December 25th marks a man-made holiday where many in
the religious world celebrate the day on which they believe that Jesus
was
born. However, there is no biblical evidence for such a religious
celebration
on that certain day. Christians understand that if were not for the
virgin
birth of Jesus, we all would be lost in sin. Sometimes, in attempting
to flee
the false notion that Jesus was born on December 25th, many go so far
to the
other side of the spectrum as to not even mention the birth of the
Savior, for
fear we may be like those in the denominational world. Although it is
true that
we must be concerned with maintaining our identity as Bible believing
individuals, we must not go so far to the other side that we fail to be
thankful and rejoice in the awesome birth of the one who takes away the
sins of
the world (Matthew 1:21). The virgin birth of Jesus teaches us many
things.
In the first place, the virgin birth teaches us the
promise of God. God promised to send forth His Son born of a woman that
had
never known a man in a sexual way. Isaiah, guided by God’s
Holy Spirit,
affirmed, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign;
Behold, a virgin
shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name
Immanuel” (Isaiah
7:14). This promise was given seven centuries before its fulfillment
took
place. When God makes a promise, time does not affect that promise.
When human
beings make a promise, time often causes us to forget that promise or
get the
idea that we do not have to uphold our promise after many years pass.
However,
neither time nor a lack of loyalty affects God’s promises!
God is faithful and
sure in keeping His promises. The Hebrews writer said, “That
by two immutable
things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a
strong
consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set
before us”
(Hebrews 6:18). Although this was said under a different context, the
application is still the same; God CANNOT
lie! Moses affirmed, “God is not a man, that he
should lie…” (Numbers
23:19b). Friends, when God promises something, we can count on it!
Therefore,
the virgin birth of the Messiah teaches us about the promise of God. He
promised the virgin birth, and it happened!
In the second place, the virgin birth teaches us the
power of God. Any mature human being understands that a man and woman
must in
some way be joined together in a sexual manner for a fetus to be
formed. That
is the law of nature set forth by God Himself. Moses affirmed,
“So God created
man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and
female
created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be
fruitful, and
multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion
over the
fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living
thing that
moveth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:27-28).
The command was given to man and woman to come together
and replenish the earth. Notice what was said of the first couple in Genesis 4:1,
“And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she
conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the
LORD.” However,
this was not the case with our Lord’s birth. After an angel
appeared unto Mary
and told her she would bear a Son named Jesus, Mary asked how this
could be
when she had not known a man (See Luke
1:30-34).
Luke records for us the answer as to how this virgin could give birth,
“And the
angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee,
and the
power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy
thing
which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God”
(Luke 1:35). The
Savior’s birth was like no other that had ever, or will ever
occur. Jesus was
conceived in Mary’s womb by the power of God and was brought
forth by a woman
that had never had sexual relations with a man. That is explained only
by the
power of Almighty God. The angel later said in this same context,
“For with God
nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37). The virgin birth,
without a doubt,
teaches us the power of God.
In the third place, the virgin birth teaches us the
patience of God. Sin had entered into the world, and man was separated
from God
by sin. Isaiah affirmed, “Behold, the LORD’S hand
is not shortened, that it
cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your
iniquities
have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his
face from
you, that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2). The sins that
separate man from
God cost a great price. “For the wages of sin is
death…” (Romans 6:23a). Man
was in deep trouble and could not redeem himself. We were on the road
to
eternal separation from God with no hope of redemption. Paul, guided by
the
Holy Spirit, stated, “For all have sinned, and come short of
the glory of God”
(Romans 3:23). God had patience with sinful man. God sent the best gift
anyone
could give while man was not worthy of such an awesome sacrifice
(Romans 5:8-10).
God exemplified His love and patience for mankind in sending Jesus,
born of a
virgin to save man from sin. Christ’s purpose for coming to
earth was to save
His people from their sins. “And she shall bring forth a son,
and thou shalt
call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their
sins” (Matthew
1:21). While God could have destroyed mankind in his sin, God extended
forgiveness through His Son to anyone who will obey. The virgin birth
teaches
us the patience of God!
The virgin birth of the Lord teaches us the promise of
God and the reliability of that promise. The virgin birth of Jesus
teaches us
the power of the God we serve. The virgin birth also teaches us of the
wonderful patience of God in giving man a way to be redeemed. Have you
learned
the lessons taught to us from the miraculous birth of the Savior? Are
you
willing to humbly submit to Him according to the plan that He gave? One
day the
patience of God will be no more. Peter declared, “The Lord is
not slack
concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to
us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come
to
repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). God is waiting for you to follow
His will and obey
Him today. Learn the significance of the virgin birth and obey God
before it is
too late!
