The Doctrine of the Virgin Conception

Sense the resurrection of Jesus men have tried to throw mud on the name of Jesus to destroy the faith in Jesus. From atheist to well meaning yet ignorant Christians who struggled with miracles in the modern world, the name of Jesus has always been under attack.

Often, after years of safety and honestly maybe too much protection our children and even ourselves are thrown out to a world that despise Jesus. We find our faith being attacked from all sides and often because of our Christian cocoon we do not know how to respond. The affect of these attacks and our lack of preparedness we either drift from our faith or are too afraid to speak to our friends about this Jesus whom we love and serve.

Today, I want to help you see one way the faith in Jesus is being attacked and how you can defend your faith with courage and integrity.

We must always remember all truth is God’s truth and we should never be afraid to put forward the ideas of Jesus and who He is in a hostile world. God is not fearful of His attackers and neither should you.

Matthew 1:18 ESV

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

Virgin conception not virgin birth or perpetual virginity.

Virgin birth is impossible – The hymen would have broken during the birth.

Perpetual Virginity of Mary – The Scriptures are clear Mary had children after the birth of Jesus.

So, what is virgin conception?

Mary was impregnated as a virgin and maintained her virginity during her pregnancy.

How did Mary get pregnant as a virgin? We all know the birds and the bees.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit will come upon – The Most high will over shadow.

Luke 1:35 ESV

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.

God’s power through the Holy Spirit will rest upon Mary so, she is able to bear a child.

When the Spirit would come upon a person or rest on them, God would demonstrate His power in some miraculous way. ,

Acts 1:8 ESV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

he Scriptures only tell us that the birth was a miracle through the power of the Holy Spirit.

If humans can artificially inseminate, God can use His Word to fertilize the egg of Mary.

Let me also be very clear; there is no hint of sexual language being used of the Holy Spirit towards marry.

If humans can artificially inseminate, God can use His Word to fertilize the egg of Mary.

Is the same Spirit that

If you are the kind of person who refuses to believe in miracles you will always look for an alternative answer.

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So, let’s deal with some of the more popular skeptical versions of the birth of Jesus.

We will start with the more humorous and move to the more serious.

The story of the birth of Jesus was stolen from other ancient religions that speak of a Virgin conception.

Horus – Egyptian mythology god. In the original Poem Isis gave birth to Horus by using magic to put her dead husband back together so she could take in his essence.

Mithra – Roman god created out of a rock. A rock is not a virgin because a rock is not a person.

Caesar Augustus – Again no virgin birth. The story goes, that Augustus mother who had been married for years, fell asleep in the Temple. As she slept Apollo came to her in the form of a snake. When she woke she purified herself thinking her husband had taken her in the night. She noticed a colored marking on her leg in the form of a snake. 10 months later she gave birth. Again, this is not a virgin conception but rather a story of a god raping a woman.

Mary was raped by a Roman solider. – Describe the story.

a. This story is widely circulated amongst those who are looking for a reason to dismiss Jesus as the Messiah. Often cited by secular and religious Jews today and many from the agnostic and atheist communities.

b. The story originated in the Talmud, which was written in 190 AD and added to in 500 AD.

c. The Talmud never points to this Yeshua as the Yeshua or the NT. Rather scholars believe it was a Rabbinical story or parable to defame early Christians and to stop the mass conversions of Jews to Christianity.

d. The problem is Yeshua was a common name and the Talmud records that Yeshua Ben Pandera lived around 135 AD.

e. In 180 AD an Atheist by the name of Celsus wrote pamphlet where he accused Jesus the Christ as being Jesus the son of Pandera. It is in this pamphlet that the story of rape is first used against Mary and Jesus.

f. Yet, we know that the Talmud mentions this Yeshua Ben Pandera as living well after the Yeshua of Scripture.

g. We also know, that Celsus a Roman Philosopher hated Christianity in Rome especially the teachings of Jesus concerning forgiveness and love.

h. Today many use this story of Celsus without ever looking into the truth.

i. Much like the internet today, people just assume all fake news is real.

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So, why should you believe in the virgin conception of Jesus and why does it matter?

The virgin conception of Jesus spells out to us the foundational doctrine of our faith.

Jesus is the Son of God

And

Jesus is the Son of humanity.

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The Divinity of Jesus

The deity of Jesus 1. Gives us a real knowledge of God. For only God can know God ().

1. Gives us a real knowledge of God. For only God can know God ().

2. Allows Jesus to bring us redemption. No other sacrifice would have been sufficient for our sins ().

3. Brings a unity between God and man.

4. He shows us exactly who Yahweh is.

The Humanity of Jesus

As a perfect man with no sin – He defeated death by being swallowed by it and then resurrecting. Through Him we all will now experience the same victory.

He destroys the fear of death for those who place their faith in Him.

He is qualified to be our mediator for He suffered and was tempted just like the rest of us humans.

Because of this through His Spirit he is able to strengthen us in times of suffering and temptations.

He is able to give us a way out of temptations.