Series: The Doctrines of Christmas
THE VIRGIN BIRTH
Matthew 1:18-25
I. THE CASE FOR THE VIRGIN BIRTH
Was Jesus really born of a virgin?
A. Testified of by Scripture
Old Testament Prophecies
(Gen 3:15) AAnd I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.."
(Isaiah 7:14) "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel
New Testament Affirmations
(Matt. 1:20-23)
(Luke 1:34-35)
(Galatians 4:4) But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, made/born of a woman, made/born under the law,
B. Consistent with the Reactions of Joseph and Mary
Joseph was Brokenhearted (Matt 1:19-20)
Mary was Confused (Luke 1:34) Then Mary said unto the angel, "How can this be, seeing that I know not a man?"
C. Affirmed by the Teachings of the Early Church
“there is no fact, no Christian doctrine that is more emphasized by the early Christian writers than that of the virgin birth of our Lord.
(Briggs, 199)
D. Validated by the Life of Jesus Christ
Walked as no man had ever Walked
-Judas Proclaimed His Righteousness
(Matt 27:4) "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood."
-Pilate Proclaimed His Righteousness
(Matt 27:24) "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.
-Thief Proclaimed His Righteousness
(Luke 23:41)"And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."
-Centurian
(Luke 23:47) "Certainly this was a righteous Man!"
Talked as no man had ever Talked
(Luke 4:22) And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words
which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?"
(John 7:46) The officers answered, "Never man spake like this Man!"
II. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH
Why is it such a big deal anyway?
A. Validates the Trustworthiness of Scripture
B.Supports the Doctrines of:
-the Divinity of Christ (Jesus is God)
-the Incarnation (God became man)
“Undoubtedly the divinity of Christ is the most essential doctrine, the incarnation is secondary to this, and the virgin birth of a third grade importance. I have already recognized that a man may doubt or deny the third without, in his own mind, denying the second, or the first. And yet, from historic and dogmatic point of view, he surely has put himself in an untenable position, which he cannot maintain. Historically and logically the divinity of Christ and incarnation are bound up with the virgin birth and no man can successfully maintain any one of them without maintaining them all.”
(Charles A. Briggs, “The Virgin Birth of our Lord”, AJT XII, 2 [Apri 1908], 201)
-***All the Doctrines of Christ are strengthened by the Virgin Birth
(J. Lange, The Life of the Lord Jesus Christ, 1872, I, 279)
“Its (virgin birth) positive denial robs every other doctrine of Christianity of its full value. Neither the death of Christ nor his resurrection can be known in their whole significance, if His birth is positively misconceived. In this case there is a crack in the bell and it pure, full penetrating sound is gone.
C. Provides Way for the Gift of Salvation
Observations about Man:
1) All Men Born to Adam Have Sinned
(Romans 5:12) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world,
and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
2) The Sin Nature passes through the Seed of Man
3) All Men are under the penalty of death, because all have sinned
Observations about Christ:
1) Jesus was not born of the Seed of Man, but the Seed of the Holy Spirit
2) Jesus did not received the Sinful Nature of Man, but the Righteousness of His Father
3) Only Jesus could pay for the Sins for Others and Offer the Free Gift of Salvation (Romans 5:14-19)
III. THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH
What does it mean to me?
A. I can Trust Totally in the Truthfulness of the Word of God
B.Jesus is more than just a man; He is also Almighty God
C. Jesus is my only way to salvation
-Only Jesus was born without sin
-Only Jesus lived a sinless life
- Only Jesus can pay for my sin debt
