12/5/11- Messiah to be Born of a Virgin

12/5- Day 9- Light the first 2 candles. Jesus was prophesied to be Born of a Virgin- Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18,24,25; (Lk. 1:26-35) 

¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14) 

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. ²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. (Matthew 1:18,24,25)

(Annunciation- Ossawa Tanner 1898)

(Angel appears to Mary- Henry Ossawa Tanner)

Thoughts: “Born of the virgin Mary” is an important phrase in the Apostles’ Creed.  Virginity and purity are not as valued in our polluted and wavering society. But the idea was that God did not defile Himself when Christ was conceived and born.  The virgin birth also teaches us as the angel said to Mary, “Nothing is impossible with God.”  There is some debate about Isaiah 7’s use of the word translated “virgin” here (some others translate it as “young woman”).  In those days a young woman was very likely a virgin. 
   In Isaiah’s day, Ahaz had let the people down, even bringing an Assyrian idol/altar into the Temple, and later nailing the doors shut to the Temple.  The hope was not to rest on his skills and abilities, but on a child who was to be born and would bring hope.  Our hope does not rest in our abilities, or the government’s ability- but rather in the supernatural God.

Prayer: Help me to believe that nothing is impossible with you, Lord.  I put my hope in you today.