Why I believe in Virgin Birth
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Virgin
Virgin
When you think about the word “virgin” what comes to mind?
Questions to ponder this morning:
Do you believe in the virgin birth?
Why do you believe what you believe?
1998 Harris poll showed 83% of Americans believed in the virgin birth of Jesus.
Defined as Jesus was born of the virgin Mary
Jesus was born without a human father
2002 Survey in England showed 27 of British clergy “did not” believe in the virgin birth
One clergyman said “there was nothing special about his birth or his childhood - it was his adult life that was extraordinary.” (Christianity today - Aug 2004)
2017 poll shows only 73% of those polled believed in virgin birth
by 2021 the number reduced to 66%
Is the virgin birth essential, it is important, or does it really matter? - today I would like for us to look at
Virgin birth prophesied
Virgin birth proclaimed
Virgin birth protection (conclusion)
Virgin Birth Prophesied
Virgin Birth Prophesied
Prophesy (verb) to say something (a specified thing) will happen in the future. As you know there are many prophesies found in the scripture 1,817 according to J. Barton Payne Bible Encyclopedia. There are many regarding the virgin birth, let’s cover a few.
Prophesied by Moses (Gen3:15)
The fall has happen, Adam and Eve hid, God called them out
Adam blamed Eve
Eve blamed the serpent
God spoke then to the serpent, let’s tune in right there
15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
Add another version just because
15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
Notice the verse says “her” it makes no reference to “him” or “his seed” which would be common
3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,
The Genesis prophesy is the first Messianic prophesy found in the scripture. “He shall bruise your head.” This is speaking of the seed of the woman, Jesus!
As mentioned a moment ago, normally it is the man’s seed that is referenced the expression is “seed of man” but here is “her seed.” That is unique.
Prophesied by Isaiah (Isa7:10-14)
If you have your bible, turn with me so you can see it for yourself.
What is going on is Rezin king of Syria and Pekah came against Israel to make war against them. God sent Isaiah to assure Ahaz the king of Judah, don’t sweat it, it is not going to happen (James paraphrase of (vv.1-9) - now we get to the passage
10 Then the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven.”
12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!” 13 Then he said, “Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well?
14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.
The Lord tells Ahaz, hey if you doubt me, go ahead ask for any sign you want. Ahaz refuses, yet God still gives a sign.
Look at (Isa7:14), what was the sign?
OK, just for a couple of minutes let me dive into the word “virgin” in the Hebrew it it is the word “Almah” - some contend that the word translates only to mean “a young woman”
The word is used seven times in the scripture and in none of them do they mean a young woman who is not a virgin.
The Greek translation has the word “parthenos” and that can only mean a virgin.
(Transition) 0 just wanted to put that out there in case you have heard the skeptic thought on the word “virgin.”
The sign promised through Isaiah was not a young woman bearing a child, but a virgin bearing a child whose name was to be called Immanuel “God with us.” Now there’s a sign for you.
Prophesied through Jeremiah (Jer31:22)
This is a promise made to Judah (the Southern kingdom)
22 “How long will you go here and there, O faithless daughter? For the Lord has created a new thing in the earth— A woman will encompass a man.”
What did The Lord say He had done (Jer31:22)?
He had created a new thing. From under the Law of works
What was law of faith under Jesus Christ who would be born of a virgin.
What would be the results?
The woman would encompass a man.
Barnes Notes says: “The fathers saw in these words a prophesy of the miraculous conception of our Lord by the virgin.” -
(Transition) while this is a subtle inference to the virgin birth, of what was to come, but it if fulfilled and proclaimed as we look to the words of the New Testament.
Virgin Birth Proclaimed
Virgin Birth Proclaimed
From prophesy to proclamation. A proclamation (Noun): a public or official announcement, especially one dealing with a matter of great importance. Let’s look at some of the New Testament proclamations about the virgin birth.
Proclaimed by Matthew (Mt1:18-25)
Let’s look at the passage together and see what we can learn about the virgin birth.
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.
20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”
24 And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, 25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.
Mary was with child, as scripture says conceived of the Holy Spirit (v.20)
It also says it is fulfillment of the prophet Isaiah (vv.22-23)
The word virgin is the Greek word “parthenos” as mentioned earlier, so that is confirmation that the word in Isaiah can only have referred to a virgin, not a young woman.
Proclaimed by Luke (Lk1:26-38)
Again I invite you to turn to Luke, and let’s look together at his account of the virgin birth.
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.
30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.
32 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.
36 “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37 “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
38 And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Luke records virgin (v.27) and identifies it was Mary.
She describes what is to happen, instructions for her (v.30-33)
You can see Mary’s question (v.34)
The proof of what the angel is saying to be true (vv.36-37)
And the results, again look at the results (v.38).
(Transition) Nothing is impossible for God, a virgin birth is not impossible, just as salvation is not impossible, for it impossible for man, but not for God. So, we have Matthew one of the apostles, an early disciple of Jesus, now Luke the investigator, the physician, historian proclaiming the virgin birth. But wait, there is more
Proclaimed by Paul (Gal4:4)
4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,
Paul identifies son of God, born of a woman.
No where in Paul’s epistles does he credit an earthly father.
He notes from the seed of Abraham and the seed of David
He does proclaim born of a woman.
(Transition) Matthew, Luke, Paul all proclaim born of woman, a virgin, no credit to an earthly father. But one more thing we should cover this morning too.
Virgin Birth Protection
Virgin Birth Protection
There are skeptics that have various explanations about the so called virgin birth. We, as Christians need to be prepared to protect the importance of the virgin birth.
Many other scripture implications of the virgin birth of Christ (Jn1:14, 18; 3:16; Lk1:35: Mt16:16)
We have a few minutes left, let me put forth the scriptures, since they are what is important. they are the evidence presented. They are time kept, time proven, they are the inerrant word of God.
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
All of these speak as “begotten of the Father, or only begotten Son
35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.
add to that Mt16:16
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
These state shall be called “Son of God, Son of the living God.”
So, I mentioned the skeptics here are a things some think:
Jesus comes from a relationship with a secret lover
Jesus is result of a rape by a Roman soldier
Jesus is result of sexual relations with Joseph prior to marriage
Jesus was conceived in normal fashion after the marriage and man predates the gospels to imply that the that the birth accounts by Matthew and Luke are just fables.
Why should we believe in the virgin birth?
If we don’t than we cannot believe the bible for the narratives would be false and unreliable
We would claim knowledge, more knowledge than Matthew, Luke and Paul who were there and their accounts were unrefuted at the time of the writings. There was no problem until centuries later
SOme skeptics and opponents want to undermine man’s faith in Jesus and Christianity as a whole.
Some theologians and professors publish for the sake of tenure and profit.
You can take those, or you can take the inspired writing (2Tim3:16-17) who not only willing to suffer for Jesus but did suffer and die for him.
So, chose you this day what you believe, and know why you believe it. There has been sufficient evidence presented and now I give to you the charge
20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— 21 which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.
As Timothy was charged, may you be charged guard the truth of God, The Bible, Jesus Christ, the church, being simply a Christian, in Baptism, the Lord’s supper and today the virgin birth. Are are important to believe and know why we believe.
Foremost is believing in Jesus and his work done for us.
(insert invitation slide previously used here) invitation (Song) (Prayer) (Exit)