The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-26
DR. BRYAN WRITES. SPECIAL # RMON. ON CHRISTMAS DAY.
"Christ's Birth-- The Greatest Miracle" Subject of TaIRto Readers of The Age
 Herald

than 30 years and also pastor of all Birmingham" has written Christ mas season sermon. at the request of The Age-Hersl' for it's readers.
 He discusses the event commence rated by all Christian nations on Christmas Day. his subject being "Christ's Birth-The Greatest Mir aele"
 The sermon follows:
 "There is one miracle in the Christ tian's faith which involves all other miracles--the coming of a superna- tural person into the world. Christ's birth was supernatural, his early de- parture was also supernatural. HIS birth was the greatest of all mir acles. Jesus is the Messiah of prophecy. He is the Christ of his tory and the Savior of the world. Christ was the Son Of God and the son of woman, the lineage and seed If Abraham and of David, therefore of royal descent To fulfil Old Testa- ment prophecy He had to be the seed of a virgin and be born in Bethlehem. He was to be named Immanuel-a divine human person. to be our only Savior from sin. "When the tull- ness of time was come. God sent for His son. born of woman. made un-
 
 The whole church believed in tho virgin birth of our Lord until the time when 1t was challenged by the Ebionites and Agnostics. Fore 1,500 years it was held until it's denial by Paine, Voltaire, Strouse and others. But without Christ's virgin birth the Bible would be false. It teaches it in the book of beginnings-Genes The seed of the woman shell bruse the serpents head" Genesis 3:16). Without his divide origin, Christ would not be Immanuel The sinle3s character of Jesus depends entirely upon his virgin birth. Deny 1t and you overthrow his power to forgive sins. His blood would avail nothing without his virgin birth and divine origin. Unless He's Gods son and the son of Nary we would be resting on false Saviour. To deny the vir- gin birth of Jesus because 1t seems more fully taught in Matthew and Luke Is folly. How many times God says som mething to make 1t truel It Is clearly taught in John 1;14: The word fGhrist) was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory Of the only hegottdn of the Father. full of grace and truth; and in Romans 1:2-3: Con corning his 6God's) son. Jesus Christ which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power, ac- cording to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead He was bone of our bone and flesh Of our flesh. yet God divine.
 Conditions of Prophecies
 Tn Gods plan for the salvation frF. cft rxF I,Y 4t. siah had to be born ofsa virgin and the Son of God. Many times in scrip ture we read such phrases as the seed of a woman,' the Son of Cod the only begotten of the Father Tn Isiah 7:f4. "The Lord himself shall give you a sign the word sign in Hebrew means miracle. naturA birth would be no miracle. This was the miracle over 1900 years ago and foretold to Jesus earthly father in these words: Behold. virgin shall bring forth son, and they shall call his name Immanuer (Matthew 1.23). and concerning the joy that shall be in the midst Of affliction ly the birth and Kingdom of Christ we read in Isaiah 9:6: For unto us a child IS born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his
 
 ed Wonderful Counsellor. The Mighty God. the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace Matthew Is careful to write that Immanuel means God with us.' Gabriel explains to Mary | in Luke 1:31: And behold thou shall conceive in thy womb and bring forth q son. and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest In answer to Mary's question as to the possl- bility of this the angel replies: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
 his father, Zacharias. sang. The He- When John the Baptist was born brew father always sang a song of joy at the birth of son. When Jesus was born. Joseph, his father. did not sing. but Mary, the mother, sang the Magnificent found in Luke 1:46-47, My soul doth magnifl the Lord, my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Sayior.' This is capital evidence as to the virgin birth of our Lord
 "Never deeper darkness mantled
 All the earth than when Christ
 CHIue,
 But the wonder of his coming
 Set the souls of men aflame.
 Christ-the 1owly-the majestic,
 Christ--incarnate deity!
 In him grace and beauty flaming
 Into visibility
 He gives pardon, life, Joy and peace. It was necessary for Christ to come that we might have re- deemer. a savior from sin. The ne- cessity of his birth suggests the need of repentance on our account. The purity of his birth and the purity of his life suggests the uprightness and purity with which we ought to walk. The Savior of the world, the Lord of all. the Prince of Peace this is Jesus Christ. great gift to Him, Jesus, would be an everlasting peace between the nations of the earth. We should worship, adore. honor, and serve Him."
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