Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his
name Immanuel
Isaiah 7:14
Let us to-day go down to Bethlehem, and in company with wondering
shepherds and adoring Magi, let us see Him who was born King of the
Jews, for we by faith can claim an interest in Him, and can
sing, "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." Jesus is
Jehovah incarnate, our Lord and our God, and yet our brother and
friend; let us adore and admire. Let us notice at the very first
glance His miraculous conception. It was a thing unheard of before,
and unparalleled since, that a virgin should conceive and bear a Son.
The first promise ran thus, "The seed of the woman," not the
offspring of the man. Since venturous woman led the way in the sin
which brought forth Paradise lost, she, and she alone, ushers in the
Regainer of Paradise. Our Saviour, although truly man, was as to His
human nature the Holy One of God. Let us reverently bow before the
holy Child whose innocence restores to manhood its ancient glory; and
let us pray that He may be formed in us, the hope of glory. Fail not
to note His humble parentage. His mother has been described simply
as "a virgin," not a princess, or prophetess, nor a matron of large
estate. True the blood of kings ran in her veins; nor was her mind a
weak and untaught one, for she could sing most sweetly a song of
praise; but yet how humble her position, how poor the man to whom she
stood affianced, and how miserable the accommodation afforded to the
new-born King!
Immanuel, God with us in our nature, in our sorrow, in our
lifework, in our punishment, in our grave, and now with us, or rather
we with Him, in resurrection, ascension, triumph, and Second Advent
splendour.
