Sometimes believing the Bible seems to stretch my ability to hang onto faith. The doctrine of the virgin birth is one of those faith stretchers. I have three children, so I know how babies come to be. Could Mary, really have been a virgin when Jesus was born? Not without a miracle she couldn’t! Is it possible that such a miracle took place? Let me share three reasons why it had to.
- Jesus had to be the unique Son of God. Yes, we are all children of God, created in his image, but only Jesus could claim to be God’s one and only Son. And to be God’s one and only Son, God had to be Jesus’ one and only Father.
- Jesus had to be sinless. All of us inherit sin through our parents. Ever since the Fall it is part of the DNA. If Jesus had been born of a human father, he would also be born with sin, just like the rest of us. And if he were a sinner like us, he would not have been able to save us.
- The prophets told us it would happen like this. The reason we know that Jesus is the Messiah is because he passed the test by fulfilling prophecies that could only apply to him. The more bizarre the prophecy, the surer we can be that he is the one. If the prophets had said that Jesus would be born of a mother, then no one would be eliminated. However, when Isaiah tells us, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel,” (Isaiah 7:14 ESV) Well, that narrows the field.
It may be hard to believe that a virgin could give birth, but Jesus’ birth could not have happened any other way. You can believe it!