TRUTHS ABOUT THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF CHRIST
I want to talk with you tonight on the subject:
Truths About the Virgin Birth of Christ.
Why is it important for us to talk about Christ’s Virgin Birth?
The Virgin Birth is what I call a DOMINO DOCTRINE.
Have you guys every played dominos?
You know, you stand up the dominos and set them into come kind of configuration and then you tip the first one and watch all the others fall down.
Well, the doctrine of the Virgin Birth is what I call a DOMINO DOCTRINE.
In other words, if it remains standing it will keep the other doctrines from falling.
But if the Virgin Birth falls, on it’s way down it will inevitably hit the one that’s next in line and cause it to fall, and then that one will fall and hit the one behind it and so one down the line until finally all the doctrines fall to the ground.
Turn with me to Matthew 1:18-25.
As we read Matthew 1:18 we see is Matthew giving us a timetable.
Matthew says in verse 18:
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph…the word after is a word indicating time.
Jesus’ birth was after Mary and Joseph were already engaged.
And then he says:
“before they came together…”
That is before Mary and Joseph had time to consummate their marriage.
“…she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.”
Time is a very important aspect to this verse.
Matthew says, “After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph…”
The whole story would be disrupted if instead of after Matthew said, before.
And when he says:
“Before they came together…” that’s important because the virgin birth would be very suspect if Jesus is born after they had came together.
So the timing here is very important.
In fact the Apostle Paul says this in Galatians 4:4:
“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
Paul says that when the time was right, God sent Jesus to earth.
Wait a minute, what do you mean He sent Him, I thought Jesus wasn’t born yet.
What we learn is that there was a time when Jesus was not inside of Mary’s belly.
There was a moment in time when God the Father sent Jesus and Jesus broke through into human history just like football players break through a paper banner as they run onto the football field before a game.
Just as each there a different time zones, God exists in a different time zone.
But when Jesus was conceived in Mary’s belly, Jesus entered a new time zone. He went from living on an eternal time zone to an earthly time zone.
You see, when you and I were conceived in our mother’s womb, that is, when your father’s sperm merged with your mother’s egg, that precise moment was the beginning of your personal existence.
Prior to that moment, you did not exist outside of the mind of God.
You’ve heard the saying, “Before you were born you were a gleam in your daddy’s eye.”
Well, before you were conceived you were a thought in the mind of God.
Why? Because you and I are not eternal.
But you say, “Wait a minute. I thought that all who come to Christ are given eternal life. Aren’t I going to live forever?”
The answer is yes. If you have trusted Christ then you will live forever.
But the fact that you will live forever does not mean that you have always lived.
To be eternal means that you are not limited by time, that you had no beginning and that you will have no ending.
There was a time when you as a person did not exist.
If you could get into a time machine and travel back in time to the day you were conceived in your mother’s womb…you would find that before your mother’s egg and your daddy’s sperm merged, you did not exist.
But this is not the case with Jesus.
There has never been a time when Jesus did not exist.
Jesus existed before His birth in Bethlehem.
TRUTH #1…
Jesus Existed Before He Entered The Womb.
Listen to John 1:1-3:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without him nothing was made that was made.”
Jesus is the word, the exact expression of God.
And Jesus, the Word, was not only present at the time of creation, He was God Himself.
Jesus is the creator of the world.
Theologians refer to this as the ETERNALITY OF JESUS CHRIST.
A second category of theology that is closely related is called the PRE-EXISTENCE OF CHRIST, which refers to His presence in the Old Testament.
Not only did Jesus create the world, Jesus was Israel’s provider and sustainer.
Listen to what Dr. Elmer Towns says:
“Jesus Christ traveled with Israel throughout the wilderness providing for them. Israel “did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them: and that rock was Christ.” – I Corinthians 10:4
Paul clearly identifies Jesus as existing in the Old Testament.
Now when we read Matthew 1:18 which says:
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows…”
We go, birth? If Jesus existed at the beginning of time, how could he be born?
If Jesus has always existed, how could he be created?
Well, at Jesus’ birth, His human nature was created. But in His divine nature, He has always existed.
Jesus was the God-Man. He was 100% God. And at the same time and in the same body, 100% man.
When the Holy Spirit caused Mary to become pregnant, He was not creating Jesus’ divine nature, he was creating Jesus’ human nature.
TRUTH #2…
Jesus Entered The Womb In An Exclusive Way.
What I mean by exclusive is that Jesus’ entrance into Mary’s womb was the first of it’s kind and the last of it’s kind.
It had never been seen before and it has never been seen since.
I want you to notice a couple of things here.
Matthew says in verse 18:
“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 of the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew goes to great lengths here to make sure we understand that Mary was not a married woman and that she was a virgin.
He tells us that Mary was engaged, “betrothed” is the word used here.
He also tells us that it was the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, and not her fiancé Joseph, who impregnated Mary.
The equation goes something like this:
A 15 year old virgin + God’s Holy Spirit = BABY
Notice I said baby and not fetus.
This is because I believe personally that life begins at conception.
But that’s another sermon.
Now what is the normal equation?
Man + Woman + Sexual Intercourse = BABY
Or…
Woman + Artificial insemination = BABY
But Matthew wants you and I to know that Jesus’ conception was unique, miraculous, supernatural, something only God Himself could do.
There was no sex involved and there was no artificial insemination.
Jesus’ conception was apart from the natural reproductive processes.
Now you remember that Mary had a question about this.
After the Angel Gabriel told her what was going to happen, she asked in Luke 1:34:
“How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
Now, this is the same question that Theologians have asked for centuries.
Literally, for centuries, some of the greatest minds have asked this question about the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.
They have asked, “A virgin birth? How can this happen?”
One camp has concluded that it can’t happen.
They conclude that this kind of birth is impossible and therefore did not happen.
Which would mean that the Biblical record is inaccurate and flat out wrong.
And they have denied the virgin birth of Christ.
The other camp has concluded that not only is a virgin birth possible, BUT THAT A VIRGIN BIRTH DID TAKE PLACE when Mary gave birth to Christ.
Which side do you come down on?
What do you believe?
I think when Mary asked this question, she was looking for a natural explanation.
Having a baby without intercourse is unnatural.
Now of course today women can have a baby through artificial insemination, but even then the seed of a man is required to be placed inside of that woman.
Having a baby apart from the seed of a man is unnatural.
How can this be?
And the point I want to make is that there is no natural explanation for it.
There is no explanation under the sun that can adequately explain how this can happen.
It defies natural law.
You are familiar with natural laws aren’t you?
Are you familiar with how gravity works?
Gravity is a natural law.
Well, the natural law of reproduction says that you have to have a female egg and a male sperm to reproduce.
But this is not how it happened.
It’s clear that Mary and Joseph had not had sex, or Joseph would not have been trying to divorce her.
It’s also clear that in 4 or 5 A.D. they had not yet developed the technology to perform artificial inseminations.
Now, if there is no explanation under the sun, then our only hope must lie above it.
In other words, SINCE there is no natural explanation, then the only explanation that is a possible is a SUPERnatural one.
There is a supernatural explanation for it, which is what the angel gives to Mary in the next verse.
He says in verse 35:
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you…”
Just as the cloud overshadowed the temple in the Old Testament, God’s Spirit would overshadow Mary causing Jesus to be conceived in her.
Exactly how the Holy Spirit formed Jesus inside Mary’s womb is what is called a MYSTERY.
Notice this verse from Ecclesiastes 11:5:
“As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes everything.”
Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, Solomon was smarter than Leonardo Da Vinci and Albert Einstein put together, said that even knowing how a baby’s bones grow during the 9 months it is in the womb is not completely without mystery.
There’s a secretiveness about the forming of a baby inside the womb.
Psalm 139:15 says:
“My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.”
The forming of a baby is a sacred event that God personally oversees.
Rather than send an angel to form the child, I believe that God Himself does it.
It’s like a secret dance that takes place between two lovers.
Have you ever walked in on two people who are engaged in a romantic embrace?
Have you ever walked in on someone you know and there they are, locked in the arms of someone else and it’s obvious that it is a tender moment between the two.
Well, I kind of feel like this with God and Jesus.
For you and me to try and break it all apart and demystify it is kind of like walking in on two people locked in a lover’s embrace.
You feel like you’re intruding.
And I don’t want to intrude on God and Jesus.
And so exactly how God formed Jesus’ human nature inside Mary’s womb remains a mystery to me.
It was a mystery to the Apostle Paul.
At least that’s what Paul says in I Timothy 3:16:
“And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh…”
The incarnation is a mystery; Christ coming in the flesh is mysterious and miraculous.
Now, you say… “Pastor, what’s the big deal about the virgin birth? Why is this so important?”
As I answer that…let me ask you a question.
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT A PERSON CAN DENY THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF CHRIST AND BE A CHRISTIAN?
There have been and there are many scholars who say yes.
“Can a true Christian deny the virgin birth? The answer to that question must be a decisive "No." Those who deny the virgin birth reject the authority of Scripture, deny the supernatural birth of the Savior, undermine the very foundations of the Gospel, and have no way of explaining the deity of Christ.
Anyone who claims that the virgin birth can be discarded even as the deity of Christ is affirmed is either intellectually dishonest or theologically incompetent.
Christians must face the fact that a denial of the virgin birth is a denial of Jesus as the Christ. The Savior who died for our sins was none other than the baby who was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. The virgin birth does not stand alone as a biblical doctrine; it is an irreducible part of the biblical revelation about the person and work of Jesus Christ. With it, the Gospel stands or falls.” – R. Albert Mohler, Jr. is President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY
It’s important to realize that the fact that Jesus was born of a virgin means that Jesus is sinless.
Since Jesus did not have an earthly biological father but instead was conceived by the Holy Spirit, Jesus did not inherit the same sin nature that you and I inherited.
When momma sinner and daddy sinner get together, they give birth to baby sinner.
This is how it works in our world.
No matter how cute that baby is, it still possesses a sin nature.
But here you have Mary who was purified and made holy by the Holy Spirit and then you have God being the other partner so to speak, so what you have is sinless Son of God.
The Equation is…
Mary sinner sanctified by the Holy Spirit + God’s Holy Spirit = Sinless Son of God in the form of a baby.
And since Christ is sinless, that means he qualified to become the sacrifice for my sins and your sins.
But if you or I deny that Christ was born of a virgin, then Christ wouldn’t be sinless. And if Christ had ever sinned, even once during his life, that would disqualify him from dying for you and you would still be headed for Hell with no hope.
So, the virgin birth makes a big difference.
LET’S REVIEW WHAT WE’VE SEEN SO FAR…
The Virgin Birth Shows That…
1. Jesus is Eternal.
He has no beginning and no ending.
2. Jesus is Sinless.
He is morally perfect in his divine nature.
Now obviously, it’s the Christmas season and I am teaching on the Virgin Birth.
But are there other times in life besides during Christmas when it would be important to focus on the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ?
I believe there are.
I believe that there are 2 times in life when it becomes extremely important to focus on Jesus’ Virgin Birth:
Any time and Every time.
• Think of Christ’s Virgin Birth…
ANY TIME you want proof that Jesus is the Son of God.
There are many facts about Jesus that prove he was and is the Son of God.
His resurrection proves it.
His crucifixion proves it.
His miracles prove it.
His teachings prove it.
And his birth proves it.
Matthew was writing to convince Jewish people that Jesus was the Messiah.
All of the Jewish people reading Matthew’s gospel would have known that God’s chosen one, the Messiah, would be born of a virgin.
How did they know that?
Because Isaiah prophesied it hundreds of years earlier, which is why Matthew mentions this prophesy in verse 23:
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.”
Since Jesus was born of a virgin, Matthew was obviously implying that He was the Messiah, since he met that requirement.
So, any time you need proof that Jesus is the Son of God, think of His Virgin Birth.
Secondly…
• Think of Christ’s Virgin Birth…
EVERY TIME you need the peace of God.
What is interesting to me in this passage is that after Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant and while he was considering whether or not to divorce her, the angel came to him and said this in verse 20:
“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.”
What did the Angel use to calm Joseph’s fear?
He used truth. Specifically here, he used the truth of the virgin birth.
Jesus said John 8:31b-32:
“If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Knowing the truth and meditating on truth is a powerful pill against anxiety and fear.
Paul taught us in Philippians 4:8-9:
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Conclusion
Should we confess our sin now or later?
I’m referring to the sin of unbelief.
Hebrews 11:6 says:
“Without faith it is impossible to please Him…”
Romans 14:23 says:
“For whatever is not from faith is sin.”
Do you lack faith in the virgin birth of Jesus?
Most people don’t have a problem believing that Jesus was vaginally born, that he was born of a woman.
But they have a problem believing that he was virginally born.
In other words, most people who doubt don’t have a problem trusting that Jesus was a real man who lived in the first century.
Where they come up empty in faith is when we start talking about Jesus being born of a virgin apart from the seed of a man.
It’s essential to believe that Jesus was a man who lived in the first century.
But that’s not enough to get you into heaven.
It’s not enough to merely believe that Jesus was a man; you must believe that He was and is more than a man.
That not only was he the son of a woman but that he was also the Son of God.
Do you need to change your mind tonight?
Do you need to start believing in the virgin birth of Christ?
Maybe your attitude about the virgin birth has been a “take it or leave it” attitude.
I mean, you basically knew that churches teach it and maybe you’ve heard someone talk about it before…but other than that you really could care less, except maybe at Christmas.
Well, I’m asking you to care. I’m asking you to believe.
I’m asking you to follow the example of Joseph, Mary’s fiancé’.
When the Angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, Joseph could have blown the Angel off saying, “Awe, that was just a dream. It was the bad pizza I ate last night.”
He could have said, “Awe, don’t you know anything? Don’t you know the stork brings babies?”
But he didn’t.
What did Joseph do?
Verse 24 tells us.
“Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him…”
Stop right there!
If that were all we knew, that would be enough; to know that Joseph believed and obeyed God’s command.
Will you do that right now?
Will you start believing and really caring about the Virgin Birth of Christ?
You can do it!
You can be a believer!!!
