This time of year more than ever we find ourselves thinking about the birth of our Savior. But, when you think about the nativity and consider Mary's virgin birth do you ever ask yourself, "Why a virgin birth?" One answer, of course, is to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14: "Behold the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." This however is circular logic, it happened because it needed to happen.  Yes it does fulfill prophesy, but why did the birth need to be of a virgin in the first place?

God announced very early that His plan for redemption involved the Messiah being born of  the tribe of Judah, and specifically from the line of David. The succession of subsequent kings proved to be, with only a few exceptions, a pretty dismal. As the succeeding kings of Judah went from bad to worse, we eventually encounter Jeconiah (also known as Jehoiachin). This guy was so bad that God pronounces a" blood curse" :"Thus saith the Lord, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah."(Jeremiah 22:30)

This curse creates a rather huge paradox: the Messiah had to come from the royal line, yet now there was a "blood curse" on that very blood line! (I always visualize Satan having a party on that day. But then I imagine God turning to His angels, saying," Watch this one!")

The answer comes from  the differing genealogies of Jesus Christ recorded in the gospels. Matthew, as a Levi, focuses his gospel on the Messiahship of Jesus and presents Him as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Knowing this, we see how Matthew traces the legal line from Abraham (as any Jew would) through David, then through Solomon (the  royal line) to Joseph, the legal father of Jesus.

On the other hand, Luke, as a physician, focuses on the humanity of Jesus and presents Him as the Son of Man. Luke traces the blood line from Adam (the first Man) through to David-- and his genealogy from Abraham through David is identical to Matthew's. But then after David, Luke departs from the path taken by Matthew and traces the family tree through another son of David (the second surviving son of Bathsheba), Nathan, down through Heli, the father of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Now I have to tell you this so this will all make sense. During the time of Christ, your inheritance was passed father to son. Mothers and daughters were excluded from inheritances but, there was an exception to the law which permitted inheritance through the daughter if no sons were available and she married within her tribe.

The daughters of Zelophehad had petitioned Moses for this special exception, which was granted when they entered the land under Joshua.

C.I. Scofield was the first who noted that the claims of Christ rely upon this peculiar exception granted to the family of Zelophehad. Heli, Mary's father, had no sons, and Mary married within the tribe of Judah. Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, of the house and lineage of David and carrying legal title to the line, but without the blood curse of Jeconiah. Every detail of the entire Bible has a direct link to Jesus Christ. "The volume of the book is written of me." (Psalm 40:7)

This was no afterthought, when God is involved there are no such things as luck or coincidence.. It was first announced in the Garden of Eden when God declared war on Satan: "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."(Genesis 3:15)

The "Seed of the Woman" is a prophetic title of the Messiah. This biological contradiction is the first hint from the early chapters of Genesis of the virgin birth.

John also presents a genealogy, of sorts, of the Pre-Existent One in the first three verses of his gospel. Micah also highlights this:"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."(Micah 5:2)

God does not give us prophecy for no reason. God moves with a purpose. Keep this in mind as you celebrate the birth of our Lord this Christmas. God knows every detail of your life, and has designed you to be the amazing, wonderful, and loved child of  God that you are.

Connie and I would like to send out our prayers and best wishes to you and yours this Christmas season. God bless!

The first publication of "Away in a Manger" was in 1885 in a Lutheran Sunday school book by James R. Murray. The fact that the song was included in the book and was subtitled "Luther's Cradle Hymn (Composed by Martin Luther for his children and still sung by German mothers to their little ones)" created the misconception that the lyrics were actually written by Martin Luther himself. However, no proof that Martin Luther had any hand in the creation of "Away in a Manger" exists. The author of the first two verses is unknown, but the third verse was composed by John T. Mc­Far­land. The music was composed by William J. Kirkpatrick in 1895.

The carol has been covered by artists from just about every style of music. From Martina McBride, Dwight Yoakam and Sufjan Stevens to Julie Andrews, Linda Ronstadt and Nat King Cole -- secular as well as Christian artists have done the song justice for years. 

The traditional religious Christmas carol "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" was sung for centuries before being first published in Britain in 1833. The story goes that the carol was sung to the gentry by town watchmen who earned additional money during the Christmas season.

The carol has been covered by artists from just about every style of music. From Julie Andrews, Perry Como and Neil Diamond to Mariah Carey, Chicago and The Barenaked Ladies -- secular as well as Christian artists have done the song justice for years. 

The popular traditional religious Christmas carol "Angels We Have Heard on High" was originally a traditional French carol known as "Les Anges dans nos Campagnes," which translates literally to "The Angels in our Countryside." It was translated from French to English by James Chadwick in Crown of Jesus in 1862. The music, a hymn titled "Gloria," was arranged by Edwin S. Barnes. The combination of the two was first published together in a carol collection dated 1855.

The song, which is about the birth of Christ, is a favorite all over the world.

The carol has been covered by artists from just about every style of music. From Josh Groban, Billy Gilman and Brian Culbertson to Bing Crosby, Joan Baez and Olivia Newton-John.

"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" was written in 1739 by Charles Wesley, the brother of the founder of the Methodist church, John Wesley. Though Welsey did not mind people reprinting and using his song, he did not want any words changed and he went so far as to put that in writing. His friend and co-worker, George Whitfield, ignored that request and changed the wording of the first two lines from "Hark! how all the welkin rings / Glory to the King of Kings" to what we use today.

The original music played with "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" was also different from the current version, being slow and solemn, as that was what Wesley wanted and that was how the song was played for 101 years. In a completely unrelated event, in 1840, composer Felix Mendelssohn wrote a song to commemorate the invention of the printing press. He said that his music could be used for other works, with the exception that it was not to be used for sacred music. Fifteen years later an organist named William H. Cummings ignored that request and adopted the music from the second chorus of Mendelssohn's song for the carol. He also organized the song into the ten-line stanzas that are sung today. The final version was published in 1856.

The carol has been covered by artists from just about every style of music. From Frank Sinatra, Steve Martin and Nat King Cole to Martina McBride, Mariah Carey and Shedaisy -- secular and Christian artists have done the song justice for years. 

The popular traditional religious Christmas carol "O Come, All Ye Faithful," originally known as "Adeste Fideles," has been translated many times in many different cultures.

The words for the carol were written by John Francis Wade in 1743. Verses 1-3 and verse 6 were translated from Latin to English by Frederick Oakeley in 1841 while verses 4 and 5 were translated by William Thomas Brooke (1848-1917). The music composition has been attributed variously to John Wade, John Reading, or Simao Portogallo. The earliest existing manuscript shows the words as well as the tune and lists John Wade as both writer and composer.

It was published in the 1760 edition of Evening Offices of the Church. John Francis Wade included it in his own publication of Cantus Diversi in 1761.

The carol has been covered by some of the greatest contemporary artists; from Josh Groban, Clay Aiken and Martina McBride to Nat King Cole, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash.

O Holy Night ("Cantique de Noël") was composed by Adolphe C. Adam in 1847 to the French Christmas poem "Minuit, chrétiens" by Placide Cappeau. It was translated into English by Unitarian minister John Sullivan Dwight, editor of Dwight's Journal of Music, in 1855.

On Christmas Eve, 1906, Canadian inventor Reginald Fessenden broadcasted the first AM radio program and played "O Holy Night" on the violin, making the popular carol the first piece of music to be broadcast on radio.

Here are just a few of the artists who have covered this song: Martina McBride, *Nsync, Jewel, Placido Domingo, Johnny Mathis and
Joan Baez.

The words to the popular traditional religious Christmas carol "O Little Town of Bethlehem" were written by an Episcopal priest named Phillips Brooks in 1867 after a visit to the town of Bethlehem two years prior. The music, simply titled "St. Louis," was written by Lewis H. Redner the following year in 1868. Redner was Brooks’ organist at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is said that the tune came to him on Christmas Eve, and was first sung the next day.

Almost every style of music has at one point or another covered this song.
From Kenny Chesney, Sarah McLachlan and Alabama to Elvis Presley, Emmylou Harris and Frank Sinatra.

The words to "Silent Night" were written in German by the Austrian priest Josef Mohr in 1816. Verses 1 and 3 were translated from German to English by John F. Young in 1863. The translator of verses 2 and 4 remains anonymous to this day. The music was written by Austrian headmaster Franz X. Gruber in 1818. The carol was first performed in the NicolaKirche (Church of St. Nicholas) in Oberndorf, Austria on December 24, 1818.

"Silent Night" has been translated into over 300 languages and dialects. It is the song that was sung simultaneously in English and German by troops fighting in WWI during the Christmas truce of 1914.

The carol has been covered by just about every artist known to man. From Sinead O'Connor, Josh Groban and Kenny Chesney to Dean Martin, Johnny Cash and Emmylou Harris. Secular as well as Christian artists have done the song justice for years.