The Virgin Birth of Christ

As I have been studying and preaching through the first chapter of Matthew leading up to Christmas, I have arrived at verses 18-25.  These verses deal with the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.

Since the times when Jesus asked the Pharisees, “What think ye of Christ?  Whose son is he?”, that question has continually been asked.  In those days, the Jewish leaders focused on the fact that the Messiah had to be the son of David.  Frankly, they really weren’t sure of much more than that.  They didn’t really understand that the Messiah would be God in human flesh.  This is evidenced in the fact that when Jesus claimed to be both the son of David and the Son of God, they railed against him as a blasphemer.

Today, people are willing to admit that he is in the royal lineage of King David, but they’re not willing to give him the title of Son of God.  Even those who claim to be Christians do not firmly believe that Jesus was virgin born.  A study a few years ago revealed that among students in Protestant seminaries, 56% rejected the idea of the virgin birth.  Also, the Survey Research Center of the University of California at Berkeley polled the denominations regarding the virgin birth of Christ.  They found that 69% of American Baptists believed in the virgin birth, 66% of Lutherans, 57% of United Presbyterians, 39% of Episcopalians, 34% of Methodists, and 21% of Congregationalists believed that Jesus Christ was virgin born.  It seems to me that if churches are not ready to accept as truth the virgin birth of Christ, then certainly, neither is the rest of the unchurched world.

Dr. John Walvoord once said, “The incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ is the central fact of Christianity.  Upon it the whole superstructure of Christian theology depends.” He states that the whole essence of Christianity falls upon the fact that Jesus is God in human flesh, a truth that is made clear by the manner of His birth!

What has happened is this, the supernatural has been discounted and attempts have been made to explain it away.  Indeed, there is no evidence remaining to prove the validity of a virgin born Christ.  But, it certainly requires two things:

1. Submission to the Word of God.
2. Faith in the Promises of God.

I could lay out for you all of the scripture that lays the foundation for a miraculous virgin birth of Christ, but without a trust in the Bible and the faith to believe it wholeheartedly it would be a waste of my time and yours.  We must simply believe God’s Word.

I’m going to close with the simple words of Matthew 1:18-25.  May God grant us the faith to BELIEVE IT!

¹⁸Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

¹⁹Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

²⁰But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

²¹And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

²²Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

²³Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

²⁴Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

²⁵And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

By His Grace,

Pastor Bryan Ries

Blue River Baptist Church of Edinburgh, Indiana

www.FamilyMediaSolutions.com

Psalm 34:8

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