Post by Don Gieseke on Dec 22, 2016 17:19:16 GMT -6
Some people see the virgin birth as a nonessential point. It is not. Although the church has not always been careful to guard this precious truth, it is the foundation of everything Christmas stands for. It is an underlying assumption in everything the Bible says about Jesus.
In fact, no other detail in the Christmas story is more important than the virgin birth. The virgin birth must have happened exactly the way Scripture says. Otherwise, Christmas has no point at all. If Jesus is simply the illegitimate child of Mary’s infidelity, or even if He is the child of Joseph’s natural marital union with Mary, He is not God. If He is not God, His claims are lies. If His claims are lies, His salvation is a hoax. And if His salvation is a hoax, we are all doomed.
If we deny that Jesus is God, we have denied the very essence of Christianity. Everything else the Bible teaches about Christ hinges on the truth we celebrate at Christmas—that Jesus is God in human flesh.
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You for sending Your Son in the most miraculous of ways—born of a virgin! Create in us a new sense of awe and wonder in this marvelous truth, and may You forever be the focus of our full devotion. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Adapted from “The Assault On The Virgin Birth,” by John MacArthur, Decision magazine, December 2016 ©2016 Grace To You.