Christianity & The Virgin Birth

Text: Luke 1:26-38 & Luke 2:6-7

Introduction

How important is the virgin birth to our faith; Christianity? Is it vital to our salvation? Is it vital to believe the virgin birth in order to be born-again? Are there deeper implications to not believing the virgin birth to be a historical reality?

1) What Happened?

The young family God chose

A family was chosen by God to fulfill His sovereign will of providing full redemption for all of humanity.

God chose a very young family: Mary (virgin) and Joseph (betrothal).

Mary

Mary was not the typical age of women at that time to be pregnant and give birth; she was a young teenager.

No doubt she came from a family of faith (her parent arranged her marriage)

Luke 1:6 “6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”

She knew the messiah would come through her family bloodline.

Joseph

Joseph had also been brought up in a family of strong faith (consider his zeal to follow God’s law)

He was cut from the same cloth as

The means & purpose of using this young family

How would God make this moment of conception happen?

The answer comes in one three verses throughout the entire New Testament:

Luke 1:35–37 “35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

No doubt she was hearing the Old Testament prophecies from a whole knew perspective: Luke 1:31–33 “31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”

Isaiah 7:14 “14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, And shall call his name Immanuel.”

Isaiah 9:6 “6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Daniel 7:25, 27 “25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time… 27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”

Call His name Jesus (REST)

Noah’s parents gave him that name if hope he would bring relief.

REST was promised the Israelites in the land He planned to give them.

David’s reign and his kingdom was promised REST.

REST was woven into God’s law.

When a people are in harmony with God, REST is realized.

This idea of REST became an experienced reality through the Gospel. — Matthew 11:28–30 “28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

This was a complete work of the supernatural

While Jesus’ conception should be considered supernatural, His birth (term and deliver) should not be.

She must have experienced the same struggles and pain of any typical pregnancy of that day.

She would however go through her pregnancy knowing death for her or her child would not be a risk.

Both events (conception and birth) are a basic foundation of the Christian faith.

2) Does Christianity Depend Upon Faith In The Virgin Birth?

Some have described asking this question is like trying to use a microscope rather than a telescope to see the moon.

There are gospel truths within:

What makes this doctrine unique?

The uniqueness of the virgin birth is not Mary, but rather Jesus. What makes it clearer is His identity, not hers.

The two writers were men who built their career on specifics — Matthew and Luke

God did not step out of His normal operation over creation.

The supernatural is always at work even though God does step into creation is some unique ways.

Natural laws may be keep gravity in place, but God is keeping those law in motion.

Quote: “No. miracles are not so much events in which God acts against nature, but unusual actions he takes within nature in order to save or preserve it.” (Sinclair Ferguson)

Quote: “Miracles are not against nature so much as against sin and what it has done to nature.” (Sinclair Ferguson)

God has operated in similarity at other times

How did God create our first parents?

In what conditions were John the Baptist’s parents when Elisabeth conceived?

How old were Abraham and Sarah when Isaac was promised to be born?

How did God birth all of creation?

While Jesus’ conception was unique to all other instances of God’s power, it was not outside the boundary of God’s operational power.

Luke 1:37 “37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

As all these other times, Jesus’ unique conception has a direct connection to the character of God.

What about the answer to the question?

If you lived in early A.D history, no one had the specifics that we have today. Many did trust Him without knowing about the virgin birth.

However, you and I don’t live in such a time!

Can a person today with the revelation we have, denying the virgin birth claim or continue to claim to be a Christian?

If we are being honest, is someone is asking such a question, it is not someone who truly believes what the Bible says about Jesus.

This question often comes from someone who is in self-defense mode and is not looking to believe in the first place.

For the person who is asking this question, here are some questions for them to consider:

Why would you deny it when it is preserved in God’s Word?

There is a lot more at stake than this singular doctrine.

To deny Jesus’ conception would be equal to denying His resurrection.

You are at risk of cobbling bits and pieces of the New Testament together to make something that makes since to you.

If anything too hard for God?

Jeremiah 32:17 “17 Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:”

Did the Apostels teach it?

To deny one thing they taught would be to say you deny everything they taught.

3) Important Truths Within The Virgin Birth

God is starting over with the human race through Jesus Christ

Luke 3:23 “23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,”

Luke 3:38 “38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.”

As God took the shapeless and voided earth, He also took on the emptiness of humanity and created something new!

Jesus said, “I and my Father are one.”

Your salvation had to come directly and completely from God.

You could not contribute any work.

All Mary gave was her faith and full surrender to God and God handled the rest.