Even in our sexually liberated world, such a heading would surely create a bit of a stir. Women's Day and New Idea would have air brushed shots of Mary with the lovely little Jesus cradled in her arms. Zoo magazine would present Joseph as a stud and Mary in a bikini with a headline something like, "no man is safe now" or "sisters are doing it for themselves!"

I wonder if you've ever stopped to ponder the outrageous claim of the bible that Jesus Christ the son of God was born of a virgin. For many it is too wild and outrageous to even be contemplated and so has been dismissed as another fantasy of fundamentalist interpretation.

However, you can't do that quite so easily. Not when the prophet Isaiah around 700 years before the birth of Jesus predicts "The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means God with is with us.') Isaiah 7:14

What kind of nutter would write such a thing? You might predict that a king is coming, that there will be a special child who will be born. You might ever be bold enough to say that a child with great religious significance will be born, but to actually pen that a virgin will give birth is taking an almighty risk. Yet his words are picked up by Matthew in his account of the birth of Jesus and applied to Mary. Matthew 1:23

Luke's account is very telling. He is a doctor, so he more than most of his generation would be entitled to question such a claim. He tells us at the beginning of his biography on the life of Jesus that "Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, . . . so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught." Luke 1:3 He records Mary's words when she is informed of this miraculous event. "But how can this happen? I am a virgin." Good Question! How is she going to explain to Joseph and what will her Father say?

People say, but it couldn't have happened that way, it's impossible but the response from heaven is 'nothing is impossible with God.' God is good at doing the humanly impossible. He creates from nothing, he gives life and breath to all creatures, he sets the universe in place and keeps the planets in orbit. His power at work in his Son was able to raise the dead, give sight to the blind, hearing and speech to the deaf and mute, feed a significant crowd from a small take away lunch. He calms a storm with just a few words, but his greatest feat of all was to save his people from their sins.

That is something humanly impossible. Even with the best of intentions, we all know "we're only human." We all make mistakes and none of us loves the Lord God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and our neighbour as ourselves.

God intervenes in the natural order allow his son to enter our world and remain unaffected by the selfishness that mars the human condition. In a world still ravaged by violence and terror, spoilt by greed and the abuse of power, Jesus enters in lowly, miraculous circumstances to bring life and hope and ultimately peace. He who knew no sin, was made sin for us in order that we might be made right with God.

The message of Christmas hasn't really changed. 'Where meek souls will receive him still the dear Christ enters in.' May Christ enter your heart in a new way this Christmas and why not come to his house to celebrate his birthday this Christmas.

Rev Geoff Deutscher
Anglican Parish of Ulladulla.
Rector Martin's Anglican Church Ulladulla
Crn Princes Highway and Green Sts Ulladulla
Ph 4454 2030