God's Miraculous Birth: Faith Amidst the Impossible

Jul 07, 2024

Devotional

Day 1: God Does Impossible Things Through Ordinary and Barren Places

Throughout the story of Scripture, God consistently chooses to work through the most unlikely people and situations—old, barren couples like Abraham and Sarah, desperate mothers like Hannah, and a young virgin named Mary. These stories remind us that God delights in bringing life, hope, and promise out of places that seem hopeless or impossible. When we face our own seasons of barrenness, disappointment, or waiting, we are invited to remember that God’s faithfulness is not limited by our circumstances. He is the God who brings laughter out of sorrow and fulfillment out of longing, and He often chooses the least likely so that His power and grace are unmistakable. [05:21]

Genesis 18:10-14 (ESV)
The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.”

Reflection: Where in your life do you feel barren or hopeless? Ask God to show you how He might be working in that very place to bring about something new and unexpected.

Day 2: Nothing Is Impossible With God

When the angel appeared to Mary and announced that she would conceive and bear the Son of God, Mary was troubled and full of questions. Yet the angel’s words, “For nothing will be impossible with God,” became the anchor for her faith. Mary’s honest response—her fear, her questions, and ultimately her surrender—shows us that faith is not the absence of doubt or confusion, but the willingness to trust God’s word even when it defies logic or experience. We are invited to echo Mary’s words, “Let it be to me according to your word,” and to trust that God’s power is not limited by what we can understand. [14:14]

Luke 1:34-38 (ESV)
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Reflection: What is one “impossible” thing you are facing right now? How can you bring your honest questions to God and choose to trust Him with it today?

Day 3: The Virgin Birth Reveals Jesus as Fully God and Fully Man

The virgin birth is not just a miraculous event; it is the foundation of our faith in Jesus as both truly God and truly human. Conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, Jesus is the unique mediator who is able to atone for our sins because He is without sin Himself. This miracle affirms that salvation is not something we achieve by our own efforts, but a gift from God, accomplished through the incarnation of His Son. Believing in the virgin birth is essential because it upholds the truth of who Jesus is and the sufficiency of His work for our salvation. [25:23]

John 1:14 (ESV)
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Reflection: How does knowing that Jesus is both fully God and fully human shape the way you relate to Him in your struggles and your prayers?

Day 4: God’s New Creation and Kingdom Begin in Jesus

The birth of Jesus marks the beginning of God’s new creation and the arrival of His kingdom. Through the miraculous conception and birth of Christ, God initiates something entirely new—a world where His promises are fulfilled, His justice and peace reign, and His presence is with us. The prophecies of Isaiah point to this hope: a child will be born who is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, and Prince of Peace. In Jesus, God’s new world breaks into the old, and we are invited to participate in this new reality by faith. [27:51]

Isaiah 9:6-7 (ESV)
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to welcome God’s newness and kingdom today? What would it look like to invite Jesus to reign there?

Day 5: The Birth of Jesus Signals God’s Victory Over Evil

From the very beginning, God promised that the offspring of the woman would crush the serpent’s head, and the birth of Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise. The arrival of Christ is set in the context of a cosmic battle between good and evil, and His birth marks the beginning of the end for sin, death, and the powers of darkness. Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, God’s victory is secured, and we are invited to live as people of hope, knowing that the final defeat of evil is certain. [31:19]

Genesis 3:15 (ESV)
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

Reflection: What is one area where you feel the weight of evil or opposition? How can you stand in the victory of Jesus and declare His triumph in that place today?

Sermon Summary

On a day marked by record-breaking heat, we found ourselves reflecting on the miraculous story at the heart of Christmas: that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. This is not just an isolated, “impossible” event to be believed with gritted teeth, but the culmination of a long, rich story of God working through miraculous births throughout the history of Israel. From Abraham and Sarah’s laughter at the promise of a child in their old age, to Moses, Samson, Samuel, and Elizabeth—again and again, God’s faithfulness is revealed in places of barrenness and impossibility. The virgin birth is not an oddity, but the crescendo of a familiar melody: God brings life where there is none, hope where there is despair, and fulfillment where there was only longing.

Mary’s story is both unique and deeply connected to this tradition. When the angel tells her she will bear the Son of God, she is honest about her confusion and fear, but ultimately responds with trust: “Let it be to me according to your word.” Her faith is not blind or naive, but rooted in the long history of God’s surprising faithfulness. The virgin birth, then, is not just a test of belief in the supernatural, but a signpost pointing to the very heart of the gospel: that God enters our world, not by human striving, but by divine initiative. Jesus is both fully God and fully man, the only one able to bridge the gap between God and humanity, sinless and Spirit-conceived.

It’s important to clarify what this confession means and does not mean. We are not saying Mary was sinless or perpetually a virgin; rather, we honor her as a woman of faith who trusted God’s word. The miracle is not about Mary’s perfection, but about God’s power and grace. The virgin birth is essential because it affirms Jesus’ unique identity and mission: the new Adam, inaugurating a new creation, defeating the powers of sin and death, and launching God’s kingdom on earth. This is the victory foretold from Genesis to Revelation—the child who would crush the serpent’s head and bring salvation to the world.

As we confess this truth, we join a family of faith that has always wrestled with, waited for, and trusted God for impossible things. Our hope is not in our ability to believe the unbelievable, but in the God who has always done the impossible. May we, like Mary, respond with honest faith, saying, “Let it be to me according to your word.”

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Key Takeaways

1. God’s Pattern: Life from Barrenness Throughout the story of Israel, God consistently brings life out of places of barrenness and impossibility. The virgin birth is not an isolated miracle, but the climax of a long tradition where God’s promises are fulfilled in the most unlikely circumstances. This pattern invites us to trust that God can bring hope and new beginnings even in the most desolate places of our own lives. [05:21]
2. Mary’s Honest Faith as a Model Mary’s response to the angel is not one of blind acceptance, but of honest questioning followed by trust. She is troubled, confused, and afraid, yet she chooses to receive God’s word with faith: “Let it be to me according to your word.” Her example teaches us that faith does not require the absence of doubt or fear, but a willingness to trust God’s promises in the midst of uncertainty. [14:14]
3. The Virgin Birth: Theological Necessity, Not Mere Miracle Belief in the virgin birth is not just about accepting a supernatural event; it is foundational to understanding who Jesus is. Only through the Spirit-conceived, sinless Son of God can humanity be reconciled to God. To deny the virgin birth is to undermine the incarnation, the atonement, and the very heart of the gospel, reducing Jesus to a mere moral teacher rather than the Savior. [17:30]
4. A New Creation and the Kingdom of God The birth of Jesus marks the beginning of a new creation, a fresh work of God within the old world. Just as the Spirit hovered over the waters at creation, so the Spirit overshadows Mary, bringing forth the new Adam. In Christ, God initiates a new world order—one characterized by justice, peace, and the defeat of evil—fulfilling ancient prophecies and inaugurating the kingdom of God. [27:51]
5. Victory Over Evil: The Cosmic Significance of Christ’s Birth The birth of Jesus is not just a personal or private event, but a cosmic turning point in the battle between good and evil. The child born of Mary is the one who crushes the serpent’s head, defeats the dragon, and secures victory for God’s people. Our hope is anchored in this decisive act of God, and we are invited to join the family of faith in waiting, wrestling, and believing for God’s ultimate triumph over darkness. [31:19]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:59] - Introduction: Believing Impossible Things
[02:41] - The Struggle with the Virgin Birth
[03:53] - Understanding Miraculous Births in Scripture
[05:21] - Abraham, Sarah, and the Pattern of Promise
[06:45] - Moses, Samson, and Samuel: Miraculous Births Continue
[09:18] - Isaiah’s Prophecy and Israel’s Story
[11:19] - The New Testament: Elizabeth and Mary
[12:53] - The Angel’s Message to Mary
[14:14] - Mary’s Honest Response and Faith
[16:05] - The Virgin Birth in the Story of God
[17:30] - The Uniqueness of Christ’s Birth
[18:59] - The Virgin Birth and the Mystery of Christmas
[20:46] - The Spirit’s Role: Creation and New Creation
[21:45] - Clarifying Misconceptions about Mary
[24:37] - Jesus: Truly God and Truly Man
[25:23] - The Sinless Mediator and the Incarnation
[27:51] - The New Creation and Fulfillment of Prophecy
[29:34] - The Cosmic Battle: Victory Over Evil
[31:19] - The Triumph of Christ and Our Hope
[33:13] - Confession of Faith and Communion
[35:11] - Praying for Faith to Believe the Impossible

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Virgin Birth and God’s Pattern of Impossible Hope

Bible Reading

- Luke 1:26-38 (The angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will conceive Jesus by the Holy Spirit)
- Genesis 18:9-15 (God promises a child to Abraham and Sarah in their old age)
- Isaiah 7:14 (Prophecy of a virgin bearing a son called Immanuel)

Observation Questions

In Luke 1:26-38, what is Mary’s initial reaction to the angel’s message, and how does she respond after hearing the angel’s explanation?
According to Genesis 18:9-15, how do Abraham and Sarah react to God’s promise of a child, and what does Sarah’s laughter reveal about her expectations?
What does Isaiah 7:14 say will be the sign given by God, and how does this connect to the story of Jesus’ birth?
The sermon mentioned several other miraculous births in the Bible (like Samson and Samuel). What pattern do you notice in these stories? [[06:45]]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think God often chooses to work through situations of barrenness or impossibility, as seen in the stories of Sarah, Hannah, Elizabeth, and Mary? What might this reveal about God’s character? [[05:21]]
The sermon says Mary’s faith was “honest” and not blind or naive. What does it mean to have honest faith, and how is this different from pretending not to have doubts or fears? [[14:14]]
According to the sermon, why is belief in the virgin birth more than just accepting a miracle? What does it say about who Jesus is and what he came to do? [[17:30]]
The sermon connects the virgin birth to the idea of a “new creation” and the defeat of evil. How does Jesus’ birth mark a turning point in God’s plan for the world? [[27:51]]

Application Questions

The sermon described God’s pattern of bringing life out of barrenness and hope out of impossibility. Is there an area in your life right now that feels barren or hopeless? How might God be inviting you to trust him in that place? [[05:21]]
Mary responded to God’s word with, “Let it be to me according to your word,” even though she was afraid and confused. When was the last time you felt God asking you to trust him with something that didn’t make sense? How did you respond? [[14:14]]
The sermon clarified that the miracle of Jesus’ birth is not about Mary’s perfection, but about God’s power and grace. Are there ways you’ve been tempted to focus on your own qualifications or worthiness, rather than God’s ability to work through you? [[22:58]]
The virgin birth is described as essential because it shows Jesus is both fully God and fully man—the only one who can bridge the gap between us and God. How does this truth affect the way you relate to Jesus personally? [[24:37]]
The sermon talked about joining a “family of faith” that has always wrestled with, waited for, and trusted God for impossible things. Who in your life has modeled this kind of faith for you? How can you encourage others in your family or community to trust God in hard situations? [[35:11]]
The birth of Jesus is described as a cosmic victory over evil. When you look at the world’s brokenness, how does this truth give you hope? Are there specific situations where you need to remember that God is still at work, bringing victory? [[31:19]]
The sermon ended with a prayer for faith to believe the impossible. What is one “impossible” thing you want to ask God for this week? How can your group pray for you in this? [[35:11]]

Sermon Clips

“A lot of Christians in the church today struggle with this line in the Apostles Creed, born of the Virgin Mary. There's no use trying. One can't believe impossible things. Who could believe in a virgin birth like this? You can't just shut your eyes and try harder. It's not going to work. Take a deep breath. You can do it. That's not how it works.”

“If we stare at the virgin birth as a bizarre miracle story, we might say, this doesn't make sense. Or even if we take a leap of faith and say, okay, I believe it. It's a miracle story. I believe in impossible things. We'd still be missing the point. What is it there for? What is it all about?”

“Similarly, we can understand virgin birth, virgin conception, when we see it as a part of the whole story of God and not one isolated event.”

“Israel's story begins with a promise that's impossible. God promises. He chooses Abraham and Sarah. He chooses her out of all the people. He could have chosen someone else, someone young, someone fertile, someone that already had a good big -sized family cooking. He could have chose anyone. He singles out this old, old, barren couple and says, you, you're the one I'm going to do impossible things through.”

“At each of these great turning points in Israel's history, the way God delivers Israel, the way God fulfills his promises to Israel is through miraculous pregnancy, miraculous birth.”

“It's such a wonderful picture of God's promise and the way he goes about his promises. He's going to bless you. He's going to come through for you. He's going to surprise you. He's going to fulfill the things you've been longing for. And that's communicated in the picture of a barren woman being blessed.”

“Are you beginning also to catch the theme that like every time God's going to do something big, it comes through this difficulty. There's barrenness that precedes promise.”

“And the angel says, for nothing will be impossible with God. Will you guys say that out loud with me? For nothing will be impossible with God.”

“She was real. She was honest. She was afraid. She had questions. She didn't understand. She was confused. And yet, when she heard the word of the Lord, and when the angel declared to her, nothing is impossible with God, she received the word of God. She said yes in her heart, and she said, and out of a place of trust and dependence and faith, let it be done to me according to your word.”

“When we see this story within the thread of the story of God and what he was doing with his people from the beginning of time until now, it makes sense. It's like, oh, here he goes again doing that thing he does. Here he goes again doing impossible things. Here he goes again choosing barren places to precede the place where promise will come. Here he goes again.”

“Only this time, it wasn't the gift of an awesome leader like Moses, or an amazing judge like Samson, or a prophet like Samuel, or a king like David. It was the gift of the Son of God, our Messiah, the King of kings, and the Savior of the world. Miraculous birth, that is the fulfillment of everything that was promised.”

“Departure from the miraculous nature of Christ's birth undermines the identity of Christ as fully God and fully man, and it undermines the work of Christ, and it relegates him to be a wise sage or a moral revolutionary, and it turns the gospel into a mere model of morality, which is salvation by works, not salvation by faith. It's not the gospel.”

“The virgin birth and believing in the virgin birth is integral to our faith. I love this quote by Donald McLeod. The virgin birth is posted on guard at the door of the mystery of Christmas, and none of us must think of hurrying past it. It stands on the threshold of the New Testament, blatantly supernatural, defying our rationalism, informing us that all that follows belongs to the same order as itself, and that if we find it offensive, there is no point in proceeding further.”

“God the Father sent God the Son, who was conceived by God the Holy Spirit. It's a Trinitarian mission, and it reminds me of another Trinitarian moment in Genesis 1 at creation.”

“In the same way, the Holy Spirit came upon Mary, and the power of the Most High overshadowed her, brooded over her. And the first Adam was the head of the human family, and through rebellion and sin, led us into death. Now God is bringing forth the new Adam, the new head of his family, who will lead us not into sin and death, but into life and freedom and joy.”

“What we are confessing when we say this, when we say conceived, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary? We are saying that Jesus Jesus Christ was truly God and truly man. Jesus was not conceived by the will of man. Rather, he was conceived by the Holy Spirit. He was the pre -existing and eternal Son of God made flesh. He is God's Son, which is revealed to us in the virgin birth. This makes possible the unity of the divine and human.”

“Belief in the virgin birth is crucial to salvation. For this miracle is the means by which God gave us a sinless mediator. And all of Christendom over the centuries has believed this truth.”

“The fourth thing that we are saying is that a new beginning had begun. A new beginning had to be made. A new creation needed to be initiated. The kingdom of God was at last at hand. God's new world becoming a reality. And it took a new birth and a new creation through that. Something fresh happening within the old world beyond what they had currently known.”

“The birth of Jesus marks the beginning of the end of evil, sin, pain, and death.”

“God's plan to repossess the world from the dominion of darkness is launched in the birth of a child who is destined to defeat the dragon that rages against the people of God. This is really good news.”

“The family of God has followed God into impossible things from the very beginning, and every time we come to this table and we partake of his broken body and his shed blood for the forgiveness of our sins, for the covering of our weakness, so that we could be made right relationally with God and have a place in his beautiful home with him forever, we are believing in impossible things.”

“We join with the family of God in waiting, in wrestling, in praying, in trusting, and believing God for impossible things.”

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