Shalom Dear Friends,
BORN OF A VIRGIN!
During this time of year our thoughts naturally turn to the Christmas story and the miraculous “virgin birth” of our Savior. However, if we look closely at the account we need to ask ourselves, “Was Yeshua’s birth all that miraculous?” To be sure, miracles did accompany His birth. They began before He was born with the angelic announcement to Zacharias (Lk. 1:5-20), his muteness (Lk. 1:21-23), and the pregnancy of his aged and barren wife, Elizabeth (Lk. 1:24-25). They continued with the angelic announcement to Mary (Lk. 1:26-37), her conception of Yeshua in a state of virginity (Lk. 1:38), the filling of Elizabeth with the Holy Spirit when Mary drew near (Lk. 1:39-45), and the healing of Zacharias so that he could utter his prophecy (Lk. 1:57-80). When Yeshua was born, the miracles multiplied with the appearance of the Shekinah Glory (Lk. 2:8-9), and the angelic announcement to the shepherds (Lk. 2:10-14). Shortly after His birth, Simeon was allowed to recognize Him in the Temple (Lk. 2:25-28), and empowered by the Spirit of God to prophecy (Lk. 2:29-35). Next, the godly Anna was allowed to recognize Him and proclaim His arrival (Lk. 2:36-38). Even long after His birth, miracles occurred: the Shekinah Glory guiding the wise men to His home two years later (Matt. 2:1 12), the angelic warning to flee the wrath of Herod (Matt. 2:13-15), and the angelic instruction to return to the land of Israel (Matt. 2:19-20).
To be sure, miracles surrounded His birth before and after it happened, but was His birth miraculous? After all, we commonly call it the “virgin birth.” Actually, no, His birth was not miraculous. There is nothing in the accounts that indicate that His birth itself was out of the ordinary. Yeshua came into this world in exactly the same way you and I did, with all the struggle and pain and effort that accompanies a normal human birth. The term “virgin birth” is actually a misnomer. To be more accurate, we should say He was “born of a virgin.” This is because the outstanding miracle of them all was the virgin conception—the conception of Yeshua in the womb of Mary while she was in a state of virginity. No human father contributed to the conception of Yeshua. This is an event absolutely unique to the human race. No human being before or since has ever been conceived when their mother was in a state of virginity. A human father is always involved, bar none, one hundred percent of the time. Except here.
That is the main point of the Christmas story as found in the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew is unequivocally stating that the Father of Yeshua was God Himself. The true miracle is the virgin conception proclaiming that Yeshua was fully God, and the normal birth proclaims that He was fully man. Hallelujah!
Please accept our wishes to all of you for a great holiday season as we celebrate the singular event in human history—the coming of the God/man born of a virgin! Merry Christmas!!
FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROJECT
Our foreign language translation project continues to move along at a steady pace. The Russian language pages are 66% completed. The next section is funded and undergoing translation, and we have another section partially funded.
The Hebrew language pages are at the 9% mark with the first section undergoing translation. Our second section is awaiting funding.