The truth of Christmas is the story that ties together a thousand other stories in the Bible. As we read the Bible, we note that, time and time again, God brings hope to an impossible situation through a miraculous birth: Isaac, Samuel, John the Baptist. Why? These miraculous births reveal clearly that future hope for humanity rests not on human power or human virtue but on God’s power. Tim Chester notes, “The birth of Jesus is the ultimate sign that salvation is all God’s work and not the result of human potency.” The reality of Jesus’ virgin birth shapes how we think of our new birth and of the birth of the church — it is all by the supreme and gracious power of God. Our sermon series on miraculous births will show us that joy comes to a desperate people because of God’s stunning provision in the midst of human impossibility. Indeed, as the angel told Mary, “Nothing is impossible with God.”