Search The Scriptures: December 17, 2000
THE VIRGIN BIRTH
INTRODUCTION:
A. Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I am delighted you have joined us for this period of
bible study. On behalf of the Danville church of Christ I welcome you to Search the
Scriptures. In the September 13 issue of Christianity Today (A denominational religious
publication) there was an interesting article entitled “The New Unimproved Jesus.” You see, my
friends, so-called scholars are piecing together a new picture of Jesus, and the editor asked the
question, “Will Christians recognize their Lord?” Frankly, I doubt it! One of these so-called
scholars, John Spong, in his book, “Born of a Woman,” said that Jesus was not born of a virgin,
since Mary had probably been raped. Another “scholar,” (and believe me, I use this term loosely)
A.N. Wilson, in his book entitled “Jesus,” wrote, “[Jesus] . . . was a good, Jewish lad with a
brilliant flair for shrewd moral teaching and he would have been horrified to think of a ‘church’
let alone people worshiping him as if he were ‘divine.’ He certainly did not rise from the dead;
that was all a mistake.” Also, a Jewish rabbi named Jacob Neusner, in his new book entitled “A
Rabbi Talks with Jesus,” wanted to ask Jesus, “Who do you think you are – God?” These are
just the latest in a relentless barrage of attacks by modernist and atheists against Jesus Christ. In
our study this morning I cannot possibly address every godless attack being made against Jesus,
but I do wish to tackle the growing disbelief in the virgin birth of Jesus. In Matt. 1:20-23 the
angel of the Lord spoke to Joseph, the betrothed husband of Mary. Here is what was said:
Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that
which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a son, and you shall call his
name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. So all this was done that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: Behold, the virgin shall
be with child, and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which is translated, God
with us. What these few verses are declaring is miraculous. The birth of Jesus was a miracle
because Mary, his mother was a virgin. Today whenever a child is born, it isn’t uncommon to
hear people speak of the miracle of birth. Some people think of every birth as a miracle because
of the wonder and the awe associated with birth. Yet, the process of birth happens according to
God’s natural law of procreation. Despite the wonder connected with childbirth, it is part of
God’s natural process. In Gen. 1:27-28 we read, so God created man in his own image; in the
image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them, and
God said to them, be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Later in Gen. 4:1 the
bible says, now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain. Conception may be
marvelous but it is not miraculous. God’s natural law provides for the birth of a child by the
impregnation of the female egg with a male sperm. The birth of Jesus, however, did not
correspond to the ordinary procedures of a natural birth. It was an event which was above and
beyond natural law. Jesus was born of a virgin, a woman who had never had sexual relations
with a man. Lk. 1: 30-34 says, then the angel said to her, do not be afraid, Mary, for you have
found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son, and
shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the
Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of
Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Then Mary said to the angel, how can
this be, since I do not know a man? As discreetly as I can, I must tell you that the phrase spoken
by Mary to the angel, since I do not know a man, means that she had never had sexual relations
with a man; she was a virgin. Here the bible tells us, Mary was a virgin - yet she was expecting a
child. At this point, let me briefly give a scriptural narrative of the birth of Jesus. First, before
Mary and Joseph came together in the marriage bed, Mary was pregnant with Jesus. Matt. 1:18
says, now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: after his mother Mary was betrothed to
Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child. Second, the child she was
carrying was not fathered by any man, including Joseph. Lk. 1:34-35 tells us, she had never been
with a man, she was a virgin. Third, The angel announced that the child she was carrying would
be named (or called) Jesus, and that he would save his people from their sins according to Matt.
1:21. Fourth, the bible makes it plain that Mary did not remain a virgin throughout her life.
Matt. 1:25 says that Joseph, Mary’s husband, did not know her till she had brought forth her
firstborn son. In other passages the bible clearly states that Mary had other children, and some
are even named. In Mk. 6:3 some observers commented about Jesus. They said: is this not the
carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not his
sisters here with us? And finally, the bible says, in Matt. 1:22-23 that all this was the
fulfillment of a biblical prophecy. All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken
by the Lord through the prophet, saying: behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son.
My friends, the bible plainly and emphatically declares that Jesus was born of a virgin. His birth
was unlike any other birth. He was not born by natural process. His birth was miraculous. The
reason modernists and liberals are attacking the virgin birth is because they simply do not
believe in any of the miracles found in the bible. Frankly, there are a good number of
denominational preachers (some right here in central Indiana) who disbelieve the miracles of the
bible including the virgin birth of Christ. I find it odd, indeed, that many of these churches who
get all lathered up during what they mistakenly believe to be the season of Christ’s birth deny
what the bible actually claims; that he was born of a virgin. They want to substitute what the
bible factually reveals with lies and deceptions. My friends, let me affirm this morning without
any reservation whatsoever, the bible gives us more than enough proof for believing in the virgin
birth of Jesus Christ.
I. Let me say unreservedly that if one disbelieves the virgin birth he or she cannot be saved,
because the virgin birth of Christ is inextricably connected to the belief that Jesus is the son of
God. If Jesus is the natural son of Joseph or any other man, then he is not the son of God in the
unique sense taught in the scriptures. I want to remind you again what the bible says in Matt.
1:20. There the angel said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your
wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. Now, also remember Mary said
she had not been with [or known] another man. She was a virgin. The fact Jesus had no earthly
father is clearly indicated in the genealogies listed by both Luke and Matthew. In Matt. 1:16 the
genealogy states and Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who
is called Christ. Notice carefully, my friends, the text says Jacob [who was the father of Joseph]
begat Joseph. This word begat means to conceive. Therefore, Jacob conceived, with his wife,
Joseph. Yet, the text does not say that Joseph begat [or conceived] Jesus. Instead the bible says,
and Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
Joseph had absolutely nothing to do with the conception of Jesus. Jesus was born to Mary
without the natural process of conception. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Now this
doesn’t mean what some carnally minded religionists say it means. Some Oneness Pentecostal
sects teach that the Holy Spirit and the Father must be one-person because if Jesus is the son of
God and yet he was conceived of the Holy Spirit, if they are not the same person, then Jesus was
illegitimately conceived. This is carnal reasoning. My friends, when the bible says Jesus was
conceived by the Holy Spirit think miraculously not carnally. Nothing sexual is implied here. I
will address what is meant here in a moment, but let’s return to the genealogies briefly. In Lk.
3:23 we find Luke writing, now Jesus himself began his ministry at about thirty years of age,
being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph. Did you catch what Luke said here? He said that it
was supposed Jesus was the son of Joseph. That was a supposition and not a fact, because Jesus
was in fact the son of God. Ladies and gentlemen, Jesus was the son of Joseph only [and I repeat
only] in the legal sense. Joseph cared for him, and even Mary referred to Joseph as the father of
Jesus in Lk. 2:48, but this was only in a legal and supposed sense, because the scriptures are
clear that Jesus had no earthly father. This, therefore, made him the son of God in a special and
unique way. In Jn. 3:16 Jesus is called God’s only begotten son. The word translated only
begotten suggest uniqueness. The birth of Jesus was unlike any birth. He was the only begotten
son of God. This is why Jesus could speak of the temple in Jn. 2:16 as my Father's house when
he became incensed at the abuses occurring there. Furthermore, Jesus called God his father in a
way unlike we can call him Father. In Jn. 5:18 we read, therefore the Jews sought all the more
to kill him, because . . . said that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. My
friends, Jesus was [and is] the son of God, equal to the father. His virgin birth insures and
confirms that truth. This was made plain when the angel spoke to Mary in Lk. 1:35 saying the
Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore,
also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. And before anyone can be
saved, he or she must believe that Jesus is the son of God. In Acts 8 we can read about a man
who desires to be saved. A preacher is studying the bible with him, teaching him about Christ.
We pick up the reading in verses 36-37 where the sinner says to the preacher, Philip, see, here is
water. What hinders me from being baptized? Then Philip said, if you believe with all your
heart, you may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Philip
says that before the man could be baptized, thus saved, he had to believe that Jesus is the son of
God. Without believing in the virgin birth one cannot possibly believe scripturally that Jesus is
the son of God. The virgin birth affirms the divine sonship of Christ. Remember, according to
Lk. 1:35 that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
II. And, in the second place the virgin birth attests to the incarnation of Jesus. Before developing
this, let me tell you what is meant by the word incarnation, because the word itself is not found
in the scriptures. But even though the word is not found the concept [or what the word means] is
indeed taught in the scriptures. By incarnation, I mean God endowed [or clothed] with a human
body. The virgin birth of Jesus attests that Jesus Christ - while living on earth - was God clothed
in a human body. Jn. 1:14 says that Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us. Prior to becoming
flesh Jesus existed in the beginning with the father. Jn. 1:1-2 says in the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
My friends, the bible declares that Jesus, before he became flesh and dwelt upon this earth with
humanity, existed in heaven as God. Simply put, the Word was God. Jesus existed as God with
the father before he was born to Mary in a Bethlehem manger. Often, throughout his ministry
Jesus alluded to this. Once he said in Jn. 8:58 most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham
was, I AM. Jesus did not say to these people at this time - that before Abraham lived I was born,
because this would have made Jesus a few thousand years’ old. This was apparently what some
of his listeners thought he meant, because in verse 57 they said: you are not yet fifty years old,
and have you seen Abraham? Instead Jesus was affirming that he existed long before Abraham
lived. He existed, not as a man, but as God. Before being born as a human baby, Jesus - in
heaven - shared eternal glory with the father. In Jn. 17:5 Christ says this in a prayer to God, and
now, O Father, glorify me together with yourself, with the glory which I had with you before
the world was. My friends, this could not have been possible if Jesus first existed when he was
born to Mary in Bethlehem. The bible truth is, Jesus, as God [the Word] was with the father
before the world was created. Paul addresses this in Phil. 2: 5-8 where he writes, let this mind be
in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it
robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a
bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, he
humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. In
heaven before the worlds were created, Jesus existed in the form of God, but he took on the form
of men, and appeared as a man, subjecting himself to death. In 1 Tim. 3:16 Paul says this was
when Jesus as God - was manifested in the flesh. Now, stay with me on this ladies and
gentlemen because I am going to ask a relevant question, and that is, “How did he become
flesh?” “How did God - the Word - become flesh?” The answer has been given to us in the
scriptures. In Gal. 4:4 the apostle Paul writes, but when the fullness of the time had come, God
sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law. Let’s concentrate for a moment on the
phrase born of a woman. This is not an accidental or a careless incidental phrase, instead it is an
inspired purposeful expression. This is how the son of God became flesh and was found in the
likeness of a man. Jesus was God incarnate by virtue of his virgin birth; he was born of a
woman. Ladies and gentlemen, to deny the virgin birth of Christ is to deny his incarnation. It is
to deny that Jesus was God manifest in the flesh. To deny the virgin birth of Jesus is to assert
that he is no different from any other man who lived on earth. Paul says in Gal. 4:4 that Jesus
was born of a woman. Without a doubt this is a direct allusion to Gen. 3:15 where a prophecy is
made with respect to the anointed one who would destroy Satan, which was Christ. There, God
speaking to the devil says, 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. Consider
carefully the term her seed. This refers to the descendant of a woman, not the descendant of a
man. This was fulfilled when - in the words of scripture - God sent forth his son, born of a
woman. He was born of a woman in a miraculous, supernatural way, by means of the virgin
birth. In Rom. 1:3 we read that Jesus who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh.
This was in order that in all things he had to be made like his brethren, that he might be a
merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins
of the people, according to Heb. 2:17. Also, it was so that through death he might destroy him
who had the power of death, that is, the devil, according to Heb. 2:14. Now, I know we have
covered some very deep and difficult passages when we attempt to discuss the incarnation of
Christ. Often we become bogged down in trying to understand why this was necessary, or how it
could even be possible. I suggest that you not become mired in these unanswerable details.
Instead you and I need to believe what the bible says about it. It was absolutely essential that
before lost humanity could be redeemed that God had to become a man and die on the cross. In
the person of Jesus Christ, God accomplished this. And, my friends, the virgin birth was
necessary in order for him to become flesh. Jesus was divine and for this to be true his birth had
to be supernatural and it was. He was born of a virgin. Furthermore, this is something you must
believe if you are to be saved. This does not come down in the realm of an opinion. I might be of
the opinion that Jesus was born weighing 7 pounds and 4 ounces. This might be an outrageous
opinion, but it does not change the revealed facts surrounding his birth. However, if I disbelieve
the virgin birth, then I have contaminated and soiled the facts of his birth. I want to make a
suggestion to those of you who are members of various denominational churches. If I were you I
would go to my pastor, or my priest and ask if he believed in the virgin birth of Christ. I say this
because I have the results of a survey, which indicate many ministers do not believe in the virgin
birth of Christ. How can they be considered faithful ministers of the word if they disbelieve the
fundamental doctrine of the incarnation of Christ? My friends, they cannot believe Jesus is God
manifest in the flesh if they deny the virgin birth. Remember Matt. 1:23 says, behold, the virgin
shall be with child, and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which is
translated, God with us. Jesus could not be God with us if he was not born of a virgin. All that is
being taught in this verse must be connected. Jesus is called Immanuel, which is translated, God
with us, because he was born of a virgin. Therefore, ask your minister or your pastor or your
priest whether he believes in the virgin birth of Jesus. The survey to which I earlier referred says
revealed that the virgin birth is denied by 60 percent of Methodists, 49 percent of Presbyterians,
44 percent of Episcopalians, 34 percent of American Baptists, and 19 percent of American
Lutherans. This was taken several years ago, but I assume the numbers have not improved.
Perhaps the numbers have even gotten worse. I believe that’s a real possibility. The virgin birth
of Christ is a matter of doctrine affirmed in scripture which cannot be denied without severe
consequences.
III. Something else we must keep in mind about the virgin birth of Christ is this. It is a
fulfillment of a divine prophecy. In Matt. 1:22-23, Matthew states that all this was done that it
might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: behold, the
virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which is
translated, God with us. The particular prophecy quoted by Matthew is from Isa. 7:14, which
says therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear
a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. My friends, this is truly a remarkable prophecy, and
because it is extraordinary we need to consider the context in which it is found. But first let’s
consider the individual elements of the prophecy. First, the Lord himself will give a sign to the
house of David, not just to Ahaz. Second, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, not a virgin
but the virgin. I know some people make a case against a virgin birth by pointing out that some
translations say young maiden instead of virgin. [I’ll address this more in a minute]. But, we
should remember that the sign is that the virgin is still a virgin at the time she becomes pregnant,
when she is carrying the child to term and when she delivers the child. Third, the child to be
born would be a son. And, fourth, he would be called Immanuel, meaning God with us. Now,
let’s consider the context of this prophecy since we have the particulars before us. God told King
Ahaz through the prophet Isaiah that he should not fear the nations of Syria and Ephraim because
they were - in the words of Isa. 7:4 two stubs of smoking firebrands. That is, they would soon
be extinguished. God also told Ahaz to ask for a sign, but Ahaz refused. So God said that he
would give a sign to the house of David, namely, a virgin would conceive and bear a son and call
his name Immanuel. And, before the child could grow old enough to know the difference in good
and evil, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings. This is reading from Isa.
7:16. Ladies and gentlemen, whatever else the prophecy means, it was a message of consolation
to Judah that their enemies would not prevail. It was this prophecy that Matthew said was
fulfilled in the virgin birth of Christ. There have, over the years, been three general views argued
regarding Isaiah’s prophecy. One, The Non-Messianic View, which denies that Isaiah prophesied
regarding the virgin birth at all; instead it is claimed that Matthew simply referred to the
prophecy as an analogy or an illustration relating to the birth of Christ. This position denies the
virgin birth. Another position suggested is “The Double Fulfillment Theory,” which says there
was an immediate fulfillment and a future fulfilment to the prophecy. This position says it was
fulfilled in Isaiah’s day and then again 700 years later in the birth of Christ. This position allows
for the literal virgin birth. The third position is “The Strictly Messianic Fulfillment,” which
contends the prophecy of Isaiah was a direct allusion to the virgin birth of Christ and was only
fulfilled in that miraculous event. My friends, I believe the best and most accurate way to
understand a prophecy is to see how it was fulfilled, and then we can correctly determine what
was meant. This is how I approach Isaiah’s prophecy of the virgin birth. If the word virgin in the
text only means a young woman as many contend [and as translated by the liberal Revised
Standard Version], then there could be a double fulfillment or even a reference solely to
Isaiah’s day, with no future fulfillment. But, on the other hand, if the word actually means virgin
[as found in most bible translations], then the text should be regarded as a strictly messianic
prophecy, because there was no virgin birth in Isaiah’s day. The word in the Hebrew that is
translated virgin is almah, and the Greek word used by Matthew is parthenos. All agree that
parthenos means virgin. Therefore, if Matthew’s use of parthenos is accepted then he gives a
divine commentary as to the meaning of almah in Isa. 7:14. The word then means a virgin and
not a young woman. The word parthenos is found 14-times in the New Testament and in each
case, the word means an unmarried chaste virgin. And even though the Hebrew word almah
could lawfully be translated young woman or maiden, yet it never meant a young married
woman. Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, if the young woman is both unmarried and virtuous,
then she must of necessity be a virgin. My conclusion, in light of Matthew’s application of the
prophecy, is that Isaiah foresaw only the virgin birth of the son of God. Isaiah saw that son in
prophetic vision as already existing and growing before his eyes, and as he stated that before the
son reached the age of maturity, the kingdoms’ Ahaz feared would be without power. The
infancy of the messiah, Isaiah saw, serves to represent symbolically the fact that the desolation to
come upon Judah would be short-lived. My friends, the bible teaches with crystal clarity the
virgin birth of Christ. It was prophesied and fulfilled just as God said. And, because of this virgin
birth, Jesus became the only begotten son of God. And, because of this virgin birth God became
clothed in human flesh in order to destroy the works of the devil and to redeem mankind.
CONCLUSION:
A. Ladies and gentlemen, my time is up for today. Thank you for inviting me in for this period of
bible study. Please join us next Sunday at 7:00 A.M. as we once again Search the Scriptures.
Until then, this is J.R. Bronger saying goodbye for now.