LEARNING DAILY

 

Matthew 1:23, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel.”

 

 Matthew is quoting Isaiah 7:14, “which says the virgin will conceive; in Hebrew, the word translated virgin is preceded by a definite article, indicating that the young woman would not be just “a” virgin but “the” virgin” (from notes in the DJSB). Mary fulfilled the prophecy. Both Matthew and Luke write the mother of Jesus was a virgin. Pastor Ed Newton speaks of 350 plus prophecies in the Old Testament that speak of the birth of Jesus. He reminds us that if even one of the prophecies is false, then the entire Bible is unreliable.

 

The Biblical revelation of the conception of Jesus by a virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit without the intervention of a human father, and the birth of Jesus while Mary was still a virgin is opposed by liberal theologians and those groups considered cults. The importance of the virgin birth of Jesus cannot be overemphasized! “For Jesus to be our Redeemer, to pay for your sins and my sins, He must be, in one person, fully human, sinless, and fully divine” (from the notes in LSSB). The LSSB continues, “The virgin birth satisfies all three of these requirements.” To be human, Jesus needed to be born a human being; the only way this could happen was to be born of a woman – Mary. The only way to be born sinless was to be conceive by the Holy Spirit. The only way to be fully divine was for God to be His Father. Luke 1:35 states, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” The birth of Jesus was not by natural means but by supernatural means. Jesus was born a divine person with two natures – divine and sinless human. Let me add what the DJSB has to say about this, “Jesus Christ could literally be said to be the Son of God on earth (although He was already – and forever – the Son of God in heaven, before He was born to Mary).

 

Let’s put this in perspective. There never was a time when Jesus did not exist; there will never be a time when He does not exist. It was God’s plan from the very beginning for His Son to enter into humanity through the virgin birth. Mary heard the announcement from the angel that she was “highly favored among women” (even at the age 0f 13-15). Her response, “Let it be to me according to your word”, is one that all of us as Believers should be to God’s Word.

 

The virgin birth is the place to begin the Christmas season. The Son of God living and suffering as a human, just like you and me, allows Him to sympathize with our weaknesses. As the divine Son of God, He has the power to deliver us from the bondage we are under due to our sinfulness. Because He is both divine and sinless human, He qualifies to serve as a sacrifice for the sins of every person and to be High Priest to all who come to Him.

 

We did not go into Nazareth. It was pointed out to us as we drove by. Perhaps that is because the population there is dominated by the Arab people today. Yet, the experience of being near where this most wonderous event took place makes one pause and reflect on the true meaning of the season we have enter in. Take the time to reflect what God the Father has done for you through His Son today.

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.