Mary, a virgin

     Perhaps this won't be the Christmas story you'd like to read, but I feel that this needs to be said...

    "And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God, unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth.  To a virgin, espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.  And the angel came in unto her and said, Hail, thou virgin, who art highly favored of the Lord. The Lord is with thee, for thou art chosen and blessed among women.  And when she saw the angel, she was troubled at his saying, and pondered in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.  And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God.  And behold, thou shalt conceive, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus.  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David;".


     It seems, even in the Christian community, that there are many who discredit the virgin birth, or, at least, pass it off as of no value.  But I proclaim to you that not only was the birth of Jesus a gift to all mankind, but also a miracle wrought by our Heavenly Father.  Each of us were born by the will of a man and a woman, and in so doing, conceived in sin: "And the Lord spake unto Adam, saying, Inasmuch as thy children are conceived in sin, even so, when they begin to grow up sin conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good."  But the Lord had a plan: "Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God has spoken it;  For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the eternal God, there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish;  Yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen, and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made;  For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice: but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice.  Now there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood, which will atone for the sins of another.  Now if a man murdereth, behold, will our law, which is just, take the life of his brother? I say unto you, Nay.  But the law requireth the life of him who hath murdered; therefore there can be nothing, which is short of an infinite atonement, which will suffice for the sins of the world; therefore it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice;  And then shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a stop to the shedding of blood; then shall the Law of Moses be fulfilled; yea, it shall all be fulfilled; every jot and tittle, and none shall have passed away.  And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law; every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God; yea, infinite and eternal; and thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name;"


     So, no "human" could fulfill this role, only Jesus: " He was born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."  Paul adds concerning this divine nature: "And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned; (For, before the law, sin was in the world; yet sin is not imputed to those who have no law.  Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. For I say, that through the offense, death reigned over all.  But the offense is not as the free gift, for the gift aboundeth. For, if through the offense of one, many be dead; much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, hath abounded by one man, Jesus Christ, unto many.  And not as, by one that sinned, is the gift; for the judgment is by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification.  For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)".

      Bluntly put, Jesus HAD to be born of a virgin; of a woman, and by the Holy Spirit; half human, half divine.  No mortal could save us from our sins.  And anyone who claims it not to be true, or not of value, have no sure hold on the spiritual destiny of man, nor any grasp of the Divine nature, for IF Jesus were born a human, by the will of a man and woman, he would be born in sin, and there would be NO salvation for any of us!  Praise be to God that "my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."  We worship a LIVING God, that loves us, and is involved in our daily lives.  We live because HE lives.  Merry Christmas to all, God bless.