Was Jesus Born of a Virgin?

The virgin birth of Jesus Christ is an extraordinary claim made in the Bible. The assertion is subject to countless criticisms and a myriad of denials. There is no question that scores of people have rejected the truth of Christianity because of this teaching. Academic doubters have vetoed this Biblical claim because they deny any miraculous possibilities. But it was through the virgin birth of Jesus Christ that God revealed His Son to humanity. The Bible does not bend when it comes to this event happening. It is documented as a historical reality.

The authenticity of this fantastic event provides irrefutable evidence for the identity of the Savior. Seven hundred years before the advent of Christ, the announcement of His arrival was declared by the prophet Isaiah. Chapter 7 and verse 4 tell the reader that the virgin birth of the Messiah was a "sign." It would declare His uniqueness. This teaching has been a fundamental doctrine of the Church since its inauguration. The early Christian writer and patriarch of Antioch, Ignatius, wrote dogmatically about the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. In his correspondence to the Ephesian congregation, he stated that the Lord was the "seed…of the Holy Ghost." The fact that the account of the virgin birth comes from eyewitnesses to Christ's life reinforces the conviction of the church fathers.

Antagonists have tried to dismiss the virgin birth of Christ by identifying it as the product of Greek or Babylonian mythology, having then been borrowed by the Gospel authors. Many foreign gods were reportedly born uncommonly, but history shows these beings never existed. Ultimately, the miraculous element of the virgin birth causes doubters to seek alternative explanations. The Scriptures, though, indicate that this supernatural physical delivery was necessary.

Many false teachings directed towards Jesus portray Him as a created being. He was not a newly formed individual of any type, but He unashamedly declared Himself to be the Son of God. This expression is a claim of divinity as Christ is confirmed to be pre-existent to His birth (John 8:58; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15, 16). The flawless sin offering that He presented at the crucifixion would not have occurred had the Lord been born through natural processes. Every member of the human race is contaminated by sin, and only the miraculous incarnation of Christ through the virgin birth could circumvent this curse. This unique natal experience allowed Christ to live sinlessly, a prerequisite to becoming an acceptable substitute for fallen humanity.

The virgin birth of Christ was not only a historical fact but also a necessary historical reality.