The Gospel of Christ’s Virgin Birth-3

¹⁰ 천사가 이르되 무서워 말라 보라 내가 온 백성에게 미칠 큰 기쁨의 좋은 소식을 너희에게 전하노라 ¹¹ 오늘날 다윗의 동네에 너희를 위하여 구주가 나셨으니 곧 그리스도 주시니라 ¹² 너희가 가서 강보에 싸여 구유에 누인 아기를 보리니 이것이 너희에게 표적이니라 하더니 ¹³ 홀연히 허다한 천군이 그 천사와 함께 있어 하나님을 찬송하여 가로되 ¹⁴ 지극히 높은 곳에서는 하나님께 영광이요 땅에서는 기뻐하심을 입은 사람들 중에 평화로다 하니라. ¹⁰ And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ¹⁴ "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" (Luk 2:10-14)

²⁶ 여섯째 달에 천사 가브리엘이 하나님의 보내심을 받들어 갈릴리 나사렛이란 동네에 가서 ²⁷ 다윗의 자손 요셉이라 하는 사람과 정혼한 처녀에게 이르니 그 처녀의 이름은 마리아라 ²⁸ 그에게 들어가 가로되 은혜를 받은 자여 평안할찌어다 주께서 너와 함께하시도다 하니 ²⁹ 처녀가 그 말을 듣고 놀라 이런 인사가 어찌함인고 생각하매 ³⁰ 천사가 일러 가로되 마리아여 무서워 말라 네가 하나님께 은혜를 얻었느니라 ³¹ 보라 네가 수태하여 아들을 낳으리니 그 이름을 예수라 하라 ³² 저가 큰 자가 되고 지극히 높으신 이의 아들이라 일컬을 것이요 주 하나님께서 그 조상 다윗의 위를 저에게 주시리니 ³³ 영원히 야곱의 집에 왕노릇 하실 것이며 그 나라가 무궁하리라 ³⁴ 마리아가 천사에게 말하되 나는 사내를 알지 못하니 어찌 이 일이 있으리이까 ³⁵ 천사가 대답하여 가로되 성령이 네게 임하시고 지극히 높으신 이의 능력이 너를 덮으시리니 이러므로 나실 바 거룩한 자는 하나님의 아들이라 일컬으리라³⁶ 보라 네 친족 엘리사벳도 늙어서 아들을 배었느니라 본래 수태하지 못한다 하던 이가 이미 여섯 달이 되었나니 ³⁷ 대저 하나님의 모든 말씀은 능치 못하심이 없느니라 ³⁸ 마리아가 가로되 주의 계집종 이오니 말씀대로 내게 이루어지이다 하매 천사가 떠나가니라. ²⁶ In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. ²⁸ And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" ²⁹ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰ And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." ³⁴ And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" ³⁵ And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy-- the Son of God. ³⁶ And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. ³⁷ For nothing will be impossible with God." ³⁸ And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. (Lk. 1:26-38)

FCF: People tend to disregard the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.

주제: 그리스도의 동정녀 탄생은 하나님의 정하신 바이기에 그분의 동정녀 탄생을 믿어야 합니다.

Theme: Because God ordained Christ’s virgin birth, we must believe in His virgin birth.

Introduction: The world Cup was over a week ago. The Argentinean national soccer team won the cup against the French national team since they had won it in 1986. For about a month, the whole world had been filled with thrills, sighs, or hopes. My son and I were cheering for the Korean national team. In the first game, we fought Uruguay. The Uruguay national team was one of the teams that might have won the world cup, stronger than our team. But we fought well and drew with them. But we lost the game with Ghana at 2-3. So, we had less than 10 % to get into the knockout stage. Our opponent in the third match was Portugal, which was one of the strongest teams in the world. Our players were willing to do everything to be admitted into the knockout stage. However, 5 minutes after the game started, Portugal scored the first goal. I felt we were losing. But we kept cheering for our team, wishing to see our team would score a goal soon. Around 27 minutes, the Korean player Young-Kwon scored a goal, making the game 1-1. Our players were doing their best. Our opponents were playing well. But they failed to score another goal in the first 90 minutes.

So, the extra time was given. No one expected the tie would be broken soon, even though it was not impossible. Our national hero Heung-Min Son dribbled about 70 meters. About seven Portugal players were chasing him and in no time Heung-Min Son was surrounded by them. It seemed impossible for him to break their defense and make a goal. He passed the ball through the legs of his opponent to Hee-Chan Whang. As soon as he got the ball from Son, Whang kicked it into the net and scored a goal. So, we won the game against Portugal at 2-1. Son was a superhero in Korea. He made something seemingly impossible possible, writing a new history in the history of Korean soccer. He caused the whole South Korea to be thrilled with the joy of victory. Some say they have watched the replay of the moment a few dozen times. They say it was a moment of miracle, a moment of a new history, and a moment of ecstatic joy. Regardless of gender, status, or political views, the whole Korean population became one.

There were few who would say that Korea would defeat Portugal. So, our victory was meaningful and joyful. We felt as if our team did something seemingly impossible. So, our thrills were much greater. Our Korean national team did that which statistically was a very low chance of winning. How? Of course, they did their best. They were willing to risk anything for the match. The Koreans in the stadium were cheering best for their team. Also, heaven seemed to take sides with the Korean team. Son and Hwang caught the moment of making a goal together. Probably, this is the explanation we may offer about our miraculous victory.

Surely, this explanation sounds reasonable. But there are a host of things we can’t explain in life. No matter how hard we may try, there are things we cannot do. For example, we can’t fly like Superman in the movie. We can’t jump up to the moon no matter how much we train ourselves day and night. Movie makers or directors can create anything or any figure who can do things impossible in the natural world. So, some people may regard the virgin birth of Christ that way. They argue the early church created the birth story of Jesus to deify Him. But that is not the case. His birth was the creative work of God who created life out of nothing. Indeed, nothing is impossible with God. So, we must affirm the blessed doctrine of Christ’s virgin birth because God ordained it to bring His Son into the world. In the narrative, we are told the virgin Mary would conceive and bear a son without having sexual relations with her husband. The only viable and truthful explanation for the birth of our Savior Christ is found in the omnipotence of God. God doesn’t need assistance or luck. God doesn’t need to do His best to win against His enemies. Simply, God can do all things He has planned or promised for His glory. So, we must trust God’s special power, which we shall consider today.             

      I.         하나님의 특별한 계시를 믿으라.

Trust God’s special revelation.

    II.         하나님의 특별한 은혜를 믿으라.

Trust God’s special grace.

  III.         하나님의 특별한 능력을 믿으라.

Trust God’s special power.

Mary was given God’s power to bear Jesus the Savior. Without God’s overshadowing power, she couldn’t have given birth to a sinless Savior. She was a virgin that had no sexual relationship with Joseph. Common sense says that a man and woman should be sexually involved to conceive. Mary had that knowledge. She couldn’t understand how she could be conceived without her husband. She asked Gabriel, 나는 사내를 알지 못하니 어찌 이 일이 있으리이까. "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" To her, it was impossible to conceive without a man. Indeed, it is still impossible for a woman to have a baby without a man’s sperm, though medical science promises human cloning. So, it seems impossible for us to believe something impossible. Human reason can neither endorse nor trust such a supernatural event that took place in history. However, there is nothing impossible with God.

So, Gabriel explained to her how it would take place: 성령이 네게 임하시고 지극히 높으신 이의 능력이 너를 덮으시리니 이러므로 나실 바 거룩한 자는 하나님의 아들이라 일컬으리라³⁶ 보라 네 친족 엘리사벳도 늙어서 아들을 배었느니라 본래 수태하지 못한다 하던 이가 이미 여섯 달이 되었나니 ³⁷ 대저 하나님의 모든 말씀은 능치 못하심이 없느니라. "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy-- the Son of God. ³⁶ And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. ³⁷ For nothing will be impossible with God." In sum, Gabriel’s point is nothing is impossible with God. So, Mary would conceive and bear a Son, the fulfillment of the Messianic promise made to David.  

Mary’s virgin conception was no difficulty before God the Creator. Darrell Bock comments, 무에서 생명을, 흙에서 사람을 지으신 창조주 하나님은 여인의 자궁에서 인간의 생명을 창조하실 수 있습니다. 하나님은 마리아를 덮으실 것입니다. 덮는다는 표현은 구약에서 성막에 있었던 쉬카이나 구름이나 이스라엘 백성을 보호하시는 하나님의 임재를 상징하였습니다. 누가복음 9:34에서는 동일한 표현이 예수님의 변화산 사건에서 제자들을 덮은 구름을 뜻합니다. 이로 볼 때 덮는다는 표현은 하나님 백성 앞에 잇는 하나님의 영광스러운 임재를 뜻합니다. “The Creator who brought life out of nothing and created humans from the dust is also able to create human life in a womb. God’s act involves His overshadowing Mary, which in the OT refers either to the Shekinah cloud that rested on the tabernacle or to God’s presence in protecting His people. In Luke 9:34, the term refers to the cloud of the transfiguration overshadowing the disciples. Thus, overshadowing refers to God’s glorious presence before His people.” Mary didn’t need to be concerned about her virgin conception because God would bring it to pass through His glorious presence with her. The Baby in Mary’s womb is God’s Son who would reign eternally (Luke 1:31-33). As a capstone to the astounding declarations, the angel reminded Mary that no word from God would ever fail (Luke 1:37).

Humanly speaking, Mary’s virgin conception is impossible, unheard before and afterward. But it is the way God shall bring His Son into the world. God the Father involved the Holy Spirit in Mary’s virgin conception. The power of the Holy Spirit shall come upon Mary. It shall overshadow her. No human power can’t achieve it. But the almighty God can fulfill what He says or promised. There is nothing too difficult for God who created all things for His glory. Creating the vast universe with a word is as simple as fulfilling the promise of Mary’s virgin conception. Supernatural events or miracles are miracles only to us, not to God. They pose no difficulty before God because God is infinite in power. If there were anything God could not do with His infinite power, God wouldn’t be called a “Sovereign Lord” who not only created the whole universe but also operates it without any mistake according to His perfect plans. God’s providence wouldn’t make sense apart from God’s omnipotence and goodness. Miracles show forth God’s providential goodness and faithfulness to His covenant people.  

From this perspective, we must view miracles in the Bible. No doubt the Bible is filled with God’s supernatural miracles such as destroying the whole earth except Noah and his family, sending the ten plagues, dividing the Red Sea, feeding millions of people in the desert, healing diseases, employing nations to judge His people, returning His people back to Israel, bringing His prophecies to pass, on and on. God’s judging, saving, guiding, protecting, providing, and sanctifying power is necessary to understand God’s perfect providence. God’s power is necessary to run the world according to His wisdom. Without trusting God’s power, we can’t properly understand the Bible. Without trusting God’s omnipotence, we can’t fully benefit from His Word. If we believe God as He says what He is in the Bible, we won’t have a hard time believing in Christ’s virgin birth.

As a matter of fact, there is nothing we enjoy in life that is not a miracle in essence. Life is a miracle on Planet Earth. If it deviates from its orbit a little bit, all forms of life will be obliterated immediately. The air we breathe every second is a miracle, a gift of God. Our meeting is a miracle, too. What is the percentage that you and I get to know each other and serve God in the same church? There are around seven billion people living on this planet. There are fifty million people living in Korea. We are Korean immigrants in America. There are fifty states and so many cities in America. Now, we are living in this Greenville area. And we attend the Korean Grace Church of Greenville, though they are several Korean churches and hundreds of American churches. I am not a mathematician. But I can tell chances are very slim that you and I meet each other and serve the same God in the same church. There are so many variables that hinder us from worshiping at the same place at this time.

The fact that we are still alive this day is a miracle. Even though millions of people have died from the coronavirus pandemic, all of us have survived it. Throughout the year, we have survived every accident, danger, disease, and so forth. For us to be here this morning, God has been relentlessly working for His glory and our good according to His providential goodness and power. If God takes away our breath, we will not be here in this world. We are so weak and fragile that we cannot totally guarantee the next five minutes of our lives. Even though we work hard to put everything under our control, we know so many things are beyond our power and wisdom. As we get older, we come to realize that life is short and tough.

We are so limited that there is not much we can do with our own power to change the course of history. We often seek a little more power to accomplish what we want. Students wish to have a little more intellectual acumen to succeed in their academic studies. Seniors wish to have a little more physical, and mental strength to enjoy their lives more thoroughly. Business owners wish to have a little more financial capability to carry out their business plans. In reality, we usually lament a lack of power to do what we desire to do. We wish some kind of miracle to happen in our lives. In a tough life, many wish the best of luck for themselves or others. Miracles have been part of our heart longings and real lives even though we may not have recognized them. The undeniable miracle we experience every day is we live day in and day out by God’s sustaining grace because God upholds us with His mighty hands.   

Mary was living by faith in the advent of the Messiah. She never expected she would be elected as a vehicle to bring the Messiah into the world. So, when Gabriel told her that she would conceive and bear a Son, that is, the long-awaited Messiah of Israel, she was wondering not what Gabriel announced to her, but how she would conceive as a virgin. So, it was quite natural for Mary to ask how she could bear a son by herself. She well knew she couldn’t do it. She was at her wit’s end. She was not doubting what God would do through her. But she wanted to know how that would happen. So, she asked Gabriel about that. God was so gracious to tell her the way she would bear a son. Gabriel, to encourage Mary to believe the message of God, mentioned God’s supernatural intervention for old Elizabeth to conceive her son for six months. If He worked for Elizabeth, God would do the same for Mary. How would Mary respond to the message of her virgin birth, the message of God’s special revelation, grace, and power? Listen to what she said: 주의 계집종 이오니 말씀대로 내게 이루어지이다. "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." Mary was different from Zechariah the priest. Though she was nobody, she received God’s message in faith.

However, Zechariah was doubtful of God’s power when he heard his wife would bear a son. Luke records the conversation between Gabriel and Zachariah: 사가랴가 천사에게 이르되 내가 이것을 어떻게 알리요 내가 늙고 아내도 나이 많으니이다¹⁹ 천사가 대답하여 가로되 나는 하나님 앞에 섰는 가브리엘이라 이 좋은 소식을 전하여 네게 말하라고 보내심을 입었노라 ²⁰ 보라 이 일의 되는 날까지 네가 벙어리가 되어 능히 말을 못하리니 이는 내 말을 네가 믿지 아니함이어니와 때가 이르면 내 말이 이루리라 하더라. ¹⁸ And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." ¹⁹ And the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. ²⁰ And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time" (Lk. 1:18-20).

Because of his disbelief, Zechariah was unable to speak until the birth of his son. His becoming dumb was a reminder of God’s power and his lack of faith as well. As long as he was dumb, Zechariah remembered the power of God and the importance of faith in God’s power as well. God made him silent because he didn’t trust the good news of God. It would be better for him to stay silent rather than to stay doubtful of God’s power. In contrast, Mary didn’t doubt the news of Christ’s supernatural birth. She simply wanted to know how God would work it out since she was a virgin. When she was given God’s answer, she offered herself as God’s servant and wanted God to do whatever He said to do. Dr. Bock makes a contrast between Zechariah’s response and Mary’s response as follows: “Most importantly, where the previous birth is the reversal of barrenness, here there is a virgin birth. The announcement setting here is simple, but the miracle is great. Everything rests on God’s fresh creative power.”

Trusting God’s creative power may cause Mary hardships. Mary had to be extremely careful lest he should be accused of adultery. Conceiving and bearing a son as a virgin of course may have caused her a lot of trouble. She may have had to face social stigma or ostracization. In spite of the high risks of giving birth to the Son of God, she gladly accepted God’s will and rendered herself as God’s instrument for the fulfillment of His purpose. Mary trusted that God has the power to bring his plan to pass. Mary has the attitude of a model saint. God can do great things for His cause and can see anyone or anything to accomplish it. Mary is ready to be such a vessel. Without implicit faith in God’s power and goodness, she wouldn’t have offered herself as God’s vessel. She committed all things to God’s Word, which is sure faith. Oswald Chambers advises us about faith as follows: “Never discuss with anyone when God speaks. Belief is not an intellectual act; belief is a moral act whereby I deliberately commit myself. Will I dump myself down absolutely on God and transact on what He says? If I will, I shall find I am based on Reality that is as sure as God’s throne.”

If we believe in God, we cannot but listen to God’s Word, in particular, that nothing will be impossible with God. As long as we affirm God’s omnipotent power, we can trust Christ’s virgin birth and it was the way God brought His Savior into the world. Medical science can’t explain it away. It won’t keep us from affirming the truth of Christ’s virgin birth. Though human science fails to explain Christ’s virgin birth, we must accept and defend the historicity and factuality of Christ’s virgin birth. As God gave Mary His power to conceive Jesus Christ, so we must rely on God’s power to trust the good news of Christ’s supernatural coming into the world to save us from our sins. We need the work of the Holy Spirit in our souls so that we can respond to the gospel of Christ in faith. Trusting the impossible is the work of the almighty God in our souls. When we trust God that does the impossible for our salvation and good, we can give ourselves to God as His instruments, so that God would use us in fulfilling His purpose.

Surely, faith is a gift of God. It is given through the Holy Spirit. Paul, who used to persecute the church, became a mighty evangelist, missionary, and church planter. It was all by God’s grace. If anyone read the gospels with an open mind, he or she will realize how real and factual the records of the gospels are. The virgin birth of Christ won’t hinder us from trusting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. J. Warner Wallace grew up as a vocal atheist. During his undergraduate and graduate work in design and architecture, he considered himself an “evidentialist.” His experience in law enforcement and as a cold case homicide detective served to strengthen his conviction that truth is tied directly to evidence. But at age thirty-five, Wallace began a serious investigation into the evidence for Christianity. He determined the evidence fit the facts. After accepting Jesus Christ as His Savior in 1996, he continued his research, eventually obtaining a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary.

In 2013, he published Cold Case Christianity, a book chronicling his personal journey regarding the evidence for the Gospels. His study of Gospel events follows the investigative techniques used in approaching cold case crimes. Cold case detectives investigate specific types of criminal events: events that occurred in the distant past, for which there are typically no living eyewitnesses, and about which there remains little or no direct physical evidence. His examination of the gospels reveals a convincing case that the events surrounding the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ point to an accurate, compelling description of the Son of God. With an open mind, we can trace the records of the gospels, we will be convinced of their truthfulness. The miracle of Christ’s virgin birth is a direct act of God. God alone can bring something out of nothing, life out of death, fertility from barrenness, and a virgin conception.

Unfortunately, some scholars have disregarded Christ’s virgin birth as a late invention of the early church. However, most contemporary scholars dismiss their arguments as baseless theories that the narrative of Mary’s virgin birth was developed in response to pagan legends of supernatural conceptions because suggested parallels bear little resemblance to the gospel narratives. There was no theological need to concoct the virgin birth. In the end, the real reason for rejecting the historicity of Mary’s virgin conception is a denial of the supernatural in general and of the incarnation of Christ in particular. I do believe in the virgin birth of Jesus Chris as an act of God’s creative power. I would like to call God’s omnipotent power as good and faithful because God’s power can’t be separated from the character of His love, grace, faithfulness, and goodness. So, God’s power is always good for us.

However, power without love is tyranny. Dictators use their power in such a way. In contrast, God uses His power for both His glory and our good. When He demonstrated His creative power in the virgin birth of Christ, we see God the Son was made in the flesh. Instead of increasing His authority and power, Christ decided to abandon His heavenly throne to be born in the lowest place in the world. God the Almighty became a powerless Infant. God the King became a Servant. Emptied of His power, He was committed to the care and nurture of Mary. Can you imagine the King of glory condescended Himself to be like one of us, yet without sin? No self-centered humans have the power to humble themselves and be like one of their beloved dogs to understand and care for them. True power lies in humility, love, and goodness for others. The incarnation of Christ reveals the power of love and humility. The Lord of glory lay in a manger without all glory. Instead of a palace, He was born in a poor stable. Instead of a cradle of state, a manger; no pillow but a lock of hay; no hangings but dust and cobwebs; no attendants but in the midst of animals. Why? The answer lies in God’s love.

Thus, God was willing to use Mary as His vessel to fulfill His redemptive purpose even though He could fulfill His purpose with His power. Why did He do all this? To save us from the bondage, penalty, and curse of sin, God the Son came down to this world. The almighty God became powerless for the powerless, poor for the poor, comfortless for the comfortless, wearied for the wearied, and sinless for the sinful. He suffered for those in suffering. He became a sin offering for the remission of our sins. He gave Himself to us so that we would be truly rich. We see here the true power of love. On this Christmas, we celebrate the coming of Christ because of His matchless love.

The apostle John says, ² 하나님의 영은 이것으로 알찌니 곧 예수 그리스도께서 육체로 오신 것을 시인하는 영마다 하나님께 속한 것이요 ³ 예수를 시인하지 아니하는 영마다 하나님께 속한 것이 아니니 이것이 곧 적그리스도의 영이니라. 오리라 한 말을 너희가 들었거니와 이제 벌써 세상에 있느니라. ⁴ 자녀들아 너희는 하나님께 속하였고 또 저희를 이기었나니 이는 너희 안에 계신 이가 세상에 있는 이보다 크심이라….⁷ 사랑하는 자들아 우리가 서로 사랑하자 사랑은 하나님께 속한 것이니 사랑하는 자마다 하나님께로 나서 하나님을 알고 ⁸ 사랑하지 아니하는 자는 하나님을 알지 못하나니 이는 하나님은 사랑이심이라 ⁹ 하나님의 사랑이 우리에게 이렇게 나타난 바 되었으니 하나님이 자기의 독생자를 세상에 보내심은 저로 말미암아 우리를 살리려 하심이니라 ¹⁰ 사랑은 여기 있으니 우리가 하나님을 사랑한 것이 아니요 오직 하나님이 우리를 사랑하사 우리 죄를 위하여 화목제로 그 아들을 보내셨음이니라. ² By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. ⁴ Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world…. ⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 Jn. 4:2-10).

We are blessed because we are the recipients of God’s powerful love demonstrated on the cross of Christ (Rom. 5:8). God’s power is love for us, and God’s love is power for us. Now, we find the same powerful love of God in the incarnation of Christ. We see the same love thrilling our hearts in worship today. We trust the same love guides, strengthens, and protects us forever. Do you trust God’s special power? Are you willing to commit yourself to it? Are you rejoicing in it even now during our worship? 

Conclusion: Today is Christmas. What do we think of Christ’s virgin birth? The world is busy buying and selling goods for gains. It is not interested in His coming. Charles Swindoll laments the general lack of attention to the arrival of the Savior as follows: 온 세상이 화려한 영광 중에 있는 로마제국을 주목하고 있었을 때 한 아기의 탄생에 어느 누가 신경을 쓰고 있었겠는가? 서쪽으로는 대서양, 동쪽으로는 유프라테스강, 북쪽으로는 라인과 다뉴브강, 남쪽으로는 사하라 사막까지 방대한 영토의 땅 로마 제국은 악하기도 했지만 방대하기 그지 없었다. 정치적 음모, 인종적 갈등, 만연한 부도덕, 막강한 군사력은 모든 이의 관심과 대화를 차지하고 있었다. 팔레스타인은 로마제국에게 마구 짓밟히고 있었다. 사람들의 눈은 냉소적인 황제 아우구스투스에 쏠려 있었다. 황제는 세금 수입을 늘리려 인구조사를 요구하였다. 이러한 때에 어느 누가 나사렛 동네에서 80마일 남쪽으로 여행 중에 있는 부부에게 관심이 기울였겠는가? 로마 황제의 결정보다 더 중요한 것이 무엇이 있었겠는가? 어느 누가 베들레헴에서 태어난 유대인 아기에게 관심을 두었겠는가? 다름 아닌 하나님은 그에게 관심을 두셨다. 권력가인 아우구스투스는 깨닫지는 못했지만 실은 미가 선지자의 예언을 이루는데 있어서 심부름 소년에 지나지 않았으며 여호와의 손에 들린 졸병이었으며 예언의 말씀들 속에 한 조각에 불과했다. 로마제국이 바쁘게 역사를 만들어가고 있을 때 하나님께서 오셨다. 그분은 별이 빛나는 밤 마구간 안에 있는 짚 위에 조용히 자신의 육신의 장막을 치셨다. 알렉산더 대왕, 헤롯 대왕, 아우구스투스 대왕에 의해 휘청거리던 세상은 마리아의 작은 어린양을 간과해 버렸다. 세상은 지금도 그렇게 하고 있다. “Who could have cared about the birth of a baby while the world was watching Rome in all her splendor? Bounded on the west by the Atlantic…on the east by the Euphrates…on the north by the Rhine and Danube…on the south by the Sahara Desert, the Roman Empire was as vast as it was vicious. Political intrigue, racial tension, increased immorality, and enormous military might have occupied everyone’s attention and conversation. Palestine existed under the crush of Rome’s heavy boot. All eyes were on Augustus, the cynical Caesar who demanded a census so as to determine a measurement to enlarge taxes. At that time who was interested in a couple making an eighty-mile trip south from Nazareth? What could possibly be more important than Caesar’s decision in Rome? Who cared about a Jewish baby born in Bethlehem? God did. Without realizing it, mighty Augustus was only an errand boy for the fulfillment of Micah’s prediction…a pawn in the hand of Jehovah…a piece of lint on the pages of prophecy. While Rome was busy making history, God arrived. He pitched His fleshly tent in silence on straw…in a stable…under a star. The world didn’t even notice. Reeling from the wake of Alexander the Great…Herod the Great…Augustus the Great, the world overlooked Mary’s little Lamb. It still does.”

Do you welcome the coming of your Savior into this world? If your eyes are on the splendor of this passing world, you are missing the greatest blessing of God. You must turn your eyes to the glorious birth of your Savior. Surely, the virgin birth of Jesus Christ is the greatest news given to sinners sitting under darkness. It demands you to believe. As you trust it, you must rejoice in the birth of Christ. The joy of salvation comes from God. Let’s not forget how Mary responded to the breaking news of her virgin birth of Christ. It is not hard to imagine how terrified she became when she heard she would conceive without her husband’s sexual involvement. She could have been killed if people had mistaken her conception for an act of adultery. She risked her life as she gave herself as God’s instrument to bring the Savior into the world. In spite of all this, Mary trusted God’s special revelation, grace, and power. As a result, she experienced one of the greatest miracles of God. Likewise, we must respond to the news of Christ’s virgin birth in faith. We must trust God’s special revelation, grace, and power. God is willing to give us His gospel, showing us His grace and power. If we trust Christ’s virgin birth, we will experience God’s work of salvation. We will experience the joy, peace, and power of God as we brace ourselves for the upcoming year.

On Christmas day two thousand years ago, the birth of a tiny infant in an obscure village in Bethlehem meant God’s supreme victory of good over evil. Also, it was powerful evidence of the gospel of love and grace. In sum, Christmas is a day we celebrate Jesus Christ our Immanuel as Matthew 1:23 says, 보라 처녀가 잉태하여 아들을 낳을 것이요 그 이름은 임마누엘이라 하리라 하셨으니 이를 번역한즉 하나님이 우리와 함께 계시다 함이라. "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us). Is Christ your Immanuel in your heart and life? One of the greatest blessings we can enjoy forever is “God being with Us.” We find God’s special word, grace, and power in Christ our Immanuel. Like Abraham (Rom. 4:17-22), Mary firmly trusted God’s promise of Christ’s virgin birth. We must trust Christ’s virgin birth for our salvation. When God still gives us His word, grace, and power in Christ, we must respond to the gospel of Christ in faith. Trusting Christ’s word, grace, and power, let’s successfully end 2022 and begin 2023.

Benediction: ²⁴ 여호와는 네게 복을 주시고 너를 지키시기를 원하며 ²⁵ 여호와는 그 얼굴로 네게 비취사 은혜 베푸시기를 원하며 ²⁶ 여호와는 그 얼굴을 네게로 향하여 드사 평강 주시기를 원하노라. "The LORD bless you and keep you; ²⁵ the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; ²⁶ the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.