Why Jesus Was Born of a Virgin
The miraculous virgin birth of Jesus Christ is one of the most foundational and distinctive doctrines of the Christian faith. It is a rich truth that speaks to the identity of Jesus, the nature of salvation, and the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan. This article explores the biblical basis for the virgin birth, its theological significance, and what it means for understanding the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Old Testament Roots
The concept of a virgin birth is established in Old Testament prophecy. The most direct reference is found in Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” The Hebrew word used here, almah, typically refers to a young woman of marriageable age, often implying virginity, though not exclusively. However, the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures used widely in the first century) translates almah with the Greek word parthenos, which unambiguously means “virgin.” This translation choice reflects the Jewish understanding of the prophecy in the centuries leading up to Christ.
Matthew’s Gospel explicitly connects this prophecy to the birth of Jesus: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us)” (Matthew 1:22-23). Matthew sees the virgin birth not as an isolated miracle but as the fulfillment of a divine promise, signaling the arrival of the Messiah and the presence of God among his people.
New Testament Witness
The virgin birth is affirmed in both Matthew and Luke’s Gospels, the two accounts that provide details of Jesus’ nativity. In Matthew 1:18-25, Joseph is described as discovering that Mary was “found to be with child from the Holy Spirit” before they came together. An angel appears to Joseph in a dream, explaining that the child conceived in Mary is from the Holy Spirit and instructing him to name the child Jesus, “for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). The name Jesus (Greek Iesous, from Hebrew Yeshua) means “Yahweh saves,” and Matthew immediately connects this to the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14.
Luke’s account provides even more detail. When the angel Gabriel appears to Mary, he tells her, “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus” (Luke 1:31). Mary, perplexed, asks how this will happen since she is a virgin. Gabriel responds, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy–the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).
The virgin birth is not mentioned explicitly in the other Gospels or in most of the epistles, but it is consistent with the broader New Testament witness to Jesus’ divine origin and sinless nature. Paul, for example, writes that “God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law” (Galatians 4:4-5). While Paul does not mention the virgin birth directly, his language affirms the incarnation and the divine initiative in sending the Son of God.
Why was Jesus born of a Virgin?
The virgin birth is deeply connected to the identity and mission of Jesus Christ. First, it affirms the divine origin of Jesus. He is not just a great teacher or prophet; he is the Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit. As Luke 1:35 states, “the child to be born will be called holy–the Son of God.” The virgin birth reveals that Jesus did not come into existence at conception but entered the world through a miraculous act of God. This aligns with John’s declaration: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).
Second, the virgin birth preserves the sinlessness of Jesus. Scripture teaches that all humanity is born in sin (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12), but Jesus is the exception. In being conceived by the Holy Spirit rather than through natural human generation, Jesus is not subject to the inherited sin nature that marks all descendants of Adam. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 affirms, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” The virgin birth is not the only reason for Jesus’ sinlessness–his divine nature is also essential–but it is a necessary component of how the sinless Son entered a fallen world.
Third, the virgin birth highlights the initiative and sovereignty of God in salvation. Salvation is not a human achievement but a divine gift. Just as Mary could not conceive apart from the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit, so too no one can be born again apart from the regenerating work of God (John 3:5-8). The virgin birth is a sign that salvation comes from God alone, not from human effort or merit.
Christological Implications
The virgin birth also plays a crucial role in Christology–the doctrine of the person of Jesus Christ. It affirms both the full humanity and full divinity of Jesus. He was born of a woman, sharing in our humanity (Hebrews 2:14), yet conceived by the Holy Spirit, proclaiming his divine origin. This union of divine and human natures in one person is known as the hypostatic union, a central tenet of Christian belief.
Without the virgin birth, the doctrine of the incarnation would be compromised. If Jesus were merely the product of two human parents, he would be a human being like any other, unable to bear the sins of the world. If he only appeared to be human but was not truly born of a woman, he could not be our representative or substitute. The virgin birth ensures that Jesus is both truly God and truly man, uniquely qualified to mediate between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5).
Fulfillment of Redemptive History
The virgin birth also fits within the broader narrative of redemptive history. From the beginning, God promised that the offspring of the woman would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). This “seed of the woman” is ultimately fulfilled in Christ, who defeats sin and death through his life, death, and resurrection. The virgin birth is a literal fulfillment of this promise, as Jesus is uniquely the offspring of a woman, not of a man.
Moreover, the virgin birth echoes other miraculous births in Scripture, such as Isaac, Samuel, and John the Baptist. In each case, God intervenes to bring life where there was barrenness or impossibility. These stories prepare the way for the ultimate miracle: the birth of the Savior through a virgin. In this way, the virgin birth is not an isolated event but the climax of a pattern of divine intervention pointing to the coming of the Messiah.
Conclusion
The virgin birth of Jesus is a cornerstone of the Christian faith, rooted in Scripture and rich in theological meaning. It fulfills Old Testament prophecy, affirms the divine and sinless nature of Christ, and highlights the sovereign grace of God in salvation. Far from being a peripheral detail, the virgin birth is essential to understanding who Jesus is and what he came to do. As Matthew 1:21 declares, “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” And as Matthew 1:23 reminds us, he is also Immanuel–“God with us.” The virgin birth is the means by which the eternal Son of God entered the world to save humanity, fulfilling the promises of God the Father and revealing his glory in the person of Jesus Christ.