The Virgin Birth of Jesus and its Significance, Rev Mrs Mary Fosu
AMAZING GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH, HAMBURG BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL ON MATTHEW 1:18-25
Memory Verse: Matthew 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.
Introduction
Last week, we began a study on the birth of Christ. In the lesson, we established that the foundation of the story of God’s immeasurable grace to humanity through Christ started from the Old Testament. We look at it in the light of the Old Testament prophecies and the genealogy of Christ as narrated Matthew. We came across names of all manner of persons in this family tree, which implication teaches us that God’s work in history is not limited human failures or sins. Today, we want to look at the significance of the virgin birth of Christ. We can get so lost in the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season that we can easily forget the glory of it all, and what makes it so special in the first place. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place for our sins and to give us the greatest gift any of us could ever be given: Eternal life, but eternal life did not start with the cross. It started with the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.
The Virgin Birth
In Matthew 1:18, Matthew narrates, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew narrates that Christ’s birth was no ordinary birth. He was born of a virgin. A mother who had never known an intimate relationship with a man and yet, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
The virgin birth of Christ is a fundamental doctrine of our Christian faith. The virgin birth means Jesus’ conception in the womb of Mary was not the result of sexual relationship. Mary was a virgin at the time of conception and continued so up to the point of birth. The Scripture indicates that Joseph did not have sexual intercourse with her until after the birth of Jesus, Matthew 1:25. Mary became pregnant through a supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit on her.
All biblical evidence makes it clear that Joseph was not the natural father of Jesus. In contemporary terms, Joseph was the foster father of Jesus. The doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus is based upon two explicit biblical references in the New Testament: Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-38. There are other passages in the New Testament which some have argued refers to the virgin birth, for example, Gal. 4:4 and there are also some prophecies in the Old Testament, example Isaiah 7:14
Another evidence of the virgin birth is its strong tradition in the early church. A beginning point is the Apostle’s creed, which was produced around the fifth and sixth century. It affirms that Jesus was born of a virgin, implying that the belief in the virgin birth must have been prevalent long before the close of the first century.
SOME SIGNIFICANCE OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH
- It affirms the authority of the Bible
If we do not hold to the virgin birth, despite the fact that the Bible assert it, then we have compromised the authority of the Bible. Then, there is in principle no reason why we should hold to its other teachings.
- The doctrine is indispensable to the incarnation.
Without the virgin birth, there would have been no union of God with man. If Jesus has been simply the product of the normal sexual union of man and woman, he would have been only a human being and not God-man. Thus, the virgin birth confirms that Jesus was fully man and fully God.
- The virgin birth is indispensable to the sinlessness of Jesus
If Jesus had been born out of sexual union between a man and a woman, he would have had a depraved and sinful nature like the rest of us and therefore cannot be a saviour of sinful humankind. Peter wrote in 1 Pet. 2:22 that Jesus committed no sin. If Jesus was born out of sexual union, then His sinless character would only be a myth.
- The doctrine of the virgin birth is a reminder that our salvation is supernatural
The Apostle John says those who believe in Christ receive in Christ the authority to become the children of God and this is not born out of blood nor of the will of the flesh but of God, John 1:13. The emphasis here is that salvation does not come through man’s efforts, nor is it his accomplishment. It is the work of God, John 3:5-6. Salvation is a spiritual birth.
- The virgin birth is an evidence of the power of the sovereignty of God over nature
On several occasions in the Bible, God had provided a child when the mother was barren or passed the age of child bearing but that God made the seemingly impossible in the matter of the virgin birth is symbolic of His ability to accomplish the seemingly impossible task of granting a new birth to sinners
Conclusion
The miracle of the virgin birth is at the very centre of the Gospel. Without it, the miracles of Jesus would be useless, the cross would not matter, and the resurrection would not be possible. The Eternal Son of God took on human flesh being born of the Virgin Mary to save us from our sins out of nothing but His love, mercy, and grace. Jesus was born of a virgin, that we might be born of God. He took our flesh, that he might give us His Spirit. He lay in the manger that we might lie in Paradise. Furthermore, he came down from heaven, that he might bring us to heaven.
Questions
- What do you understand the virgin birth?
- What are some significance of the virgin birth of Christ?
- How would you explain the sinlessness of Jesus?
