Sunday 22 December

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Is 7:10-14, Ps 23:1-6, Rom 1:1-7,
Matthew 1:18-24

A baby, human and divine

There may be room for debate as to how literally certain parts of the Gospels are to be interpreted. About the virginal conception of Jesus however there can surely be no ambiguity in either St Matthew’s or St Luke’s accounts, no possible interpretation other than that Jesus was, literally, miraculously conceived by the action of the Holy Spirit, not by human intercourse. The virgin birth is one of the fundamental beliefs of the Christian faith and part of our Creed. Only those who believe that the Christ child was truly human and truly divine can celebrate Christmas in its truest and fullest sense.