The message starts with Matthew 1:18 "This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit."

Pastor explores today's question: "What about the Virgin Birth?" by tackling these 5 questions:

⁃ Is the "Virgin Birth" really that important? ⁃ Why do only Matthew and Luke mention it? ⁃ Couldn't this have been a later development? ⁃ This seems impossible to the modern mind! ⁃ Isn't it based on pagan mythology?

Importance of the Virgin Birth ⁃ It is taught by clear Scripture throughout the Bible. Note: Matthew 1:18 (above) and Matthew 1:22-23 "…an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." ⁃ It is foreshadowed in Genesis 3:15 - a Messiah from the seed of a woman. ⁃ It is announced by angelic authority ⁃ It explains the sinlessness of Christ ⁃ It confirms Christ's two natures - that Jesus is both fully human - but also fully divine. He is God incarnate, became flesh. His nature shows the Good News, because God loved this world so much He offered up His only Son for each one of us. This is the Good News.

Only in Matthew and Luke? ⁃ Only 2 Gospels (Matthew and Luke) mention the Nativity ⁃ John (from the Gospel of John) goes back to the beginning, "In the beginning was the Word and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us…"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning…" ⁃ Mark repeatedly asserts Jesus' deity ⁃ See Philippians 2:5 & Colossians 1:15-16 - these verse tell us Jesus was in the very form and nature of God and took on human flesh, died and rose. Makes it clear that God has come down to earth in the flesh and that the universe was created by the pre-incarnate Christ.

A later development? ⁃ Early dating of the New Testament - always been a part of the testimony from eye-witnesses ⁃ Clearly taught by early authors (examples: writings by Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, and the great scholar Irenaeus,) ⁃ Testimony of the early Christian Creeds - the virgin birth was from the early teaching of followers.

Impossible for modern people to accept this? ⁃ The ancients weren't gullible! Even Joseph didn't accept it until the angelic visit. ⁃ The real issue is the miraculous. "If I haven't seen a miracle, then they don't happen!" ⁃ God is supernatural! He does supernatural things. Pastor shares some miraculous stories.

When we, in our own wisdom, seek to remove and erase the miraculous, we are not proving our brilliance, we are showing, for all the world to see, our folly.

Pagan mythology? ⁃ Note the differences! Example the "birth" of Athena from Zeus' head

Pastor closes with a graphic showing: incarnation, virgin birth and deity of Christ stating that if these are true then that changes everything. And it changes each one of us because God loves us and wants us back. He calls us to accept Him for who He really is: The Almighty Creator of the Universe who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for each on of us that we might live forever with Him! And THAT is the Good News!

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