Lesson 3: Why I Believe In The Virgin Birth

A. INTRODUCTION

1. The Apostles Creed. “I believe . . . in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.”

2. Artificial insemination is a procedure whereby a woman gives birth without sex, but involves the seed (sperm) of a man. The virgin birth involved no seed from a man, but the supernatural birth of Jesus.

3. The virgin birth is one of the first fundamentals that is doubted/denied.

IF NO SUPERNATURAL BIRTH

 The Bible has errors.

 Then Christ was born in sin, and is a sinner.

 Then Jesus is not the God-Man.

 Then no supernatural death, resurrection, or ascension.

4. Why do some doubt/deny the virgin birth? (1) Lack of mention in the gospel (I Cor. 15:1-5), (2) lack of mention from Paul, James, Peter, Jude, etc.

a. Virgin birth is foundation to the gospel and Christian life.

b. If it’s taught once in the Bible, that’s enough.

c. Paul implied, “Made of a woman” (Gal. 4:4).

d. John explained the incarnation. “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14).

5. You can be ignorant of the virgin birth and be saved, but not deny it.

6. Virgin birth implied when first predicted to Satan, “I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed” (Gen. 3:15). A man has seed (sperm) not a woman. The seed came from the Holy Spirit, not from Adam or any other man.

B. THE VIRGIN BIRTH PREDICTED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

1. Miracle. “Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14). The Hebrew word virgin is “almah” which can mean young maid, or a woman who had not had sex with a man.

Why Almah Means Virgin

 The context demands a miracle

 The Septuagint used the Greek word virgin

 Matthew used the Greek word virgin

You have an anti supernatural bias to believe young maid.

2. Creation. “For the LORD has created a new thing in the earth-a woman shall encompass a man” (Jer. 31:22).

a. The word “create” is bara, i.e., “To make out of nothing.”

b. The word “encompass” means she shall be all that is the man, i.e., Jesus got His DNA from Mary alone.

3. Predicted Lamb of God. “Without spot or blemish” (Ex. 12:5).

C. THE VIRGIN BIRTH PREDICTED TO MARY (LUKE 1:26-38)

1. Mary is twice called a virgin. An angel set by God “to a virgin . . . and the virgin’s name was Mary” (Luke 1:27).

2. Mary claims to be sexually pure. “How shall this be seeing I know not a man” (1:34).

3. Luke lists the family tree of Mary, not Joseph (3:23-38).

4. Luke’s careful phrase. “Jesus began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph” (3:23).

5. Luke calls Jesus “The Son of the Highest” (1:32). “The Son of God” (1:35), but never the Son of Joseph in the birth record.

D. THE VIRGIN BIRTH PREDICTED TO JOSEPH (MATT. 1:18-25)

1. The Holy Spirit is the source of Mary’s son. “She was found with child of the Holy Spirit” (1:18). The angel said, “That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit” (1:20).

2. Matthew clearly states there was no sex involved. “Joseph knew her not until the birth (1:25).

3. Joseph is listed as the husband of Mary, but Jesus was born only of Mary (1:16). “Mary, of whom was born Jesus” (1:16).

4. Joseph married Mary knowing her condition (1:24).

5. Matthew cites Isaiah 7:14, “The virgin passage” to explain to Joseph (1:23).

6. Jesus is called “Her first born Son” (1:25).

E. THE SUPERNATURAL POWER OF GOD

1. What can we know about Jesus because of His virgin birth?

a. Pre-existence. Jesus lived before His birth, “before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:50).

b. Eternal. Jesus is God, but He became man to identify with humanity. “In the beginning was the Word . . . and the Word became flesh” (John 1:1, 14).

c. Sinless. Jesus was born without a sin nature, “without sin” (Heb. 4:15).

d. Perfect. Jesus never sinned, “who did not sin” (I Peter 2:22).

e. Substitute. “The just for the unjust” (I Peter 3:12).

2. People, like Mary may ask, “How shall this be?” (Luke 7:34).

a. God’s ways are not our ways.

b. Supernatural. “For with God, nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37).

c. Since Jesus was born supernaturally of a virgin, so you can be born-again supernaturally into God’s family.

If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart: