Why Is the Virgin Birth of Christ Important?
While "creeping" down the interstate in unbearably heavy traffic, my eyes were drawn to a bumper sticker that read "Jesus is the reason for the season." Obviously, the sticker was one driver's way to subtly combat the materialism pervading the Christmas season. Most Christians voice agreement to this pithy phrase. Christmas is the celebration of Christ's birth. Many of the cards we receive bear beautiful images of the Nativity. Churches spend weeks preparing programs to direct our thoughts toward Jesus' birth. However, Christmas is more than a birthday celebration. The Lord's birth was not like any other. He had no human father. His mother was a virgin. Thus, Christians celebrate the Virgin Birth of Christ, a truth central to the Gospel message.
The Biblical Account
There are two records of Christ's birth in the Gospels. The first is in Matthew 1:18-25. Here we read, "... 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... 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." Matthew writes the history from the perspective of Joseph, Mary's husband. God made it clear to Joseph that Mary's pregnancy was not due to unfaithfulness.
The second account is in Luke 1:26-38 and 2:1-20. God's angel Gabriel instructs Mary, "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."(1:35) Preceding this instruction Luke records, "... to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendent of David. The virgin's name was Mary."(1:27) There can be no question in Mary's mind. Her pregnancy was the miracle and blessing of God.
Both Matthew and Luke reveal that our Savior's virgin birth was a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. Isaiah prophesied, "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."(Isa.7:14) What an amazing prophecy! Isaiah penned those words over 700 years before Christ was born. Woven throughout the Christmas narrative is the glorious truth of our Lord's miraculous birth - He was born of a virgin. This is a fundamental fact which cannot be overlooked. But, why? Why is the virgin birth of Christ so important to Christians?
Reasons for Its Importance
First, the integrity of the Bible is at stake. Who can understand the virgin birth? Our minds are incapable of fully appreciating the divine miracle resulting in the baby Jesus. It is a truth that must be accepted by faith. The alternative is to deny clear statements in the Bible. If the Bible is not credible in its account of the virgin birth, how can we rely on any of its words? To reject the virgin birth is to ultimately unravel Christianity.
Second, the virgin birth is essential in understanding the Person of Christ. The Bible teaches Jesus is fully God and fully man. He is God in the flesh (John 1:14). Colossians 2:9 says, "For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily." He is not God humanized, nor, is he man deified. He is the Lord and Creator of the universe. He is 100% human able to be "touched with the feeling of our infirmities, yet without sin."(Heb. 4:15) As God He is capable of satisfying the holy demands of Divine Law. As man He is able to die in the place of sinners to accomplish their salvation. If He were only a man, He could not die for anyone but Himself. If He were only God, He could not be our Substitute and High Priest. The Doctrine of the Virgin Birth preserves these truths. Jesus was born of Mary while being the Eternal Son of God.
Third, the virgin birth is fundamental to the sinlessness of Christ. In Romans 5:12 the Apostle Paul writes, "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned." Sin entered the world through Adam. We are born sinners because Adam's nature is passed down to us. We sin because we have sinful natures. Such a nature comes from our parents, who inherited the same nature from their parents, etc. back to our first parents Adam and Eve. However, our Lord did not inherit such a nature. He had no human father. His birth was miraculously wrought by the Holy Spirit. If Jesus were born a sinner, He could not be our Savior. His death on the Cross would be a just penalty for His own failures and transgressions. All hope for salvation would be lost. Redemption demands the "spotless Lamb of God" dying in our place, taking upon Himself our sins, doing for us what we could never do for ourselves, i.e., satisfy the demands of God's Holy Law. The Doctrine of the Virgin Birth is vital to the Gospel message because the purity of our Lord must be maintained.
What are you celebrating this Christmas? Are you trying to avoid the materialism of the season? Are you attempting to teach your children that Christmas is a time to honor the birth of Christ? If so, part of that teaching should include the truth of Christ's virgin birth. The beauty surrounding the Christmas account can only be appreciated when we bow before the God-Man, Jesus Christ.
