THE VIRGIN BIRTH

Today’s Reading: Luke 1

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion on the right-hand side).

The Church of the Sepulchre of Saint Mary, informally known as the Tomb of the Virgin Mary, is regarded by many as the burial place of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The church is located in the Kidron Valley on the foothills of the Mount of Olives, just outside the Old City of Jerusalem. The decor of these ancient churches is modelled after the Temple in Jerusalem, which was destroyed in 70 A.D.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where Reynold took the photo, click HERE.

Key Verse: Luke 1:34-35

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God…”

Having completed Exodus, we arrive in Luke. Our readings from the Hebrew Scriptures to the Greek Scriptures and back to the Hebrew is for the purpose of balance between the two. Luke, the physician (Colossians 4:14), gleans his material as a journalist would, from personal interviews. He was the assistant to Paul, and as such, would’ve had at least two years in Palestine while Paul was in prison. No doubt he interviewed Mary, the mother of Jesus, those who knew John the Baptist and his family, the shepherds of Bethlehem, and others during those two years.

If we believe there is a Creator God who is involved in His creation, then it’s no problem for Him to perform ongoing miraculous acts. The conception of Jesus is such an act. The Scripture makes it very clear that Mary had not known a man sexually. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. He had no earthly biological father. Therefore, He was uniquely “The Son of God.”

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Thank You, Father God, that You, by the agency of the Holy Spirit, caused the conception of Your only begotten Son, Jesus. Even as Zacharias, Elizabeth, and Mary were moved to give magnificent messages from You, Lord God, I am moved deeply and I proclaim Your greatness. I worship You with all my heart, soul and mind. Speak through me, Holy Spirit. I’m available for Your purposes. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

Dr. Nelles Silverthorne was a frequent guest on the 100 Huntley Street TV program. He was a research pediatrician at Sick Children’s Hospital in Toronto (Sick Kids). At the very start of his career, he was an assistant to Banting and Best, the discoverers of insulin. He gave the very first civilian injection of penicilin to a 12-year-old boy who was dying. I’ve met that boy. He’s now a medical doctor. Dr. Silverthorne erected the very first oxygen tent at Sick Kids Hospital. He developed the vaccine for whooping cough. He also carried on a practice at his office on Bloor Street. Even though he was over 80, he took on my first two grandchildren, Sheryl and Christopher Stacey, as patients. He announced on live TV, “No woman ever came into my office who was pregnant and said, ‘I know not a man.'” God had met Dr. Silverthorne at a 1950’s Billy Graham meeting and the doctor’s life was transformed. He became an outspoken believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. He believed in the virgin birth, and so do I.

Yours for the certainty that God became one of us, a human being,

David