The Rev. Donald Sensing has posted his sermon for the Fourth Sunday in Advent. He examines the recent cover story in Newsweek that tried, in a notably shallow way, to debunk the possible historicity of the Virgin Birth and therefore the meaning of the Christmas story. The counter-argument: there are many reasons, both historical and theological, to indicate that the Virgin Birth is true.
Claiming Jesus was born of a virgin was foolish to claim falsely, but mandatory to point out if true, even if the fact worked against Jesus's acceptance by most Jews.... [N]o sensible case for inventing the story can reasonably be made; its inclusion makes sense only if it is true.Note that both Matthew and Luke affirm the birth, then move on and never bring it up again. The central affirmation of all the New Testament is that Jesus is Son of God, not specifically son of a virgin. Peter’s confession of who Jesus is - "You are the Christ, the son of the living God!" - makes no reference of Jesus's virgin mother. The center of Christian faith is that Jesus was raised from the dead, not born of a virgin.
Even so, Jesus's conception by the power of the Holy Spirit brings forth a perfect union of his being of God and being of humanity. Jesus is nowhere presented as a hybrid product of divinity and humanity. Jesus is not a half-and-half person. Jesus is affirmed as fully human and fully God. Unlike the semi-divine figures of pagan myths, Jesus was not a demigod with a human side corrupting his divine being. Neither was Jesus simply a human being with an exceptionally rich spiritual life. Jesus was Immanuel, fully God, fully with us, fully human.
Read the whole thing.
Posted by Alan at December 19, 2004 02:55 PM