THE VIRGIN BIRTH WAS A REAL THING
MATTHEW 1:20-23
MATTHEW 1:20-23 NKJ
20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."
OBSERVATION:
Joseph was a good upright man. He did not want to make Mary a public example. But neither was he okay with the idea that she was pregnant.
We read this story from our enlightened perspective but being with child by the Holy Spirit was a hard pill for Joseph to swallow.
Thank God He stepped in. The angel was sent to confirm what Mary had been saying all along. Not only did the angel tell Joseph what to name the child, but also what His purpose would be. He, Jesus, would save people from their sins.
Matthew goes on to fill in the blanks for his Jewish readers. The book of Matthew is the most Jewish of the four gospels.
Matthew frequently refers to the scriptures to verify events that took place. In our passage for today, he quotes the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 7:14.
A virgin shall give birth. The virgin birth was much more than a legend or a myth. Mary conceiving by the Holy Spirit would mean Jesus was the Son of God. And being born of a woman in the earth made Him a son of man.
He was Immanuel, God with us. And because He was also a man, albeit a sinless man. He was the only one qualified to bear the sins of mankind.
Taking away the virgin birth takes away from Jesus being the "Lamb of God" who takes away the sins of the world.
APPLICATION:
Don't ever feel as if you need to shy away or explain away the supernatural aspects of God and the gospel.
What God has done is totally supernatural, beginning with the creation of the heavens and the earth. If you take away the supernatural, you take away your salvation.
Jesus was born of a virgin. Lived a sinless life. Died on the cross for our sins and was raised from the dead the third day. He is alive, and so are we because of Him.
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, You are a Spirit, and You do spiritual, supernatural things. Thank you for sending Jesus to be born of the Virgin Mary!