Sermon Central
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All I Need Is A Miracle: The Virgin Birth Of Jesus Series
Contributed by Scott Maze on Dec 8, 2025 (message contributor)
Summary: She asks the question any of us would ask, “How is this going to work?” Ancient peoples may not have known the intricacies of modern embryonic science, but they knew how babies were made. Mary knew she had not yet consummated her marriage to Joseph.
If it weren’t for Jesus, Mary would be the star of Christmas. People all over the world love Mary.
Get this: there are about 4,200 churches dedicated to Mary in the United States alone.1 There are likely tens of thousands more churches named after Mary around the world, but no one knows for sure. Catholics devote pilgrimages to her, as well as religious feasts and national celebrations. Even Muslims respect Mary, for she is the only woman whose name appears in the Qur’an.2
If that’s not enough, then there is the art depicting her. On the left is a French painting from 1644 that portrays the angel Gaberial announcing the birth of Jesus. In the middle is a painting that is in the Met in New York City, from an Italian painter from the 1480s, and it simply shows Mary holding the baby Jesus. Then, on the right is a well-known sculpture by Michelangelo that shows Mary holding Jesus after His crucifixion. Led by many of our Catholic friends, Mary is one of the most recognized and celebrated women in the world today. She is globally honored and celebrated like no other.
Mary appears on flags, seals, currencies, local festivals, and national histories. Yes, Mary is a big deal. But the bigger deal is Jesus.
If you’ll find Luke 1 with me, please.
Today, I invite you to focus on what is known as the Virgin birth of Jesus. Why is it so important that Jesus was born of a virgin? What is the significance that Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus?
Today’s Scripture
“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!’ 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And 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 call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’
34 And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’
35 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. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.’ 38 And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:26-38).
Let’s do a deep dive into the virgin birth of Jesus, asking, Why is it so important that Jesus was born of a virgin?
1. He’s the Miracle that Changes Your Story
“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus” (Luke 1:31).
1.1 What is the Virgin Birth?
When we say Jesus was born of a virgin, what do we mean? Jesus was conceived in the womb of His mother, Mary, by the Holy Spirit and without a human father.3 Let me pause at the outset and say this: really, we are talking about the virgin conception and not the virgin birth. In a time before c-sections and epidurals, Mary’s birth of Jesus appears to be completely natural.4 But nobody calls it this, so we’ll stick with what everyone knows. Jesus was conceived even though Mary had no sexual relations with anyone. Jesus is the exact kind of Savior you need.
And the virgin birth plays a crucial part in how Jesus saves you.
Jesus is tailored perfectly for you and me, and here’s why.
1.2 How Does the Virgin Birth Change My Life?
The Bible shows us that the virgin birth is vitally important for three reasons.
1. The Virgin Birth Means Only God Can Save Us.
Nothing I could do could save me from the mess I’ve made. The saving you and I need never comes by human effort. It’s 100% the work of God Himself.
2. The Virgin Birth Unites Jesus’ full deity and His full humanity.
