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Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ

www.bibleone.net

 

Note:  Many of the details and literary expressions of this article were gleaned from the “Jews for Jesus” e-mail newsletter of December 15, 2004, Volume 18, and from a similar article at their web site, www.jfjonline.org.

 

The Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ is a fact!  It is well established by the most authenticated historical document of antiquity—the Holy Bible.  No other document of antiquity has at its basis so many copies (thousands in the case of the Bible) of the original autographs dating so near its content’s actual events, which have all gone under extensive scrutiny for hundreds of years in an attempt to disprove them—all to no avail.  Nevertheless, the god of this world (Satan) continues to attack this very basic and vital doctrine, which demonstrates that Jesus Christ was indeed God incarnate—God in the flesh.  Recent editions of both Time and Newsweek magazines expressed the skeptical speculations of liberal scholars who contend that the doctrines of the Virgin Birth and the Incarnation are merely a rehashing of pagan mythology—responses to the birth stories of pagan heroes like Alexander the Great and Caesar Augustus (Newsweek, Dec.13, 2004, p. 51).

In fact, the promise of the miraculous birth of the Messiah was predicted by the Jewish prophet Isaiah 700 years before Jesus was born (Isaiah 7:14).  The apostle Matthew, reporting the birth of Jesus, clarifies the prophecy thusly, “So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:22-23). 

Although some unbelievers may call the Virgin Birth a mystery, most Jewish leaders prefer to see it as a mistranslation, arguing that the Hebrew word almah, used by Isaiah, is more properly translated young maiden, not virgin.  If Isaiah wanted to say virgin, they argue, he would have used the Hebrew word bethulah.  Yet these same Jewish leaders conveniently fail to point out that unlike our present day, in Isaiah's day all young maidens were in fact virgins.  In the Hebrew Bible the word almah is used almost exclusively to describe a woman or young girl who is a virgin.  Further, while bethulah is also often used to describe a virgin, Joel 1:8 uses bethulah to describe a widow lamenting over the husband of her youth.  So it is inaccurate to say that bethulah would be the indisputable way to refer to someone as a virgin.  

 

Moreover, the apostle Matthew was actually quoting from the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures commonly used among Jews in the first century.  That translation uses the Greek word parthenos, which in the Septuagint means virgin, and clearly demonstrates the common Jewish understanding of this passage at that time.  Cyrus Gordon, a leading Jewish scholar who was formerly Professor of Assyriology and Egyptology, at Dropsie College, wrote:


The commonly held view that “virgin” is Christian, whereas “young woman”
is Jewish is not quite true.  The fact is that the Septuagint, which is the
Jewish translation made in pre-Christian Alexandria, takes “almah” to mean
“virgin” here.  Accordingly the New Testament follows Jewish interpretation
in Isaiah 7:14. (“Almah in Isaiah 7:14,” Journal of Bible and Religion 21
(1953), p. 106).

 

Isaiah predicted the virgin birth.  The apostle Matthew tells us that the birth of Y'shua fulfilled Isaiah's prediction.  Reason must conclude that such a supernatural event is entirely possible with an all-powerful God.  After all, the Virgin Birth makes perfect sense in light of the Incarnation—and just as Isaiah promised the Virgin Birth of Messiah, so he predicted the Incarnation.  “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).   

 

If there is a mystery more profound than a virgin giving birth to a baby, it must be that the Lord of all creation took the form of that baby—that the infinite God became an infant.  Yet this is exactly what Isaiah declared would happen.  He predicted this Child born, this Son given, would have some very unusual names to say the least.


“Wonderful” (in Hebrew, peleh) is not just a superlative in the way one might call someone a wonderful person.  It refers to the miraculous.  This Child to be born was to be an absolute wonder, someone who would in fact be supernatural.  If there were any doubt about this, Isaiah adds another name to the list, el gibor or “Mighty God.” The Mighty God, who created the universe, would become a man and take on human nature; forever joining Himself to the people He created.  He would be forever and fully God and He would be forever and fully man.  There could be no one else like Him, who’s divine and human natures would remain an eternal mystery.

Isaiah's amazing prophecy certainly provided the basis for the angelic announcement to those Jewish shepherds near Bethlehem: “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).  The angels informed the shepherds that the baby born was both Messiah and Lord, a clear reference to the Deity Isaiah had foretold.  But they also said that he would be the Savior.  If one can believe in such a
miraculous child, it is not difficult to accept that His mother was a virgin.

Why would God go to such extraordinary lengths?  The wonder of the Virgin Birth and the miracle of the Incarnation were not some pair of divine parlor tricks designed to provoke mere amazement.  Rather, they reveal some of the character of the Holy One of Israel.  His love for His creation is so profound, so deep and powerful, that He is willing to go to these amazing ends to secure mankind’s salvation.  So deep is His love for mankind that He is willing to join Himself eternally to human nature to make possible an eternal relationship with all who by faith alone receive Him as their personal Savior.

 

  This is a true mystery that cannot be resolved by the logic of man.  But for those who approach God in true faith, they are filled with the awe and wonder of what happened in that little town of Bethlehem; and can only love, worship and praise the Messiah, their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, with a deep and abiding desire to find others who might join them at the feet of the King of kings and Lord of lords.