WEBVTT

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 If you turn in your Bibles to Luke chapter 1 and Matthew chapter 1, keep a finger in both.

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 I might be reading this book, The Virgin Birth of Christ by Gresham Maitin, I will speak on it next year.

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 It's a brilliant work, it's nearly 100 years old. It's a brilliant work, it's pretty dry stuff.

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 Mary Maitin, who's Gresham's mother, wrote to him and said,

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 your book, Gresham, is not one to read when groggy with sleep.

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 Which is a great, when your mother is saying that about the book.

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 So don't rush on Amazon and buy it.

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 But actually I find it really, really helpful and what I want to try and do is condense this into 25 minutes.

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 And you will know that there's not an original bone in my body and so what is helpful, a lot of that comes from Gresham Maitin.

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 And we say those words, don't we, again and again and again.

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 Yet how often do we think, even at Christmas time, of that wonderful truth, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.

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 I want to begin by saying that the Bible sets the mission of Christ Jesus and his ministry in the world between two supernatural events, two supernatural bookends.

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 One supernatural event by which he entered into the world and the other by which he left it, his resurrection.

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 The first is his virgin conception, his supernatural birth.

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 And the second is his bodily resurrection and his ascension to the right hand of God.

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 Both are supernatural, aren't they?

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 In the way that he came and in the way that he left.

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 And both are given in fulfilment of prophecy.

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 So in Matthew chapter 1, it tells us this happened, that the scripture might be fulfilled.

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 And Matthew quotes Isaiah 7.

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 The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall call him Emmanuel, which means God with us.

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 The resurrection, the exit miracle, again it's the fulfilment of lots of Old Testament prophecies.

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 You could take Isaiah 53, verse 10.

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 He shall prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

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 And so both of these events, his resurrection and his ascension, and his virgin conception, carry with them, don't they, the same message.

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 The Lord Jesus Christ is not less than man, but he is certainly more than man.

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 They underline his supernatural nature, his deity.

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 The virgin birth is unambiguously supernatural.

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 You cannot misinterpret the virgin birth.

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 What you have to say tonight is either I believe it, or I don't believe it.

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 The virgin birth, it's thrust like a stumbling block.

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 Like a test.

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 Right at the beginning of the Gospels, Donal MacLeod says this,

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 The revelation of God has placed the stumbling block of the virgin birth to offend and to test us.

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 To ascertain whether we are prepared to do justice to Jesus' uniqueness,

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 and to the inability of human wisdom to know him,

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 and to the utter discontinuity between him and all else that could conceivably explain him.

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 Here at the right of the start of the Gospel,

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 God sets before us this biblical, attested truth that Jesus entered into the world by supernatural conception.

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 Three things tonight.

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 First of all, the biblical evidence for the virgin birth.

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 Does the Bible really teach this?

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 And then secondly, I want to talk just about some common objections to it.

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 And then thirdly, I want to talk about two implications and the relevance of it.

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 The biblical evidence.

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 It's in Matthew 1 and Luke 1.

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 And the two focuses of those genealogies,

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 and Ruben didn't do well in reading their list of names.

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 The first of them, Matthew, focuses on Joseph's story.

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 The second focuses on Mary's story.

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 They are separate and independent accounts,

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 and yet strikingly harmonious.

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 Most people think that Luke was closely allied to the Apostle Paul,

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 and much of Luke's theology comes from the Apostle Paul,

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 who calls him the beloved physician, the beloved doctor.

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 But it is significant.

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 The Luke, right at the start of his gospel,

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 if you look there in Luke 1, verse 1,

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 he's a careful historian.

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 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative

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 of the things that have been accomplished among us,

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 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word

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 have delivered them to us,

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 it seemed good to me,

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 also, having followed all things closely for some time past,

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 to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

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 that you may have, what's the purpose of Luke's writing?

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 That you may have certainty concerning the things that have been taught.

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 And so the virgin birth is recorded as sober history.

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 He's a careful historian,

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 he's a qualified physician,

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 and Luke sets out the virgin birth as sober history.

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 The account Matthew gives us sets out the account of Joseph,

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 the heartache of Joseph in many ways.

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 He's betrothed to be married to Mary,

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 and she turns out to be with child before.

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 So if you go to Matthew 1, verse 18,

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 she's found to be with child before they come together.

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 And immediately Matthew says,

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 this conception was by the Holy Spirit,

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 verse 18.

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 It's important to realise, isn't it,

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 that betrothal is not the same as engagement.

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 Engagements can be broken,

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 but a betrothal could only be broken by a legal divorce.

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 And that's why we go on to read that Joseph comes to the conclusion, doesn't he,

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 that she has been unfaithful to him, Mary.

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 There's heartbreak there.

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 She was bound to him in the same way as a wife is to her husband,

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 and her husband Joseph,

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 being a just man,

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 unwilling to put out a shame,

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 he resolves to divorce her quietly.

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 He clearly thought, didn't he, Joseph,

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 that Mary had been unfaithful.

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 But to him then,

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 the angel of God appears to him

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 and interprets the situation in a completely different light.

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 Look at verse 20.

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 But as he considered these things,

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 Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream,

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 saying, Joseph, son of David,

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 do not fear to take Mary as your wife,

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 for that which is conceived in her

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 is from the Holy Spirit.

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 Supernatural conception.

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 You'll notice, won't you,

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 that Jesus' birth is natural.

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 His conception is supernatural.

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 And the messenger of the Holy Spirit of God,

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 he interprets that as the Spirit of God at work

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 to fulfill the promise of Isaiah chapter 7, verse 14.

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 So verse 20 again,

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 Joseph, son of David,

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 do not fear,

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 so it marries her wife,

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 for that which is conceived in her

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 is from the Holy Spirit.

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 She will bear a son.

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 You shall call his name Jesus,

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 for he will save his people from their sins.

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 And all this took place,

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 why did it take place?

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 Verse 22,

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 to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet.

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 Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

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 and they shall call his name Emmanuel.

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 Now, some people have suggested

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 that perhaps the word in Isaiah chapter 7,

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 and verse 14,

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 the word virgin,

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 it may mean young woman.

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 It doesn't strictly mean virgin.

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 But that actually isn't the case.

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 The overwhelming balance of probability of the word

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 is that it is,

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 the word is that of a virgin,

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 somebody who's not had sexual intercourse.

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 But for those of us who believe the Bible tonight,

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 when you come to Luke chapter 1,

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 what you discover is, again,

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 when the angel comes this time to Mary,

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 Mary is greatly troubled, isn't it,

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 in verse 30.

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 Can you see why?

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 I do not be afraid, Mary,

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 verse 30 of chapter 1,

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 Matthew chapter 1,

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 for you found favor with God,

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 and behold,

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 you will conceive in your womb

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 and bear a son,

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 and you'll call his name Jesus.

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 He'll be great,

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 he'll be called son of the Most High,

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 and the Lord God will give to him

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 the throne of his father David.

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 He'll reign over the house of Jacob forever,

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 and of his kingdom there'll be no end.

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 That is the announcement

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 of the angel to Mary.

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 Now, can you see what Mary's response is?

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 This is the key thing.

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 Verse 23.

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 Verse 33.

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 And Mary said to the angel,

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 how will this be?

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 Since I'm a virgin.

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 She's saying, isn't she,

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 the reason why this is such a mystery

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 is I've never known a man.

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 I've never had that kind of union.

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 She's describing herself, isn't she,

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 in the clearest possible terms as a virgin.

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 And so whatever the ambiguities are

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 of Isaiah chapter 7,

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 there's no ambiguity in Mary's mind.

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 She says, I am a virgin.

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 So the New Testament sets these facts before us

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 and presents us a virgin birth.

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 It is an account, isn't it,

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 of supernatural conception.

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 The real issue that the virgin birth

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 presents us with is not a biological

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 or a philosophical issue.

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 It is an issue of the authority of the Bible.

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 If I live and think under the authority

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 of the Bible,

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 the virgin birth is a clear part

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 of the teaching of the Bible.

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 And I believe it.

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 And so you either accept the Scripture

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 or you do not accept the Scripture.

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 But you cannot deny that Scripture clearly teaches it.

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 So let's look, secondly,

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 at the common objections to this.

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 The first objection is it's a biological absurdity,

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 isn't it?

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 The virgin conception.

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 Of course it's an absurdity.

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 So,

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 is the resurrection of Jesus as well,

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 isn't it?

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 Biology is no more sympathetic

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 to a dead body being raised

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 than it is to a virgin conceiving.

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 And the problem people have is not with science,

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 but with the supernatural.

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 Do I believe the supernatural possibility

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 of God raising the dead?

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 Well, if I do,

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 then the virgin conception

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 is in the same category.

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 If God is able to enter

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 into the whole realm

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 of the working of his created order

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 and to produce such phenomenon,

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 miraculously bringing into being

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 the Lord Jesus Christ

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 in a virgin's womb.

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 It's a question of whether I'm willing,

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 again,

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 to believe the Scriptures.

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 The other objection is

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 that this makes Jesus

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 less than fully human.

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 It's more of a doctrinal objection,

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 isn't it?

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 You might say,

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 well,

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 it affirms his deity.

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 You might say the virgin birth

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 protects his godness.

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 The whole issue of the supernatural entry

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 of Jesus into the world.

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 And it protects his deity,

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 but it detracts from his humanity.

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 To be truly human,

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 doesn't Jesus have to be procreated

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 in exactly the same way as we are?

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 And the Bible's answer to that is no.

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 Why is it no?

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 It's no because Adam,

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 Adam was not formed as we are.

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 Adam was not formed as we are,

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 and yet he was truly human.

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 Adam was not procreated as we are,

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 and yet we acknowledge his full humanity.

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 And God has so ordered

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 that if Adam's creation was different to ours,

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 here the creation of the Lord Jesus Christ,

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 the last Adam,

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 the appearance of Jesus as a man,

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 was accomplished by a miracle

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 in the same way that Adam appeared.

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 Adam is the prototype

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 of one who has a supernatural origin.

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 Here's the third objection,

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 and I think the one I've probably heard most of.

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 The rest of the New Testament

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 scarcely mentions it.

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 The rest of the New Testament

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 scarcely mentions

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 the virgin conception.

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 It's here in Matthew 1 and Luke 1.

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 But the rest of the New Testament

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 is by and large

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 silent about the virgin birth of Jesus.

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 Matthew and Luke mention it at his birth,

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 which is, isn't it,

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 the natural place to talk about it,

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 but neither of them mention it again.

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 But that doesn't mean, does it,

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 that they regarded it as unimportant.

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 Its significance lies precisely

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 in the area as the entry miracle

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 by which Jesus came into the world.

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 And this argument from partial silence

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 is a really dangerous one

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 because you'll know that neither Mark nor John

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 say anything about Jesus' birth.

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 But does that mean that it's unimportant?

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 It simply means, doesn't it,

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 there's a focus and a concentration here.

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 Elsewhere, the virgin birth

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 was not a matter of controversy.

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 That is one of the reasons

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 that it doesn't occur

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 in the rest of the Bible.

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 But one of the very significant things

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 is that here,

00:13:56.799 --> 00:13:57.860
 by the time these books

00:13:57.860 --> 00:13:59.299
 are being written around 60 AD,

00:13:59.440 --> 00:14:01.100
 the virgin birth is being affirmed

00:14:01.100 --> 00:14:01.840
 by Luke,

00:14:02.259 --> 00:14:03.519
 who'd received his training

00:14:03.519 --> 00:14:04.480
 under the Apostle Paul.

00:14:04.480 --> 00:14:07.899
 And when you come to the early church,

00:14:08.539 --> 00:14:11.659
 the very earliest creeds of the church,

00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:14.240
 one of the primary things that is affirmed

00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:16.259
 is that the Lord Jesus was born

00:14:16.259 --> 00:14:17.460
 of the Virgin Mary.

00:14:17.460 --> 00:14:21.600
 So let me add here

00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:24.900
 that the deity of Jesus Christ

00:14:24.900 --> 00:14:27.660
 and his divine human nature

00:14:27.660 --> 00:14:30.220
 are revealed truths.

00:14:30.220 --> 00:14:34.639
 That is who Jesus was.

00:14:36.500 --> 00:14:38.180
 It's not a truth

00:14:38.180 --> 00:14:41.639
 to which the mind of men and women

00:14:41.639 --> 00:14:43.100
 have unaided access to.

00:14:43.220 --> 00:14:45.940
 It is a revealed truth

00:14:45.940 --> 00:14:48.139
 and God has revealed the truth

00:14:48.139 --> 00:14:49.700
 of the deity of the Lord Jesus

00:14:49.700 --> 00:14:51.300
 partly through the miracle

00:14:51.300 --> 00:14:52.220
 of the virgin birth.

00:14:52.220 --> 00:14:55.100
 He's saying that

00:14:55.100 --> 00:14:55.840
 in the virgin birth

00:14:55.840 --> 00:14:57.200
 there is a new beginning.

00:14:58.860 --> 00:15:00.040
 The living God

00:15:00.040 --> 00:15:02.040
 is beginning a new humanity

00:15:02.040 --> 00:15:03.540
 and he's beginning it

00:15:03.540 --> 00:15:05.160
 with one who is fully God

00:15:05.160 --> 00:15:06.139
 and fully man.

00:15:08.639 --> 00:15:10.460
 I think this is illustrated later on.

00:15:10.560 --> 00:15:11.660
 So Matthew chapter 16,

00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:14.019
 the issue of Peter's confession

00:15:14.019 --> 00:15:15.040
 in Caesarea Philippi.

00:15:16.420 --> 00:15:17.480
 Who do you say that I am,

00:15:17.560 --> 00:15:18.060
 Jesus says.

00:15:18.660 --> 00:15:19.960
 Who do you say that I am?

00:15:19.960 --> 00:15:22.540
 And they say,

00:15:22.580 --> 00:15:23.780
 well some say you're God's spokesman,

00:15:23.879 --> 00:15:24.700
 you're like a prophet.

00:15:25.860 --> 00:15:27.300
 Some say you're a holy man,

00:15:27.440 --> 00:15:28.160
 I'm like Elijah.

00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:30.019
 Others say various things.

00:15:30.120 --> 00:15:31.379
 But who do you say that I am,

00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:31.900
 Jesus says.

00:15:33.060 --> 00:15:34.540
 And here's the confession of faith

00:15:34.540 --> 00:15:37.759
 in Jesus as the son of God

00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:38.300
 and the Messiah.

00:15:39.019 --> 00:15:39.960
 You are the Christ,

00:15:40.060 --> 00:15:41.220
 the son of the living God.

00:15:42.560 --> 00:15:44.160
 And Jesus says to Simon Peter,

00:15:44.280 --> 00:15:44.700
 he says,

00:15:44.800 --> 00:15:45.500
 blessed Simon,

00:15:45.960 --> 00:15:47.139
 son of John,

00:15:47.560 --> 00:15:49.000
 because flesh and blood

00:15:49.000 --> 00:15:51.279
 has not revealed this to you,

00:15:51.340 --> 00:15:51.940
 but my father.

00:15:54.179 --> 00:15:56.379
 The revelation of Jesus

00:15:56.379 --> 00:15:58.620
 is in his person,

00:15:58.740 --> 00:16:00.039
 is supernaturally given.

00:16:01.139 --> 00:16:02.440
 And it is given to us

00:16:02.440 --> 00:16:03.779
 in part here

00:16:03.779 --> 00:16:06.460
 in the virgin conception

00:16:06.460 --> 00:16:07.200
 of Jesus.

00:16:09.580 --> 00:16:11.600
 And so you cannot defend

00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:12.899
 the virgin birth.

00:16:13.179 --> 00:16:15.039
 No one gives evangelistic talks

00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:15.720
 to students

00:16:15.720 --> 00:16:17.320
 defending the virgin birth,

00:16:17.419 --> 00:16:17.700
 do they?

00:16:17.700 --> 00:16:19.060
 But what do we do?

00:16:19.100 --> 00:16:19.740
 We proclaim it.

00:16:20.680 --> 00:16:21.520
 We proclaim it.

00:16:23.160 --> 00:16:24.580
 Here's the third thing.

00:16:25.940 --> 00:16:26.379
 First of all,

00:16:26.400 --> 00:16:27.120
 the biblical evidence.

00:16:28.020 --> 00:16:28.440
 Secondly,

00:16:28.540 --> 00:16:29.020
 the objections.

00:16:29.379 --> 00:16:29.640
 Thirdly,

00:16:29.680 --> 00:16:31.160
 what are the relevance to us?

00:16:32.460 --> 00:16:34.379
 Why is it relevant to us tonight?

00:16:36.379 --> 00:16:37.100
 First of all,

00:16:37.140 --> 00:16:38.620
 it's related to the sinlessness

00:16:38.620 --> 00:16:39.300
 of Jesus.

00:16:41.520 --> 00:16:43.200
 When Jesus came

00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:44.580
 to offer himself to God,

00:16:44.580 --> 00:16:46.660
 he offered himself

00:16:46.660 --> 00:16:48.900
 as the fulfillment

00:16:48.900 --> 00:16:50.360
 of the perfect Lamb of God.

00:16:50.460 --> 00:16:50.639
 Do you remember

00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:51.139
 John the Baptist

00:16:51.139 --> 00:16:52.060
 sees him behold

00:16:52.060 --> 00:16:52.840
 the Lamb of God?

00:16:54.200 --> 00:16:54.940
 He is a Lamb

00:16:54.940 --> 00:16:55.620
 and without spot

00:16:55.620 --> 00:16:56.280
 and without blemish.

00:16:57.600 --> 00:16:58.340
 He himself

00:16:58.340 --> 00:16:59.440
 bore no sin

00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:00.379
 so that he might

00:17:00.379 --> 00:17:01.200
 bear our sin.

00:17:02.060 --> 00:17:03.000
 He had no sin

00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:03.639
 of his own

00:17:03.639 --> 00:17:04.400
 to atone for

00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:05.860
 and so he was free

00:17:05.860 --> 00:17:06.480
 and able

00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:06.960
 to atone

00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:07.759
 for our sin.

00:17:07.759 --> 00:17:10.440
 The sinlessness

00:17:10.440 --> 00:17:10.980
 of Jesus

00:17:10.980 --> 00:17:12.440
 is so important.

00:17:14.220 --> 00:17:15.259
 The virgin birth

00:17:15.259 --> 00:17:16.339
 does not prove

00:17:16.339 --> 00:17:17.440
 the sinlessness

00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:18.519
 of Jesus

00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:19.440
 but it's certainly

00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:20.299
 related to it.

00:17:22.740 --> 00:17:23.779
 What the Bible teaches

00:17:23.779 --> 00:17:24.940
 is that we are not

00:17:24.940 --> 00:17:26.160
 isolated individuals.

00:17:27.720 --> 00:17:28.839
 Whether we like it

00:17:28.839 --> 00:17:29.240
 or not,

00:17:29.319 --> 00:17:30.279
 we belong to humanity.

00:17:31.420 --> 00:17:32.579
 We are members

00:17:32.579 --> 00:17:34.980
 of a union

00:17:34.980 --> 00:17:36.860
 and Adam

00:17:36.860 --> 00:17:37.799
 the first man

00:17:37.799 --> 00:17:39.039
 he is the head

00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:39.640
 of that union.

00:17:41.259 --> 00:17:41.799
 And the Bible teaches

00:17:41.799 --> 00:17:42.799
 that in Adam

00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:43.460
 all those who are

00:17:43.460 --> 00:17:44.660
 connected to Adam

00:17:44.660 --> 00:17:46.640
 are brought down

00:17:46.640 --> 00:17:47.220
 in our sin.

00:17:49.860 --> 00:17:50.279
 You watch,

00:17:50.480 --> 00:17:51.200
 well I hope you don't

00:17:51.200 --> 00:17:51.759
 watch Eurovision

00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:53.279
 but you watch Eurovision

00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:53.640
 isn't it?

00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:54.960
 And they will say

00:17:54.960 --> 00:17:57.360
 the different countries

00:17:57.360 --> 00:17:58.079
 go around voting

00:17:58.079 --> 00:17:58.480
 isn't it?

00:17:59.120 --> 00:18:00.180
 And they will say

00:18:00.180 --> 00:18:01.079
 Great Britain

00:18:01.079 --> 00:18:01.620
 gives,

00:18:01.940 --> 00:18:02.420
 I don't know,

00:18:02.500 --> 00:18:03.160
 six points.

00:18:03.160 --> 00:18:04.900
 and all of

00:18:04.900 --> 00:18:05.480
 Great Britain

00:18:05.480 --> 00:18:07.180
 is counted

00:18:07.180 --> 00:18:08.960
 by that one person's vote.

00:18:09.700 --> 00:18:10.960
 By that one person's vote.

00:18:11.300 --> 00:18:12.759
 They carry millions

00:18:12.759 --> 00:18:13.840
 of votes

00:18:13.840 --> 00:18:15.460
 in their one vote.

00:18:17.220 --> 00:18:17.860
 And Adam,

00:18:18.080 --> 00:18:19.340
 he is the head,

00:18:19.480 --> 00:18:20.360
 it is his vote,

00:18:20.460 --> 00:18:22.320
 he is the federal head

00:18:22.320 --> 00:18:24.279
 of the old order.

00:18:24.279 --> 00:18:25.200
 He is the head

00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:26.040
 of the old humanity

00:18:26.040 --> 00:18:27.700
 and he brought us down

00:18:27.700 --> 00:18:29.060
 by his act of rebellion

00:18:29.060 --> 00:18:30.600
 and we are involved

00:18:30.600 --> 00:18:31.080
 in that.

00:18:33.160 --> 00:18:33.980
 It's not just

00:18:33.980 --> 00:18:34.880
 the things we do,

00:18:35.180 --> 00:18:36.040
 it's what we are,

00:18:36.100 --> 00:18:36.320
 isn't it?

00:18:36.320 --> 00:18:37.759
 The twist in our nature

00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:38.480
 that all of us

00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:39.120
 know so well.

00:18:40.940 --> 00:18:41.880
 The crookedness,

00:18:41.980 --> 00:18:42.580
 the tendency

00:18:42.580 --> 00:18:43.300
 in our heart

00:18:43.300 --> 00:18:44.240
 that turns us

00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:44.940
 towards sin.

00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:45.840
 But what God

00:18:45.840 --> 00:18:46.800
 is doing here

00:18:46.800 --> 00:18:49.840
 in this new creation

00:18:49.840 --> 00:18:50.980
 is that God

00:18:50.980 --> 00:18:52.220
 has brought forth

00:18:52.220 --> 00:18:53.140
 the Lord Jesus Christ

00:18:53.140 --> 00:18:53.700
 and he calls him

00:18:53.700 --> 00:18:54.600
 1 Corinthians 15

00:18:54.600 --> 00:18:56.240
 the last Adam

00:18:56.240 --> 00:18:57.600
 to be the head

00:18:57.600 --> 00:18:58.400
 of a new humanity.

00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:01.320
 And so as in Adam

00:19:01.320 --> 00:19:02.180
 all die,

00:19:03.140 --> 00:19:03.800
 so in Christ

00:19:03.800 --> 00:19:04.680
 all are made alive.

00:19:05.940 --> 00:19:07.519
 And it is in union,

00:19:07.860 --> 00:19:08.680
 being connected,

00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:09.320
 trusting,

00:19:09.740 --> 00:19:10.880
 by faith in the Lord

00:19:10.880 --> 00:19:11.420
 Jesus Christ

00:19:11.420 --> 00:19:11.900
 that we find

00:19:11.900 --> 00:19:12.840
 newness of life now.

00:19:14.320 --> 00:19:15.600
 The line of sin

00:19:15.600 --> 00:19:16.820
 goes right through

00:19:16.820 --> 00:19:17.540
 the old order

00:19:17.540 --> 00:19:19.860
 until,

00:19:19.860 --> 00:19:22.780
 until the conception

00:19:22.779 --> 00:19:25.339
 and birth of Jesus.

00:19:27.079 --> 00:19:28.460
 And by setting aside

00:19:28.460 --> 00:19:30.099
 man as the procreator,

00:19:30.200 --> 00:19:30.779
 God is saying,

00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:32.119
 here is a new humanity.

00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:34.940
 Here is a new humanity

00:19:34.940 --> 00:19:35.839
 and the head

00:19:35.839 --> 00:19:36.779
 of that new humanity,

00:19:36.940 --> 00:19:37.420
 the Lord Jesus,

00:19:37.619 --> 00:19:38.980
 is offering himself

00:19:38.980 --> 00:19:40.059
 without spot to God.

00:19:42.819 --> 00:19:44.099
 The virgin conception

00:19:44.099 --> 00:19:44.839
 of the Lord Jesus

00:19:44.839 --> 00:19:46.500
 marks a break

00:19:46.500 --> 00:19:48.259
 in the transmission

00:19:48.259 --> 00:19:48.740
 of sin.

00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:51.819
 To be fully human,

00:19:51.819 --> 00:19:53.559
 Jesus was born

00:19:53.559 --> 00:19:54.259
 of a woman.

00:19:55.200 --> 00:19:55.819
 We saw it this morning,

00:19:55.899 --> 00:19:56.439
 Galatians 4,

00:19:56.500 --> 00:19:56.659
 didn't we?

00:19:56.879 --> 00:19:57.879
 Born of a woman,

00:19:58.339 --> 00:19:59.579
 born under the law

00:19:59.579 --> 00:20:01.460
 to be sinless

00:20:01.460 --> 00:20:02.439
 in his humanity.

00:20:04.039 --> 00:20:04.899
 He was born

00:20:04.899 --> 00:20:05.819
 of a virgin woman,

00:20:05.980 --> 00:20:07.000
 not a sinless woman,

00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:08.720
 but a virgin woman.

00:20:10.259 --> 00:20:11.460
 And so the virgin conception

00:20:11.460 --> 00:20:12.439
 helps us in

00:20:12.439 --> 00:20:13.559
 that it is related

00:20:13.559 --> 00:20:14.500
 to the sinlessness

00:20:14.500 --> 00:20:15.799
 of Jesus.

00:20:17.279 --> 00:20:18.419
 Jerry Packer says this,

00:20:18.519 --> 00:20:19.259
 in the virgin

00:20:19.259 --> 00:20:20.599
 born Christ,

00:20:20.599 --> 00:20:22.839
 in the virgin birth,

00:20:23.119 --> 00:20:24.379
 Christ did not inherit

00:20:24.379 --> 00:20:25.480
 the guilty twist

00:20:25.480 --> 00:20:27.379
 called original sin.

00:20:28.459 --> 00:20:29.240
 His manhood

00:20:29.240 --> 00:20:30.240
 was untainted

00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:30.799
 by it.

00:20:32.379 --> 00:20:33.399
 So it relates

00:20:33.399 --> 00:20:34.019
 to Jesus'

00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:34.619
 sinlessness.

00:20:36.819 --> 00:20:37.759
 Second thing is this,

00:20:37.819 --> 00:20:38.639
 the last thing is this,

00:20:38.879 --> 00:20:41.159
 it's related

00:20:41.159 --> 00:20:42.119
 to the saving

00:20:42.119 --> 00:20:43.359
 initiative of God.

00:20:46.219 --> 00:20:46.919
 It's related

00:20:46.919 --> 00:20:47.699
 to the saving

00:20:47.699 --> 00:20:48.699
 initiative of God.

00:20:48.799 --> 00:20:49.119
 It's God

00:20:49.119 --> 00:20:49.839
 who's acting here.

00:20:49.839 --> 00:20:54.279
 an ordinary

00:20:54.279 --> 00:20:54.839
 conception,

00:20:56.039 --> 00:20:57.079
 an ordinary birth

00:20:57.079 --> 00:20:57.599
 of Jesus,

00:20:58.220 --> 00:20:59.000
 if it was like

00:20:59.000 --> 00:20:59.839
 our conception

00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:00.539
 and birth,

00:21:02.039 --> 00:21:02.919
 would have meant

00:21:02.919 --> 00:21:03.819
 that the initiative

00:21:03.819 --> 00:21:05.379
 in Christ,

00:21:05.579 --> 00:21:06.799
 the saving

00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:07.419
 appearance

00:21:07.419 --> 00:21:08.539
 in the world,

00:21:09.399 --> 00:21:10.259
 lay with man.

00:21:10.259 --> 00:21:10.359
 man.

00:21:12.359 --> 00:21:13.220
 But here,

00:21:13.379 --> 00:21:14.220
 what is God

00:21:14.220 --> 00:21:14.700
 doing

00:21:14.700 --> 00:21:16.200
 in the virgin

00:21:16.200 --> 00:21:16.680
 birth?

00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:19.000
 What is God

00:21:19.000 --> 00:21:19.799
 doing in the virgin

00:21:19.799 --> 00:21:20.279
 birth?

00:21:20.379 --> 00:21:21.539
 He is setting

00:21:21.539 --> 00:21:22.879
 man aside.

00:21:25.140 --> 00:21:25.980
 He's doing it

00:21:25.980 --> 00:21:26.460
 resolutely

00:21:26.460 --> 00:21:27.079
 and he's doing it

00:21:27.079 --> 00:21:27.379
 deliberately.

00:21:28.980 --> 00:21:29.839
 He is putting

00:21:29.839 --> 00:21:30.619
 man aside

00:21:30.619 --> 00:21:31.319
 and saying

00:21:31.319 --> 00:21:31.960
 from that

00:21:31.960 --> 00:21:32.879
 line,

00:21:33.640 --> 00:21:35.039
 from the line

00:21:35.039 --> 00:21:35.839
 of Adam,

00:21:36.420 --> 00:21:38.240
 there is no hope

00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:38.720
 for man's

00:21:38.720 --> 00:21:39.140
 salvation.

00:21:41.099 --> 00:21:42.019
 And so he

00:21:42.019 --> 00:21:42.779
 brings by

00:21:42.779 --> 00:21:44.299
 supernatural means

00:21:44.299 --> 00:21:45.359
 the last Adam.

00:21:47.400 --> 00:21:48.500
 The last Adam

00:21:48.500 --> 00:21:49.420
 comes onto the

00:21:49.420 --> 00:21:50.120
 field as the

00:21:50.120 --> 00:21:50.920
 firstborn of the

00:21:50.920 --> 00:21:51.559
 new creation

00:21:51.559 --> 00:21:53.059
 and he sets

00:21:53.059 --> 00:21:53.920
 man aside.

00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:56.900
 and in his

00:21:56.900 --> 00:21:57.720
 place stands

00:21:57.720 --> 00:21:58.140
 the God

00:21:58.140 --> 00:21:58.400
 man,

00:21:58.519 --> 00:21:59.039
 Christ Jesus.

00:22:01.880 --> 00:22:02.600
 And that is

00:22:02.600 --> 00:22:03.000
 the message

00:22:03.000 --> 00:22:03.420
 of the virgin

00:22:03.420 --> 00:22:03.779
 birth.

00:22:06.539 --> 00:22:07.500
 What he's

00:22:07.500 --> 00:22:08.100
 saying in the

00:22:08.100 --> 00:22:08.940
 virgin conception

00:22:08.940 --> 00:22:09.860
 is that salvation

00:22:09.860 --> 00:22:10.920
 will never ever

00:22:10.920 --> 00:22:12.300
 flow from

00:22:12.300 --> 00:22:13.039
 man's initiative.

00:22:15.340 --> 00:22:16.279
 By searching

00:22:16.279 --> 00:22:17.100
 and by seeking,

00:22:17.560 --> 00:22:18.620
 you will never

00:22:18.620 --> 00:22:19.480
 by yourself

00:22:19.480 --> 00:22:21.200
 unaided

00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:21.820
 come to God.

00:22:23.920 --> 00:22:24.700
 By working

00:22:24.700 --> 00:22:25.080
 hard,

00:22:25.220 --> 00:22:25.880
 by laboring,

00:22:26.180 --> 00:22:27.060
 by attempts

00:22:27.060 --> 00:22:28.120
 to do things

00:22:28.120 --> 00:22:29.279
 that will

00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:30.140
 satisfy God,

00:22:30.180 --> 00:22:30.960
 you will never

00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:31.740
 find acceptance

00:22:31.740 --> 00:22:32.300
 with him.

00:22:34.279 --> 00:22:34.840
 And the virgin

00:22:34.840 --> 00:22:35.820
 conception and

00:22:35.820 --> 00:22:36.340
 supernatural

00:22:36.340 --> 00:22:37.340
 appearance of

00:22:37.340 --> 00:22:37.940
 Jesus Christ

00:22:37.940 --> 00:22:39.500
 tell us that

00:22:39.500 --> 00:22:40.240
 it is God

00:22:40.240 --> 00:22:40.759
 that takes

00:22:40.759 --> 00:22:41.200
 the initiative.

00:22:43.200 --> 00:22:44.240
 It is God

00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:44.820
 who has to

00:22:44.820 --> 00:22:45.380
 provide a

00:22:45.380 --> 00:22:46.120
 divine saviour.

00:22:47.200 --> 00:22:48.100
 Not a human

00:22:48.100 --> 00:22:48.580
 saviour,

00:22:49.420 --> 00:22:50.759
 but a divine

00:22:50.759 --> 00:22:51.200
 saviour,

00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:51.600
 the God

00:22:51.600 --> 00:22:51.900
 man.

00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:54.779
 One of the

00:22:54.779 --> 00:22:55.060
 messages,

00:22:55.300 --> 00:22:55.500
 surely,

00:22:55.740 --> 00:22:56.039
 is that you

00:22:56.039 --> 00:22:56.460
 will never

00:22:56.460 --> 00:22:57.160
 find salvation

00:22:57.160 --> 00:22:57.800
 from man,

00:22:57.900 --> 00:22:58.140
 but you

00:22:58.140 --> 00:22:58.960
 will find it

00:22:58.960 --> 00:22:59.320
 from the

00:22:59.320 --> 00:22:59.820
 God of the

00:22:59.820 --> 00:23:00.259
 Bible who

00:23:00.259 --> 00:23:00.720
 sent his

00:23:00.720 --> 00:23:01.820
 only begotten

00:23:01.820 --> 00:23:03.100
 son into

00:23:03.100 --> 00:23:03.600
 the world,

00:23:03.759 --> 00:23:04.420
 born of a

00:23:04.420 --> 00:23:04.700
 virgin,

00:23:05.700 --> 00:23:08.120
 to declare

00:23:08.120 --> 00:23:08.720
 that salvation

00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:09.539
 is all of

00:23:09.539 --> 00:23:09.820
 God.

00:23:12.380 --> 00:23:13.279
 And salvation

00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:14.420
 is all of

00:23:14.420 --> 00:23:15.000
 grace.

00:23:17.000 --> 00:23:17.940
 And salvation

00:23:17.940 --> 00:23:18.740
 is all in

00:23:18.740 --> 00:23:19.060
 Christ.

00:23:19.059 --> 00:23:19.099
 Christ.

00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:23.319
 And that

00:23:23.319 --> 00:23:23.539
 is the

00:23:23.539 --> 00:23:23.879
 message of

00:23:23.879 --> 00:23:24.179
 Christianity,

00:23:24.339 --> 00:23:24.599
 isn't it?

00:23:26.079 --> 00:23:26.599
 Certainly the

00:23:26.599 --> 00:23:26.960
 message of

00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:27.220
 Christmas.

00:23:28.519 --> 00:23:29.039
 All of

00:23:29.039 --> 00:23:29.359
 God,

00:23:30.519 --> 00:23:31.799
 all of

00:23:31.799 --> 00:23:32.159
 grace,

00:23:33.519 --> 00:23:34.220
 all in

00:23:34.220 --> 00:23:34.659
 Christ.

00:23:37.879 --> 00:23:38.240
 And so the

00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:38.599
 choice that's

00:23:38.599 --> 00:23:39.039
 before every

00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:39.500
 single one of

00:23:39.500 --> 00:23:40.179
 us tonight,

00:23:41.460 --> 00:23:43.200
 the choice

00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:43.440
 that the

00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:43.659
 virgin

00:23:43.659 --> 00:23:44.119
 conception

00:23:44.119 --> 00:23:44.720
 presents you

00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:45.440
 with is

00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:46.079
 either a

00:23:46.079 --> 00:23:46.839
 Jesus who

00:23:46.839 --> 00:23:48.359
 is supernatural,

00:23:48.359 --> 00:23:51.519
 and sinless,

00:23:52.819 --> 00:23:53.519
 and God

00:23:53.519 --> 00:23:54.079
 saviour,

00:23:55.279 --> 00:23:56.899
 or a

00:23:56.899 --> 00:23:57.379
 Jesus who

00:23:57.379 --> 00:23:57.939
 is something

00:23:57.939 --> 00:23:58.619
 less,

00:23:59.939 --> 00:24:00.759
 and something

00:24:00.759 --> 00:24:01.039
 not.

00:24:03.039 --> 00:24:04.039
 Let's pray.

00:24:04.039 --> 00:24:04.119
 Amen.