THE DOCTRINE OF

THE VIRGIN BIRTH

A Look at what the Bible Says

Since God has revealed Himself to us in Scripture, and the doctrine that He wants taught in His church is nothing other than what the Bible says; it should be obvious that those who refuse to teach what the Bible says, or affirm that it is true, do so because another authority has replaced the authority of Scripture in their lives.

GOD’S RECORD OF WHAT TOOK PLACE

Luke chapter one

26 ¶ And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

27 To a virgin espoused to a man named Joseph, who was of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

28 And coming into her home the angel said, Peace, favored one, the Lord is with you: and you are blessed among women.

29 And when she saw him, she was deeply troubled by what he said, wondering what kind of greeting this could be.

30 And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary: for you have found favor with God.

31 And, you will conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and will name him JESUS.

32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David:

33 And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and his kingdom will never end.

34 Then Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I have never been intimate with a man?

35 And the angel said, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you: therefore the holy one who will be born of you will be called the Son of God.

36 And, behold, your cousin Elisabeth, has also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month for her, who was said to be barren.

37 For with God nothing will be impossible.

38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it happen to me as you said. Then the angel left her.

Matthew chapter one:

18 ¶ Now 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.

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

20 But 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.

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

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

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.

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

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

Luke chapter two:

1 ¶ Now it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

2 (And this taxing was first done when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3 And everyone went to be taxed, each to his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from the city of Nazareth, in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, that is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, who was great with child.

6 And it so happened, that, while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 ¶ And there were in the same country shepherds out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, the angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were terrified.

10 And the angel said to them, Do not be afraid: for, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that will be for all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

12 And this will be a sign to you; You will find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go now to Bethlehem, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.

16 And they went with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.

17 And after they had seen him, they made known what had been told them concerning this child.

18 And everyone who heard it wondered at the things that the shepherds told them.

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as they had been told.

Matthew chapter two:

1 ¶ Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,

2 Asking, Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and have come to worship him.

3 When King Herod heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

5 And they told him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for it is written by the prophet,

6 And you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of you will come a Governor, who will rule my people Israel.

7 Then after Herod had privately called the wise men, he diligently questioned them as to what time the star appeared.

8 And sent them to Bethlehem, saying, Go and search carefully for the young child; and when you have found him, bring me word, so that I may go and worship him also.

9 ¶ After they had heard the king, they left; and, lo, the star, that they had seen in the east, went before them, until it stopped over the place where the young child was.

10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

11 And after they had entered the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they opened their treasures, they presented him with gifts of; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

12 And having been warned by God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country by another route.

13 ¶ And after they had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and remain there until I tell you: for Herod will search for the young child to destroy him.

14 And having awakened, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed for Egypt:

15 And was there until the death of Herod: thus fulfilling what was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, who said, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

16 ¶ Then, when he realized that the wise men had fooled him, Herod was extremely angry, and sent men who killed all the boys who were in Bethlehem, and its vicinity, who were two years old and under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.

17 Thus fulfilling what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, who said,

18 A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping, and bitter wailing, Rachel crying for her children, and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.

19 ¶ But when Herod was dead, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

20 Saying, Get up, and take the young child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel: for those who sought the young child’s life are dead.

21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.

22 But after hearing that Archelaus reigned in Judea in the place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there: and having been warned by God in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee:

23 And having arrived there he settled in a city called Nazareth: that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, for he shall be called a Nazarene.

THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH

CHRIST IS TRUE GOD

Isaiah 7:14 Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. “which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

Luke 1:35 The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God.

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know him who is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

Micah 5:2 But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth unto me he who is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

CHRIST IS TRUE MAN

Matthew 1:16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Hebrews 2:16 For verily he [Jesus] did not take upon himself the nature of angels; but he took on the seed of Abraham.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

2 Timothy 2:8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

CHRIST WAS WITHOUT SIN

Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit:

Job 14:4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.

Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God.

CONCLUSION

The historical record of the Virgin Birth is just as much a doctrine of Scripture as anything else that the Bible says (2Timothy 3:16). Those who deny the truth of the Biblical account do not change that fact, nor do they change what the Bible says, they simply reject it.

“The pure doctrine is simply nothing else, absolutely nothing else, than the pure Word of God.” (Law and Gospel, page 349) “Neither ought any doctrine be taught or heard in the church but the pure Word of God, that is to say, the Holy Scriptures; otherwise accursed be both the teachers and hearers together with their doctrine.” (Martin Luther)

Gary Ray Branscome