The Preacher’s Notebook

The Paper and Electronic Pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Mineral Springs, NC
(Delivered by E-mail and Us Postage Through Subscription as an Extension of the Pulpit Ministry of this Church)
Dr. Terry W . Preslar – PO Box 388 – M ineral Springs, NC 28108
(704)843-3858 – E-Mail: preslar12@windstream.net
Copyright (C) 2007. Terry W. Preslar All rights reserved.

Vol. I December, 2007 Issue 3

The Virgin Birth of Christ

Christian Theology has three hearts – The Birth of Christ (the
Incarnation of God’s Son), the Death of Christ (the Redemption of the
Fallen) and the Resurrection of Christ (the Justification of the Redeemed).
These three hearts beat together and neither can exist without the others.
To doubt either makes the others un-necessary. The believer is obligated
to trust the Virgin Birth or he can go no farther – it is a far piece from one
to the other, but, he goes at the speed of faith to the conclusion of God’s
redemptive process. Dread days have come and we face doubt no worse
than that doubt that first dropped mankind into the fall that doomed all in
Sin until redemption came.
In 1998, a Harris poll revealed that 83 percent of Americans believe in the virgin birth...That is, that Jesus was
born of the virgin Mary and without a human father. In 2002, another poll showed that 27 percent of British Clergy
do not believe in the virgin birth. The view of one Hampshire vicar was typical: “There was nothing special about
his birth or his childhood - it was his adult life that was extraordinary.” He declined to be named, saying: “I have a
very traditional bishop and this is one of those topics I do not go public on. I need to keep the job I have.”
Do you believe the Virgin Birth? Many do not. Rev. Harry Emerson Fosdick was probably America’s most
famous minister half a century ago. He preached in Trenton, and in the Riverside Church in New York. Fosdick was
an aggressive liberal. In 1945 a person asked him what he thought of the Virgin Birth. He responded: “Of course I
do not believe in the virgin birth...and I know of no intelligent person who does.”
Large numbers of ministers agree with Fosdick. In 1998 a poll was done of 7,441 Protestant clergy in U.S. 19%
of American Lutheran pastors did not believe it. 44% of Episcopalian priests. 49% of Presbyterian pastors. 60% of
Methodist ministers. 34% of Baptists pastors, our denomination? I guess that makes us middle-of-the-road.
Why the skepticism? There are pagan parallels of great men born supernaturally (Nimrod is said to have a child
after his death to continue his rule – Tammuz). There are various ways to understand the Bible passages (many
variations on Theology). It just isn’t scientific (not from the viewpoint of cold human reasoning – Virgins don’t have
babies!) If either of my daughters, before they married, would have come to me and said, “Daddy! An angel appeared
to me and you’re going to be a grandfather!” no way would I believe it was a virgin birth. Yet, this is what happened
in the case of Mary and Joseph.
People in American pews tend to believe in it. Nicholas Kristof, a columnist for the New York Times, said in
a recent column that this proves we as a country are way too mystical and anti-intellectual.
Dr. James Kennedy summarizes how central the Virgin birth is to the Christian faith: If Jesus was not born of
a virgin then the New Testament narratives are false and unreliable. If Jesus was not born of a virgin then he was
mistaken about who his father was. He constantly declared himself to be the Son of God, and he declared that God
was his father. If Jesus were not born of a virgin, then he was not the Son of God, but merely the illegitimate child
of a sinful liaison between a Jewish peasant girl and an unknown man.
If Jesus were not born of a virgin, then he cannot be the divine Redeemer, because the sacrifice for sin must
be perfect. If Jesus were not born of a virgin, we are still in our sins and without forgiveness. If Jesus were not born
of a virgin, we have no hope after death. With the majority of Americans, I also believe in the virgin birth of Christ.
Here are some reasons why...

-1-
I- The Fact of the Virgin Birth Published – Is there a modern equivalent? There are a lot of unknown variables that
go into making a baby. To remove some of those variables, many are turning to technology. California has what
is called “The Repository of Germinal Choice.” Women can choose a Nobel Prize winner as the father of their
child. His contribution is frozen, hers is cash.
Little Victoria was the first baby born from this venture. Her “father” was a young mathematician with an
IQ over 200. But her mother proved to be an ex-con who lost custody of her first two children after allegations
of child abuse. Only time will tell whether nature or nurture will win out in this little girl’s life. Jesus was not
born this way. The exact mechanics are unknown, however, Matthew and Luke record that the power of God
caused a virgin named Mary to become pregnant. This is called the “Virgin Birth.”
A) The Bible plainly says Jesus Christ was born of a virgin.
B) This was the promise of O.T. Scripture (Isa. 7:14) and is the record of the N.T. Scripture (Matt. 1:18-25;
Luke 1:26-38).
C) The O.T. prophecies are very precise in telling us that the Christ that was born of a virgin is the eternal Son
of God. Micah 5:2 says the one born in Bethlehem’s manger has been going forth “from everlasting.” In Isa.
9:6 we are told that a child was born and a son was given. The exact wording is crucial.
D) Christ’s virgin birth (‘a child was born’) denoted the beginning of His incarnation as God made flesh, but as
the eternal Son (‘a son was given’), He had no beginning. In Isa. 7:14 we are told that the virgin born One
is “God with us.”
II- The Virgin Birth Was Prophesied – The most popular text about the “virgin birth” is Isa. 7:14. These are
familiar words heard in Christmas pageants: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin
shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
In this text’s context, King Ahaz was trying to evade God and trust human allies. The prophet Isaiah
challenged him to ask a sign of God. Ahaz put on a false spirituality: It would be wrong of me to test God. The
reality was that he had more confidence in his own schemes for victory. Since he would not seek a sign, Isaiah
gave him one anyway. Who, then, is the virgin? The Hebrew word (alma) can mean a young woman, or a real
virgin. In the immediate context, it refers to Isaiah’s own wife. She was not a virgin. Within the early years of
this child’s life, Ahaz’s enemies would be destroyed and this would be the “sign.” However, this text speaks to
the common advent message told in many places in the OT:
A. Through Moses...
1. In the promise made to the serpent (Satan) (Gen. 3:15)
a. The first Messianic prophecy found in Scripture
b. “He shall bruise your head; and you shall bruise His heel”
2. Note that it says “her seed”
a. The reference to the seed of a woman is unique
b. The normal expression is the seed of man (e.g., Rom. 1:3)
3. While not overwhelming proof, it is a subtle hint for what was to come!
B. Through Isaiah...
1. In the promise made to the House of David (Isa. 7:13-14)
a. Though Ahaz rejected a sign, God chose to give one anyway to his descendants
b. A virgin (Heb., almah) shall conceive and bear a son
2. Concerning almah, which some contend simply means “a young woman”
a. As a matter of fact there is no place among the seven occurrences of “almah” in the Old Testament
where the word is clearly used of a woman who was not a virgin.
b. In the LXX (the Septuagint version of the OT) translated the Hebrew word “almah” in Isaiah 7:14 is
translated by the Greek word parthenos which can only mean a virgin
c. The fact that the seventy who were the most eminent Hebrew scholars in the world translated the word
“virgin” is sufficient evidence that in this connection the word could have no other meaning. – A
young woman bearing a child is not a sign; but a virgin bearing a child, whose name was to be called
Immanuel (“God with us”) ...now that is a sign!
C. Through Jeremiah...
1. In the promise made to Judah (Jer. 31:22)
a. The Lord would create a new thing in the earth
b. “A woman shall encompass a man”

-2-
 2. The phrase has been variously interpreted; even so...
a. “The fathers saw in these words a prophecy of the miraculous conception of our Lord by the Virgin”
- Barnes
b. Any other explanation would not likely involve God creating a new thing! – This prophecy may also
be a subtle reference to what was to come!
3. Especially with regards to the prophecy in Isaiah, we have a promise that the Messiah would be born of
a virgin. Unsurprisingly, in the gospel of Jesus Christ we find...
III- The Virgin Birth Was Proclaimed
A. By Matthew...
1. In his account of the birth of Jesus (Matt. 1:18-25)
a. Mary was found with child, conceived of the Holy Spirit
b. In fulfillment of the prophecy found in the book of Isaiah
2. Concerning parthenos, used by Matthew in his account
a. It is the Greek word for “virgin”
b. Leaving no doubt that the prophecy in Isaiah referred to a virgin
3. Matthew, an early disciple and one of the 12 apostles, proclaimed the virgin birth!
B. By Luke...
1. In his account of the birth of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38)
a. He also calls Mary a virgin (parthenos)
b. She was to have a child without the benefit of a man
2. Note the words of the angel Gabriel
a. “For with God nothing is impossible”
b. If one believes in God, the concept of a virgin birth is not an impossibility
3. Luke, a physician and notable historian, proclaimed the virgin birth!
C. By Paul...
1. In his epistle to the Galatians (Gal. 4:4)
a. Writing of the coming of the Son of God
b. Of whom he says was “born of a woman”
2. Note how careful Paul is in his epistles
a. He proclaims Jesus to be the seed of Abraham and David
b. He never ascribes the sonship of Jesus to any earthly father, only to God
c. Yet he has no hesitation ascribing His birth to a woman!
3. Paul, an apostle of Christ, by implication certainly proclaimed the virgin birth!
IV- The Hebrew Word for the Virgin Birth Parsed
A) The Hebrew word translated “virgin” in Isa. 7:14 is almah. It is used nine times in the Bible: Gen. 24:43; Ex.
2:8; Psa. 68:25; Prov. 30:19; Song 1:3; 6:8; Isa. 7:14.
B) Almah is translated “maid” in Ex. 2:8 and “damsels” in Psa. 68:25. Though many commentators contend that
the word can refer to a woman who is not strictly a virgin, it is not certain that it is ever so used in Scripture.
1. Gen. 24:43 refers to Rebekah before she became Isaac’s bride. She obviously was a virgin in the strictest
sense of the word.
2. Ex. 2:8 refers to Moses’ sister when she was a girl living at home. Again this is a clear reference to a
virgin.
3. Psa. 68:25 and Song 1:3 and 6:8 are not as clear as to what kind of girls are in view, but there is absolutely
no indication in the contexts that these are not virgins. To say that they are not strictly virgins is mere
speculation.
4. The reference in Isa. 7:14 without question speaks of a virgin, because it was fulfilled in the life of Mary,
the mother of Jesus.
5. The N.T. plainly tells us that though she was espoused to Joseph, she conceived the Lord Jesus Christ
“before they came together” (Matt. 1:18b).
6. The Holy Spirit quotes Isaiah and applies it directly to the Lord Jesus Christ. Any “theologian” who
questions this application or the Authorized Version’s translation of Isaiah 7:14 is denying the testimony
of God.

-3-
V- The Virgin Birth Had a Purpose
A) Christ became a man so He could make Atonement for man’s sin (Mark 10:45; Rom. 5:12, 18-21; 2 Cor.
5:19; 1 Tim. 2:5-6; Heb. 2:9,17; 10:4-12; 1 John 3:5).
B) Christ became a man to inherit the Davidic covenant (Isa. 9:6-7; Luke 1:31-33; Acts 2:29-30).
C) Christ became a man to be an example to the saints (1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6).
D) Christ became a man to be our High Priest (Heb. 2:17; 3:1).
E) Christ became a man to destroy the works of the devil (Heb. 2:14; 1 John 3:8).
F) Christ became a man to fulfill all the promises and prophecies of Scripture (Luke 1:69-70).
Conclusion
There is certainly more in the Scriptures that implies the virgin birth of
Christ...Such expressions as “begotten of God” ( John 1:14, 18; 3:16) The many
references to Jesus as “the Son of God” (Luke 1:35; Matt. 16:16) Skeptics have
offered alternative explanations of the conception, such as... A relationship with
a secret lover; a rape by a Roman soldier; extra-marital sexual relationships with
her fiancee, Joseph or even that Jesus was conceived as a result of normal relations
between Mary and Joseph after marriage. Each of these imply that the virgin birth
stories in Matthew and Luke were simple fables, invented decades after Jesus’
conception, without any grounding in fact.
It is important to believe in the virgin birth of Christ; otherwise we claim
that...The New Testament narratives to be false and unreliable and that modern
skeptics are more knowledgeable than Matthew, Luke, or Paul.
Who are you willing to believe...? The views of skeptics and opponents, who seek to undermine faith in Jesus?
The opinions of theologians and professors, who publish for the sake of tenure and profit? Or: The inspired apostles
and writers of the New Testament, who suffered for their testimony? I am content to place my faith in Matthew and
Luke, and to heed such warnings as this by Paul: “...keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and
vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: 21 Which some professing have erred concerning the
faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.” (1 Tim. 6:20-21) I am committed to our trust. I believe that this includes the
wonderful truth that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin...!

This Periodical is printed by Gospel Publishing and Colportage, a ministry of the First Baptist
Church of Mineral Springs, NC, and is designed for education, evangelism, and edification. If we may
assist you in knowing more about Christ and the Christian life, please write us without obligation: First
Baptist Church of Mineral Springs PO Box 388, Mineral Springs, NC 28108 (704)843-3858
Psalms 107:2 S É S Romans 12:1-2
First Baptist Church
PO Box 388
Mineral Springs, NC 28108