The Miraculous Birth

Problems with doctrine with me if you want to Luke chapter 1 and will be looking at verses 34 to 38 and Mary said to the angel, how will this be, since I am a virgin and the angel answered her.

The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the son of God and hold your relative Elizabeth in her old age is also conceived a son, and this is a six month with her who was called barren for nothing will be impossible with God. And Mary said, behold, I am the servant of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word angel departed from her that with me as we got our Lord in prayer. Heavenly father I pray for Tracy Peck's dad today suffered with covert all week long and was dizzy and fell and had to be taken to the hospital. We pray Lord that you would have mercy on him that you would help them. Lord, that he might heal quickly.

We pray that his hospital stay will be short.

You will heal him from this coven. Heavenly father in your perfect sovereign will. With impeccable sovereign timing.

You took Joni Presley to heaven yesterday.

One minute she was on a ventilator and within a few minutes of removal from the ventilator she was in your presence. She's no longer struggling to breathe. She's now taking an Celestia layer. She is face-to-face with you. We rejoice over her homecoming little Lord were going to miss her. Her joy was contagious. Her love for Jesus was always shining father helped Randy and help us with our grief bolster our faith so that we can rejoice with Joni Father's Day. We have the privilege of studying the miraculous nature of the birth of Christ. Liberal critics have mock this idea of a virgin birth. Secular philosophers and snickered at the idea but is your covenant children. We bow in humility and we praise God that Jesus was born of a virgin father, thank you for sending your son to die for undeserving sinners like us. Please use this message today to exalt Christ and defeat this congregation. What is the precious and holy name of Jesus that we pray. Amen. You may be seated. Someone asked me a question about the virgin birth that we probably all need to ponder that question is, is it possible to be a born-again Christian and yet somehow deny the doctrine of the virgin birth of Christ. Nothing we need to be careful here because I know people who were not raised in the church they had very little understanding of the Bible whatsoever and I went to an evangelistic crusade. They heard the gospel. I came under great conviction.

They repent of their sins. I trusted Christ as their Lord and Savior and they became a new creature in Christ.

Just like that, everything change for them, their habits changed their their language changed. All of a sudden, they have this deep hunger for Christ that they were at church every time the doors were open. If you were to go to them right the first of their conversion and you were to save them. Do you believe in the doctrine of the virgin birth, they might say to you, I don't know what you're talking about here. I've never been instructed in that. All I know is the us once all was lost but now I am found all I know is the is no, everything is changed in my life and I am different and I'm no longer the same.

I we have seen little children here in this church that I believe are regenerated and yet they have not come to the point where they're able to grasp the truth, the great truth of Scripture yet and perhaps this doctrine of the virgin birth of Christ is is too much.

They're not quite able to to get there to grab it yet, but I would believe with all my heart that there okay so thought I would say you don't have to understand or even be aware of the, the virgin birth of Christ, and that doctrine to be a genuinely saved, but having said that once a person is truly regenerated. Once a person is been born again and then he is subjected to this doctrine of the virgin birth and he comes to understand what the Bible says about it then that person if he is genuinely born again is going to accept that doctrine.

He's going to believe that doctrine and it's going to change his life because he's going to cherish it. If he rejects that doctrine I would say that is evidence that he's not truly been saved. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 17 Paul said that the Holy Spirit is the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.

So the Holy Spirit is not going to to say something in the word of God and then turn right around and speak something else to your heart. The Holy Spirit of God is the one who inspired both Matthew and Luke to write the beautiful glorious doctrines of the virgin birth of Christ and the Holy Spirit is not going to speak to your heart and tell you. Well that's not true.

But listen very carefully the word of God and the Holy Spirit of God can never contradict each other, so you can be saved without knowing and understanding. This doctrine with a true Christian will not deny or reject it.

When he is subjected to it now.

How can I say that because to deny the virgin birth is to deny the deity of Christ to deny the deity of Christ is to reject the gospel John chapter 8 verse 24. Jesus said if you do not believe that I am what he means there is that I am Jehovah God, then you will die in your sins because that's why this doctrine is so vital.

That's why it is a a life and death issue is that important that why would anybody deny this bright wonderful glorious truth Willis do a quick history lesson. Go back to Isaiah chapter 7 verse 14 and the Scripture says this. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign the whole, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel well after the death of King Uzziah and Judah, who is a very godly king and serve Judah for 52 years is worthless on a has we would describe as a gutless wonder ascended to the throne of Judah.

At that time Judah and Israel and separated Israel was in the northern region. Instant Judah was in the South, but Israel had a keen's name was pico pico went to a high asking a acids and we need to join our forces here so that we can fight other nations and be successful in a has said no. So pico got mad. Anyway, went to Syria to a king whose name was resin.

He said I want us to get together and once we get together will go and will fight Judah, and will defeat king pica enemy, King Ahaz and will kill him and then we will destroy the bloodline the kingly bloodline of Judah, we will destroy that will Ahaz got word of that plan and it literally scared the old boy to death instead of going to God like you should. He went to another nation.

He went to a Syria he went to King to Glass Placer and he said if you will help me out here, we will become a puppet state to a Syria we will be your slaves but you must promise me that you will protect me from Topeka and resin that you will not let them kill me and destroy the kingly bloodline that leads to the Messiah that you will not let that happen. Will the prophet Isaiah heard about what King Ahaz did and he absolutely went berserk. He walked into the palace was steam coming off his head and he looked over at at King Ahaz and he said to him, don't you believe in the promises of God. Don't you believe in God's word. He said God told David that that in his bloodline. The Messiah will be born and it's a promise to us, and we can count on it.

We can put it in the bank. And what do you do you go off running like a us yellow scared chicken and you go off and you give the country away is it what is the matter with you. Don't you believe the word of God and King Ahaz said to them, well, you know my face is just this is not what it needs to be and Isaiah said okay then you ask God for a sign at Annie's all know know I could never ask God for a sign.

I don't want to tip God.

I could never do that so I won't do that. And Isaiah got mad and Isaiah said, okay, if you will ask God for a sign. I'll give you a sign and here's the sign and he said, behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall call his name Emmanuel well, first the word used in that verse is written in the plural.

So that means it is not just talking to King Ahaz that he's talking to the entire nation and he says that the virgin shall conceive and and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel well a menu well that that word means the creator God who is who will be with us.

Now here's where liberal friends have attacked the virgin birth city, but here have a revised standard version Bible with good, I'm glad you don't have that because that Bible has some bad translations in a and one of them is in this verse. Isaiah 714, they take the Hebrew word Alma which can mean virgin or can mean young woman and there's another word, but the will that always means virgin that was not used, but they take this one and they mistranslated and they say, a young woman shall conceive, and that's the translation they use is very interesting if you go through the Bible and you check out all the other references to when Alma is used every other time in the Scripture has to do with a virgin and not just a young woman we so how do we know the end that Isaiah met a virgin. How can we be sure first of all of King Ahab want some proof that God is going to not falter on his promises. And the proof is to be a sign from God and what kind of sign would it be that a young woman is going to conceive and have a son I'm in school pretty much happen every day and it is not much of a sign is not much proof as like me saying here's proof that I'm gonna tell what that what I'm telling you is true. If the sun comes up in the morning then you know it's true when you know the sons coming up in the morning. That's not that's not a real sign.

We used to have a young man in our neighborhood in a little bit mentally Il but he climbed up on top of his house. He put a big red light on the top of his house name was Bud and I said none want to do that what you protecting red light on your house you shall put it up there so that airplanes would run into the house and I said you need to do that and he said why not his work so far. It's a true story.

So if this word Alma just means young woman that's no miracle. That's not a sign at all that would not bring comfort and conviction into the heart of Ahaz. But when he heard that the Messiah Emmanuel whale will be born of a virgin. That's a miracle that is the the intervention of God that is a sign no later all of the Old Testament was translated into the Greek language is called the Septuagint and in the Septuagint when he translated the word Alma, which is in Hebrew to the Greek word to use the word Parthenon which means virgin and only virgin nephew still have problems. Go to Matthew chapter 1 verse 23 and Matthew writes the gospel under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, and in this area in the first chapter verse 23. What is he say he tells us that Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophecy, and says this, behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear forth a son, and you shall call his name Emmanuel whale which means God with us.

That word used for virgin in the Greek means virgin and only virgin books the best commentary that we have of the Old Testament is the New Testament and the New Testament says without a shadow of a day out that Mary was a virgin is another argument that liberal theologians use the deny the veracity of the doctrine of the virgin birth of Christ, and that has to do with Greek and Babylonian mythology want to listen to what Harry Ironside said here is that some opponents of the truth of the incarnation have even gone so far as to declare that the story of the virgin birth is not peculiar to Christianity, but that in the midst of the healing God. We have many instances of virgin birth. This one, we can unhesitantly deny there is no comparison between the sweet, pure, lovely story that we have here in the vile lewd stories of the heathen mythologies what some have presumed to call virgin births are the very opposite in the story.

Certain gods are represented as lustful licentious beans. They are pictured as falling in love with some earthborn maiden. Assuming a human form in order to seduce her as a result of which she becomes the mother of a demigod.

Surely there is nothing in these corrupt tales that can be linked in any proper sense with the story of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ our Lord. With that said, I got five quick points and I will share with you .1 is the supplication. Look at verse 34 and Mary said to the angel, how will this be, since I am a virgin. Notice he says how will it be, not how can it be and this brings up another argument that liberal theologians bring up to cast doubts on the doctrine of the virgin birth of Christ. They say there is the possibility that Jesus was the illegitimate son of a Roman soldier. Let me ask you something. Is that a possibility.

And the answer that is absolutely no it could not have happened but Mary says to the angel, how will this be sense I am a virgin. That's a legitimate question.

How could this possibly happen. How could she have a baby with her when she has never had any intimate relationships with any man, not a Roman soldier, not Joseph, not anybody. It could not happen then consider John chapter 8 verse 41, 344. Jesus is talking to the Pharisees.

He says this you are doing the work, your father did.

They said to him, we were not born of sexual immorality. We have one father, even God. Jesus said to them, if God were your father you would love me for I came from God and I am here I came, not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say it is because you cannot bear to hear my word, you are of your father the devil in your father's will is to do your father's desires.

Pharisees said very smugly were not like you Jesus were not born of fornication you were illegitimate.

You were born out of wedlock. Your mother's just a woman of the streets. Boy Jesus just just hit them with both barrels.

What did he say he says you are of your father the devil in the works of your father you will do. He says I was not born of fornication. He said I was not born of fornication, because before Abraham was, I am. What was he saying he was saying before Abraham was even born. I was NAM Jehovah God. In other words, he was claiming deity for Jesus to be God. He had to have been born of a virgin, so Mary's got a question is not surprising. Is it she had just been told that she is going to give birth to the son of God, that might raise a few questions so well to do very quickly, so must take a look at a comparison of questions you remember when the the angel Gabriel came to John the cover Zechariah the priest told him that he and his wife who were way beyond childbearing age were going to have a son and that son was going to be the forerunner of the Messiah. John had a question that he had asked Mary's question is much different than the question that that Zechariah Zechariah's question was filled with doubt. Mary's was not. Zechariah said, how can I know that what you're telling me is true that's what he said to the angel, Mary's question is not feel with doubt, or questions, feel with wonder.

She is not asking for evidence or assurance. She's asking for enlightenment.

She she is sent okay. You're telling me that I'm to give birth to the son of God will fill me in on some logistics. She she says I know how babies are conceived and she said we have not consummated the marriage.

I'm a pure chaste virgin Mary has to realize that this is a God thing. This is a miracle. This is supernatural, then this cannot be explained or understood in human terms. This is not a lack of faith on Mary's part Mary just wants to know how this is not doubt his wonder is absolute all she is seeking clarification not confirmation. God said it that settles it is not the issue with her.

She believes that she just wants to know how I remember back in 2007 I had diverticulitis and went to the doctor and they told me that I was in have to have surgery they will take 18 inches my colon out and find some questions and I ask him said how big the incision can be and I said when when you cut 18 inches my colon out. How is it that you gonna stick the, the two ends back together and then I asked how long is it going to take me to heal. I was not questioning of the doctors ability to do this, I knew that he could do it he'd done this hundreds of times before.

I just wanted a house can affect me. I just want know how he was going to do it.

This was going on with Mary point to the strategy look look at verse 35 the angel answered her Holy Spirit will come upon you the power of the most high will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called the son of God.

I've heard preachers try to describe this explanation that Gabriel gives is an almost crude sexual terms but this is not a sexual union between a human being and a divine being. These there are no sexual overtones here whatsoever, but Gabriel says the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you wasn't overshadowing when the Holy Spirit appeared in the Old Testament, it appeared most of his time in the form that is called the Shekinah glory. The bright glory cloud on the day of atonement. One time a year high priest would go back behind the veil and he would take a branch of hyssop, a had a bowl of goat's blood in his hand. He would dip it into the branch of hyssop into the goat's blood and he would sprinkle it on the mercy seat to atone for the people sense for that year. And so when he did that the Shekinah glory of God would come and would hover between the wings of the charitable to assure the people of God that their sins had been covered for that year and that was called and overshadowing the Holy Spirit of God visibly present to the high priest. He could see it and it was called, and overshadowing when Jesus was baptized. His baptism was a part of the ceremonial ordination of the priesthood is coming up out of the water in the Scripture says of the Holy Spirit descended upon him like a dove, and it landed upon his shoulders and rested upon him, that wasn't overshadowing is a different purpose. They are, but is the same similar methodology several years ago my wife gave me some insightful comments on this idea of overshadowing Nancy Guthrie will take a minute and read you this. Listen carefully. If you've ever driven through thick fog so thick you could barely see what was in front of you. You know it can be kind of scary. Fog is basically a cloud close to the ground in several places in the Bible the presence and power of God in the person of the Holy Spirit is described as a cloud in which God came close to earth, but usually didn't scare people in the second verse in the Bible we read that the earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters in the spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Holy Spirit hovered over the unformed earth like a cloud. Later God's presence like a cloud led the cloud that came down when Jesus was on the top of a mountain with three of his disciples and then a voice from the cloud said this is my dearly beloved son love son who brings me great joy.

Listen to him.

We get that same sense of an enveloping clay out of the presence of God.

When we read the words angel said to Mary, the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you to the baby to be born will be holy.

He will be called the son of God, the angel said to the Holy Spirit would come upon Mary and overshadow her similar to the way a cloud might God in the person of the Holy Spirit would come over her and do a creative work in her womb, making you life. While Mary's experience was certainly unique. We all desperately need the Holy Spirit to come upon us and overshadow us. We need him to make new life with. There's deadness in our spirits to bring light where there is darkness in our hearts we need the Holy Spirit to enter into the chaos of our inner thoughts and emotions and desires and change us from the inside out.

We can create new spiritual life on her own. We need the power of God to work inside us, so that Christ can be born in us. This was not a sexual experience for Mary. It was a very conscious experience. She failed this. She knew this was taking place.

Hugh said perhaps it was in the very moment of Gabriel statement that she was overshadowed or perhaps it was after the angel left budget. It is the spirit that gives life. Jesus said that that which is born of the spirit is spirit people in the spirit of God comes to you, you will experience life went when the spirit of God regenerates you he makes out of you a new creation. Old things are passed away behold all things are become new. Romans 816 says the Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.

First John chapter 3 verse 24 says, and hereby we know that he abides in us by the spirit which he has given us so the virgin birth was a divine creative miracle performed by the Holy Spirit and what did the miracle bring forth number one. It showed forth the holiness of Christ. John MacArthur said in a manner beyond human comprehension. Jesus was fully human, yet completely sinless from conception the expert explanation of how that could be shrouded in the unfathomable mystery of the incarnation because of the virgin birth, the Holy Spirit, overshadowing Mary Jesus was born without a sin nature, and because he was without sin nature. He had the right to be our Savior.

The second thing this miracle shows forth is the son ship of Jesus.

The virgin birth did not make Jesus God son did not Jesus was eternal. He's been the son of God, the second person of the Trinity all the way through eternity past, so it didn't make him the sign.

It manifested his son ship art number three is the sign verse 36 verse 38, six behold your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the six-month with her was called barren. Mary did not ask for a sign of confirmation with Angel graciously gave her one.

She was told that her aunt Elizabeth, who was past the childbearing age had been barren for all of her life was now six months pregnant. That was a shock to Mary. So Angel knew it was a shot to center behold which means listen very carefully and then he said you're not the only one experience a miracle now. He said your aunt is one of the baby all her life over 50 years old and now white pastor childbearing eight years now. She's expecting a baby, that baby will be the forerunner of the Messiah boats cable doesn't tell Mary all the details that say she gets excited about this for she knows that mama and and daddy and her betrothed husband, Joseph and her brothers and sisters and her neighbors are gonna have a lot of trouble believing the story of the virgin birth of Christ.

Now she is told that Elizabeth, her aunt has experienced a great miracle and she is going to give birth to our miracle baby and so she says I'll go to Elizabeth and Elizabeth will be able to understand what I'm going through and she can rejoice with me, so it was a blessed comforting sign from God .4 is the sovereignty look at verse 37 for nothing will be impossible with God as a verse that you need to commit to memory is a verse that you all to go home and you want to write it out in calligraphy and you all to put in frame and put it over your mantle of your fireplace and look at it every single day for it tells us that our God is an Almighty God. He is a powerful God. He is an all sovereign God, we are limited in everything that we do. God is limited in nothing that I think about this statement that Gabriel had made here. Nothing is impossible with God. That verse I'll immediately send you back to the Old Testament and you immediately think about another couple an older couple Abraham and Sarah, Abraham was almost 100 years old. Sarah is almost 90 years old and the angel of the Lord speaks to Abraham and says your wife. By this time next year will have a son. What did Sarah do. She laughed at that. Genesis 1812 314 says this so Sarah laughed herself saying after I was born out in my Lord's old show.

I have pleasure Lord said to Abraham and Sarah laughed and so shall I indeed bear a child. Now that I'm old is anything too hard for the Lord at the appointed time. Our attorney about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son Gabriel statement answering God's question to Sarah God said is anything too hard for the Lord and gave her says no nothing. Nothing too hard for the Lord, for with God nothing is impossible if Sarah can have a baby way out of her childbearing years when she is way older than any other woman that has had a baby.

She can it if she can have a miracle baby. Then Elizabeth can have a baby in her older years and if Elizabeth can have a miracle baby. Then Mary can have a miracle baby.

A virgin born son, Jesus Christ. How can that happen. It can happen because of this, nothing is impossible with God .5 the submission.

Look at verse 38 and Mary said behold I'm the servant of the Lord, let it be according to your word and angel departed from her.

Mary's response is very similar to Hannah's response in the Old Testament and is desperately wanting to baby and she gets a baby son, the Lord gives that tourist name is Samuel. He became the great prophet before that baby came. She cried out to the Lord and she said I am your slave, please give me a sign.

Mary also expresses herself in that very same way she says I am a servant, what you have in the ESV you read this in the Greek it doesn't say services do lay or do loss and that word doesn't mean just servant or bond servants much stronger than that. It means slave just say I am your slave Lord Jehovah, I am your slave. I will do whatever you command me to do. Let it be according to your word to think about what she could've said she could us and what about mom and daddy then I don't believe this will say to them, as she she could have said what about Joseph my divorce me, or worse, he may have me stoned to death for this or what about the neighbors that are going to make fun of me.

They don't call me an adulterous woman to hurt my feelings you she didn't do any of that.

Like all that didn't didn't matter.

She didn't care about her reputation. She didn't care about the slander she didn't care about the danger she didn't care about the abuse. All she cared about was glorifying the Lord and she said I'm your slave Lord, let it be according to your word.

Would to God. Everybody in this congregation could say that same thing, I'm your slave.

Jesus, let it be according to your word. I am your slave Lord, I will do whatever you call me today. Mary is not the co-Redeemer of humanity. She is not the queen of heaven. She is not the sinless dispenser of grace as the Catholic Church would tell us that she is the humble handmaiden of the Lord she's the Lord slave and in that we should praise her and thank her for the example that she is left for us is probably heavenly father for way too long. The Catholic Church is made way too much of Mary. They have called her sinless.

They have labeled her as a redemption risk they have said that Mary is to be worshiped, for she was able to show a deeper and more tender love than Jesus could she have that ability because she was a sensitive woman.

They say father, we reject all those lies and false statements. She's not the queen of heaven, but we confess to you today that we way too often go to the other extreme, and we don't give Mary the respect and honor that she deserves.

You chose her to be the mother of the son of God. She lived a strong moral, ethical, honest life. She was a lady of great integrity and deep humility. She told angel Gabriel. She was Jehovah slave we absolutely refused to worship Mary, but we will definitely endeavor to follow her godliness. Lord help us to love Mary's son in the way that she loved him for us in Jesus name we pray.

Amen