If there’s a Christian doctrine that many intellectuals reject as impossible,
it’s the Virgin Birth.
To them, it’s just not scientific.
It can’t happen and can’t be replicated to prove that it did,
so it didn’t.
Of all the miracles in the Bible, this one is just harder to believe. Because if you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and was born from a virgin apart from all nature’s laws as a singular, supernatural event, then it follows that when you reject the Son, you reject also the Father.
Jesus even said as much:
John 15:21 They will treat you this way because of My name, for they do not know the One who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.23 He who hates Me hates My Father as well.
John 14:8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know Me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? The words I say to you are not just My own. Rather, it is the Father, living in Me, who is doing His work.
Somehow rejecting God is easier on the conscience if you don’t believe the Virgin Birth ever happened. Of course, it doesn’t remove the consequences of unbelief, but it may make one feel smarter until that journey of consequences starts.
Perhaps part of the rejection is that the story is too familiar like some Aesop’s fable made cute for a manger. If it’s just some worn out fable, you already know all you need to know. Why tread the same ground? That’s where deeper study comes in.
This Advent, we will be doing an in-depth study of Luke 1. Yes, just Luke 1. Because as important as Christ’s birthday is…the preparation for that day was equally important. Without Luke 1’s background, Jesus’ birth can’t be seen as the Messianic fulfillment that it was. So, prepare to Prepare the Way!
Advent begins November 29, 2026, and I hope to share this study with you!
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Acknowledging inquiries about an entire season’s devotionals for your study group’s planning purposes, Seminary Gal’s prior seasons’ Advent devotionals can be accessed via the search feature to the right and are as follows:
- Last year’s devotionals for Advent were themed around Worshiping Our God of Wonders, which began November 30, 2025, and can be found in the archives.
- “Visitation Principles” delved into reasons Jesus came as outlined in the Book of Hebrews. They are archived beginning December 1, 2024.
- “From the Jews for the World” was an important devotional exploration of how Jesus’ Jewish heritage was necessary for the salvation of Gentiles, too. It is archived beginning December 3, 2023.
- “Awaken Remnant” was the devotional topic for 2022. It began November 27, 2022, and highlighted the remnant found throughout Scripture as evident in Jesus’ lineage.
- The multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King was the theme of 2021’s devotional series. It is archived beginning November 28, 2021.
- 2020’s Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
- God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
- Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
- The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
- The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times. Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence. His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
- The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology. They began November 29, 2015.
- Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols. You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives. They began November 30, 2014.
- The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John. It began December 1, 2013.
- The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story. It began December 1, 2012.