The Virgin Birth of Jesus
Book of Luke Chapter 2
We should understand that the word virgin means exactly what it says.
The Lord Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary, just as prophecy intended.
Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
There is no better way to describe this birth than to say a Virgin Birth.
Mat 1:22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
Mat 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Mary was a virgin before the birth of Jesus Christ, and Mary was a virgin after she gave birth to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Many Christians today say Mary died as a virgin, but I trust the Scriptures.
Mrk_6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
I believe these are the sons and daughters of Joseph and half-brothers and half-sisters of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We should also understand that the Jewish priests all had to marry virgins, and the Lord Jesus can only accept the Church as the Bride of Christ if it is without spot and without blemish.
The Lord Jesus Christ is right now our perfect High Priest!
This is the reason He died in our place so that the Church to be not just forgiven but "justified".
Just as if no sin had taken place.
Rom_5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Chapter 2 Verse 1
*****Luk 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
Prophecy had said the Messiah of God would be born in Bethlehem.
Mic 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Bethlehem means the "house of bread".
Ephrathah means "fertile".
Our Messiah is the true food of His people.
Joh 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Seven hundred years before the birth of the Messiah, the prophet Micah said it would take place.
Mic 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Mary lived in Nazareth with her family, and she was now heavy with child.
We ask ourselves, does God have powers that we do not understand? It’s called the providence of God.
God had given His message of the virgin birth through one of the most powerful angels that stood before Him, Gabriel.
God, in His own power, caused the virgin birth through the power of the Holy Spirit, the greatest power upon this earth today.
God used the most powerful man in the world at that time, Caesar, to get the Virgin Mary to Bethlehem before the Lord Jesus Christ was born somewhere else, making the Word of God have errors.
There are no errors in the prophecies, and there are no errors in the Word of God!
At this time, Caesar Augustus reigned in Israel because there was no throne of God upon this earth.
God uses all the rulers of all nations to fulfill His own plan for this world.
Pro 21:1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
Joseph also has to go to Bethlehem because King David was from Bethlehem.
Mary did not have to go to Bethlehem, but she was also a descendant of David through his son Nathan.
*****Luk 2:2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
Luk 2:3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
When Cyrenius was governor of Syria, Publius Sulpicius Quirinus governed the province of Syria, in which Judea was then included.
Cyrenius was second in command at that time, but he would still be referred to as governor, so this is not a mistake of Scripture as some claim.
The one thing we know for sure is that the fullness of time that Jehovah had determined had come.
Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Gal 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
Gal 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Daniel wrote: Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
So, these things took place just as God had said they would, and the priests of Israel should have recognized the hand of God in these things.
The High Priest had for many years been chosen by Rome and was not a descendant of Aaron, and they were more interested in their pocketbooks than the Word of God.
*****Luk 2:4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
Luk 2:5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
Luk 2:6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
Bethlehem Ephratah was only six miles from Jerusalem, and it is the same place that provided the sheep for the sacrifices at the Temple.
Rachel the second wife of Jacob, had died giving birth to Benjamin there.
The story of Ruth takes place there.
The early years of the life of David were there.
Today it is called Beit Lahm, which means "house of flesh".
Today, those men in this place wear the green turban, which shows them to be the undisputed descendants of Mohammed.
Much of Judah at this time showed signs of war, but the world of that day of Augustus was, for the most part, at peace under this cruel ruler who sat on the throne in Rome.
In verse five, we see that Mary is still espoused to Joseph because they had not consummated their marriage, and they would not until after the birth of Jesus Christ.
An espousal was considered sacred, though that marriage had not been consummated.
We could say that the Church is espoused to the Lord Jesus Christ, waiting on Him to come get His Bride and take us home to show His Father His wife.
*****Luk 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
The way the family of Jesus was treated in Bethlehem was a prophecy of the way the world has treated Jesus Christ ever since.
Many disagree, but we see here that the Holy Spirit confirms that Jesus was considered the firstborn of the Virgin Mary.
If there is a first, then there must be a second.
The Lord Jesus was not born in pleasant surroundings. We all know the smell of stables.
He was turned away by people from the very beginning, as He is today.
If the world had cared, a room would have been provided for this young mother.
This mother had only herself to bring for this birth, as she herself wrapped this child Jesus in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger.
The Lord Jesus was born into a corrupt world under the rule of a Roman dictator, with Herod the false king of Judea.
None of these things stopped Shiloh from coming.
Gen 49:9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?
Gen 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
It is the simplicity of Luke's Gospel that is a mark of truthfulness.
We know the Holy Spirit does not allow error in the Word of God.
Much of the world missed the first coming of Jesus the Messiah, and most of the world will miss the Second Coming of the Messiah.
Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
*****Luk 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
Luk 2:9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
Luk 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Luk 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Luk 2:12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
We could probably say that no one has actually seen a real angel, yet these same shepherds got to see a real angel; in fact, they got to see a Heavenly Host of angels.
In the time of Christ Jesus, shepherds were seen as the lowest class of people in Judea.
People just did not see shepherds praising and glorifying God.
Shepherds just had a bad reputation, and they were snubbed by the religious groups.
Religious groups have not changed since that time, and they still snub the True Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus said Jhn_10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
The Lord Jesus said Jhn 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
Because of their work, shepherds could not attend the services at the Temple, and they were looked down upon for this.
All people, but religious people, know that tending animals is a seven-day-a-week job.
They could not keep the ceremonial laws of washing and cleansing, so they were despised.
We can see that the Almighty God does not think much of religion, so He gave His first message of salvation to these lowly shepherds that everyone else considered to be dirty, rotten sinners.
I was a dirty rotten sinner myself.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God!
What had Abraham said to Isaac? Gen_22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering:
John the Baptist, the forerunner for Christ, said: Jhn_1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Again, John 1:36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
John the Apostle wrote: Rev_7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
Again, Rev_19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
One more: Rev_22:3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
Praise God for His precious Lamb that took away our sin.
The shekinah glory of God, which symbolized the Divine Presence of God, had not been seen in over four hundred years.
Isa 40:4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
Isa 40:5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Hab 2:14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
The angel's message was a message of reassurance and "Good News".
The Messiah was now among His people; it was time to go visit Him.
The Jews required a sign, so the sign was that they would find Him lying in a manger, the feeding place.
Angels make a great impression, so these shepherds now had the fear of the Lord.
The bright light was the Shekinah glory of God and did not come from the angels.
The Messiah had come for all people and not just the Jews.
When the Messiah returns in the clouds, He comes for His own people. All those who have accepted His Messiah.
Rom_9:26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
The Messiah came as our Savior, not our judge nor a politician.
The Messiah came for miserable sinners.
A wise man once said that the only thing we have to offer when we meet our Savior is a "dirty rotten sinner".
This Savior, the Lamb of God, is the Lord Jesus Christ!
He is the Anointed One of God and Lord of all creation!
He is Yahweh, the God of the Covenant.
On His first night, the Messiah could be found in the "City of David" because He is also the promised Son of David.
Israel was expecting a Messiah who is a Mighty Warrior, dressed wonderfully and sitting upon a throne, but that Messiah has not yet returned; but He will.
They would only see a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes who was so poor that He was born in a stable because He had come as a lowly shepherd and not as King.
*****Luk 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Luk 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Suddenly, this angel of the Lord was not alone; there was an army of angels with him.
There are many angels, and all of Heaven could have come down to glorify the God of Heaven.
Rev_5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
There are just too many to count!
Angels do not really understand the salvation plan of God, but they do know who their Creator is.
These shepherds got to see a little bit of Heaven and Heaven's power.
They cried out for the glory of the Highest possible Being they knew.
They cried out for the One they know that dwells in the Highest Heaven.
They cried out for peace on earth.
They cried out for the goodwill of all mankind.
They cried out for all mankind to be reconciled to God.
They cried out for the sin problem on earth to be solved.
Col 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
Col 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
Col 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
*****Luk 2:15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
Luk 2:16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
Luk 2:17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
Luk 2:18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
All these things had excited these shepherds so much that they left their flocks and went with haste to Bethlehem.
If the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ does not get us excited, then we are missing out on the greatest event that happened on this earth.
These simple shepherds felt that the time to act upon that information was right now.
Once we realize we have a Savior, we need to act upon that information immediately!
Once they knew what the angels had said was true, they too began to tell the world about God's Messiah.
They had believed those angels, but they would not be believed.
No one yet knew that God was coming down to earth to live within His people.
Nothing is said about Mary and Joseph except that they were there.
To these shepherds, it was all about that babe wrapped in swaddling clothes.
When these shepherds told others about all the things the angels had said, it did not stir the people because they were still looking for a mighty king.
To them, it would be too shameful for the Messiah to be born in a nasty stable.
They had no faith in the truth of God!
Mary, the Virgin Mother of Jesus, would keep all these things inside her.
This is the sweet view of "Grace", which is silent and waiting upon the Lord.
The perfect gift from our Holy God!
Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Amen
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