Christmas From Cover to Cover: 25-Day Advent DevotionalSample

Long before the angel ever visited Mary, Isaiah prophesied of a baby who would be born from a virgin. At first glance, this seems like a strange detail in the Christmas narrative. Did Jesus have to be born from a virgin? The answer is emphatical, “Yes!”  The prophecy and fulfillment of the virgin birth matters because it reveals in part who this Jesus will be. On Christmas morning, Mary holds in her hands the God of the heavens wrapped in human flesh. The name “Immanuel,” we find out in Matthew 1:23, means “God with us.” And that is precisely who Jesus is. He is not just an important religious figure or prophet. No, He is the glorious and magnificent God who is dwelling with man. Sin is infectious, and our sinful nature is inherited from one generation to another. Thus, Jesus could not come to us in an ordinary way. God used supernatural means to send His Son into the world. In doing so he avoided the stain of sin. This will give Jesus the ability to live the perfect and holy life on our behalf so that whoever calls on the name of Jesus can trade their filthy rags for his righteous deeds. That first Christmas, the God-man Jesus Christ is born of the virgin Mary.

Reflection question: Do you think it matters that Jesus was born of a virgin? Why or why not?