Virgin Birth

NOTE: This is a written version of the message I delivered on December 17, 2024.

Christmastime is a time to remember and be reminded. We remember traditions, but do we remember God's Word? In Isaiah 7:14 (NIV), the Scripture says the following:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

And this is fulfilled in Matthew 1:18-21 (NIV):

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

And Jesus is fully Immanuel -- God with us. Yet, there are naysayers who say Mary wasn't a virgin so as to indicate Jesus wasn't divine. They will refer to the Hebrew word from Isaiah 7:14 translated to virgin -- almah. The word can mean a virgin or a young woman. The naysayers focus on the latter. However, they forget not only the context of the verse, but also that of the fulfillment in Matthew.

Consider the verse in Isaiah. A young woman having a child is a common thing. Why would Isaiah write about a common thing? Clearly, what he wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit was not a common thing. The young woman would be a virgin and the child would be "God with us."

Now, consider Matthew. It's important to understand that the pledge to be married is more than our modern-day engagement. It was more in that it required a divorce to dissolve, but the couple didn't yet live together or come together as husband and wife. Why would Joseph seek a divorce initially? It's because he hadn't been with Mary yet and she was pregnant. However, she wasn't stoned as a fornicator or adulteress would've been. Why? Because she was a virgin and God spoke to Joseph. Why else would he had been okay with it? The baby wasn't Joseph's and Mary was not guilty. So, the naysayers have nothing of substance to say. The virgin would be with the Child conceived by the Holy Spirit and the Child is God with us!

That is a miracle of Christmas. And it doesn't stop there. The baby grew and fulfilled many more prophecies in His life. And why did He come? For you, for me, for those outside the doors. He came to seek and save the lost. Do you know Him? Are you trusting in His work on the cross alone to save you? Do you have the hope of His resurrection? If not, talk with a trusted Christian friend about it. If you do know, share the hope with others this Christmas and throughout the new year ahead -- the hope of Jesus.

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