Why Was Jesus Born of a Virgin?
Scripture makes many incredible claims about Jesus of Nazareth. However, one stands at the center of them all. Scripture asserts that the birth of Jesus was supernatural and unique from the normal process of procreation. The Bible states that Jesus’ existence occurred by a virgin through the Holy Spirit. A radical claim!
Discover four principles for why the miraculous conception of Jesus is so essential to the Christian faith.
Principle 1: The Virgin Conception is the only way Jesus can be 100% God and 100% Man.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The virgin conception is the only process by which God could have entered our world as an actual human. If the divine is genuinely going to take on human flesh, it will require that a human being is involved in the process. In theological terms, this is called the Incarnation. This Latin word meaning “the act of being made flesh” comes from the Latin translation of John 1:14.
The virgin conception was the merciful and voluntary act of the Son of God to possess a human body. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, heaven and earth were united in Mary's womb to create Emmanuel, "God with us" (Matthew 1:20–23).
Principle 2: The Virgin Conception ensures Jesus’ preexistent Divine Sonship.
Hebrews 1:2 And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe.
In short, the eternal Sonship states that the second Person of the triune Godhead has eternally existed as the Son. This means there was never a time when Jesus was not the Son of God, and there has always been a Father/Son relationship within the Godhead (Galatians 4:4).
If Jesus was not born of a virgin by the Holy Spirit, then two important questions must be asked,
How did Jesus become God?
When did Jesus become God?
If Jesus were not born of a virgin by the Holy Spirit, then His beginning could not have been a divine origin. However, just as the Holy Spirit did not become the Spirit at Pentecost, neither did the Son become the Son at the moment of Jesus’ incarnation (Colossians 1:15).
The virgin conception ensures that the Son could both eternally exist and come into existence in the womb of Mary as the only begotten of the Father (John 1:14).
Principle 3: Virgin Conception is Vital to the Christian Faith.
Matthew 1:18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.
At a basic fundamental level, the virgin conception of Jesus is related to all other doctrinal beliefs about Jesus. If you deny the virgin conception of Jesus, then you also must reject:
The Truthfulness of the Word of God: Scripture plainly teaches that Jesus was born of a virgin.
The Deity of Jesus: Explaining how Jesus became God without the virgin birth causes one to fall into heresy.
The Means of Salvation: If Jesus were not born of a virgin by the Holy Spirit, He could not possess a sinless nature, which means His death would not provide a means of salvation.
The Validity of the Resurrection: If Jesus' beginning did not occur by divine origin, it is logical to also doubt His resurrection.
Principle 4: Virgin Conception is Validates God’s Promises.
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name bImmanuel.
We find in Scripture that the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ is the first of many miracles that characterize the one declared to be the Son of God (Matthew 3:17).
If Jesus were the unique Son of God, one would expect an extraordinary beginning. Scripture describes the earthly life of Jesus began with a miracle (virgin conception), marked by miraculous signs (healings, raising the dead, walking on water, etc.), and to be completed with the miraculous (resurrection from the dead).
All of which validated the prophet Isaiah's claim that God would come to be with us through a virgin (Isaiah 7:14).
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About the Author
Dr. Laurito (DMin. Southwestern Assembly of God University) serves both the church and the academy as a pastor and an adjunct professor. Whether through books, sermons, podcasts, blogs, or biblical resources, Dr. Laurito is committed to equipping this generation to fulfill their Spirit-inspired destiny.