Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ

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This is true for a new generation radio and now the man who preached in 50 states and 50 days speaker, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics Dr. Alex McFarlane in chapter 1 we read about the coming of Christ and the birth of Jesus foretold in order to read a few verses from Luke chapter 1 and were going to talk about the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. Welcome to the program Alex McFarland here with truths for a new generation radio and as you are hearing this broadcast. I'm sure that most everybody is getting ready for a very special time with family.

Hopefully with not only your family and friends, your church family as well.

As we commemorate the most significant birth in all of history I would say really the most significant day in history.

The coming of Christ may have. We could name the four most significant most important days in history that would be the day of creation, the day of Christ birth the day of Christ, resurrection, and the day of Christ return to that I would add 1/5 most significant day, the day that you open your heart and receive Christ and are born again and I hope you've done that and add that truly is the meaning of Christmas to have Christ in your heart and life and you know at this time and we talk so much about giftgiving. I hope that you have received this gift of eternal life because that is such an important thing. In fact, it's the whole meaning of life and out what I want to talk about today. The virgin birth of Jesus Christ cement important facts about this very very important doctrine, the virgin birth.

We sing and Silent Night round Yon Virgin mother and child and infant holy, infant lowly what is so significant about this one that the Bible promised. I believe in Genesis and Isaiah in the Old Testament, the Bible predicted that this coming Messiah would be born of a virgin the virgin birth is implied in Genesis 315 where it says that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent.

The seed of the woman not the seat of the man, because Jesus did not have a biological physical human father Isaiah 714 says quote. Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and show call his name Immanuel, which means God with us. So Jesus would would have no sin nature and it would be what scholars call his impact ability his sinlessness that would make him qualified to down the cross and be our Savior. Matthew 123 says, quote behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they will call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Praise the Lord for that, that we have a sinless Savior and Luke 126 it says that in the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, to a town called Galilee to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendent of David. The virgin's name was Mary.

Notice the historical accuracy in all of this, minister William Ramsey was an archaeologist and historian and he became a believer and he said, quote Luke is an historian of the first rank because of his accuracy with the most minute of details. He should be placed along the greatest of historians. So the angel appears to Mary and says greetings you who were highly favored. The Lord is with you first.

29 of Luke chapter 1, Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be me think about it. An angel appears to you and your thinking what in the world is going on. Verse 30 but the angel said to Mary. Do not be afraid to not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.

You will be with child and will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.

He will be great and will be called the son of the most high, the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, his kingdom will never end.

Now there's a lot there. In verses 31 through 33. But think about these prophecies about the coming of Jesus and it already prophecies being given prophecy will be fulfilled. A baby will be born. His name will be Jesus. He will be the son of God, he will have the throne of his predecessor, David King David, the greatest king of Israel and then Jesus who would be the one to sit on the throne of David forever. He will reign over the house of Jacob. Okay Israelites will one day occupy their land in a state of belief and Jesus will rule and reign from Jerusalem. One day it now.

It's not all come to pass yet but it will, as we often say God has a really good track record of keeping his promises and his kingdom will never end.

Praise God. Verse 34 Luke chapter 1, Mary says, how can this be, since I'm a virgin.

Some translations say seeing I know not a man.

She'd never been with a man.

Her fiancé Joseph. I was not the biological father of Jesus. The angel answered the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the son of God, even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age and she, Elizabeth, who was said to be barren is now in her sixth month.

Praise God for verse 37 of Luke chapter 1, for with God nothing is impossible. Verse 38 I am the Lord's servant, Mary answered may be to me. As you've said in the angel left her know that should be all of our heart. You know, behold, the servant of the Lord and whether God gives you an assignment to repent of some standard to witness to a neighbor or to take up a prayer life that you've neglected and to really become strong in intercession, or to commit to read the Bible through in the next 12 months from cover to cover. As a follower of God, the most high are mindset should be like that of Mary.

Behold, Lord. I'm your servant, whatever you tell me to do. I'll do that when we come back were going to continue talking about the virgin birth of Christ. The theological and historical and personal significance stated and will be back right after this from. I am a watchman ministries. Here's today's I am a watchman minute. Philippians 48 notes. We are to focus on what is true and honorable, what is right in pure now. What is lovely and of good repute.

We read whatever is excellent and worthy of praise dwell on these things now focusing on good things sounds like good advice. It makes sense that the more good and godly things that fill our minds.

The happier we will be, but many find it much easier to say.

Be positive than to actually stay positive.

The I'm watchman.com website host an abundance of free resources designed to inspire and equip and encourage the body of Christ, and today we invite you to request a free digital copy of the watchman's devotional internal.

Our desire to be a blessing to you people be faithful, be a watchman, I am a watchman.com you know Alex is writing for many years, and one of his classic books is still great. Today is a basic introduction to the Christian faith.

It's called Stan courtrooms must know forth unshakable faith. This book will help you help your teens get off the roller coaster of doubt onto solid ground will read about the six pillars of biblical Christianity. They are one inspiration of the Bible to the virgin birth. Three. The deity of Christ for atonement. Five.

Christ's resurrection and six Christ returns. You know Alex mixes it up with humor and stories gleaned from decades of working with youth and encourages things to build a foundation of faith that will stabilize their lives and help them take a stand for Christ. Simple and straightforward. Stan courtrooms you must go forward unshakable faith available wherever Christian books are so whining we don't follow traditions merely for the traditional biblical worldview and search for reasons behind Christian Diemer is engaged in managing relevant articles from the reviews and like in the believer spiritual share. Truth engage magazine at liberty University. You'll earn more than a degree in the satisfaction of seeing what you can accomplish and what God can accomplish more than 600° options from associate 100% online more fully, leaving discover God's truth through every degree at liberty University where we train champions for Christ good at liberty\Explorer to learn more.

That's liberty\Explorer to learn more about program Alex McFarland here and let me say on behalf of myself and Angie and all of the staff and the board volunteers of truth for a new generation. We wish you a very very Merry Christmas and a blessed, joyful, and Jesus filled Christmas is a big thanks to all the prayed for us throughout the year and as I traveled the country speaking and as we've done events in major cities. Thank you, thank you for your support. Let me let you know about a couple of exciting things that are happening in the summer we we've got our annual apologetics camp for youth. We have a camp every summer and we have kids come from all over that the country to learn how to defend their faith and to learn how to stand strong in their faith and we really are fighting for the soul of this country and for the future of so many young people and if you would like the teens, middle school through high school. Even some college students it does in your life to know what they believe and know why they believe it. Some need to come to the Lord and others need to come back to the Lord.

But what we do with the camp week.

We do the fun camp staff zip lines and all that and we have a great time but we drill down deeply and we talk about how to defend the faith. How do we know God exists, what about creation versus evolution. What about America was America founded on Christian principles. Were we just some socialist economic experiment we talk to young people about a fully orbed Christian life of knowing Christ and living for Christ and the joy and the thrill of being a person who lives biblically and so that the apologetics camp is coming then also I'll be at the Cove at the end of the summer in late late July teaching to Daniel and Revelation how God writes history in advance and that's open to all and you can learn about the camp and my website Alex McFarland.com you can learn about the Billy Graham training center in my time at the cove@thecove.org PhD Cove CO VE the Cove.org and many other things. My travel schedule and lots that's going on to evangelize the lost and equip the saved and we encourage you to look at our website and look forward to seeing you out there serving Christ and impacting our nation with the gospel in the new year." Here GK Chesterton said this and were talking about the virgin birth of Christ and why it is so significant. This past event. 2000 years ago when God came onto the stage of human history. Why is it so important. Chesterton said the disadvantage of men not knowing the past is that they do not know the present history is a hill or high point advantage from which align men see the town in which they live, or the age in which their living.

If you've ever been up on a mountain.

Let's say you're in a town and you're down there at street level and you know your vision is obscured by buildings and trees, but if you go up on a hillside. You can look down on the town and see it. Also, clearly, and it would have lived in Colorado I would be in El Paso County and Colorado Springs is a very populous area but you drive up the Ute Pass Highway 24 through managed to up to Woodland Park and you get begin to get up on that mountain and you can look back and look down and it looks like a small little town and you can see, and you know history like Chesterton says, is a high vantage point where you can see the big picture. It's like the Christian worldview as well to understand that God created this world and God has a redemptive plan for history and to stand on the high mountain peak of Scripture and the sea life through a biblical lens gives you the big picture and you know we become very petty and here's a good word to Cayenne weight. We focus on the.

The tiny little details of life and sometimes the desires of the stresses and the things that get on our nerves and it's very often healthy to step back and look at life from a biblical perspective in life is about knowing the giver of life God and Jesus Christ the Savior, and it's amazing how the mundane things that stress us so sort of vanish away. When we look at life through a biblical perspective as ideal song turn your eyes upon Jesus look full in his wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. So were looking back at this incredible event, the virgin birth of Christ and not in others.

There is no Russian proverb that says you know I dwell on the past and you will lose an eye. In other words, the eye that should be looking toward the present and future as well dwell on the past and you will lose. And I said the Russians forget the past and you will lose both eyes because there are things that need to be held at bay that can grow like things like socialism. I fear for our nation right now because were forgetting the dear dear price that was paid for freedom and those that really have never seen America cast in a good light and those that have only nine K-12 public school in America bashing and people think that healthcare and health insurance is a guaranteed human right.

It is not free Wi-Fi human right know that those things are not human rights. If you want insurance and healthcare or Wi-Fi. Those are things to work and spend your money on that you are and by the way, but we are forgetting so many things and even within the church of Jesus Christ forgetting forgetting the doctrinal significance in the reality of the gospel.

So much of of church in America is not about winning the lost fighting the darkness standing for righteousness calling out sin.

So much of the church's social activity, and even welfare. And it's good to help and feed the poor, and it's good to do those things.

But let us never forget that the calling of the church is to proclaim the gospel and make disciples of every nation and part of doing that necessitates us talking about who Jesus is. While some common objections raised to the identity of Christ and raised in opposition to the virgin birth. There are objections I think about the objection to the virgin birth based on the fact that it's a biological impossibility. Well, yeah, that's why it's a miracle that's wise is 714 says that it would be a sign to the whole house of Israel now working to come back with got a brief break and were gonna talk a little bit more about the virgin birth is wonderful, blessed reality of God coming into the world being divine deity, no sin nature fully God and fully man, but not fallen man, and for this reason, he was qualified, willing and able to down the cross rise again and be our Savior. Stay tuned. TMG radio is back after this. Alex is written many books to help you defend your faith. One of them answers questions from skeptics it's cleverly titled 10 answers for skeptics today. Skeptics are looking for authenticity, integrity, and straightforward truth and in the book Alex McFarland identifies the 10 most common types of skepticism that plagued doubters minds.

It offers believers proven strategies for connecting intellectually and spiritually with those who are skeptical about the claims of Christianity.

Learn how to answer intimidating questions. Identify the root issue behind those questions and dismantle the spiritual bombshells dropped by atheist plus find encouragement to face hostility by persevering in love. The ultimate apologetic Christians could offer as a witness to our loving God, check out 10 answers for skeptics.

When you visit Alex McFarland.com. If you're a Christian parent. You of course want to instill a biblical view of life in the hearts of your children, your pastor, you want to offer ministry that draws young families to your church. This is Alex McFarland encouraging you to check out my new book and video curriculum.

The 21 toughest questions your kids will ask about Christianity. I interviewed hundreds of children ages 5 to 12 and we address actual questions from actual children. The spiritual issues that are on the minds of your kids everything the book and video lessons are great for groups of any size and was produced with the goal of equipping kids to stand strong for Christ in any situation.

The 21 toughest questions your kids will ask the book study guide and video series. You'll find it@afastore.net that AFA store.net program Alex McFarland. Here again, let me say very heartfelt. Merry Christmas to you and your family. May God bless you and and we just thank you for listing the broadcasts throughout the year and as I meet so many of you on the road traveling all over America really really is an honor to serve the Lord at this time didn't know and to interact with so many of you and we just want to say that we love you.

We thank God for you and we wish you a very wonderful Christmas. Were talking about the virgin birth in the historical and theological significance of this Isaiah 714 that it was promised a virgin would carry a child Emmanuelle God with us, and it would be assigned to the whole house of Israel and you know when we talk about the birth of Jesus and it is just amazing amazing what God would be the great lengths to which God would go to save the world to offer us forgiveness and in a one scholar said, quote if we believe in the deity of Jesus and his resurrection from the dead. What is gained by discrediting the virgin birth Jesus's supernatural exit from the world presupposes the supernatural entrance into the world now. Dr. HH, Haley, if you've ever seen Haley's Bible handbook. It's a classic. I would urge you to own that book HH Haley said to call Jesus an illegitimate child is nothing less then blasphemy.

So think about it folks the biblical account of Christ. Virgin birth really doesn't pose a logical or biological problem. I mean, if God exists, he can do miracles.

He can act in the world and you know a lot of people out of hand. Just assume the virgin birth didn't really happen but of course if God can create the universe of God can create the human race if God is Almighty. Of course, he can cause a virgin to carry a child and we believe unapologetically, it is logical. It certainly biblical and it's of theological necessity that Mary was a virgin and miraculously the baby Jesus grew in her body and she delivered the child one in all of history that was qualified in every way to go to the cross to pay for our sins and stop when we read a little history here is interesting in 313, Constantine made Christianity legal in the Roman Empire and as Christianity grew. There are different councils were convened to help codify and explain Christianity not to invent Christianity. I want to say this at the Council of Nicaea in 325 and then there was another counsel in Constantinople in 381 Christianity was not invented and that the Christian message. If you read in acts chapter 2 were Peter preached in a repent, believe in Jesus, who died on the cross rose from the dead.

If you read the statement in first Corinthians 15 three through five.

How Christ died, was buried, according to the Scriptures, rose from the dead. The gospel formulas found in Philippians to first Corinthians 15.

Acts two death, deity, resurrection, even critical scholars will agree that these understandings of the nature and work of Christ. Go back to within weeks after Calvary so it's amazing how the church early on, led by the Holy Spirit, understood the nature of who Christ was and what he did but there were these these milestone moments for the church where councils came to talk and try to better understand what Christianity was all about. Now in 325, Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea that was really in many ways. The first major ecumenical Council and there was a man there name St. Nicholas notice is just brilliant because 300 bishops came from all around the world and they were talking about other among other things, the Trinity, and there was a debate that arose just like there are debates nowadays about the nature of Jesus and there was a man from Egypt name areas ARI US and Arius was a heretic and Arius basically said that the son was a created being lower than the father and a Arianism denied not only the deity of Christ, the full divinity of Jesus, but really the Trinity and Arius spoke it Nicaea and argued rather vehemently for his position and the bishops there were or listening now. It's very interesting that while Arius was arguing this heretical position that deny the deity of Christ. One of the people there that was a listening was St. Nicholas Bishop of Myra, which was in northern Turkey, and St. Nicholas at Nicaea got up across the room and slapped Arius in the face.

History tells us the bishops were amazed and St. Nicholas begin to argue for the deity of Jesus Christ throughout history tells us that Nicholas was thrown in jail overnight and they were also the Council going to have to make a decision about what to do with them but he prayed Constantine demanded that St. Nicholas be freed and he was fully reinstated to his role in and remained as the Bishop of Myra by the Council of Nicaea agreed and stood with that the views of St. Nicholas. And when whenever we recite the Nicene Creed or the apostles Creed in what were echoing these biblical truths.

They phrased it this way, we believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the son of God, begotten of the father, the only begotten that is the essence of the father, God of God, light of light, God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the father, by whom all things were made in heaven and earth, who for us and for all men for our salvation came down and was incarnate and was made man and Jesus wasn't man-made, but he was made man God took on the human body and became the Bay born of the virgin's womb laid in a manger and went to the cross to die and pay for our sins and so thank God for Christ. Thank God for Christmas. Thank God for the reality of the virgin birth and we can quote Isaiah from 750 years before the birth of Jesus, Isaiah 9 verse six said, for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given in his name shall be called wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting father, the Prince of peace in my prayer for you as is you have Christmas and spend time with those you love. Most of all, the one that I hope you know and love and spend intimate time with every day is the Lord Jesus Christ because he is what Christmas is all about TNG radio is made possible by the friends of Alex McFarland ministry, PO Box 10231 is Burrell, NC 27404.

That's PO Box 10231, Greensboro, NC 27404 call us at 877 yes God one that's 877 yes, God, and the number one or give online@alexmcfarland.com while you're there, listen the program archives. Read Alex's blog invite Alex to speak at your event or contact Alex with a question or comment, Alex McFarland.com.

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