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And wben Gabriel tells her of
the coming birth, ber reaction is
very human. "How shall this be,
since 1 have no husband?" (verse
34). Mary was bétrothed, but not
yet living with a husband. She pre–
sents the natural difficulties. Then
Gabriel proceeds to strengthen her
faith. Notice how.
He focuses her attention on Eliz–
abeth's miraculous experience.
"And behold, your kinswoman
Elizabeth in her old age has also
conceived a son; and this is the
sixth month with her who was
called barren.
For with God noth–
ing will
be impossibie"
(verses 36-
37).
A Miracle-working God
Such is the crux of the whole mat–
ter. God is a miracle-working God.
Miraculous biblical incidents are
recorded from Genesis to Revela–
tion. Of course, God did create nat–
ural law. But the Creator is superi–
or to the created and can transcend
natural law.
Birth is not normally possible
after menopause.
1
t occurred twice
in biblical history. The first occur–
rence involved the patriarch Abra–
ham and his wife Sarah. Again the
reaction was typically human.
Abraham said: "Shall a child be
born to a man wbo is a hundred
years old? Shall Sarah, who is nine–
ty years old, bear a cbild?" (Gen.
17: 17). Sarah said: "Shall
1
indeed
bear a child, now tbat
I
am old?"
(Gen. 18:13).
Notice how God answered these
questions.
"ls anything too hard
for the Lord?
At the appointed
time
1
will return to you, in the
spring, and Sarah shall have a son"
(verse 14).
"Is anytbing too hard for the
Lord?" Eacb must answer this
question for himself or herself.
Must we reject miracles be–
cause they are not the norm in
secular human experience? Notice
tbe wisdom of Winston Churchill:
"Tbe idea that nothing is true
except what we comprehend is sil–
ly, and that ideas wbicb our minds
cannot reconcile are mutually
destructive, sillier still"
(My
Ear–
ly
Lije,
page 126, 1930, MacMi l–
lan
&
Co.).
Which ls the Greater Miracle?
It
is foolish to view the virgin
birth in isolation. As Angela Tilby
wrote in the London
Times,
November 28, 198 1: "The virgin
birth is not inherently Jess plausi–
ble than the physical resurrection
of J esus."
The virgin birth is no harder
for God than resurrecting Jesus
Christ- and certainly no barder
than creating the first man from
the dust of the ground-or fash–
ioning Eve from Adam's rib.
Which miracle is harder for
God?
Let's put it another way. God
created the heavens and the earth
"out of things which do not
appear" (Heb. 11 :3). Visible mat–
ter is therefore not eterna! in
nature. God created Adam out of
dust, without any father or mother.
God created Eve out of a rib, with–
out any father or mother. Was it
then impossible for God to be the
Father of Jesus without benefit of a
human father? Which is the
greater miracle?
But what was the archangel
Gabriel telling Mary? S imply this.
lf God could make it possible for
Elizabeth and Zechariah to have a
son John in their old age, Mary
could bear a child as a virgin. "For
with God nothing will be impossi–
ble."
o
why did lsaiah use
almah
to
250 B.C.
and the psalms must be
something vital about
describe the one who would
All that aside,
fulfilled. ' Then he opened
Jesus-as well as about
bear lmmanuel (meaning
remember that here !he
lheir minds lo understand
his legal father . Matthew
" God with us" )? Simply
Greek New Testament
!he scriptures" (Luke
1: 1 simply states: "The
stated, !he prophet had lo
interprets the Hebrew.
24:44-45). That las!
book of !he genealogy of
choose one
ot
!he two
The angel explained lo
sentence is !he key. The
Jesus Christ, !he son of
terms. Neither always
Joseph: " 'Do no! fear lo
apostles- including
David, !he son of
means virgin. There is no
take Mary your wife, for
Matthew-received an
Abraham."
precise word in Hebrew that that which is conceived in
inspired understanding of
King David was
always means virgin. Since
her is of the Holy
the corree! sense of !he
founder of !he Jewish
almah
never means a young Spirit. ... ' All this took
Hebrew Scriptures.
royal family. Matthew's
married woman, one living
place to fulfil what the
Many times the Hebrew
genealogy follows the
with a husband , it is !he
Lord had spoken by the
prophets did not fully
Davidic royal line to
better term for lsaiah 7: 14.
prophet: 'Behold, a virgin
comprehend the exact
Jesus' legal father. Here
lt is interesting lo note
shall conceive and bear a
nature of what they were
are Jesus' regal
that !he Septuagint - the
son, and his name shall be
writing (Dan. 12:8-9).
credentials.
most importan! Greek
called Emmanuel'
Matthew was given
Why do you think King
translation of !he Old
(which means, God wilh
inspired understanding of
Herod slaughtered all !he
Testament-translates the
us)" (Matt. 1:20-23) .
many Hebrew scriptures
male children in
Hebrew word
almah
(lsa.
Jusi before his
concerning Jesus Christ.
Bethlehem age 2 and
7:14) into the Greek
ascension , Christ told his
lsaiah 7:14 was jusi one.
under (Matt. 2: 16)? Herod
parthenos.
This particular
apostles: " 'These are
Matthew's genealogy
thought Jesus, as heir lo
Greek word always means
my words which
1
spoke
begins with the
David's throne, might
" virgin." This was the
lo you, while
1
was still
genealogy of Joseph.
usurp his kingdom.
judgment of sorne 70
with you , that everything
What is the point of a
lt was left to Luke to
Jewish scholars who
written about me in the
genealogy of a
explain the actual Davidic
translated the Hebrew
law of Moses and the
stepfather?
bloodline through Jesus'
Scriptures into Greek about
prophets [including lsaiah)
This genealogy shows
mother Mary.