 “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.”
--Matthew 1:21-23
With three weeks to Christmas, the craziness of the season is fast approaching its peak. Right now, millions of people around the world are preparing for Christmas. The mall parking lots are filling up, the lines in stores are growing, and online shopping sites are swamped with frantic buyers searching for the gift that defines this Christmas.
People are consumed by the frenzy of Christmas. It makes you wonder whether they really know what Christmas is about. Is it a myth? Is it about merriment? Is it about money and merchandizing? Is it about being with loved ones? In the busyness of the holiday season, it’s easy to lose sight of how truly incredible the miracle of Christmas really is.
Christmas is an amazing, life-changing miracle that happened long ago—and that continues to happen in the lives of those who know Christ.
Think about it. A virgin girl in a small backwater town conceived a child who would transform the world. That tiny baby, Jesus, would bridge the gulf between God and mankind, taking on our sin so His followers could be forgiven.
The story of Christmas is the Greatest Story Ever Told because Jesus came to bear the cost, to take on the punishment we deserve, to open the gates of heaven for all who believe in our Savior.
It’s unimaginable, but it’s true!
Christmas is about redemption. It’s about hope. As our verse today says, “He will save his people from their sins.”
Because Christ was born, we can be filled with joy, hope, and peace! And that is something truly worth celebrating!
It Would Take a Miracle
Wednesday, December 04, 2019
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.”
Isaiah 7:14–16
When we speak about something that is rare or difficult, we often use the expression, “It would take a miracle.” Usually that is not meant to be a literal statement, but rather an indication of how hard or unlikely it is that something will happen. However, in the case of God’s promise of the Messiah that a child would be born of a virgin, it indeed required a miracle. The virgin-birth of Christ was necessary so that Jesus would not have the same sin nature that everyone has had since Adam.
Through the centuries people have mocked and denied the virgin birth of Christ. They offer ludicrous theories rather than accepting the truth of the Bible. Many refuse to believe that God could have done something so far outside the normal laws of the universe, yet God did the impossible because that was what His plan for the redemption of mankind required.
There is never an obstacle that we face that is an obstacle to God. He has unlimited power and is willing to use it to fulfill the promises He has made. A number of things had to happen in order for the birth of Christ to take place as the prophets had foretold. The might of the Roman Empire was enlisted in the project to make sure Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem, and a girl who was still a virgin had a baby, the Saviour. When your faith is challenged, the Christmas story is a great reminder of what God can and will do for us.
Today's Growth Principle:
You can fully trust God even when the circumstances seem to be impossible.
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