Luke 1:26-38
SOME FACTS ABOUT MARY...
And I don't mean on being disrespectful BUT we NEED to know the FACTS...
A.) Mary did not have sexual relations with GOD....God supernaturally “overshadowed” her...placing the baby in her womb...
IT WAS A MIRACLE FROM GOD!!!
B.) Mary had a normal DELIVERY.
Luke 2:6,7 says, “And while they were there(in Bethlehem), the time came for her baby to be born.
7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.”
C.) Mary was not a PERPETUAL virgin.
(She did NOT remain a virgin forever!)
Jesus is described as Mary’s “firstborn” child in Luke 2:7, which implies that she had additional children. The NT repeatedly makes this claim.
THE BIRTH of Jesus was unique; the birth of His brothers and sisters was ordinary.
D.) Mary was not SINLESS.
I used to think that the Immaculate Conception was the same as the “Virgin Birth”. I was wrong!!!
The Immaculate Conception is the idea that Mary was born without any stain of original sin. SO maybe this made her more worthy to give birth to Jesus...
This is false! And it is not found anywhere in the Bible... She was human...chosen by God BUT human...
And, Mary herself declared in Luke 1:47, “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior”. A sinless person does not need a Savior.
E.) Mary deserves our GRATITUDE, not our ADORATION.
So what's the BIG deal about the virgin birth???
I believe in a supernatural Christianity that presents a supernatural Christ...Who had a supernatural Birth, Who lived a supernatural Life,
Who died a supernatural Death, Who rose in a supernatural Resurrection, and Who is coming again in a supernatural WAY.
Therefore...
#1 The Virgin Birth of Christ is a BIG deal because it represents the very power of God!
Since the Bible clearly teaches the virgin birth of Jesus, you can’t consistently claim to believe anything else the Bible says and at the same time deny the virgin birth.
Matthew wrote in his gospel that the virgin birth of Jesus was the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14.
If the Bible can't be believed on this point why should we believe anything else it says?
2 Tim.3:16,17 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”
Believing in the Virgin Birth is part of agreeing that the whole Bible is inspired by God.
Therefore the Bible is THE TRUTH...And your faith in God's Word releases the Holy Spirit to work in your life!!
So the BIG deal is that the virgin birth is not a fairy tale. And if the Bible can be trusted then as you read it & apply it...your life will be transformed!!
#2 The Virgin Birth of Christ is a BIG deal because it reminds us that Jesus became human!
John 1:10 says that, “Jesus came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.
John 1:14 says, “So the Word(Jesus) became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”
Did you know that God could have created Jesus as a complete human being without ANY human parent? He created Adam didn't He?
But then it would've been very hard for us to see how Jesus could be FULLY human as we are...
On the other hand, God could've created Jesus with two human parents, both a father and a mother, AND somehow miraculously attached a divine nature to Him at birth...
But then it would've been harder for us to understand how Jesus was FULLY God, since His origin was like ours in almost every way.
YET God, in his wisdom, ordained a combination of human and divine influence in the birth of Christ. (God-Man!)
So that his full humanity would be evident to us from the fact of his ordinary human birth from a human mother...
And his full deity would be evident from the fact of his conception in Mary’s womb by the powerful work of the Holy Spirit.”
# 3 The Virgin Birth of Christ is a BIG deal because it reminds us that Jesus was sinless!
If Jesus was born of 2 natural parents, then He was born a sinner like all other human beings, and He would have needed a Savior for Himself.
If He had sin of His own, He could not have died as the substitute for your sins. If He did not die as your substitute then you are lost, and without hope.
Christmas isn’t just a story to make us feel warm and fuzzy about family, friends, and peace on earth.
At the heart of the Christmas story is that the human race is lost, alienated from the holy God because of our sin.
#4 The Virgin Birth of Christ is a BIG deal because it reminds us that only Jesus could bring salvation!
The virgin birth of Christ is an unmistakable reminder that salvation can NEVER come through human effort, but MUST be the work of God Himself.
Our salvation only comes about through the supernatural work of God.
John1:12,13 says, “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.”
1 Peter 1:18-20 says, “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver.
19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 20 God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days.
Does it really matter what I believe about the virgin birth? Yes!
Is it really a BIG deal? ABSOLUTELY YES!!!!
That's the Christmas Bonus! It's more than just a baby being born in a manger over 2000 years ago!
It's more than just singing holy night & away in a manger!!!
He was born to die for you & I...He shed His spotless precious blood to cleanse us of ALL our sins.
And He wants to be our Savior & Lord this Christmas season, today and every day!!!