
We are grateful for
people like John Weidner.
00:26:59.01\00:27:02.82
We're most grateful for Jesus,
who lived entirely to give.
00:27:02.82\00:27:08.69
And to give the greatest of
all gifts, everlasting life.
00:27:08.69\00:27:12.86
Don't let us be so distracted
at Christmastime that we fail to
00:27:12.86\00:27:15.86
remember the true meaning of
why Jesus came to this earth.
00:27:15.86\00:27:21.40
We thank You today. We love You
00:27:21.40\00:27:23.24
and want to love You more.
And we pray in Jesus' name.
00:27:23.24\00:27:27.84
Amen.
00:27:27.84\00:27:29.74
[Music continues]
00:27:30.95\00:27:35.85
Thanks for joining me today.
I look forward to seeing you
00:27:45.16\00:27:47.76
again next time.
Until then, Merry Christmas.
00:27:47.76\00:27:51.47
And remember, it is
written. Man shall not live by
00:27:51.47\00:27:55.74
bread alone, but by every word
00:27:55.74\00:27:58.74
that proceeds
from the mouth of God.
00:27:58.74\00:28:01.44
¤ [Silent Night continues] ¤
00:28:06.25\00:28:10.25