The Virgin Birth

Introduction
What do you think of when you think of Christmas?

I made a list of some of the things that might come to mind:

• Santa Claus
• Christmas trees
• Christmas lights
• presents
• family
• big meals
• Christmas carols
• shopping malls
• the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”
• the poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas”
• credit cards
• parties
• a Blues-Blackhawks hockey game

I think a lot of us can identify with some of these things. Maybe all of them. On the other hand, I hope that list isn’t complete. I hope I left off some very important things.

Hopefully, as Christians, Christmas also brings to mind:

• Jesus Christ
• virgin birth
• shepherds
• wise men

Did you know that Christians are never told in the Bible to acknowledge the birth of Jesus? Did you know that the Church didn’t officially recognize Christmas until the mid-fifth century? And did you know that the Puritans in early America totally rejected the holiday altogether because of all the pagan customs that are associated with it?

The Bible never tells us to celebrate Christmas, to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Rom. 14:5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

Rom. 14:6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

We’re not commanded to celebrate the Lord’s birthday, but, if we do celebrate Christmas, we should do it right. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating Christmas—in fact, it’s my contention that it’s a very good thing. But we should do it with all of our heart and “to the Lord.”

John MacArthur says this:

“Every day—including Christmas—is a celebration for us who know and love Him. how we observe Christmas is the central issue. Do we observe it for the Lord’s sake or for our own sinful self-gratification? That is the heart of the matter. Christmas is an opportunity for us to exalt Jesus Christ. We ought to take advantage of it.”

MacArthur’s right. In fact, beginning in this article and for two more that follow, we’re going to take this opportunity to exalt Jesus Christ. We’re going to focus on the Lord and His birth as a human being here on earth.

Let’s slow down for a little while and focus on the reason for the Christmas season: Jesus Christ.

There’s no better place to start than in Luke 1:26-28.

For those of us who are Christians, this is a very familiar passage. You’ve probably heard a sermon or two on it in the past, and maybe more.

Before we look at it, let’s remind ourselves what it says in 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is God-breathed…”

The passage that we’re about to read isn’t like the poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” It’s not like the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” This passage in Luke isn’t fiction. It’s not a fairy tale or a feel-good story or some Christmas-time fable: these are the very words of God. This is the Bible. This is history. “All Scripture is God-breathed.”

Gabriel, An Angel, Visits Mary, A Virgin
Let’s start by reading verses 26 and 27.

Luke 1:26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,

Luke 1:27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

Verse 26 starts by telling us that the angel Gabriel shows up in the sixth month. We can’t say for sure, but Gabriel is probably an archangel, one of God’s elite angelic beings. Luke 1:19 says that Gabriel stands in the presence of God. This isn’t an ordinary angel, if there can be an ordinary angel.

But what does it mean when it says “in the sixth month?”

In Luke 1:5-25, which we won’t take the time to look at, tells us about how Gabriel also recently visited Zacharias, a priest, and his wife, Elizabeth.

The angel tells them that despite their advanced ages, and despite Elizabeth being barren, she’s going to have a baby. And her baby will be John the Baptist, the prophet whose ministry precedes Christ’s.

So by the time verse 26 comes around, Elizabeth is six months pregnant. And here comes Gabriel again, on his second important mission within a few short months. Except that he’s never had a mission like this one, before. This is undoubtedly one of the biggest assignments he’s ever been given.

God sends him to Nazareth, an obscure town about 55 miles north of Jerusalem, in the region of Galilee. During Bible times, people made fun of residents of Nazareth—they were considered hicks and low class people. They also weren’t considered kosher because of the frequent contact they had with gentiles there. The town was on a major trade route and drew gentile merchants and Roman soldiers.

John 1:46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked…

And why does God send Gabriel to Nazareth?

He’s come to talk “to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.”

Verse 27 tells us some very important things about Mary. We already know that she lives in Nazareth, but now we also find out that she’s a “virgin.” In fact, the word “virgin” is mentioned twice in this verse. Luke, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wants us to know something very, very important.

Mary’s a virgin. In other words, she’s never been with a man. She’s never had sexual intercourse.

Mary’s also pledged or betrothed to be married to Joseph. But what does it mean to be pledged?

Roughly speaking it’s an engagement period before a couple was actually married and before the marriage was consummated. It wasn’t like our engagement, though. When two people were betrothed to one another back then, it was a legal and binding contract.

For all practical purposes the couple was married, although they didn’t live together or have sexual relations. It was a time of testing and purity—if either one of them got involved with anyone else it was considered adultery and divorce usually followed. They were promised to one another and that’s all there was to it.

So when Gabriel visits Mary, who’s never been with a man—and that includes with her future husband, Joseph—she’s in this period of betrothal. It was common for women—really girls—to be as young as 12 or 13 when they were betrothed.

Verse 27 also tells us that Joseph is a descendant of David. That means he has royal blood flowing through his veins. Here’s what God says about King David and his descendants.

2Sam. 7:13 …I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

Ps. 89:28 I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail.

Ps. 89:29 I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure.

The Jews know that their Messiah will come from the line of David, and Joseph is one of his descendants. This is very significant, and we’ll talk more about it in a little while.

We don’t know much else about Joseph, except that Matthew 1:19 says he was righteous and Mark 6:3 indicates that he was a carpenter. Most commentators also believe that he was probably on the poor side, and likely in his late teens.

And what does Gabriel say to Mary?

Luke 1:28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Luke 1:29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

“Highly favored” can also be translated “full of grace.” In other words, God, out of the kindness of His heart, has sovereignly chosen to bless Mary. “The Lord is with you.” Later manuscripts, which the NIV obviously doesn’t agree with, adds “you are blessed among women” at the end of verse 28.

By the way, the kind of grace that Mary receives is the same grace that all believers are said to receive in Ephesians 1:6. So any effort to make Mary anything more than a very Godly woman, such as the Roman Catholic Church does, is inappropriate.

She needs grace just like all of us. As we’ll see, however, the grace that she receives is unquestionably a blessing that no other human being has ever had.

Also notice that the angel doesn’t worship her. She’s a woman—a very Godly woman, yes, but still just a woman. She’s not deity.

Matt. 4:10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ ”

Respect Mary? Yes. Admire her? Yes? Worship her? No. Worshiping Mary is idolatry.

Verse 29 says that Mary is “greatly troubled at his words.” I guess! Here’s Mary, a young teenager living in a small, rural village in the middle of nowhere, and an angel of God shows up at her house.

Mary Will Give Birth To Jesus, The Son Of God
Mary’s apparently found favor with God in some way, but she’s understandably a little troubled and confused. Wouldn’t any of us be? The angel recognizes her fear, though, and comforts her in verses 30-31. He also gets right to the point with an announcement that will change the course of human history.Luke 1:30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.

Luke 1:31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.

Wow! What an announcement!

God wants her to carry a child, and she’s supposed to name Him Jesus, which means Jehovah saves, salvation or Savior. This is obviously not an ordinary child.

Luke 1:32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,

Luke 1:33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

The person and work of this child, Jesus, will be so great that people will call Him the “Son of the Most High.” There’s no question that Mary knows who the Most High is. That’s Jehovah God. Every Jew knew that.

And to the Israelites, the phrase “Son of the Most High” meant only one thing. To them a son had the same qualities and characteristics of his father. In essence, the Semetics thought that a son was a carbon copy of his father. In other words, Gabriel tells Mary that her son is going to be none other than the Son of God!

She’s going to have a child, a son named Jesus, and He’ll be none other than the Son of God.

Her child would also be given the throne of His father David. That means He’ll be the long-awaited messiah, the person that most Jews believed would be a political and military leader who would rescue them from oppression of other governments such as the Roman empire.

Jesus had royal blood because Luke 3:23-28 tells us that Mary was a descendant of David. But the throne of Israel was only inherited through the father. But that’s okay, because God took care of that. Jesus had the legal right to the throne because Joseph, his adopted father, was also from the line of David.

The virgin birth is a testament to both God’s power, but also to His sovereignty.

The reference to the reigning over the house of Jacob and His endless reign refers to the Millennium, when Jesus will rule for 1,000 years, and then continue to reign with His father in the Eternal Kingdom.

“The Holy Spirit Will Come Upon You”
Luke 1:34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

If you think about it, this is an amazing response. Especially from someone so young. Even though her head must be spinning from this unbelievable news, Mary’s spiritual maturity comes shining through.

Does she doubt that what the angel says is true and will happen? No.

Does she say “This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard? Your name’s not Gabriel. Who are you really? Is this a joke?” No, she doesn’t say that.

Does she say “No way am I doing this—I don’t want any part of this thing?!” No, she doesn’t say that.

She could have reacted all kinds of way. Anger, disbelief, laughter, anything! But no, Mary responds by saying “How can this happen since I’m a virgin? I’ve never been with a man.”

She didn’t resist, she didn’t laugh and she didn’t shrug it off as nonsense. She also didn’t seem surprised about the idea of a messiah. She only asked how God would do it. And also notice that this is yet another affirmation that this would be a virgin birth. Mary says outright that she’s a virgin—she’s never been with a man. Mary interpreted Gabriel’s message as meaning the conception was imminent and would happen almost immediately.

She’s not doubting—she just wants to know how God will do it.

Luke 1:35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

What we’ve just read is one of the most controversial verses in all of Scripture. Cults and atheists and unbelievers have attacked this verse and the ones before it and the ones after it as nonsense.

“It doesn’t mean what it says,” they say.

Or “A virgin birth is impossible—she must have been with Joseph or somebody else.”

Remember 2 Timothy 3:16: “ALL Scripture is God-breathed.” This verse and this passage are God-breathed. How many times is the word “virgin” mentioned in verse 26? Twice!

And what does Mary say in verse 34?

Luke 1:34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a VIRGIN?”

How someone can read this passage and conclude that the Bible doesn’t teach the virgin birth is beyond me. What does God have to do to convince us? It’s one thing for non-Christians to have doubts about the virgin birth, especially those who haven’t examined the Scriptural evidence, but it’s really inexcusable for Christians themselves not to believe in it.

Listen to Dr.. Vernon McGee on this topic:

“I do not object to an unbeliever saying that he does not believe in the virgin birth, but when he makes the statement that the Bible does not teach it, I object. I say very plainly that one who makes this statement must have something wrong with his intellect or is ignorant of the birds and the bees.”

Christians who don’t believe in the virgin birth because it seems so far-fetched not only ignore clear Biblical teaching, but also forget that God made the universe and started with absolutely nothing. If you accept the first verse of the Bible, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” then everything after that is easy to believe. We can’t read the Bible objectively and conclude that miracles haven’t occurred.

By the way, the virgin birth isn’t parthenogenesis or artificial insemination. This is a supernatural act of God. Technically, though, the birth itself was normal. The conception, however, was definitely of God.

A virgin birth shouldn’t have surprised Jews familiar with the Old Testament.

Here’s what God said to Satan, in the form of a serpent, in Genesis 3:15:

Gen. 3:15: And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed…

Technically, only men carry the seed, but this is a prophecy about the virgin birth, a woman with a seed. And the only way a woman can have a seed is in the case of a virgin birth.

Jer. 31:22 “…The LORD will create a new thing on earth—a woman will surround a man.”

The scribes and religious leaders of Israel certainly should have been aware of these prophecies. They may not have totally understood them, but they were there for those who loved God and honestly sought truth.

It’s not understating things to say that the virgin birth is one of the most important doctrines in the whole Bible. If Jesus isn’t the son of God, then He’s not God in human flesh. And if He’s not God in human flesh then there’s no Gospel—there’s no good news. A human being can’t die for the sins of all mankind.

Matt. 19:26 …”With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Only God can save men from their sins.

The incarnation is a shambles if God isn’t the father of Jesus, if there’s no virgin birth. Over and over the Bible teaches that Jesus, the second member of the Trinity, who’s always existed, humbled Himself and became a man. But not JUST a man—He was, always has been and always will be, God.

1John 4:2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

1John 4:3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

2John 7 Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.

2John 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him.

The Bible is very clear on the deity of Jesus Christ. It’s also very clear on the humanity of Jesus. He had to be Mary’s son in order to be fully man so that He could identify with our humanity.

Phil. 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Phil. 2:6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

Phil. 2:7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Hebr. 2:17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

Gal. 4:4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman

But Jesus also had to be Son of the Most High so He could be fully God, holy and sinless, the perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Isa. 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

THIS is the heart of Christmas. The heart of Christmas is the virgin birth, when God Himself came down to earth. The heart of Christmas is that all-powerful, eternal and holy God came to dwell among us in the form of a man!

Without the virgin birth, there’s no Christmas and nothing to celebrate. Without the virgin birth, without God Himself in the person of the third member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, as the father, then Jesus is just a man. And a man doesn’t deserve our worship and certainly doesn’t warrant us wasting our time as Christians. A man can’t die for the sins of all mankind—only God can.

Jesus was fully God. He was also fully human.

How can that be? I have no idea. I just know that that’s the clear teaching of Scripture and we need to believe it, whether we can grasp how it can happen or not.

Normally I don’t quote from text notes in study Bibles, but I really like this one from the Living Bible. It’s clear and says it all.

“(1) The birth of Jesus to a virgin is a miracle that many people find hard to believe. These three facts can aid our faith: (1) Luke was a medical doctor, and he knew perfectly well how babies are made. It would have been just as hard for him to believe in a virgin birth as it is for us, and yet he reports it as fact.

“(2) Luke was a painstaking researcher who based his Gospel on eyewitness accounts. Tradition holds that he talked with Mary about the events in the first two chapters. This is her story, not a fictional invention.

“(3) Christians and Jews, who worship God as the creator of the universe, should believe he has the power to create a child in a virgin’s womb.”

And how does this miraculous conception take place? All we know is what it says here in verse 35.

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”

That’s all we know. We don’t know any specifics. This is a supernatural act by God and He doesn’t provide any explanations.

We can say one thing for sure, though. There was no physical relation between Mary and God. That’s the kind of nonsense that we find in Greek mythology and other fiction.

The last part of verse 35 says “So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

The child will be holy and the Son of God. The child can never be holy and never be the Son of God if God Himself isn’t the father. A human father can only produce unholy, sinful human beings—and that includes me and my kids. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. A human father can never produce someone holy and the Son of God.

It’s interesting to note that the Bible NEVER refers to Joseph as the biological father of Jesus.

Luke 3:23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli,

Yes, Joseph was Jesus’ adopted father, but not His biological father.

And then Gabriel adds this in verses 36 and 37.

Luke 1:36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.

Luke 1:37 For nothing is impossible with God.”

For some reason the NIV neglects to translate the Greek word at the beginning of verse 36. The King James Version says “And BEHOLD, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age.” In other words, “And get this” or “Now indeed.”

In an effort to explain how all of this can happen, Gabriel tells her about Elizabeth’s pregnancy. Elizabeth’s apparently a relative of Mary’s—in fact, many translations refer to them as cousins.

So Mary’s own cousin, even though she’s considered too old to have a child and even though she’s been barren all of her life, is six months pregnant. If God can do that, even though it’s impossible by human standards, He can certainly do what He’s promised in the case of Mary. While Mary never shows a hint of doubt or disbelief, this is undoubtedly encouraging to hear. God’s worked a miracle so Elizabeth can have a baby, too!

The last thing the angel says to Mary is “For nothing is impossible with God.” Truer words have never been spoken.

Mary Accepts God’s Will
And how does Mary respond to this miraculous conception?

Luke 1:38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

The word servant can also be translated “handmaiden” or “slave.” Mary’s humility and submissive attitude comes shining through.

Think about what Mary’s agreeing to. She’s going to be pregnant during the betrothal period. What will her folks think? What will her neighbors and friends think? Our culture is so far gone that it doesn’t think twice when two people live together and have children. But being pregnant out of wedlock during Mary’s time was taboo. It was scandalous and forbidden by God. (By the way, while it may not be scandalous here in the 21st century it is still forbidden by the Lord. God’s Word is binding on all generations.)

She risks being divorced and a good chance of never getting married because of the stigma of having a child out of wedlock. She also risks rejection by her parents which might force her into begging or worse in order to support herself. She’s willing to sacrifice, however, for God’s will to be done.

Warren Wiersbe says this:

“When it comes to Mary, people tend to go to one of two extremes. They either magnify her so much that Jesus takes second place (Luke 1:32), or they ignore her and fail to give her the esteem she deserves (Luke 1:48). Elizabeth, filled with the spirit, called her ‘the mother of my Lord’ (Luke 1:43); and that is reason enough to honor her….She experienced the grace of God (Luke 1:30) and believed the Word of God, and therefore she could be used by the Spirit to accomplish the will of God.”

After the angel leaves her, Mary makes a beeline to visit her cousin Elizabeth and stays with her about three months. We know that from Luke 1:39-56.

And how does Joseph respond when he finds out that Mary’s pregnant with somebody else’s child? How does he respond when Mary comes back from visiting Elizabeth and she’s now likely three months pregnant herself?

Joseph Decides To Divorce Mary
Let’s let’s look at Matthew 1:18-25. We’ll start with verses 18 and 19.

Matt. 1:18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.

Matt. 1:19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

People who deny the virgin birth have to somehow explain away verse 18. It clearly says that Joseph is NOT the biological father. And who IS the father? The Holy Spirit. Matthew’s account is consistent with Luke’s. Jesus was the product of a virgin birth—He was both fully God and fully man.

Notice also how simply and straightforward Matthew is in stating the virgin birth. If it was a hoax dreamed up by men, surely Matthew would have tried to explain how it happened. But no, he states it as a fact which doesn’t need any further explanation: “before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.”

But Joseph is a righteous man so there’s no way that he can marry Mary. He doesn’t know about the miraculous conception at this point. All he sees is a pregnant fiancee who’s carrying somebody else’s baby. From a human perspective, Mary has committed adultery, so there’s no way that Joseph can go through with the wedding.

Adultery was serious business—in fact, Deuteronomy 22:23-24 says this:

Deut. 22:23 If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her,

Deut. 22:24 you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death—the girl because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated another man’s wife. You must purge the evil from among you.

During Joseph’s time, however, the Jewish custom allowed divorce. Joseph could either make a big stink and humiliate Mary by divorcing her publicly in front of the whole town, or he could divorce her quietly, behind the scenes.

I believe this speaks volumes about how Joseph feels about Mary. He loves her and even though he’s probably very hurt and confused, he doesn’t want to put her through a painful ordeal like a public divorce. He doesn’t want to disgrace her, at least anymore than he has to.

He’s righteous, so he can’t follow through with the marriage—that’s how he interprets God’s standards—but he also loves Mary and wants to be merciful, so he decides to divorce her quietly.

As a side note, notice that verse 18 says that Mary was “pledged to be married to Joseph,” while verse 19 says “Because Joseph her husband.” This shows how binding the betrothal or engagement period was. Even though Mary’s engaged, Scripture also calls Joseph her husband. The betrothal period was a binding one, making divorce the only way out from Joseph’s perspective.

As another side note, notice that verse 18 says “before they came together.” The implication is that Joseph and Mary DID consummate their marriage. They DID eventually have sexual intercourse and they DID eventually have other children. Despite what the Catholic church teaches, Mary did not remain a virgin.

Mark 6:3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

Other passages that indicate that Mary had other children, all by her husband Joseph, are in Matthew 12:46 and 13:55-56; John 7:3,5; Acts 1:14; 1 Corinthians 9:5; and Galatians 1:19.

So Joseph decides to divorce Mary, but before he can act on his decision, something changes his mind.

Joseph Learns The Holy Spirit Is The Father Of The Baby
Matt. 1:20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

Matt. 1:21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

So now Joseph gets a visit from an angel. It could be Gabriel, but his name isn’t given so we don’t know. This interaction is obviously different than Mary’s visit. Gabriel talked with her while she was awake, but this angel visits Joseph in a dream.

This isn’t like one of our dreams, though. This was real, not like our dreams where our unconscious minds run amok. This really happened.

And what does the angel tell Joseph?

“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

Notice first of all that the angel addresses Joseph as a son of David—as we’ve already talked about, that means he’s from the line of King David. So not only is Jesus from the womb of Mary and physically from the line of David, He also has legal rights as a king through His adopted father, Joseph.

This has to be comforting to Joseph. Mary, the woman he loves and is engaged to marry, hasn’t committed adultery! Imagine the emotions he must be feeling! Not only does this restore his confidence in his future wife, but “what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” Wow! This is undoubtedly the best dream and best sleep Joseph has ever had!

Notice that, like Mary, Joseph is told to name the child Jesus. As the name indicates, the child “will save his people from their sins.”

The Lord Prophesied About The Birth Of His Son, Immanuel
And why does the angel say all of this had to happen? Why does God have to be the father of Jesus? Why does there have to be a virgin birth?Matt. 1:22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Matt. 1:23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.”

There has to be a virgin birth because that’s what God predicted! And whatever God predicts, happens. Verse 23 is a direct reference to Isaiah 7:14 where God prophecies the Lord’s first coming.

Isa. 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

For those of you who may have scoffed at my previous references to 2 Timothy 3:16 and that all Scripture is God-breathed, here’s one of the most powerful evidences of the Bible being God’s Word.

The prophet Isaiah predicted—700 years before Matthew wrote these verses—that God would come to earth in the form of a man through a virgin birth. Why do Christians believe in the Bible? There are lots of reasons, but here’s one of the best reasons of all: God’s predictions have come true. Isaiah’s prediction came true 700 years later.

Did you know that there are 300 prophecies or predictions about the Lord’s incarnation and that every one of them came true?

What are the odds that even one of those prophesies would come true? What are the odds that just this prophecy, about something as rare and unique as the virgin birth, would come true? What are the odds that ALL of the Bible’s prophecies regarding the incarnation of Jesus Christ would come true?

Why do Christians believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God? There are lots of reasons, but fulfilled prophecy is one of the best ones of all. And for those of you who think that maybe the prophecy in Isaiah was really written after Jesus was born, think again. Historical and archaeological evidence shows conclusively that it was written hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth.

But someone might point out that this verse says that “‘they will call him Immanuel’-which means, ‘God with us.’” But His name is Jesus. He’s also called Christ, which is the Greek equivalent to Messiah which means anointed one, but nobody in the New Testament calls Him Immanuel.

That’s true. Jesus is never literally called Immanuel. But that’s because it isn’t His name—His name is Jesus. But Immanuel describes who He is—He’s God in human flesh, God with us.

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…

Jesus WAS Immanuel because He, as God, came to earth and lived among us.

So how does Joseph react to this news from the angel?

Matt. 1:24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

Matt. 1:25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Joseph obeyed God. He doesn’t divorce Mary. In fact, verse 24 strongly implies that Joseph marries her immediately. He “took Mary home as his wife.” Joseph goes against Jewish custom and marries her right away, pregnant and all. That means Jesus becomes his adopted son. But they don’t consummate the wedding until the child is born. In other words, Mary remains a virgin throughout her pregnancy with Jesus.

Joseph is such a righteous man, he loves God so much, that he ignores the ridicule that undoubtedly follows. Either people will believe that he and Mary had sexual relations before getting married, or that she was with someone else during her betrothal period. Either way, Joseph and Mary were undoubtedly battered with dirty looks and gossip and disdain.

What are they going to say? “You don’t understand. We’re both still virgins and God’s the father. You see, God supernaturally conceived the child.” Right, Mary, sure, Joseph.

But Joseph and Mary, both righteous, both lovers of God, submit to God’s will. And God’s will is to send a Savior to the nation Israel and all people, someone who will die for the sins of all mankind some day soon. And He does it supernaturally through a virgin birth.

Conclusion
In Matthew 22:42 Jesus asks the Pharisees a question. It’s a question that everyone has to answer sooner or later.

Matt. 22:42 “What do you think about the Christ ? Whose son is he?”

What about you? What do you think? Is Jesus the son of Joseph, a man, or the son of some other, anonymous, man?

I hope you believe what the Bible clearly and repeatedly teaches about Him. Jesus is the son of God. Christ was God in a human body.

John MacArthur says this:

“The supernatural birth of Jesus is the only way to account for the life that He lived. A skeptic who denied the virgin birth once asked a Christian, ‘If I told you that child over there was born without a human father, would you believe me?’ The believer replied, ‘Yes, if he lived as Jesus lived.’ The greatest outward evidence of Jesus’ supernatural birth and deity is His life.”

As we come to the end of this article, you need to answer the question, “Whose son is Jesus?”

I hope He’s Son of the Most High and you trust in Him for the forgiveness of your sins.