Luke, in Chapter 1, beginning at verse 5.

The birth of John the Baptist, who God chose to be the one who would precede Jesus, and be the one who would foretell the people of the coming of Jesus.  His father was Zechariah, the husband of Elizabeth, who had not been able to bear a child.

Zechariah was a Priest in the Temple, when he was visited by an angel. He was told that his prayer (for a child) had been answered, and Elzabeth would bear a son and they should call him John. The son would be great before the Lord, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. When he asked the angel (Gabriel) how could this be, as he and his wife were advanced in years, he was told that as he disputed the message from God, he would not be able to speak until the birth of the child.  His wife conceived, and for five moths remained hidden, recognizing what God had done for her. She said how kind it was, of the Lord to take away the disgrace of not having a child. It was a disgrace in Jewish culture for a woman to be childless.

The verses from verse 26, tell of the birth of Jesus.

This passage begins the New Testament and contains the very words of God, who we must thank for giving us the Bible. The poorest man or woman who listens and understands the Bible is wiser than many so called intellectuals and academics. We shall be judged one day by the way we have responded to God.

The coming Sunday is the last before Christmas day. This story tells the story of the greatest and unique event in all history. This story is told fully in Matthew and Luke Gospels, and so  I ask you

In the sixth month  of  the pregnancy of Elizabeth, the angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary. She was just a young woman of about fourteen years of age who lived a quiet life in a Jewish village, which was an agricultural settlement, and she was engaged to Joseph who would be about seventeen years. 

The angel told Mary she was a favored one, which left Mary confused and disturbed. She did not understand and tried to make out what the angel meant. He told Mary not to be frightened, for God had chosen to bless her, and soon she would become pregnant and have a baby boy, who she should call Jesus.  He told her how great he would be, and would be called the Son of God, who would be given the throne of David and would rule Israel forever; his Kingdom would never end.

Mary asked how this could be for she was a Virgin? The angel told her the Holy Spirit would come within her, and the power of God would overshadow her, and the baby would be holy. He told her that six months ago, her aunt Elizabeth had become pregnant in her old age for every promise of God would come true.

Mary made that famous saying, which should inspire all Christians, ‘am the  Lord’s servant, and I am willing to do whatever he wants. May everything come true’. And the angel disappeared.

We know by the Gospel of Matthew, that when Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together; She had found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.  Joseph was a just man unwilling to put her to shame, as it was a serious matter for a woman to have a child before marriage.  (how things have change!). Joseph thought of divorcing her quietly. As he considered the situation, for he still loved Mary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, telling him not to fear for his wife was conceived by the Holy Spirit, to fulfil a prophecy of Old Testament prophet Isiaha, and the Lord had acted.  When he woke, he did as the angel had spoken and took Mary as his wife.

Mary    decided to go seventy miles to visit her elderly cousin Elizabeth, whom she had been told was also pregnant in her old age.   On arrival the two women greeted each other, and Elizabeth in a loud voice proclaims how blessed Mary was. Until that time, Elizabeth thought this was just a family visit, but now she realised how unique the situation is, and feels she should have been the one visiting Mary.  At the same time Elizabeth felt movement of her own baby.

Elizabeth’s joy, inspires Mary to fully recognise she is to be the mother of the Savior of the world, and spontaneously sings a song, which has been sung at every Evensong in Churches all over the world, for centuries since, the Magnificat.  The Lord God is magnified in this song of praise which is filled with Scripture.

Mary expresses her glory. and rejoices in being blessed, and how gracious God has been to her in her humility. She readily obeyed God.  There is a significant point made by her, in that she recognises she needs a Savior, which implies she recognises that only a sinner needs a Savior, which tends rather to negate some Roman statements about her. 

The story about Mary becoming pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit is so often mocked and rejected, by the majority of those not having any Christian beliefs, and we could not expect anything other than such response.

It is much to be regretted, that many people in the Church membership, lay and clergy , even to the heights of leadership do not accept the Virgin birth.  A you might expect, they have no credible explanation.  The word ‘virgin’ is in the original translation is said to state,

‘Virgin, a woman not having had sexual relationship with a man’ .

There are in the Church many who cannot accept the doctrine of the Virgin Birth, but will readily stand up in Church and recite the Apostles Creed each Sunday.

It appears the only faithful followers, are the preachers who are Bible preaching Pastors.  However, as all ordained men and women, vowed to follow the Holy Scriptures and banish all doctrine, there should be a conscience question regarding their hypocrisy.  Every service taken, in most Churches, the Apostles Creed is said, with the words ‘I believe….in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,’ 

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These verses tell us of the entrance into our world by Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, and the doctrine of the Virgin Birth has been the doctrine of all denominations for centuries, and only in these liberal times has it been the subject of controversy.
Matthew and Luke are trustworthy. The evidence that they are giving you are facts - not myths. That brings us to Mary.
There have been denials of the biblical facts about Jesus' birth from the earliest years of the church's history. But people in the ancient world were able distinguish fact from fiction just as we can. The great body of believers said, they are not myths."

Isaiah predicted 700years earlier, that a young woman of marriageable age, who is also a virgin would give birth to a son - and he would be "God with us" - Immanuel. Matthew is wanting to teach us that Jesus is the fulfilment of the promises of God in the Old Testament.
God is directly concerned and involved throughout history. God is faithful and always keeps his word. God promised to raise up a Savior from the line of Abraham and the line of David.

There are depths which are too deep for us to fully comprehend; be content to believe with reverent minds and not speculate that which we do not understand. There are many things we do not understand, but fully accept without hesitation. How is it by holding a small plastic box without any outer connection, but by pressing a combination of numbers you can speak within seconds to someone on the other side of the world. Very few people can explain, yet we all use.
As we leave this passage, try to remember Jesus is both human and divine. He did the work God sent him to do, healing the sick and dying.
People will sing carols, and over eat and drink and spend more money than they can afford; pop groups will sing of ‘chris.-ee-mus’ without ever giving a thought as to why it is Christ-mas.
All very well Harry Belafonte telling us we shall live for ever more because of Christmas Day, when in fact we shall live for evermore because of what this baby Jesus went on to do on the Cross.
Above all trust in God and let this Christmas be one in which we remember the person it is all about—
The Lord Jesus Christ.

May you all have a happy and blessed Christmas.

 

We praise God for His  Holy Word.  May He forever be glorified