Mary – The Virgin
Modern Bible skeptics dismiss the idea of the virgin birth as unmerited. But the Scriptures confirm that in the gospels of Matthew and Luke:
(1) Both affirm that Jesus was born of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 1:18, 20; Luke 1:35).
(2) They declare that Mary was to “bring forth a son” who was not to be the son of Joseph (Matthew 1:21) but the Son of God (Luke 1:35).
(3) They state that Mary remained a virgin “till she had brought forth” Jesus (Matthew 1:25).
(4) They state that Mary affirmed her virginity to the angel (Luke 1:34).
Matthew and Luke, writing as they did under divine direction, would not have related the story of the virgin birth if it had not been true. They knew clearly how the Jewish leaders had ridiculed Jesus because of the mysterious circumstances surrounding His birth, and that they were giving critics the opportunity for mocking by repeating the story.
The virgin miracle was a fulfillment to the prophecy of Isaiah, “Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (ch. 7:14). Immanuel means “God with us.” Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Matthew quotes Isaiah’s prediction to Christ the Messiah as a sign from God to the divinity of Jesus. This child would represent a union of the divine and human natures. The Immanuel sign would testify to Christ’s divinity and origin.
Not just the gospels confirm that but also the teachings of Paul about the divinity of Jesus Christ is wholly consistent with the virgin birth (Philippians 2:6–8; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:1–9; etc.). The incarnation of the Son of God is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Apart from the virgin birth there could be no true incarnation, and without the incarnation and virgin birth, the Bible becomes a mere legend.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team