The Fourth Sunday in Advent

(Regardless if this day is after December 16, this Sunday takes precedence

over the date it falls on.)

Isaiah 7:10-14; Luke 1:26-56; Matthew 1:18-25

One of the Greatest Mysteries of Our Faith

Reading these three passages of Scripture, the teaching that jumps out at me is the miracle and mystery of the virgin birth.  This doctrine has been with the Church from the beginning, and prophesied by Isaiah more than six hundred years prior to the event.  Yes, I know there are those who would call it a myth that grew up early in the Church’s history, but if this is a myth then why not the resurrection? If so, our faith is empty, we are dead in our sins, and have no hope (1 Corinthians 15:12-19).  Our faith must rest on the word of God, not on what our eyes can see and our minds comprehend.

What is the meaning of the virgin birth?  The virgin birth testifies to an even greater mystery – that the Son of God, who is of the same substance as the Father, who was with the Father in the beginning, who was, is, and ever shall be, God (John 1:1-18) – this One came down and took upon himself human nature made available from Mary’s womb, and especially superintended and sanctified by the Holy Spirit.  In this most marvelous event, all the promises which the prophets had prophesied were set in motion – the promised Messiah was coming, but not on clouds of glory (that is yet to come), but in the form of man – God in the flesh, fully human and fully divine, one person in two natures, one with us and one with God.

But why?  What is the purpose of this?  The answer is simple – our salvation.  And how does this act of God save us?  The principle underneath this doctrine is that man has sinned his way out of God’s favor.  Sin really is a big deal.  And it is a big deal because of another principle that underlies this plan of salvation, which is that God is a holy God.  God can no more sweep our sin under the rug than a wife could her husband’s infidelity.  Sin has consequences.  The problem was (and is) that we can’t fix it.  It’s not just that we commit sin; we are born sinners with a sinful nature.  We can never not sin in this life.  We fail God’s law. Be it a command about a tree in a garden or the Ten Commandments, we shake our fist at God.  But God so loved us that He decided to do something about this problem Himself – that His Son would assume our nature, live our life without sin (Hebrews 4:15), and then take our place as the sacrificial Lamb on the cross (which is what the Old Testament sacrifices foreshadowed all along), and then rise again in victory over sin and death.  This is the fulfillment of the first prophecy after the fall in Genesis 3:15 – that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head.  And the greater purpose of all of this, even greater than our salvation, is that it redounds to God’s glory, which is the purpose of everything God does.  And it begins with a virgin betrothed to a man; so earthy, so humble – God becomes man.

Author: The Reformed Baptist

My name is Stephen Taylor, ordained Baptist minister of eighteen years pastoral experience with a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Better than that, I am married to a godly woman, Karla, who has been very patient with me since 1989. I have two daughters, both of whom I homeschooled for extended periods of time, who became godly young women, and who ran off and married godly young men, all of which is very proper. The oldest daughter has even seen fit to bless me with a grandson and a granddaughter, and my youngest daughter with a grandson, all three of whom are bundles of exceeding joy. As you can see, I am quite blessed. This website is dedicated to helping people grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ through the gift of writing that the Lord has given to me. It is specifically about helping His people grow in godliness, the theme you see repeated above. I write devotions with this aim and hope that they might be of some help to God’s people. Full disclosure: I am of a Reformed bent, meaning that my understanding of Scripture is primarily informed by the Reformers and their successors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. However, as a student of church history and theology, I strive to remain true to that teaching handed down once for all unto the saints through every age of the Church. I like to think of myself as a “catholic” Christian, as the Reformers thought of themselves. At any rate, feel free to read, pray, and contact me if you wish, or correct me if need be. As you can see, I tend to follow the church year. Of course, I make no special claims about these devotions. I know very well that others have written better and plumbed the depths of God’s word with greater insight. But if my musings help someone draw closer to the Lord, well then, I have my reward. Blessings to you and may the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ speak to you that word which He knows you especially need to hear. Grace & peace, Stephen Taylor View all posts by The Reformed Baptist