Do you Believe Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God who was Born of Mary While She was Still a Virgin?
Do you believe Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God who was born of Mary while she was still a virgin? This is a very valid question concerning Jesus, and it must be accepted as true for the New Testament Christian. Why is this so critical, and can we prove it from the text of the Bible?
The Prophecy Given
First, we must consider that this was the plan of God as prophesied. Isaiah 7:14 tells us this truth, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” With this understanding, we must at minimum expect this prophecy to be forthcoming after Isaiah prophesied these things. So the expectation would be that a virgin would conceive, bear a son, and that child would be called Immanuel.
The Prophecy Referenced
This very passage is referenced in Matthew’s account by an angel of the Lord who spoke to Joseph in a dream.
And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins. Now all this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us.
(Matt 1:21-23)
This is explained further in the interaction between the angel, Gabriel, and Mary, a virgin.
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee. But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this might be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. And Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the Son of God.
(Luke 1:26-35).
Based on these two passages, one can clearly prove from the Scriptures that Mary was a virgin when approached by Gabriel, the angel of God. Gabriel spoke to her, noting that she would conceive and bring forth a son named Jesus. Joseph, to whom Mary was betrothed, was visited by an angel of the Lord who informed him of Mary’s supernatural conception. He also used the passage from Isaiah word-for-word to relate the event to God’s plan.
The Purpose of the Prophecy
The Bible teaches that this prophecy had a purpose. We can reflect on a couple of aspects of the purpose. One, is that this prophecy was fulfilled at the right time. Galatians 4:4 reads, “but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law.” This teaches us that God’s plan for saving man came when it was most appropriate. The thing achieved at this fullness of time was brought forth by the Son of God being born of a woman, under the law of Moses. By this statement, we can also prove that Jesus's virgin birth would rule out any other forthcoming virgin birth afterward.
Why would a virgin birth be necessary? It was miraculous. He was not just the son of some random average man. He was the son of God. Moreover, consider the prophecy given by the Father in Genesis 3:15, “and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” We have to understand that in conception, the egg is provided by the mother, and the seed by the Father. This prophecy, at minimum, provides an expectation that something supernatural will occur when it comes to the seed of the woman. This means her pregnancy would be like none other before nor after. Remember, Gabriel did explain it this way, “The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). Certainly, the Son of God was born of Mary while she was a virgin and He was born to save men (cf. John 3:16).
Bonus: Did Mary Remain a Virgin Perpetually?
The Bible does not teach the perpetual virginity of Mary in any place. This doctrine, held by the Catholic religion, claims its origin in the Protoevangelium of James. It was written around A.D. 120. Interestingly, the book that states such a thing is considered too apocryphal for even the Catholic Bible. Augustine of Hippo, who lived over 300 years after the establishment of the church, is the most widely known proponent of the view of perpetual virginity; thus, no passage of the Bible would prove the doctrine of perpetual virginity.
We can prove that Mary could not have possibly remained a virgin by other passages in the Bible. The Jews in Jesus’ home once remarked, “Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?” (Matthew 13:55-56). The people who knew Jesus the best acknowledged not only his brothers, but also his sisters. Some Catholics have suggested that the term brothers, or brethren, meant cousins. This is a reach when we consider what we just read. Is this not the carpenter's son? They recognized Joseph as His father, unknowing of the virgin birth. Is this not his mother, called Mary? And his cousins? James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. While adelphoi (ἀδελφοὶ) is used at times for brethren in the Lord, Israel, and near kinsmen, there is a word anepsios (ἀνεψιός) used by the Holy Spirit for cousin in Colossians 4:10 to speak of Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. So are the countrymen of Jesus speaking about his father, mother, and male cousins and sisters? The evidence is lacking. We might also consider that His mother and brothers came to visit him, as noted in Luke 8:19-20. These very same brothers did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God, at least initially, as John notes in John 7:1-6.
The Bible teaches that Jesus was born of Mary while a virgin. This miraculous conception and birth are monumental in the faith, and we are most thankful for God’s love for man. Without His conception and birth, there would be no salvation for man. We needed Immanuel!
