Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
Easter Sunday. Faith is greater than seeing.
Sunday, April 20, 2003
Many times truth is not only stranger than fiction it is often much harder to believe.
Truth, especially if it is original and unusual, is difficult to accept, unless you have facts.
PSA 51:6 Behold, Thou dost desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part Thou wilt make me know wisdom.
Turn to LUK 1:1
Truth that is impossible is not often helped by facts. What it calls for is faith.
Our Lord’s birth was natural, but His conception was supernatural.
The actual birth when the Savior was born, was a natural birth, like any other birth in Palestine, except it came from a virgin.
Turn to MAT 1:18
God did not take Joseph to that moment of conception except verbally.
HEB 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
HEB 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
The faith is required nine months earlier, believing a miracle that the woman not only was a virgin then, but remained a virgin for nine months.
The miracle = in human form the nature of God was present.
In one man there was undiminished deity and true humanity unmixed, but in perfect union – the hypostatic union.
The theantropic person, thaous anthropas, God, man.
A very natural birth, but a supernatural conception.
Very natural and normal appearances as a man, but a supernatural nature.
That is remarkable, not only because it was sealed, but because Roman guards had been placed there and they were known for diligence, and the last thing that the officials wanted was a kidnap.
The stone was not rolled up there just for security’s sake, or just for the cosmetic effect, it was for the purpose of maintaining the plan, to keep that body in the tomb.
Turn to 1CO 2:16
Turn to LUK 24:13