Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

The virgin birth was necessary to avoid the transmission of original sin that has occurred in connection with every "normal" human birth ever since the original fall of humanity into sin. (As David (even though the Bible describes Him as a man "after God's own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14)) expressed it in Psalm 51:5, "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." This same condition applies to every human who has ever lived (except Jesus).)

Only a birth that took place in the manner of Jesus (who was conceived within Mary by the activity of the Holy Spirit, without the involvement of a man (Luke 1:34-35)) could result in the birth of God in human form, without the accompanying presence or imparting of sin. And Jesus had to be without sin so that He could offer Himself as an acceptable sacrifice or substitute in His heavenly Father's sight for the forgiveness of the sins of humanity (as had been prefigured in the Old Testament by the shedding of the blood of lambs at Passover to atone for the sins of Israel).

October 27 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Grant Abbott Child of Father, Follower of Son, Student of Spirit

In order for Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice of atonement for all the sins of the world, he needed to be a sinless human being. Since our sinful human nature is passed on to the next generation through the birth of children, Jesus had to be born without a sinful human nature. To accomplish this, Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. That means that the Holy Spirit used the DNA of Mary and Joseph, without the contamination of their sinful natures, and created Jesus as a human being inside the womb of Mary, while she was still a virgin. Of course, Jesus also had to live a sin free life to be that perfect sacrifice.

October 27 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

John Appelt

The purpose of the virgin birth was so that God could enter into the world and become a human. And He did when God sent His Son, John 3:16, I John 4:9. The truth of the incarnation, that is, God becoming a man, is inescapable, John 1:14, Galatians 4:4, Philippians 2:5-7, I Timothy 3:16, I John 4:2.

The virgin birth was the sign God gave to Israel, Isaiah 7:14 (“you” plural). The word “sign” signifies it was a miracle that corroborated Isaiah’s message. A woman having a baby is not a miracle, but a virgin being pregnant is. The Scriptures are clear that Mary was a virgin when she had Jesus, Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:34-35. 

By being born and living among men, Jesus became “Immanuel” or literally “God with us,” Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23. The prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 links directly to Matthew 1:23. It was fulfilled the one time about 700 years later in the birth of Jesus. This miracle has no other fulfillment – no one else was virgin born.

Many claim the virgin birth was necessary to bypass the sinful nature. The common thinking is that because of Adam’s sin, man is born a sinner based on Psalm 51:5 and Romans 5:12. Supposedly, when Adam, as representative for all mankind, disobeyed in the original sin, all mankind shared in the blame and inherited the stain of sin. They were all doomed to eternal punishment. And it is believed by some that the human nature is specifically passed down through the father so that Jesus had to be born a virgin to circumvent the sinful nature. 

There are problems with this thinking. The concept of original sin is not in the Bible, and no one is charged with the sin of the parent, whether immediate or remote as Adam, Ezekiel 18:20. Man has a sinful nature not by birth but by the entrance of sin into the world by Adam’s disobedience. All are made sinners, Romans 5:19. Everyone is born into the sinful environment. The world, flesh, and the devil have control over every person born into the world and cause them to trespass and go astray, thus deserving wrath, Isaiah 53:6, Ephesians 2:1-3. 

Things are different when one believes on the Lord Jesus Christ and is made alive and comes under the control of the Spirit. It was also different when God came in the flesh. Jesus was fully God and fully human, yet He was sinless and did no sin. He was always under the control of the Spirit, and He withstood temptation. 

Also, the Scriptures clearly state everyone has sinned, Romans 3:23, and women are not an exception. Mary was also a sinner. 

The virgin birth was necessary to fulfill the Word of God as prophesied by Isaiah. The virgin birth was absolutely necessary to provide a way for God to enter the world, live a life among mankind, identifying with them, and then die for the sins of the world, Hebrews 2:14.

November 25 2022 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report