(Transcribed from the Words of Life Radio Program.)
It is good to be together again as we look into the Word of God. The title for the lesson is: “Pregnant Through the Holy Spirit.” And our theme text is taken from the New Testament the gospel of Matthew chapter 1 verses 18 through 25. We will get to the text in the body of our lesson.
It may surprise you to learn that some modern evangelical type ministers, at least claiming to be evangelical, either deny the virgin conception outright, and/or deny that it is necessarily a truth to be believed by all Christians.
A few years ago, consider this statement by Andy Stanley, son of the late Pastor Charles Stanley of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta, Georgia who stated: “Christianity doesn’t hinge on the truth or even the stories about the birth of Jesus. It really hinges on the resurrection of Jesus.”
Therefore, Andy Stanley basically stated that the miraculous conception of Jesus, in the womb of a virgin, is not as important as the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He thereby acknowledged, to his mind, that one of the challenging truths about the birth of Christ is the unbelievable nature of the stories in the Bible describing Jesus’ miraculous conception. Later, Stanley acknowledged his belief in the virgin birth of Jesus, however, he still left the door open for other Christians not to affirm this belief as necessary for “The Faith.” As Jude wrote: “The faith once and for all given to the saints.” In other words that it is a necessary doctrine (teaching) of gospel truth. The miraculous conception of Jesus.
Well, is it necessary for a born-again, Baptized Christian to believe, to affirm the supernatural conception and virgin birth of Jesus or not? This is the question we will pursue, not as opinion of Andy Stanley nor myself but instead letting the inspired of God narratives of Scripture speak for themselves. The explicit statements concerning the virgin birth of Jesus are confined to the narratives recorded and revealed in the gospels of Matthew and Luke.
If one examines these two gospel accounts closely it is interesting that the emphasis in both gospels is not on describing the actual birth of Jesus itself, as vital as it is to the outworking of God’s plan, but instead on how events before and after Jesus’ birth demonstrates how Almighty God was actively fulfilling His Word in providing salvation through the incarnation of His Son by the miraculous conception of the virgin birth.
So, let’s unpack a few main points of Matthew’s gospel account in Matthew chapter 1 verses 18 through 25.)
Verse 18 “Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph.” “Pledged” amounts to a Jewish “betrothal or engagement,” however, in Judaism, in Mary’s day, it was as binding as modern marriage. In fact, a divorce was necessary to terminate this engagement (or betrothal) as according to verse 19 “he had in mind to divorce her quietly “. Why? Verse 18 “before the came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.” Was Mary guilty of adultery, as she and Joseph were considered to be already married? Absolutely not! Mary was “pregnant through the Holy Spirit” that is miraculously by Almighty God.
This truth is affirmed in (verse 20) “an angel of the Lord” (who confirmed…) “What is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” Obviously, this refers clearly to a miraculous conception by God in Mary’s womb. We should understand that all the further events of Mary’s pregnancy and the birth itself followed the normal, natural woman’s process of a birth. There is no biblical evidence for the belief, of some, that Mary had a pain-free pregnancy and birth. Only the conception was miraculous, the birth itself of the baby Jesus was normal.
It’s boggling to understand why Andy Stanley would consider the miraculous conception of Jesus as a “Challenging truth” or “unbelievable nature of the stories in the Bible” describing Jesus’ miraculous conception. Stanley apparently believes in the miraculous bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. So, obviously, God has the power to do both the supernaturally miraculous conception and the miraculous bodily resurrection of Jesus also!
Why is the miraculous conception necessary as is the resurrection of Jesus Christ as both being essential for the Christian faith?
First, the virgin birth was the “sign” given by God to point to Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant of God to David and to Israel. Consider Isaiah chapter 7 and verse 14 in the Old Testament “Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son and will call him Immanuel.” This prophecy linked to Matthew chapter 1 and verse 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God with us.”)
God declared His determination to fulfill His covenant oath to the house (dynasty) of David through a virgin born Son who would be God in flesh. Therefore, the virgin birth is viewed as a divine necessity in the Lord’s goal of ultimately providing a Davidic descendant who would reign over both Israel and the nations (Isaiah chapter 9 verses 6 through 7). Without the virgin birth the Davidic prophecy and promise would be rendered null and void. Therefore, belief (faith) in the virgin birth of Christ is vital to the Christian’s ultimate hope of the prophesied future plan of God.
Secondly, the virgin birth was the means chosen by God for the Savior to enter the world. Matthew chapter 1 verse 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.”
This goes back to Old Testament prophecy that the one who was going to be Israel’s Messiah was also going to be Israel’s (and the nations’) Redeemer and Savior. Consider Isaiah chapter 49 and verse 5 “And now the LORD says he who formed me in the womb to be His servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has been my strength.” (Also, consider Isaiah 52 verse 13 through Isaiah chapter 53 and verse 12) “The virgin birth was the means that God sovereignly chose by which the Messiah Savior of His people, would be the sin bearer who would enter the world.”
Thirdly, the virgin birth allowed Jesus to be fathered by God in a somewhat similar way that Adam had been fathered by God – that is without sin. (Genesis chapter 1 and verse 27 “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Luke chapter 1 and verse 35 “The angel answered, ‘the Holy Spirit will come on 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.” “Holy One” that is absolutely without any sin. Adam as created originally was without sin. Jesus in his humanity inherited no sin nature, and He never sinned, in though, not in word, not in deed. He never sinned. (Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 15) emphasize this and reveals it. As well as other passages in the New Testament.
Fourthly, the virgin birth resulted in God dwelling in a human body with humanity; and so was how a divine being who was preexistent could take to Himself a human nature (minus sin) without the procreation of a new person. John chapter 1 and verse 14 “The Word who: “Was God” John chapter 1 and verse 1, became flesh and made his dwelling among us…” (John chapter 1 and verse 14.)
Meaning God became a man, which is called the “incarnation.” God the Holy Spirit generated the fetus in the womb of a virgin named Mary. Thus, the preexistent God (John chapter 1 and verse 1) was able to enter the world as fully (truly) God, and also as fully (truly) man, human, flesh and blood, the incarnation. Jesus Christ is God-man with a dual nature as a result of the virgin birth, the incarnation of God, deity in bodily form. (According to the apostle Paul as written in Colossians chapter 2 and verse 9)
Fifthly, the virgin birth is but another testimony of the power of God to do that which is impossible for man to do. (Luke chapter 1 and verse 37) “For no word from God will ever fail.” This includes Mary’s conception miraculously, without a human male through the virgin birth. Consider Matthew chapter 1 and verse 25) In a God created cosmos, absolutely nothing is impossible for God that does not deny Himself. God cannot sin because that would deny His personhood, His righteous perfection and perfection in every way.
Sixthly, the virgin birth affirms the supernatural when God chooses to actively work-out His divine goals and plans. A Bible believing Christian has a mindset affirming that our Creator God can do what is naturally impossible if one believes in God, and His supernatural power and the inerrancy of all Scripture in the original autograph (no errors) then a Christian will have no problem accepting the miraculous conception and virgin birth.
Seventhly, the virgin birth needs to be a part of the Christian’s confession of gospel truth.
If an accountable Christian, (old enough to understand these truths,) believes in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, there is no logical problem in believing in the equally great miracle of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. The virgin birth of Christ is absolutely necessary for Christians “to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.” (Jude verse 3). Consider this illustration:
It was Michael’s 6th birthday party at a local Chuck-E-Cheese Restaurant. We even did that once in our own family. We when to Chuck-E-Cheese for one of our son’s birthdays once. Plenty of family and friends had a good time for Michaels sixth birthday. The major problem came when it was all over. All the children and adults climbed into half-a-dozen vehicles and headed home. Everyone, that is, except 6-year-old Michael.
Evidently, the birthday boy returned to the play area, and when the celebration party left, the child Michael was left behind. Michael’s mother assumed that her son was staying with his grandmother, who had also attended the celebration, the birthday celebration, so his mother didn’t realize her son was missing until the next morning. Unfortunately for Michael (and his mother), it is possible to have a joyful birthday celebration (such as what Christmas is, and still forget the One of honor!
Never forget, Jesus could not redeem us on the cross, according to God’s plan revealed in Scripture unless He was first miraculously conceived and born of a virgin. Who is God’s ultimate gift – He is the Holy One! The Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, the anointed One of God. That’s the real reason for the season.
David Johnson is minister of the Sellersburg Church of Christ in Sellersburg, IN