Isaiah 7:14 - Virgin Birth of Christ
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Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14).
BELIEF IN THE VIRGIN BIRTH IS ESSENTIAL TO AFFIRM THE TRUTHFULNESS OF THE BIBLE.
Q: Why is it important to believe that the Bible teaches that Jesus was born of a virgin?
A: If we do not hold to the virgin birth despite the fact that the Bible asserts it, then we have compromised the authority of the Bible, and there is in principle no reason why we should hold to its other teachings. Thus, rejecting the virgin birth has implications reaching far beyond the doctrine itself (Millard Erickson).
Q. If Jesus were not born of a virgin, what implication would that have for the Gospel?
A. There is no other answer that will leave the Gospel intact. The virgin birth explains how Christ could be both God and man, how He was without sin, and that the entire work of salvation is God’s gracious act. If Jesus was not born of a virgin, He had a human father. If Jesus was not born of a virgin, the Bible teaches a lie.
BELIEF IN THE VIRGIN BIRTH IS ESSENTIAL TO AFFIRM THE DEITY OF JESUS.
Q. What does the term deity of Christ mean?
A. It means that Jesus is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity.
Q. Why is it important to connect the virgin birth with the deity of Christ?
A. The virgin birth assumes the preexistent, divine sonship of Jesus. The virgin birth is fitting for one who is already Son of God before the incarnation. Our Savior is not only a man, but he is the divine Son of God. He is uniquely the God-man—the only one who can accomplish salvation. He is Immanuel—God with us (Matthew 1:23).
Q: What some other verses teach the deity of Christ?
A: John 1:1; John 1:14; Hebrews 1:8; John 8:58
BELIEF IN THE VIRGIN BIRTH IS ESSENTIAL TO AFFIRM THE SINLESS HUMANITY OF JESUS.
Q: Why is it important to connect the virgin birth of Jesus to His sinless humanity?
A: The virgin birth shows us that our redeemer is fully, truly a man—yet without sin. Jesus was born supernaturally, but not in a way that makes his humanity different from ours (Hebrews 2:10–11). As one who was conceived uniquely of a woman by the agency of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is guarded from original sin and stands uniquely parallel to Adam. Were Jesus to have been born with a sinful nature, he would not be the sinless Savior. The virgin birth is the means by which the holy Son of God was incarnate, born without sin.
BELIEF IN THE VIRGIN BIRTH IS ESSENTIAL TO AFFIRM THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAVIOR.
Q: Must one believe in the virgin birth to be a Christian?
A: It is conceivable that someone might come to Christ and trust Christ as Savior without yet learning the Bible teaches that Jesus was born of a virgin. A new believer is not yet aware of the full structure of Christian truth. The real question is this: Can a Christian, once aware of the Bible’s teaching, reject the virgin birth? The answer must be no.
BELIEF IN THE VIRGIN BIRTH MEANS YOU BELEIVE JESUS IS GOD WITH US.
Belief in the virgin birth means that you believe Jesus is God with us.
Q: What is the significance of Jesus' birth fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah? (see Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:27-38; Luke 2:1-20)
A: Immanuel is God, with us, acting on our behalf, doing what we could not and would not do for ourselves. Having God with us is life-changing. Immanuel is changing the world. Guilt, alienation, shame, and futility have given way to forgiveness, reconciliation, hope, and purpose. Immanuel has opened the way from decay and death to God’s redemption and restoration. Nothing is the same because God came in Jesus. Celebrate Immanuel: God with us!
Q: How does it make you feel to know that God is with you, He knows your name, you are precious to Him, and He loves you (Isaiah 43:1-5)?
Q: God forgives and forgets our sins for His own sake, not wanting to be burdened with them (Isaiah 43:24-25). What are the implications for us regarding His command for us to forgive others as we have been forgiven?
MORE DISCUSSION QUESTION:
Q: A person says to you, “It doesn’t really matter what you believe, just so you believe in something.” How would you answer him, especially at it refers to the virgin birth of Christ?
A: A few doctrines are not “fundamentals” of the Christian faith. Sincere Christians may differ on their understanding of the non-fundamentals--such areas as prophecy, spiritual gifts, and views of baptism. But to deny the fundamentals of the faith is to depart from the core of what it means to be a Christian in the historical sense of the word. The virgin birth is a fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith. To deny it requires that we deny the authority and truth of the Bible, the deity and sinless humanity of Jesus Christ and that He is the Savior as taught in Scripture. Or, stated positively, to affirm these essential doctrines, we must affirm the virgin birth.
Q: Some critics argue against the virgin birth because Mark, John, and Paul are silent on it. How would you answer them?
A: Even if the virgin birth was taught by only one biblical passage, that would be sufficient to obligate all Christians to the belief. We have no right to weigh the truthfulness of biblical teachings by their repetition in Scripture. We cannot claim to believe the Bible is the Word of God and then turn around and cast suspicion on its teaching.
Q: How would you answer a critic who said that the virgin birth sounds like other pagan legends?
A: It’s not surprising that Satan would invent many counterfeit stories to confuse and cloud the facts surrounding the birth of the Savior. But invariably, such mythical stories sound like fables, whereas the biblical accounts read like factual history.
Q: Is it possible to believe in the virgin birth and incarnation of the Savior and yet not be saved?
A: Salvation does not depend upon affirming the creeds. Salvation depends upon personally receiving the free gift of eternal life which God offers to you through His eternal Son who took on human flesh through the virgin Mary on that first Christmas, who offered Himself as the substitute for sinners on the cross. If God is truly with us in Christ, then we must come to God only through Christ.
Q: How should the virgin birth affect my worship of Jesus?
-Because of the virgin birth, Christ was sinless.
-Because Christ was sinless, He was able to make atonement for our sins.
-Because Christ was able to make atonement for our sins, He is able to forgive us of our sins.
-Because Christ is able to forgive us, we have the hope and promise of heaven.
Apart from the virgin birth, we have no hope of salvation. Thank God—Jesus stepped out of Heaven and was born of a virgin. No wonder the angel said, “Good news of great joy, that will be for all people” (Luke 2:10).
BELIEF IN THE VIRGIN BIRTH IS ESSENTIAL TO AFFIRM THE TRUTHFULNESS OF THE BIBLE.
Q: Why is it important to believe that the Bible teaches that Jesus was born of a virgin?
A: If we do not hold to the virgin birth despite the fact that the Bible asserts it, then we have compromised the authority of the Bible, and there is in principle no reason why we should hold to its other teachings. Thus, rejecting the virgin birth has implications reaching far beyond the doctrine itself (Millard Erickson).
Q. If Jesus were not born of a virgin, what implication would that have for the Gospel?
A. There is no other answer that will leave the Gospel intact. The virgin birth explains how Christ could be both God and man, how He was without sin, and that the entire work of salvation is God’s gracious act. If Jesus was not born of a virgin, He had a human father. If Jesus was not born of a virgin, the Bible teaches a lie.
BELIEF IN THE VIRGIN BIRTH IS ESSENTIAL TO AFFIRM THE DEITY OF JESUS.
Q. What does the term deity of Christ mean?
A. It means that Jesus is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity.
Q. Why is it important to connect the virgin birth with the deity of Christ?
A. The virgin birth assumes the preexistent, divine sonship of Jesus. The virgin birth is fitting for one who is already Son of God before the incarnation. Our Savior is not only a man, but he is the divine Son of God. He is uniquely the God-man—the only one who can accomplish salvation. He is Immanuel—God with us (Matthew 1:23).
Q: What some other verses teach the deity of Christ?
A: John 1:1; John 1:14; Hebrews 1:8; John 8:58
BELIEF IN THE VIRGIN BIRTH IS ESSENTIAL TO AFFIRM THE SINLESS HUMANITY OF JESUS.
Q: Why is it important to connect the virgin birth of Jesus to His sinless humanity?
A: The virgin birth shows us that our redeemer is fully, truly a man—yet without sin. Jesus was born supernaturally, but not in a way that makes his humanity different from ours (Hebrews 2:10–11). As one who was conceived uniquely of a woman by the agency of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is guarded from original sin and stands uniquely parallel to Adam. Were Jesus to have been born with a sinful nature, he would not be the sinless Savior. The virgin birth is the means by which the holy Son of God was incarnate, born without sin.
BELIEF IN THE VIRGIN BIRTH IS ESSENTIAL TO AFFIRM THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAVIOR.
Q: Must one believe in the virgin birth to be a Christian?
A: It is conceivable that someone might come to Christ and trust Christ as Savior without yet learning the Bible teaches that Jesus was born of a virgin. A new believer is not yet aware of the full structure of Christian truth. The real question is this: Can a Christian, once aware of the Bible’s teaching, reject the virgin birth? The answer must be no.
BELIEF IN THE VIRGIN BIRTH MEANS YOU BELEIVE JESUS IS GOD WITH US.
Belief in the virgin birth means that you believe Jesus is God with us.
Q: What is the significance of Jesus' birth fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah? (see Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:27-38; Luke 2:1-20)
A: Immanuel is God, with us, acting on our behalf, doing what we could not and would not do for ourselves. Having God with us is life-changing. Immanuel is changing the world. Guilt, alienation, shame, and futility have given way to forgiveness, reconciliation, hope, and purpose. Immanuel has opened the way from decay and death to God’s redemption and restoration. Nothing is the same because God came in Jesus. Celebrate Immanuel: God with us!
Q: How does it make you feel to know that God is with you, He knows your name, you are precious to Him, and He loves you (Isaiah 43:1-5)?
Q: God forgives and forgets our sins for His own sake, not wanting to be burdened with them (Isaiah 43:24-25). What are the implications for us regarding His command for us to forgive others as we have been forgiven?
MORE DISCUSSION QUESTION:
Q: A person says to you, “It doesn’t really matter what you believe, just so you believe in something.” How would you answer him, especially at it refers to the virgin birth of Christ?
A: A few doctrines are not “fundamentals” of the Christian faith. Sincere Christians may differ on their understanding of the non-fundamentals--such areas as prophecy, spiritual gifts, and views of baptism. But to deny the fundamentals of the faith is to depart from the core of what it means to be a Christian in the historical sense of the word. The virgin birth is a fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith. To deny it requires that we deny the authority and truth of the Bible, the deity and sinless humanity of Jesus Christ and that He is the Savior as taught in Scripture. Or, stated positively, to affirm these essential doctrines, we must affirm the virgin birth.
Q: Some critics argue against the virgin birth because Mark, John, and Paul are silent on it. How would you answer them?
A: Even if the virgin birth was taught by only one biblical passage, that would be sufficient to obligate all Christians to the belief. We have no right to weigh the truthfulness of biblical teachings by their repetition in Scripture. We cannot claim to believe the Bible is the Word of God and then turn around and cast suspicion on its teaching.
Q: How would you answer a critic who said that the virgin birth sounds like other pagan legends?
A: It’s not surprising that Satan would invent many counterfeit stories to confuse and cloud the facts surrounding the birth of the Savior. But invariably, such mythical stories sound like fables, whereas the biblical accounts read like factual history.
Q: Is it possible to believe in the virgin birth and incarnation of the Savior and yet not be saved?
A: Salvation does not depend upon affirming the creeds. Salvation depends upon personally receiving the free gift of eternal life which God offers to you through His eternal Son who took on human flesh through the virgin Mary on that first Christmas, who offered Himself as the substitute for sinners on the cross. If God is truly with us in Christ, then we must come to God only through Christ.
Q: How should the virgin birth affect my worship of Jesus?
-Because of the virgin birth, Christ was sinless.
-Because Christ was sinless, He was able to make atonement for our sins.
-Because Christ was able to make atonement for our sins, He is able to forgive us of our sins.
-Because Christ is able to forgive us, we have the hope and promise of heaven.
Apart from the virgin birth, we have no hope of salvation. Thank God—Jesus stepped out of Heaven and was born of a virgin. No wonder the angel said, “Good news of great joy, that will be for all people” (Luke 2:10).
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