Q: Why is the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ so important?
A: The miraculous conception of Mary, the mother of Jesus, by the Holy Spirit is important because without it the salvation of mankind would not be possible. "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned (Romans 5:12)." When God created Adam, He gave him a warning not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or else he would die. Adam, in his unbelief, sinned and ate from the tree, which resulted in his spiritual death. God removed His life from Adam. Adam did not have any children prior to his sin. Therefore, all mankind comes in to this world spiritually dead in sin. "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20)." If sin entered the world through one man, Adam, then you can understand how Joseph could not have been the father of Jesus. If he was the father, than Jesus would have been born spiritually dead in sin and, thus, would not have been capable of saving anybody. Jesus, being God in the flesh, is the only man ever born spiritually alive. Therefore, He is the only man who had a life to give that would satisfy God as payment for our sins.
Tonight, during Christmas dinner, someone recalled an episode of the old television show St. Elsewhere. Apparently, one of the characters on the show, played by actor/comedian Howie Mandel, died and went to heaven. When he was in heaven he encountered God and was shocked that God looked just like him. God told Mandel's character that he was created in His image. On the surface I can understand why that would seem logical and humorous at the same time. After all, the Bible does say God "created man in His own image (Genesis 1:27). But, that only applies to Adam (and Eve), but not to the rest of us. As I mentioned before, Adam did not have any children before he sinned. The children he had came after he sinned when "Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image (Genesis 5:3)." The common perception that we are created in God's image is wrong. We are born in the image of Adam. We are an example of what it is like not to be in the image of God. We are all born spiritually dead to God in sin. There is nothing we can do to bridge the gap that exists between us and God. Entire religions have been formed under the misconception that if we just try hard enough we can be like God, or at the very least, earn His love and acceptance. That is the lie of Satan and nothing could be further from the truth.
We often hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ referred to as the Good News. What I have just described above could be characterized as the Bad News. It is imperative that we understand that because we are all born into this world spiritually dead to God in our sins, there is nothing we can do in and of ourselves to save us. "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again (John 3:3)." What is birth? Birth is life. We are all born once, physically. In order to see the kingdom of God, we must be born again, spiritually. The life of God we lost when Adam sinned must be restored to us. But, before God could restore His life to us, He had to deal with the sin that caused that life to be removed. That is where Jesus, and the importance of His virgin birth, come into play. Because Jesus was born sinless, and lived a sinless life, He was the perfect sacrifice for our sins that God required. Thus, when He was raised from the dead, He could now offer the life of God to all who accept Him by faith. This one fact is what separates Jesus from every other, so-called, religious icon in history. Buddha can't give you life. Muhammad can't give you life. The Pope can't give you life. Nobody else can you give you life. The life we all need can only be found in Christ Jesus.
When the angel Gabriel informed Mary that she would give birth to Jesus, her response is telling. "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin (Luke 1:34)?" God knew that if the conception of Jesus was from human origin, for example Joseph, then the curse of sin would have been passed on to Him. But, God, in His wisdom knew that in order to accomplish His desire to save mankind, He would have to do it Himself. "But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons (Galatians 4:4-5)." God became a man so that He could save mankind. The greatest act of love ever displayed. Now, for those who place faith in Jesus Christ they have been born again of the Spirit of God. The life we lost in Adam is restored to us for all eternity through Jesus Christ. We have eternal life because of Jesus Christ. And it all started over 2,000 years ago during the first "Christmas" when the virgin Mary gave birth to the Son of God. That is why the virgin birth of Jesus Christ is so important. Merry Christmas!
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