The Miracle of the Virgin Birth Declares Jesus Christ’s Uniqueness and the Sureness of our Salvation
Luke 1:26-35
(Christmas Series)
Luke 1.26-35 reads as follows: (RSV) 26 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, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind 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 for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." 34 And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" 35 And the angel said to 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.
A. The focus of the miracle of the Virgin Birth is on Jesus’ conception on the womb of Mary not as a result of sexual relations but of the miracle of the Holy Spirit.
1. The focus of the miracle of the Virgin Birth is not on Jesus’ birth but on Jesus being conceived without the male counterpart. This means that Jesus’ conception in the womb of Mary was not the result of sexual relationship, though the birth is normal just like ours. 34 And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" Cf. Matthew 1.25.
2. The Holy Spirit has done this miracle. 35 And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you”.
What does this mean?
a. This does not mean that Jesus was the result of copulation between God and Mary.
b. This means that God supplied, by special creation, both the human component ordinarily contributed by the male with the female component contributed by Mary, and, in addition, a divine factor – the Son of God who exists from eternity to eternity.
(1) If God only supplied the male component to the female component contributed by Mary – then, we only have a miracle of the virgin birth of a human being.
(2) However, what happened in our passage is that God sent His Son through the miracle of the Virgin Birth. This means that the person of the eternal Son of God is united in the human nature created through the male component supplied by God and the female component contributed by Mary. “Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” Hence, we have the doctrine of the Incarnation – God in the flesh (John 1:14)!
B. The belief in the miracle of the Virgin Birth is important for correct theology and sure salvation.
1. The belief in the miracle of the Virgin Birth is important for correct theology.
a. Failure to believe in the miracle of the Virgin Birth is a repudiation of the authority of the Bible. This event is recorded in the Bible twice (Luke 1.26-35, Matthew 1.25).
b. The Virgin Birth declares the uniqueness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many Scriptures declares Jesus’ uniqueness:
Philippians 2:6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Colossians 2:9 For in him the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have come to fulness of life in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
Hebrews 1:1 In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature, upholding the universe by his word of power. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
c. The miracle of the Virgin Birth is a demonstration of God’s power over nature. God is omnipotent!
2. The belief in the miracle of the Virgin Birth is important for our salvation.
a. It reminds us that our salvation is a miracle. It took God’s special miracle, the coming into humanity of the eternal Son of God so that we can be saved.
Revelation 5.2 and I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I wept much that no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to into into it. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, "Weep not; lo, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals."
b. It reminds us that our salvation is sure because it is based on the grace of God. Ephesians 2.8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God - 9 not because of works, lest any man should boast.
Conclusion:
Christmas is a remembrance of Christ’s Virgin Birth. It is a remembrance of the uniqueness and greatness of our Savior and the great salvation we received from God by His grace. If there are two things which the Word of God gave so much importance about Christmas, it is these two things: the greatness of our Savior; and, the salvation of sinful human being by God’s grace.
Let everyone who has heard of this great good news respond with humility and faith. Hebrews 2.1 “Therefore we must pay the closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For if the message declared by angels was valid and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him.”
