Incarnation - The Virgin Birth

Sorry for the massive delay, school started and a lot of other stuff was going on, but now things have settled a little bit so I am trying to get back on track.

I am still going through the incarnation, and today I am going to talk shortly about the virgin birth.

This is a doctrine that many liberals would dismiss because it seems too miraculous but I believe we must contend for it. Here I will talk about some implications of the virgin birth and then why we must hold to this doctrine.

1. The virgin birth sets apart Jesus as unique.
No one had ever had a virgin birth apart from Jesus. He is the only fulfillment of prophecy (Is. 7:14). From His birth Jesus was set apart, different, marked off as unique. He is the Only Begotten. The virgin birth is Jesus' glory alone.

2. The virgin birth reveals the miraculous and mysterious.
It is the prelude to the life of Jesus, it announces that this baby is miraculous. From beginning to end, His birth and resurrection is miracles-filled and points to the power of God. It is also a introduction to the mysterious, His birth is a paradox, a pregnant virgin. Jesus was confounding, darkness does not know or understand Him (John 1). The virgin birth was the perfect introduction to the perfect Saviour.

3. The virgin birth reveals the will of God
Jesus was not conceived by human will nor human consent. God directed and ordained it. God announced to Mary that she will be with child, He did not ask for her permission. The virgin birth is a sign of the loving desire of the sovereign God to save His people.

4. The virgin birth highlights the hypostatic union
The mystery of the God-Man is clearly depicted in the virgin birth. Jesus is God because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, He is Man because He was in Mary's womb.

5. The virgin birth provided the last Adam (1 Cor 15:45)
Just as the first Adam came to be through God apart from man's will, so too was Jesus born apart from man's will. Adam was made without corruption, Jesus was never corrupted. Jesus is truly the only seed of the woman (Gen 3:15), man had no part in His birth. Just as Adam was tempted, so too was Jesus yet He was without sin (Heb 4:15). Adam brought death but Jesus brought life.

Why we must contend for the virgin birth?
If there is no virgin birth, then there is no fulfillment of prophecy. Then Jesus is not the Messiah.
If there is no virgin birth, then Mary is a liar and brought up Jesus as a liar.
If there is no virgin birth, the the Scriptures are mistaken.
If there is no virgin birth then we are fooled into believing a false gospel.

Let us reflect on the uniqueness of Christ, the mystery of His life, the beauty of God's pursuit for His people, and the life that is gained through the blood of Jesus.