Isaiah 7:14 – Luke 1:26-38
Many people seem confused about various religious teachings and beliefs. Even among those who claim to be Christians, there are some who have difficulty understanding who Jesus is. I have been asked questions such as:
- How can Jesus, a human, be God?
- Wasn’t Jesus born a human being?
- How can a virgin give birth to a child?
- How can Jesus be God and still claim that there is only One God?
The Bible is very clear and true Christian believers know that there is only One God, and that a human being can never become a god, even though some cults teach that it is possible. Deuteronomy 6:4 says, “The Lord our God, The Lord is One.”
People ask: “How can Christians say that Jesus Christ is God even though he was born of a woman?” Yes, Jesus was born of a woman, but not of the human sperm. Jesus was not just another human being who became God, but rather He is God born in human form for a mission.
The birth of Christ is an essential and central subject of the Bible. Prophets in the Old Testament spoke about it. The New Testament proclaims it. The virgin birth of Jesus Christ must be accepted by faith by all those who are His followers.
The Virgin Birth of Christ Is Biblical
We read in the Old Testament: “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.” (Isaiah 7:14) and “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light, on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:2) Also, “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 Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
Let me emphasize the words Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. The angel of God proclaimed the divine birth of Jesus to Mary: “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:28)
And the angel reassured Mary: “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus….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.” (Luke 1:30-31 & 35). Other accounts are found in Matthew 1:22-25 and in John 3:16-18.
The Virgin Birth Is a Miracle You Accept by Faith
When Mary heard the angel say, “For nothing is impossible with God,” she responded, “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be as you have said.” (Luke 1:37-38) She had to accept this miracle by faith even though it was difficult for her to understand. “‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’” (Luke 1:34) The answer given to her was: “Nothing is impossible with God.” (v. 37)
The Bible is very clear about God’s ability! Genesis 18:14 says, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” In Mark 10:27, “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.’” And in Luke 18:27, Jesus said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”
God formed the first man from the dust of the ground. Why should the virgin birth of Jesus be so hard to accept? The miracle of the virgin birth is within God’s power. Even the Quran describes the virgin birth of Jesus (Suva 5).
The Virgin Birth Is an Unacceptable Mystery Until You Accept Christ as Your Saviour
The Bible says: “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)
The person who cannot accept the virgin birth will not be able to accept the miracles of creation, of Christ walking on the Sea of Galilee, of Christ raising the dead and of Christ Himself rising from the dead. The miracles of Christ are unacceptable until you accept Him. It is impossible to understand things of the Spirit until you have the Holy Spirit.
When you receive Christ as saviour by faith, the miracle of the new birth will take place in you and you will be a new person. And then the virgin birth will not be hard at all to accept.
To the unbeliever, the virgin birth is illogical and impossible to believe. But to the God of miracles, nothing is impossible. The miracle of the virgin birth and the miracle of the new birth (being born again) may be hard to understand and yet they are true!
Pastor Joseph Hovsepian