# 120 The Virgin Birth! Believe It!

 

Joh 6:41 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven." 42 And they said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, 'I have come down from heaven'?"

 

The Jews have picked up on Jesus’ statement concerning “coming down from heaven.” “Is this not Jesus? Why He’s the son of Joseph and Mary! We’ve known those two from the get-go! How can He say He came down from heaven?”

 

They are in effect, denying the virgin birth. In their defense, we really don’t know how much was said publicly about the virgin birth of Jesus. How common was the knowledge of the miraculous conception of Mary? We do not know. Did she and Joseph talk about it with others while they sat around a campfire or relaxed in the hot tub? For that matter, were tongues wagging a bit about the circumstances surrounding His birth. We do not know!

 

We DO know that Matthew and Luke, inspired by the Holy Spirit wrote about the virgin birth, and John also stated that the eternal Word became flesh, indicating a miraculous, immaculate conception! We also know that the prophet Isaiah wrote of this occurrence in  Isa 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.”

 

Frankly, the religious leaders of the day should’ve been looking for such a birth! They should have been looking for Immanuel! (God with them!)  Today, we have the benefit of the writings of Luke and Matthew which give us a detailed account  of the virgin birth of Jesus!  When Mary asked how this birth would be possible, the angel said in  Lu 1:35, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One (or sinless One) who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”

 

The immaculate conception, wrought by the creative power of God, was necessary that we might have a sinless Savior from conception on! Ps 51:5 reminds us that all the rest of us are sinners from conception on! Ps 51:5 “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.” Not so Jesus!

 

Do not deny the virgin birth, for in so doing, you join the company of these early Jewish leaders who refused to believe that Jesus was the Son of God, the bread of life which came down from heaven to provide eternal life to all who will receive Him!

 

Our church fathers knew the importance of the assent to the virgin birth, so much so that they included that declaration in the “Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed. You know the words! “I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary!

 

Believe them!