Glory To God In The Highest!
A virgin birth took place two thousand years ago, as foretold over seven hundred years prior, by the the prophet, Isaiah. How wonderful was that miracle conception! Isaiah stated:
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
The virgin mother was a young woman named Mary. Mary, daughter of Eli (Heli), has her bloodline from the linage of king David through his son Nathan. Mary was known to have favor from God, and believed no word from God ever fails!
Luke 1:26-27 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
What a surprise indeed, especially to young Mary!
Luke 1:34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
Though Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph of Nazareth the carpenter, we know in truth she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit, not by mortal man.
Matthew 1:18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
Now Joseph, known to be a man of integrity, originally decided to break his proposed marriage contract with Mary after he found out she was pregnant. That was until an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream:
Matthew 1:20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
After this holy visit, Joseph remained with Mary, but did not consummate their marriage until after the holy birth of our savior, Jesus.
Matthew 1:21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Now, at that time in history, a census was decreed by Caesar Augustus. This forced Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem while Mary was in her ninth month of pregnancy. Bethlehem was the city they were required to register in because Joseph, head of their house hold, also belongs to the house David, a descent through his son Solomon.
Home births, all those years ago, were the norm in Israel. However, due to the high traffic in Bethlehem during the census, no rooms at the inn were available for the expectant mother. This predicament caused the local innkeeper to suggest Mary and Joseph use the nearest stable to accommodate their upcoming addition.
And because Mary and Joseph no doubt made the journey on foot, known to be at least four days long, the rations they carried would be in short supply. So hay in a manger was the new born king’s crib.
Not by chance, it was the manger which the angel of the Lord provided to shepherds as a sign that this newborn is the Messiah:
Luke 2:10-12 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
After this announcement, a company of heavenly host appeared with the angel and praised God in song. The shepherds then visited the manger scene, spreading the word on what they had been told by the angel.
Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Sometime soon after, three wise men from the east came and worshiped Mary’s son. They followed the bright star in the night sky as it traveled ahead of them, until it stopped and hung directly above the house where the new family temporarily lived.
The Magi presents gifts to the child:
Matthew 2:11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
And Mary treasured all that happened and pondered it in her heart.
Glory To God In The Highest!
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