Breath of Heaven (The Virgin Birth)
Matthew 1:18-25
Introduction:
To say just a few words about this holiday, there has been a great misconception
of what is to be celebrated at Christmas time.
·
Christmas has been Confused- (Santa Claus)
·
Christmas has been Commercialized (Largest
marketing season of the year)
·
Christmas has been Corrupted - (parties;
drinking; drunkenness)
·
Christmas has been Condemned (politically
incorrect; danger of offending someone)
Biblical history records some spectacular births:
(1) The birth of Isaac to a 100 year old barren woman who
laughed at the though of having a child was no doubt a
miraculous event.
(2) In the book of Judges we read of a man named Manoah
whose wife experienced a miracle, and would give birth to a man named Samson,
the mightiest man of all Scripture.
(3) Samuel the prophet was born in a miraculous way. His
mother Hannah was unable to bear children, and the Lord touched her and she
brought forth the greatest prophet of the Old Testament.
(4) Just 6 months before the birth of Jesus, a barren woman
named Elizabeth gave birth through the power of God, and she called the name of
her son John. John the Baptist would be the forerunner of our Lord. The Bible
said that he was filled with the Holy Ghost from his
mother's womb.
·
The Miraculous Birth of Isaac was Glorious. He
was called the Son of Promise. But Jesus Christ was born the Son of God that
would promise to all eternal life.
·
The Miraculous Birth of Samson was Glorious. He
was called the Mightiest man in the Bible. But Jesus Christ was born the Mighty
God that would deliver the world.
·
The Miraculous Birth of Samuel was Glorious. He
was called the Greatest Prophet that ever lived. But Jesus Christ was born
Prophet, Priest, and King.
·
The Miraculous Birth of John the Baptist was Glorious.
He was called by Jesus Himself the Greatest Man that Ever Lived. But Jesus
Christ was born the God-Man that would save the human race from sin. Taking all
of these miraculous births into consideration, there is one birth that rises to
the top of them all, the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.
I. The Birth that
Brought Deity vs.18-20
·
By the undeniable testimony of Scripture, Jesus
Christ was conceived by God, and born of a virgin.
·
Notice the phrase in vs.18, "When as his
mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together," You will
also note what was said in Prophecy in vs.22-23. Vs. 24-25 also proves the case
of Virgin Birth.
·
Joseph and Mary experienced no sexual contact
before their marriage.
·
That is a virtue that the Bible places great
value on, virginity until marriage, and monogamy in marriage. I'm afraid that
if God were to look for a candidate to supply a virgin birth today, the search
would be strenuous.
·
It was Mary's testimony of virginity that
protected her and Jesus from the accusation of Jesus being born by some other
man.
·
Notice that word "virgin" in vs.23.
That word occurs only 34 times in Scripture. In every use of that word, it
means a woman that has never been involved sexually.
·
Jesus is never called the Son of Joseph, and
Joseph is never referred to as His Father.
II. The Birth that
Brought Dispute
A. It
was Jesus claim about the manner of His birth that caused the Jewish leaders of
His day to seek to kill Him. He had to die because of how He was born.
·
John 5:18
said, "Therefore the Jews sought the
more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also
that God was his Father, making himself equal with God."
B. That
did not come to Jesus as a surprise. In Acts
2:23, "Him, being delivered by the
determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked
hands have crucified and slain:"
C. All
through the life of Jesus He was slandered by the accusation that He was the illegitimate
son of Mary by Joseph, or by some other man.
·
John 8:38-42
said, "I speak that which I have
seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They
answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye
were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now ye seek
to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this
did not Abraham. 41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We
be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. 42 Jesus said unto
them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came
from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me."
When the Jews said, "We be not born of fornication; we
have one Father" they were insulting the claim of a Virgin Birth.
They were insinuating
that Jesus was an illegitimate child, and that Mary had relationships with many
men, in so much that Jesus did not know who His Father was.
Religious polls of the last few years have revealed a
continuing decline in the people who believe in the virgin birth of Jesus
Christ. It causes us to ask the question: How important is the Virgin Birth of
Jesus Christ? It is the central fact of Christianity. The whole foundation of
Theology is built on the Virgin Birth.
1.
To deny the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ is to deny His Deity.
2.
To deny the Deity of Jesus Christ is to deny His Sinless Life.
3.
To deny the Sinless Life of Jesus Christ is to deny His Sinless Sacrificial
Death.
4.
To deny His Sinless Sacrifice is to deny His Triumphant Resurrection.
5.
To deny His Triumphant Resurrection is to deny His Glorious Return.
C.
Science has brought us no explanation for the Virgin Birth. History has brought
us no explanation for the Virgin Birth. Man has brought us no explanation for
the Virgin Birth. It is not to be explained. It is to be believed.
D. You
may wonder how we can believe such an unexplainable truth, that Jesus Christ
was 100% Man and 100% God, born of a virgin:
1.
The same way that I believe in the Trinity.
2.
The same way that I believe in the Inspiration of the Scriptures.
3.
The same way that I believe in Heaven.
4.
The same way that I believe in Eternal Security.
E. All
of these foundational truths of our faith stand and fall together. You can
believe one without believing them all, and yet you cannot believe them all and
leave just one out.
III. The Birth
that Brought Deliverance vs.21
Illustration. In the Christmas song of Mark Lowry, "Mary
Did You Know," the question is asked of Mary,
"Mary did you
know that your Baby Boy will one day walk on water? Mary did you know that you
Baby Boy will save our sons and daughters? Did you know that your Baby Boy has come
to make you new? This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you?"
Illustration: Like a dying, mangled dog lying in the street
that has been hit by a car is totally helpless, we were too.
·
He became our High Priest – who can be touched
with the feelings of our infirmities
·
He became our Horrible Past – who became sin for
us who knew no sin
·
He became our Hiding Place – come unto me all ye
that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest!
Make no mistake about it friend, Jesus came for the purpose
of deliverance. The name "Jesus" means Saviour.
A. He
Delivered us from the Power of Sin.
Paul said, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal
body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof."
B. He
Delivered us from the Penalty of Sin.
Paul said, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift
of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
C. One
day, He will Deliver us from the Presence of Sin.
Jude said, "Now unto him that is able to….. present you
faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy"
