Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her,"Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"

29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."

34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"

35 And the angel answered and said to her,"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible."

38 Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. NKJV

Few doctrines of the church have been so attacked as has the virgin birth.

A poll of 7,441 Protestant clergy showed a wide variation in belief. The following ministers do not believe in the virgin birth: American Lutherans 19% ; American Baptists 34% ; Episcopalians 44% ; Presbyterians 49% ; Methodists 60% And yet 91% of the people in the pews believe in a virgin birth.

In two of the gospels the story is told so simply that even a child could understand what it is saying. But then the critics say only two gospels mention the virgin birth. But the fact that one was a physician should help us to believe.

But the writers of the New Testament knew that only a virgin birth would solve the problem of a mediator. Someone who could stand between man and God, touching both.

There are some people that just don't think it makes any difference. If Jesus was born of a virgin makes no difference in their faith system. But I think that if you will examine their faith system you will find that they are off on many other things as well.

1. The fact of the Virgin Birth
   1. Two accounts
      1. One from Mary's view (Luke)
         1. Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said to her,"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. NKJV
      2. One from Joseph's view (Matthew)
         1. Matt 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."

22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."

24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS. NKJV

1. In each account the supernatural is understood.
   1. You cannot have a virgin birth without a miracle.
   2. That is the real problem for most of the critics.
   3. They cannot accept anything that cannot be explained by natural means.
   4. But if that is the case then we don't have or need God.

1. The importance of the Virgin Birth
   1. To the veracity of the Scriptures.
      1. As we have seen two gospels plainly teach it.
      2. If these are false, then what in them can we believe.
      3. Is that why many seminary professors today have mutilated the Bible to such a degree that it has no power in their churches and with out the power of God where are we.
      4. 2 Tim 3:1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! NKJV
2. The implications of a Virgin Birth
   1. Jesus was born without a sin nature (only He could be sinless)
      1. The whole sacrificial system of the Old Testament was based on the sinless dying for the sinner, in his place.
      2. One man could not die for another's sin for he would first have to die for his own sin.
      3. No where is this made more plane than in the sacrifices on the day of atonement.
         1. Lev 16:6-10 6 "Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house. 7 He shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 8 Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9 And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the LORD's lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering. 10 But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness. NKJV
         2. The first thing Aaron must do is sacrifice the bull for his own sin and only then can he offer a sacrifice for the sin of the people.
         3. If Jesus had a sin nature, He was a sinner then he can only die for His own sin and not for ours.
         4. But notice what the writer of Hebrews says.
         5. Heb 9:23-28 Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another -- 26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. NKJV
   2. He was truly God in flesh, unique in His relationship to God, Only Begotten.
    This message was preached at FBC Toulon,
   1. by Albert Harmon. See it at http://toulonbaptist.com/