¤[Theme music]¤
00:01:30.09\00:01:47.14
¤[Music]¤ JB:
This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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In 1994, the
movie "Schindler's List"
00:02:02.72\00:02:06.45
won seven Academy
Awards, including the Oscar for
00:02:06.45\00:02:10.73
Best Picture. It
told the story of a Czech
00:02:10.73\00:02:14.56
German businessman
named Oskar Schindler,
00:02:14.56\00:02:17.23
who employed Jews in his
factories so he could shield
00:02:17.23\00:02:21.50
them from the
horrors of the Holocaust.
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It's said that, in
total, Oskar Schindler
00:02:24.44\00:02:27.58
saved the lives of 1200 Jews
who would almost have certainly
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perished without
his direct intervention.
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Millions died in the Holocaust,
victims of the madness of
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Adolph Hitler's final solution.
Europe was paralyzed by Hitler's
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megalomania, but there were
some who dared to stand against
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Hitler and risk everything to
give others the gift of freedom.
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¤ [Dark Brooding Underscore]
¤ Here in Switzerland,
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during World War
II, one unlikely hero
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was personally
responsible for saving more than
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800 Jews from the Nazis as
well as hundreds of others,
00:03:03.48\00:03:07.58
including Allied servicemen.
And it was faith in God that
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drove this unlikely hero to
risk his life; to suffer torture
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and unspeakable
abuse; to be imprisoned;
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to live in constant danger.
Faith in God led this man to
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give all he had so that others
might be saved and not perish.
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¤ [Pensive Melody] ¤
Today, in Cologne, France,
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a village of 3,000 people just
outside Geneva, Switzerland,
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there's a monument recognizing
the heroism of this man
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of faith. A simple
monument paying tribute
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to an extraordinary life.
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John Weidner was Dutch. He
was raised largely in France
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because his father taught
at this Christian college.
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And as Hitler's noose began
to tighten around the collective
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Jewish neck, he became
aware of the desperate situation
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facing many Dutch Jews.
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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.
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The simple thing would have been
to look the other way as Nazi
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aggression
increased in the late 1930s.
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That's what the majority did.
After all, what could one person
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possibly do in the face of
the overwhelming force and power
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of the Nazi regime?
Especially when resistance often
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meant persecution,
imprisonment, torture, or death.
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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
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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.
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But this is a story that
has implications for us today,
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because it's an account of
someone who demonstrated true
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self-sacrificing
love, even as Jesus did
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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.
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Yet today, you'd never know--
at least, not by appearances.
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Geneva, Switzerland, is
a beautiful, affluent city.
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Across the border in
France, life is a quiet,
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go-about-your-business
sort of affair.
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But if we could go back in time
not many decades, things would
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be completely
different. Not peace, but fear;
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and jeopardy in
the place of safety.
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These very streets, these fields
and these hills were the scenes
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of incredible drama. In
fact, it was these hills
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which provided an escape route
for many people fleeing Nazi
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persecution. In 1939,
there were 300,000 Jews
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living in France. By
1940, thousands more Jews
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were fleeing to France
from Belgium and Holland.
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France was a haven,
but in June of 1940,
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when the French army
gave way, France was divided
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into two sections.
Northern France was occupied by
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Germany, while the south of
France, a so-called free zone,
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was administered by a French
government that cooperated
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with the Nazis. Many
Jews in southern France
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were housed in camps,
which before long made them easy
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targets for the Nazis. As
long as they were in camps
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in France, the
Gestapo could take
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Jews from the camps
for any reason at all,
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and those people would usually
never be heard from again.
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¤ [Gentle Melody] ¤ By
1941, Jewish refugees were
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pouring out of Belgium
and Holland and into France,
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but it was becoming
increasingly difficult for them
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to get out of France. If
they could get to Switzerland
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or Spain or England,
then they would be safe.
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Now, initially John
Weidner began working with
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Dutch diplomats. But
as diplomatic solutions to
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this crisis became increasingly
impossible to achieve, it became
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obvious that an underground
resistance movement was needed.
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A key factor in helping so many
escape was this mountain range,
00:08:03.55\00:08:07.95
the Saleve.
Beyond is Mont Blanc, the
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highest mountain in Europe.
Because Weidner went to school
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at the bottom of this mountain
range, he knew it intimately.
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His knowledge of the trails and
the cliffs and the hiding places
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of this rugged landscape made
it an excellent escape route.
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Ahead of time, God had prepared
John Weidner so that at the
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right time God could
use him in incredible ways.
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I'll tell you
more in just a moment.
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¤ [Gentle Theme] ¤ >:
Every Word is a one-minute
00:08:39.35\00:08:41.05
Bible-based daily
devotional presented by
00:08:41.05\00:08:43.75
Pastor John Bradshaw
and designed especially
00:08:43.75\00:08:46.19
for busy people like you.
Look for Every Word on selected
00:08:46.19\00:08:49.92
networks, or watch it
online every day on our website,
00:08:49.92\00:08:52.99
ItIsWritten.com.
00:08:52.99\00:08:55.10
¤ [Rythmic Melody] ¤
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JB: During the Christmas season
there's a lot of rushing in a
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lot of lives, and a lot of plans
being made and a lot of gifts
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being given and a lot
of food being consumed.
00:09:08.68\00:09:10.81
And very often,
something gets lost.
00:09:10.81\00:09:14.85
Stillness. Jesus and
His parents were in a
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quiet place when Jesus was born.
The shepherds were assembled on
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the silent hillsides;
the wise men traveled,
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but not along busy
freeways, and they didn't get
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stuck in traffic even
once. But get this: when Herod
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the king heard these
things, he was troubled,
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and all Jerusalem with
him. That's Matthew 2:3.
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That first Christmas, the only
one who was uptight was Herod,
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and those he
caused to be agitated.
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If it's really about peace and
goodwill and family and Jesus,
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try to enjoy the peace
of Jesus this Christmas.
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Merry Christmas.
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I'm John Bradshaw
for It Is Written.
00:09:49.62\00:09:51.72
Let's live today by every word.
00:09:51.72\00:09:55.69
¤[Music]¤ Today
I'd like to ask you to
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help It Is Written
open the eyes of the blind.
00:10:02.83\00:10:06.23
India has more blind people
than any country on Earth,
00:10:06.23\00:10:09.37
but simple cataract
surgery can make the difference
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between seeing and not
seeing for many people.
00:10:12.01\00:10:15.78
Eyes for India is a project
thats providing cataract surgery
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for people in desperate
need of the gift of sight.
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Please help
today. Call 800-253-3000.
00:10:22.18\00:10:27.26
You can also donate
online at Itiswritten.com
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or write to P.O. Box
6 Chattanooga, TN 37401.
00:10:31.43\00:10:37.50
¤ [Pastoral Melody]  ¤
JB: This is It Is Written.
00:10:38.37\00:10:42.57
I'm John Bradshaw. I'm
glad you've joined me today,
00:10:42.57\00:10:45.54
and I want to wish you
today a very merry Christmas.
00:10:45.54\00:10:49.78
The view from up
here is breathtaking.
00:10:49.78\00:10:53.05
I'm not so sure how much notice
escapees took of their view when
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they were fleeing for
their lives from the Nazis.
00:10:56.05\00:10:59.32
But standing here today,
it's not easy to drink in
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as much of the
scenery as you'd like to.
00:11:03.06\00:11:06.36
Up here, we're in France.
This was a dangerous place to be
00:11:06.36\00:11:09.96
if you were a Jew during World
War II, because you were in
00:11:09.96\00:11:12.97
Nazi territory. Switzerland,
00:11:12.97\00:11:15.94
freedom for Jewish
refugees, is just down there,
00:11:15.94\00:11:19.54
only a mile or so
away. There's Lake Geneva,
00:11:19.54\00:11:23.61
with the beautiful, historic
city of Geneva right there.
00:11:23.61\00:11:27.18
In John Weidner's
day, Geneva was the home of
00:11:27.18\00:11:29.58
the League of
Nations. Replaced in 1946
00:11:29.58\00:11:33.42
by the United Nations.
Today, Geneva is the home of the
00:11:33.42\00:11:37.56
World Health Organization,
a number of U.N. agencies,
00:11:37.56\00:11:42.43
the International Red Cross,
the World Trade Organization,
00:11:42.43\00:11:47.27
as well as banks and
watchmakers and a lot of very
00:11:47.27\00:11:51.31
wealthy people.
¤ [Music swells] ¤
00:11:51.31\00:11:57.78
John Weidner spent years living
here when his father taught at
00:11:57.78\00:12:00.92
the college at the
foot of the Saleve.
00:12:00.92\00:12:03.79
So he knew this area
like the back of his hand.
00:12:03.79\00:12:07.12
He personally accompanied
individuals or groups of people,
00:12:07.12\00:12:10.89
young and old, fleeing for their
lives across these mountains.
00:12:10.89\00:12:15.86
He was often
chased by Nazi soldiers.
00:12:15.86\00:12:19.10
Many times he was shot at.
Frequently he'd have to hide
00:12:19.10\00:12:23.17
among the rocks up
here to save his life.
00:12:23.17\00:12:26.51
Weidner's mission
wasn't for the faint of heart.
00:12:26.51\00:12:30.08
It was incredibly dangerous,
and it wasn't only his own life
00:12:30.08\00:12:35.92
that was in danger.
Weidner and others founded an
00:12:35.92\00:12:40.99
organization called Dutch Paris,
named because a lot of their
00:12:40.99\00:12:45.63
work involved getting
Jews out of the Netherlands,
00:12:45.63\00:12:48.46
through Paris and on to safety.
00:12:48.46\00:12:51.33
There were about
300 people involved.
00:12:51.33\00:12:54.07
Some hid Jews in their
homes or in their businesses
00:12:54.07\00:12:57.67
or on their farms.
Other people forged documents.
00:12:57.67\00:13:01.34
Some provided food,
some money, some influence.
00:13:01.34\00:13:05.75
Church officials were
involved. Government officials.
00:13:05.75\00:13:09.18
People who knew which parts
of the border were electrified,
00:13:09.18\00:13:12.35
and which were not.
People living down near the
00:13:12.35\00:13:15.26
border helped immensely.
But out on the front lines
00:13:15.26\00:13:20.13
was John Weidner. He
founded, coordinated and
00:13:20.13\00:13:24.67
worked in an
organization that saved hundreds
00:13:24.67\00:13:28.07
and hundreds of lives. ¤
[Transitional Bright Melody] ¤
00:13:28.07\00:13:37.61
Weidner ran a textile business
in Lyon in France, which was the
00:13:37.61\00:13:42.02
home of the Resistance movement.
He had run a business in Paris,
00:13:42.02\00:13:46.62
but he lost it to the Nazis.
So he started another business.
00:13:46.62\00:13:50.56
The reason he felt like he
needed to run a business was
00:13:50.56\00:13:53.09
because having a business would
provide a legitimate opportunity
00:13:53.09\00:13:56.23
for him to travel in a time
when people couldn't move about
00:13:56.23\00:13:59.33
freely. But
operating his business
00:13:59.33\00:14:02.37
in Lyon, the home
of the Resistance,
00:14:02.37\00:14:05.04
became too dangerous for him,
so he abandoned the business
00:14:05.04\00:14:08.38
and walked away from
it. So he came to Annecy,
00:14:08.38\00:14:12.11
also in France, about
25 miles away from Geneva.
00:14:12.11\00:14:16.15
And he opened another
textile business here,
00:14:16.15\00:14:19.22
just across the street
from beautiful Lake Annecy.
00:14:19.22\00:14:22.86
This would provide him with a
couple of things he desperately
00:14:22.86\00:14:25.43
needed. Like his
other businesses,
00:14:25.43\00:14:28.43
it would provide Weidner
with money, which he could use
00:14:28.43\00:14:31.80
to save lives. This
time, having a business
00:14:31.80\00:14:35.00
this close to the border would
give him a good reason to be
00:14:35.00\00:14:38.87
close to the border.
And that's where he needed
00:14:38.87\00:14:43.14
to be, if he was going
to save people's lives.
00:14:43.14\00:14:46.31
¤ [Suspensful Underscore] ¤
00:14:46.31\00:14:49.28
It was a different world
then. During the war, the border
00:14:50.69\00:14:54.56
between France and Switzerland
was fortified and guarded
00:14:54.56\00:14:57.66
and defended. There
was barbed wire and dogs
00:14:57.66\00:15:01.26
and fences and
soldiers with guns.
00:15:01.26\00:15:04.97
A person had to have travel
papers everywhere they went.
00:15:04.97\00:15:08.27
If you didn't have
them, you could be arrested
00:15:08.27\00:15:10.64
and imprisoned.
There was no such thing
00:15:10.64\00:15:13.94
as real freedom.
You'd never know, would you,
00:15:13.94\00:15:18.11
what went on here, on
these peaceful, idyllic streets
00:15:18.11\00:15:21.82
years ago. If only these streets
00:15:21.82\00:15:25.35
could speak. ¤
[Forboding Underscore] ¤
00:15:25.35\00:15:28.46
John often took refugees to stay
at his store here, in Annecy.
00:15:28.46\00:15:32.89
If there were too many of
them for him to safely keep,
00:15:32.89\00:15:35.73
some would stay a
couple of blocks away
00:15:35.73\00:15:37.63
in the back room of a
gift shop run by a Swiss woman
00:15:37.63\00:15:41.27
committed to
helping the Resistance.
00:15:41.27\00:15:44.64
She was eventually
executed by the Nazis.
00:15:44.64\00:15:48.91
Fear and
mistrust were everywhere.
00:15:49.28\00:15:52.15
It was impossible to know
who was a spy or an informant.
00:15:52.15\00:15:56.02
In order to save
lives, John had to contend
00:15:56.02\00:15:58.45
with police officials and
border guards and soldiers.
00:15:58.45\00:16:03.06
In fact, once he got into Geneva
by dropping from a bridge into
00:16:03.06\00:16:07.50
the coal car of a train.
Things were going great until
00:16:07.50\00:16:12.43
soldiers stopped the
train, looking for fugitives.
00:16:12.43\00:16:16.64
What would John do?
Well, the driver of the train
00:16:16.64\00:16:18.97
was sympathetic to the
Resistance, so he hid John
00:16:18.97\00:16:21.94
Weidner in a closet
inside the locomotive.
00:16:21.94\00:16:25.88
Soldiers searched the locomotive
and they came to within inches
00:16:25.88\00:16:31.42
of where John was.
That's how dangerous
00:16:31.42\00:16:33.79
it could be. As
a matter of fact,
00:16:33.79\00:16:36.16
it even got worse. ¤
[Suspenseful Underscore] ¤
00:16:36.16\00:16:43.13
A young lady who was part of
the Dutch Paris group one day
00:16:44.27\00:16:47.77
dropped a notebook.
She had made the terrible
00:16:47.77\00:16:51.64
mistake of writing down names
of people who were involved in
00:16:51.64\00:16:55.88
Dutch Paris in that notebook.
That was a serious no-no.
00:16:55.88\00:17:00.78
The notebook was noticed;
it was grabbed by the Gestapo,
00:17:00.78\00:17:04.99
who wanted to know
what the names meant.
00:17:04.99\00:17:08.32
They arrested the young lady
and demanded that she tell them
00:17:08.32\00:17:12.23
who these people
were, where they lived,
00:17:12.23\00:17:14.66
and what they did. Of
course, she flatly refused.
00:17:14.66\00:17:18.27
They took her
away to a jail cell,
00:17:18.27\00:17:20.37
where they threatened to torture
her and they threatened to
00:17:20.37\00:17:23.54
bother her
family. At the same time,
00:17:23.54\00:17:26.24
they promised her
that if she cooperated,
00:17:26.24\00:17:29.24
her father, who was in prison,
00:17:29.24\00:17:31.65
would be released from prison.
She still would not cooperate.
00:17:31.65\00:17:37.55
So they took her to a room
where they forced her to watch
00:17:37.55\00:17:40.59
prisoners being tortured.
It was all just too much
00:17:40.59\00:17:44.96
for the young lady. She cracked.
00:17:44.96\00:17:47.36
She wanted to safeguard
herself and her family,
00:17:47.36\00:17:50.93
so she named
names, she gave addresses,
00:17:50.93\00:17:54.37
she divulged details.
Well, her father was released
00:17:54.37\00:17:59.44
from prison, but he
was rearrested the next day
00:17:59.44\00:18:03.31
and put back into prison.
One hundred fifty members of
00:18:03.31\00:18:07.02
Dutch Paris were arrested.
Forty of them were executed.
00:18:07.02\00:18:13.25
So what moves a person
to do what John Weidner did?
00:18:17.09\00:18:21.43
Before he died in 1994 he
said, "I didn't have a choice."
00:18:21.43\00:18:26.57
Clearly he wasn't
motivated by personal gain.
00:18:26.57\00:18:29.44
Even though there was a lot
of money to be made in getting
00:18:29.44\00:18:32.07
people across the
border to safety, John Weidner
00:18:32.07\00:18:35.44
did everything he
did as a labor of love.
00:18:35.44\00:18:39.01
He was never paid;
he never took money
00:18:39.01\00:18:41.32
from anybody he saved.
He did it all because God's
00:18:41.32\00:18:44.69
love had gripped his heart.
And when God's love grips a
00:18:44.69\00:18:48.69
person's heart, it leads that
person to say, what can I do to
00:18:48.69\00:18:53.36
demonstrate the love
of God? What can I do
00:18:53.36\00:18:56.90
to make a difference?
That's what moved Jesus,
00:18:56.90\00:19:01.40
when He came into this
world to make a difference
00:19:01.40\00:19:05.14
for you and me.
That was John Weidner's
00:19:05.14\00:19:07.68
experience. I'll have
more in just a moment.
00:19:07.68\00:19:11.48
¤ [gentle piano transition]  ¤
00:19:12.35\00:19:15.12
JB: There's a special gift
I'd like to offer you today.
00:19:16.42\00:19:19.52
It's this study called
"The Second Coming of Jesus,"
00:19:19.52\00:19:23.26
and you can get it
right now by calling
00:19:23.26\00:19:24.99
1 (800) 253-3000
or writing to us at
00:19:24.99\00:19:29.23
It Is Written, P.O. Box
6, Chattanooga, TN 37401.
00:19:29.23\00:19:35.17
When you call or write, we'll
send you this study to your
00:19:35.17\00:19:37.84
address in North America.
It's beautifully illustrated,
00:19:37.84\00:19:41.34
simple to follow, yet it's
an in-depth study on a very
00:19:41.34\00:19:44.68
important Bible subject. I
would like you to have this,
00:19:44.68\00:19:47.98
and we'll send it to
your address in North America,
00:19:47.98\00:19:50.55
completely free of charge.
So, call now, 1 (800) 253-3000.
00:19:50.55\00:19:56.06
That's 1 (800)
253-3000. If the line is busy,
00:19:56.06\00:20:00.83
please do call
again. And let me say,
00:20:00.83\00:20:03.97
It Is Written is
supported by people like you.
00:20:03.97\00:20:07.17
We would not be on the
air if it were not for the
00:20:07.17\00:20:09.87
generosity of people who support
the mission of It Is Written.
00:20:09.87\00:20:14.18
To contribute, you can
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00:20:14.18\00:20:16.61
you can write to the address,
or you can visit us online at
00:20:16.61\00:20:20.02
www.ItIsWritten.com. Your
prayers and your financial
00:20:20.02\00:20:25.29
support are deeply
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00:20:25.29\00:20:29.16
1 (800)
253-3000, or write to us.
00:20:29.16\00:20:33.29
It Is Written, P.O. Box
6, Chattanooga, TN 37401.
00:20:33.29\00:20:40.27
¤ [Foreboding Underscore] 
¤ JB: Probably the best known
00:20:42.20\00:20:52.35
verse in the
entire Bible is John 3:16.
00:20:52.35\00:20:56.52
It says, "For God so
loved the world that he gave
00:20:56.52\00:21:00.92
his only begotten son,
that whosoever believes in him
00:21:00.92\00:21:04.66
should not perish but
have everlasting life."
00:21:04.66\00:21:07.96
The next verse, John 3:17,
00:21:07.96\00:21:11.17
is not quite so well known
but it's equally as powerful.
00:21:11.17\00:21:14.74
It says, "For God did not
send his Son into the world to
00:21:14.74\00:21:18.27
condemn the world, but
that the world through him
00:21:18.27\00:21:21.51
might be saved."
See, everything God did
00:21:21.51\00:21:25.28
in the plan of
salvation, everything God does
00:21:25.28\00:21:27.92
in the plan of salvation,
all God did in sending Jesus
00:21:27.92\00:21:31.95
into this world was done
in order to save humanity.
00:21:31.95\00:21:36.39
To lift up and save a people
who didn't deserve to be saved.
00:21:36.39\00:21:41.30
John Weidner was
someone who gave.
00:21:41.30\00:21:44.50
No, he didn't lose his
life doing what he did,
00:21:44.50\00:21:48.00
but he came awfully close.
There were times he was shot at
00:21:48.00\00:21:51.24
while swimming
across a river to safety.
00:21:51.24\00:21:54.51
One time, in Lyon, he and
an accomplice were actually
00:21:54.51\00:21:57.25
arrested and
sentenced to be executed,
00:21:57.25\00:22:00.42
but just minutes before
the execution was scheduled
00:22:00.42\00:22:03.28
to be carried
out, he managed somehow
00:22:03.28\00:22:05.69
to escape out a prison window.
He and his accomplice dropped
00:22:05.69\00:22:09.86
three floors onto the
cobblestone streets below and
00:22:09.86\00:22:13.63
escaped to safety. The
Los Angeles Times reported
00:22:13.63\00:22:17.87
after Weidner's death in
1994 that Weidner had been
00:22:17.87\00:22:21.90
interrogated in Lyon by
the notorious war criminal
00:22:21.90\00:22:25.14
Klaus Barbie.
The Butcher of Lyon.
00:22:25.14\00:22:28.41
It has been estimated that
somewhere between 11,000 and
00:22:28.41\00:22:30.88
25,000 people were
executed, tortured or sent to
00:22:30.88\00:22:36.92
concentration camps
directly by Barbie himself.
00:22:36.92\00:22:41.26
But somehow Weidner managed to
escape Barbie's interrogations.
00:22:41.26\00:22:45.69
He escaped only to come back
into the fray and put his life
00:22:45.69\00:22:49.86
on the line again
and again and again.
00:22:49.86\00:22:53.54
The Gestapo really wanted John
Weidner-- so much so that they
00:22:53.54\00:22:58.21
offered a reward of 5
million francs for his capture.
00:22:58.21\00:23:02.18
Now, in 1945 that
was about $50,000.00.
00:23:02.18\00:23:06.58
Just think of what
it would be worth today.
00:23:06.58\00:23:09.05
They wanted
Weidner. They didn't get him,
00:23:09.05\00:23:12.49
but they came close. And
they knew how to play dirty.
00:23:12.49\00:23:18.09
The Anti-defamation League
honored Weidner posthumously
00:23:18.09\00:23:21.43
in 2014. The press
release of that event
00:23:21.43\00:23:25.50
had this to say: "Weidner
was high on the Gestapo's
00:23:25.50\00:23:30.21
most-wanted list. In
an attempt to get Weidner
00:23:30.21\00:23:33.68
to turn himself in, the
Gestapo arrested his sister,
00:23:33.68\00:23:37.65
Gabrielle, in February of
1944, while she was attending
00:23:37.65\00:23:43.02
church in Paris. In
one of the more agonizing
00:23:43.02\00:23:47.66
decisions of his
life, Weidner was forced
00:23:47.66\00:23:50.89
to choose between continuing
his rescue work or surrendering
00:23:50.89\00:23:55.26
himself in exchange
for Gabrielle's freedom.
00:23:55.26\00:23:59.77
He chose to continue his work.
Gabrielle Weidner died in the
00:23:59.77\00:24:05.24
Ravensbruck concentration
camp in February of 1945.
00:24:05.24\00:24:10.55
Can you imagine? Some
people have given a lot,
00:24:11.98\00:24:14.38
haven't they? Interesting.
00:24:14.38\00:24:16.89
After World War II, Weidner
went to the Netherlands and he
00:24:16.89\00:24:19.62
visited that young lady.
The one whose carelessness cost
00:24:19.62\00:24:23.06
the lives of all
those Dutch Paris members.
00:24:23.06\00:24:26.16
He visited her in her
home, and he forgave her.
00:24:26.16\00:24:31.47
Now, if you think Weidner went
through a lot-- and he did--
00:24:31.47\00:24:34.57
don't make the mistake of
forgetting about those who
00:24:34.57\00:24:37.24
paid the highest price.
One censor says that when World
00:24:37.24\00:24:40.51
War II began there 139,717 Jews
living in the Netherlands, more
00:24:40.51\00:24:47.18
than half of them in Amsterdam.
By the time World War II was
00:24:47.18\00:24:52.02
over, only 35,000 of
them were still alive.
00:24:52.02\00:24:55.99
Millions
perished in the Holocaust.
00:24:55.99\00:24:59.53
Weidner lived
during World War II
00:24:59.53\00:25:01.60
for one purpose, and
that was to save others.
00:25:01.60\00:25:04.27
People he didn't know.
People who weren't the same
00:25:04.27\00:25:07.24
religion as he was.
People who were the targets
00:25:07.24\00:25:10.41
of a brutal regime.
Now, he had the opportunity
00:25:10.41\00:25:13.71
to flee. To escape to England.
00:25:13.71\00:25:15.91
And England would
have meant safety.
00:25:15.91\00:25:19.55
But Weidner didn't go.
Instead, he chose to remain on
00:25:19.55\00:25:22.72
the continent, because going
to England would have meant
00:25:22.72\00:25:26.29
that many people who
would have been saved,
00:25:26.29\00:25:29.36
would not have been
saved. Weidner couldn't face
00:25:29.36\00:25:32.83
that thought. He just had to do
00:25:32.83\00:25:36.23
what he had to do. He
was honored by France,
00:25:36.23\00:25:41.80
Great Britain,
Belgium, The Netherlands, and
00:25:41.80\00:25:44.84
the American Jewish Congress.
The nation of Israel recognized
00:25:44.84\00:25:49.41
Weidner as a righteous Gentile.
A tree with his name attached to
00:25:49.41\00:25:54.22
it was planted on the Hill of
Remembrance, along the Avenue of
00:25:54.22\00:25:58.65
the Righteous, in Yad Vashem--
Israel's official memorial to
00:25:58.65\00:26:03.46
the victim's of the Holocaust.
00:26:03.46\00:26:06.93
He moved to the
United States in the 1950s.
00:26:09.53\00:26:13.37
He married, he settled
in California, and he ran a
00:26:13.37\00:26:16.67
successful business.
He said this in a speech
00:26:16.67\00:26:20.81
honoring Holocaust victims:
"During my father's lifetime,
00:26:20.81\00:26:26.58
he taught me, my
family, his parishioners,
00:26:26.58\00:26:29.38
and the community that
the most important quality
00:26:29.38\00:26:33.22
in a human being was to love,
respect, and treat our fellow
00:26:33.22\00:26:37.43
man as we wished to be
loved, respected, and treated.
00:26:37.43\00:26:43.26
I was a witness to the
barbaric treatment of the Jews
00:26:43.26\00:26:46.07
by the Nazis. I
personally observed the
00:26:46.07\00:26:49.44
killing of a jewish infant
who was torn out of the arms
00:26:49.44\00:26:52.94
of his mother," he said.
00:26:52.94\00:26:55.24
"I was determined to heed
the teachings and example of my
00:26:55.24\00:26:58.95
father, and I did everything
that I could to save as many
00:26:58.95\00:27:04.39
lives as possible."
00:27:04.39\00:27:07.69
He saved a future Nobel
Prize winner; he saved future
00:27:09.56\00:27:12.93
government officials;
he met General Eisenhower;
00:27:12.93\00:27:16.03
he met the queen
of The Netherlands.
00:27:16.03\00:27:18.93
But through it all, John Weidner
remained simply a man who was
00:27:18.93\00:27:23.20
dedicated to serving
and saving. The truth is,
00:27:23.20\00:27:28.61
he lived for others. And
isn't that what Christmas
00:27:28.61\00:27:31.95
is about? The
Christmas story tells us
00:27:31.95\00:27:34.28
about God sending Jesus
into the world to save others.
00:27:34.28\00:27:37.85
At Christmastime, typically
we ask "What are you going to
00:27:37.85\00:27:40.86
get for Christmas?"
when perhaps the question we
00:27:40.86\00:27:43.63
should be asking is,
"What are you going to give?"
00:27:43.63\00:27:47.83
This Christmas, my family
and I are thankful for freedom.
00:27:47.83\00:27:51.80
We're thankful for John Weidner,
and the forgotten heroes
00:27:51.80\00:27:54.34
like him. Freedom
and love for others
00:27:54.34\00:27:56.81
ran through their veins.
We're thankful that Jesus came
00:27:56.81\00:28:01.01
to this earth as
a baby in a manager,
00:28:01.01\00:28:03.55
and that He's coming back
soon, as a conquering King.
00:28:03.55\00:28:07.88
What a day that will be! We
say with John, who wrote the
00:28:07.88\00:28:11.79
book of Revelation,
"Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
00:28:11.79\00:28:20.50
¤ [Silent Night on
Piano] ¤ Let's take a moment to
00:28:20.50\00:28:22.46
pray together. Our
Father in heaven, this
00:28:22.46\00:28:24.80
Christmas we've been reminded
about someone who lived to give.
00:28:24.80\00:28:30.07
We are grateful for
people like John Weidner.
00:28:30.07\00:28:33.88
We're most grateful for Jesus,
who lived entirely to give.
00:28:33.88\00:28:39.75
And to give the greatest of
all gifts, everlasting life.
00:28:39.75\00:28:43.92
Don't let us be so distracted
at Christmastime that we fail to
00:28:43.92\00:28:46.96
remember the true meaning of
why Jesus came to this earth.
00:28:46.96\00:28:52.49
We thank You today. We love You
00:28:52.49\00:28:54.30
and want to love You more.
And we pray in Jesus' name.
00:28:54.30\00:28:58.90
Amen.
00:28:58.90\00:29:00.84
[Music continues]
00:29:02.07\00:29:07.01
Thanks for joining me today.
I look forward to seeing you
00:29:16.28\00:29:18.89
again next time.
Until then, Merry Christmas.
00:29:18.89\00:29:22.62
And remember, it is
written. Man shall not live by
00:29:22.62\00:29:26.90
bread alone, but by every word
00:29:26.90\00:29:29.86
that proceeds
from the mouth of God.
00:29:29.86\00:29:32.60
¤ [Silent Night continues] ¤
00:29:37.37\00:29:52.39