THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF CHRIST Mike Richardson “Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.” Luke 1:26-27 I fear that we do not consider the birth of our Lord enough in our study. It seems the only time some of us hear anything about the birth of Christ is when preachers proclaim that we should not celebrate December 25th as His birthday. While it is true that do not know the date of His birth, the Divine Revelation speaks of His birth. Anything written in scripture is important. It is there to show man how God manifested Himself in the flesh. The Son of God came as a baby, born of a virgin. Let us consider some things about His birth.

(i)The Mission of the Messiah.​ Why did Jesus come to earth? Why did He leave the glory of heaven to robe Himself in flesh and take on humanity while at the same time retaining His Deity? Lk.1:31-33 reveals part of the answer. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” He came to establish a spiritual kingdom that will last forever. He also came to seek and to save the lost (Lk.19:10). His mission was to bring people back from sin to a relationship with God. Rom.5:1-8 Paul uses words like redeem, justify, and reconcile to show the purpose of Jesus coming to earth. His mission was to save man from his sin and convey man into His kingdom (Col.1:13).

(ii)The Miracle of the Manger (Lk.2:1-7).​ After four hundred years of silence, Jesus comes into the world. The Light of the world will shine to guide men in the way they should go. He was born in a cave or stable and laid in a feed trough. However, don’t forget His birth was miraculous. By miraculous conception Jesus came into the world.

(iii)The Multitude of the Messengers (Lk.2:8-14).​ The angels came to sin praises about His birth to the shepherds. The wise men came from the East following the star that led to the infant Christ. (iv)The Massacre of the Males (Matt.2:16-19).​ Herod on hearing about the birth of Jesus, feared he may lose his power as king. He acted unjust and ordered all male babies two years of age and younger to be killed. Joseph took his family to Egypt to escape the persecution. It is ironic to think that years before the Pharaoh in Egypt had commanded the aby boys to be killed there, now Joseph finds protection in that country for his Son. Imagine Herod’s conscience (if he ever had one) if not imagine the screams he will hear after the judgment. (v)The Mourning of Mothers (Matt.2:17). A baby ​ , so sweet, innocent, and so near to the mother. Imagine the mourning of the mothers; no comfort as they have their baby boys taken from their arms to be killed. Imagine what some of those children could have grown up to do. Some may have been great leaders, but they were never given the chance.

(vi)The Mystery of His Murder (Acts 7:52; I Pet.3:18).​ They didn’t kill Jesus as an infant, but they did kill Him when He was about thirty-three years of age. He gave His life as a sacrifice, as a gift. He came to pay the debt of sin to appease the wrath of God.

(vii)The Memorial of Mercy (I Tim.1:14-16).​ In the Lord’s Supper we have a memorial of the sacrifice of Christ (I Cor.11:23-29). Remember His birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection. Remember He is coming again!

(viii)Lessons to Remember: (1) See the birth of Christ?​ See His humility? (Phil.2:5-8) What a Savior! (2) Do we praise Him as we should?​ The angels in heaven continuously praise Him. They have seen His glory. We should see His glory (2 Cor.4:6). Some seem to live as though they can’t catch a glimpse. Read the word and you will see His glory. (3) Many mothers are mourning today​. They have had the pain of burying a child. We should pray for parents who have had to experience such. Others hurt because of their children’s spiritual state is one of being lost and dead (Lk.15:24). Likewise, they need our prayers as do the child that is astray. (4) The Mystery of His Love.​ Why would God love us enough to let His Son die? I don’t know, but He did! (5) We Ought to Remember​. We are so forgetful as people. We take the Lord’s Supper every first day of the week to be reminded of the greatest demonstration of love ever displayed. Let us partake in loving memory of the One who loved us enough to die on the cross to save us from our sins. Let us remember He is coming again. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The elders at Eastside believe that gospel meetings are needed as much now as ever. Under their leadership the following meeting will take place: October 23-28​ with Brother Frank Walton of Huntsville, AL doing the preaching. Sunday 9:00; 10:00 AM 6:00 PM Monday – Friday 7:00PM

PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING:​ ​The purpose of this, meeting is to preach the gospel of Christ which is the power of God, which is able to save the souls of man. (Rom. 1:16) There is nothing that can take the place of preaching the gospel of Christ. No one can be converted without hearing the Word of God. The other things play an important role, singing and praying, but only the Word of God converts.

FRANK WALTON TO DO THE PREACHING:​ ​Bro. Frank Walton needs no introduction to the people at Eastside. He has held meetings here before. We are delighted to have Bro. Walton here to preach on the theme Zeal for God.

A GREAT OPPORTUNITY:​ ​We have before us a great opportunity to invite friends and family to hear the truth preached. Let us not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ, but invite others to hear the truth of God preached.

                                                                                   Getting Older by W. Frank Walton

"The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness" (Proverbs 16:31). As soon as we are born, everyone begins to get older. Have you ever plucked out a gray hair? Our sensual culture worships youth and good looks more than virtue and good sense. This began with those who came of age in the 1960's, saying, "Don't trust anyone over 30." Those spoiled baby boomers have had to revise their mantra, pushing it ever higher as they themselves age. However, there is more to life than being young, looking good, and having a good time. In the Biblical world, gray hair was a badge of honor, not a sign of being decrepit. "The splendor of old men is their gray head" (Proverbs 20:29). It represented maturity, hard-won experience and wisdom by living long and learning well from God's university of hard knocks. God's purpose for our lives is our spiritual and moral development, "so we might share in His holiness" (Heb 12:10). It is not how long we live, but how well we live before God that counts. "Teach us to number our days, that we may present to you a heart of wisdom" (Psa 90:12). As the years roll by, we never retire from the Lord's service. Caleb was one of the faithful few to the divine vision to conquer Canaan with God's help against all odds. He remained active and alert to the end, with youthful exuberance to take on new challenges (Joshua 14:6-15). "Paul, the aged," still wrote encouraging letters during his final Roman imprisonment (Philemon 1:9). To keep his mind sharp and occupied, Paul was still studying toward the very end of his life (2 Timothy 4:13). Victor Hugo said, "Winter is on my head, but spring is in my heart." Someone has said, "Experience is what you get after you don't need it." No, if we keep active in the Lord's work, we can use our experience somewhere in the future, even if it is teaching someone younger (cf. Titus 2:3-5). Contrast this with some elders who may think serving as an elder is a lifetime appointment to a board of directors, regardless of their declining fitness of age and ability to execute the "hands on" work of shepherding the flock. David Lipscomb, long-time editor of the Gospel Advocate and co-founder of David Lipscomb University, knew the Bible in his day about as well as anyone. In the very last months of his life at 84, he would sit in his rocking chair and study his Bible for up to 2 hours daily. In 1916, a year before his death, he wrote, "We have long ago passed the threescore and ten years allotted to man on earth.... As we approach the end, the more we study the word of God, the more anxious we are to meet him, knowing we have opposed all innovations and changes upon His order at every point along the line of duty drawn by Him" (Gospel Advocate, 1916, p. 1). May this be our epitaph, that we were faithful to the Lord and His Word, as we get older until the very end of our life on earth. It is better to wear out than rust out in the Lord's service. Christians should not detest getting older. As we progress through the Lord's school of discipleship, it brings us closer to graduating to that heavenly shore where there are delights with our Lord forever more (2 Cor 4:16-18). The sick and physically weak are then forever healthy and strong. ---------------------------------------------------------