(Ver 1.3)  This is Part 1 in a series of Bible lessons on Understanding the subject of the “Virgin Birth” and why it is important and necessary to believe in it to be a Christian.  This subject is a potentially explosive and very controversial topic among some Christians and churches.  We have many Christians, who fully embrace the virgin birth of Jesus, then we have some who are indifferent to its importance and finally we have others who flatly deny that it ever happened.  So can you be a real Christian and not believe in the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ?   I read one blogger who thought that you could and in a way I agree with a lot of what he said.  However, why is it important from a Bible defense standpoint, to believe in the virgin conception and the birth of son from a woman who has not “known” a man?    To me I can say, it is because if there was no virgin birth, then there was no payment for human sin and therefore no salvation, no redemption and we will all die and go to hell with no hope.  You see if Jesus was not born of a virgin, then who is He?   Or I guess I should say who was He?  If He was just another human man, a descendant of Adam like me then I’m in some real big trouble.  If you believe that He was just a man like you, then you are also in some major trouble.  If Jesus was a man born exactly like every other man on the planet, that would put Him on the same level as a “Confucius”, a “Mohammed”, an “Aristotle”,  a”Caesar”, an “Alexander the Great”, an  “Ivan the Terrible” or whoever else that you would care to name.  You see if you do not believe in the virgin birth, who then is your savior?  What makes your savior different than Islam? What is your salvation based or built upon foundationally?   To who or what have you placed your confidence in when you die and leave this world?  If it is not in anything that God has personally done, and God’s Word, then you are lost in your deception.

Isa 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

If Jesus Christ is not born of a virgin human woman, then He is not God in the flesh as this verse declared.  If He was born of a literal virgin human woman without the involvment of a human father, then it is impossible for Him to be anything, but God in the flesh as the Bible teaches in many verses.  I know that with modern technology, using test tube babies and in vitro-fertilization methods, it is very possible today for a woman to get pregnant without a man’s direct involvement.  However, this was not the case nearly 2000 years ago when it was certainly not possible to get pregnant, except by the natural way that God had created created.  If a natural human man was not involved, then God personally must have done something to intervene and circumvent the course of nature to cause the situation that Mary is said to be in in Matthew and Luke.  In this verse in Isaiah God prophesies that a “virgin” would conceive.   Now a virgin conception is not news, because that use to happen all of the time when she lost her virginity with her husband.   But, a virgin woman with her hymen intact giving birth to a child, this had never happened before Jesus came along and entered into the world.    The primary relevance from  this verse is that there is no natural man mentioned in this future prophesied event in Isaiah other than the son being born.   There is however, the direct mention of a spiritual being and that is God.  God tells us that He will give us a sign.   Signs are something that you are intimately familiar with if learn to drive a car.  A sign gives us instructions, knowledge; information, guidance, direction and these are all applicable to God’s message in this prophecy.  Do you see how essential the virgin birth is said to be?  If you do not have this information or maybe you missed it, or maybe you ignored it, then you are missing an important “Sign” from God on the roadway of life.  You have absolutely no foundation for being saved, because you do not know who you believe in or why. 

The Hebrew name of the virgin’s son is said to be “Immanuel”, which when looked up, means “God With Us”.  This was God in the form of a man.  Now we are beginning to understand how a virgin birth is even possible 2000 years ago.  However, important this information is, you would think that God would give us many verses that speak to this fact in the Bible.   However, I have found that God is not that way.  God does not give you overwhelming evidence to anything in the Bible, in order to let you choose what you want to believe in.  If God wrote the Bible with clear evidence, you would be forced into believing the truth and that is not how God works by design.

Mat 1:23  Behold, 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.

God repeats the prophecy of Isaiah in this verse in Matthew and this is one of the only two times it is directly mentioned in the Bible.   The name “Immanuel” in the O.T.  is said to be “Emmanuel” in the Greek N.T., but it is the same Hebrew word and as you can see it means “God With Us”.  Fortunately for us correct interpretation of the Bible only requires two witnesses to establish any truth.   So just because there is only two direct witnesses to this truth does not diminish the importance of the information given to us.   There are many ignorant teachers on the internet who like to say, Paul never said anything about a virgin birth, so therefore it is not important.  People can be so spiritually blind sometimes.  Just because Paul did not say anything directly, does not mean he did not write anything about it indirectly.   Maybe I’ll talk more about that later.  But, for now let’s continue on with the importance of knowing about the virgin birth.

1Jn 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

Ask yourself this question, why is it so important for Satan to try to deceive people into not believing in a virgin birth?   Have you ever thought about that?   Obviously Satan is hard at work at attempting to get people not to believe in a virgin birth.   Satan uses people who say they are Christians, but yet deny the virgin birth and thus they deny God came in the flesh and according to the Bible, this is the spirit of “anti-Christ”.  Did you notice what John wrote in this verse of scripture?   God tells us that the spirit of anti-Christ will deny that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.   Isn’t this the debate that is raging on the internet?   Has Jesus Christ been born of a virgin woman?   Who is this Jesus Christ?  According to the Bible Jesus Christ was God in the flesh.  You see Satan is denying that God came in person to the earth.  This is directly related to the subject of Christians believing in the virgin birth.  Do you understand this?  You see if this verse says what I think it does, you cannot be a Christian and not believe in the virgin birth.  Otherwise God says you are a part of the “anti-Christ” and that makes you by default as none of His.  Now are you beginning to see the importance of believing in the virgin birth?

2Jn 1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Again we see that God says there are those in the earth that are debating the deity of Jesus Christ and these are those that have the spirit of “anti-Christ”.  In other words they are being used by Satan to deceive others into believing a lie.  What benefit does Satan derive from you not believing in the virgin birth?  What advantage does Satan possess when you don’t believe that God has come to the earth in the flesh?   Satan gains you as his possession for eternity, and that is not a good place to end up.    You do not have salvation, if you do not have a virgin birth.  If you think you do, you are going to have to explain what you base your faith on.

Rom 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Let me give you one indirect reference to the virgin birth that is related to the salvation of every Christian.  In this verse God says that if you believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess Him as your Lord you will be saved.  What makes the resurrection of Jesus from the dead different than say the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead (John 11:43)?    Didn’t God raise Lazarus from the dead after being in the grave for 4 days?  Heck, Jesus was only in the grave for three days, it would seem Lazarus was a greater miracle and sign for us to believe in.  What makes Jesus different than Lazarus and why aren’t we saved, if we believe that God raised Lazarus from the dead.  Most people just don’t think when they read the Bible, I guess?  I hope you are beginning to understand the importance of the virgin birth, at least a little bit.   You see the only difference between Jesus and Lazarus is one of them was born of a virgin.  One of them was God and one of them was not.  Guess who that was?  You see if you don’t know or your don’t believe it happened; you have no confidence in your salvation or your Savior.   There were multiple people raised from the dead in the Gospels.   Why don’t any of them save us?  The major difference was that none of them were God.  They all died again and were buried.  But, Jesus is living in heaven seated at the right hand of majesty forever alive.  So next time you meet someone who does not believe in the virgin birth, ask them who saved them?

If you would like to continue reading in this series of lessons about “Understanding the Virgin Birth” please continue with “Part 2“.