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SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY #11,

Christology, Part B:
The Virgin Birth
Mt. 1:18-23
Grace Community Church
Kingston, Tennessee
Wednesday, March 13, 2019

1. Mt. 1:18-23, (18) 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."

2. INTRODUCTION TO CHRISTOLOGY:

a. CHRISTOLOGY is the theological study of the Person and work of Christ

b. Wayne Grudem in his book entitled Systematic Theology defines Christology as: “Jesus
Christ was fully God and fully man in one person, and will be so forever.”1

c. INCARNATION:

i. Webster defines INCARNATION as:

1. “To embody in flesh; invest with a bodily, esp. human, form ….”2

2. “… the state of being incarnate, esp. assumption of human form or

nature, as by a divine being ….”3

ii. John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His
glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

3. THE DOCTRINE OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF CHRIST:

1
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 529.
2
The International Webster New Encyclopedic Dictionary , “Incarnate,” p. 484.
3
The International Webster New Encyclopedic Dictionary , “Incarnation,” p. 484.
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a. THE DOCTRINE STATED: Jesus was conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary by a
supernatural act of the Holy Spirit, wholly and apart from any generation by a human
father

b. Matthew 1:18, “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.”

c. Matthew 1:20, “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.’”

d. The virgin birth of Christ was more than the miraculous birth of:

i. Isaac to his barren mother Sarah

ii. John the Baptist to parents who were beyond childbearing age

iii. Samuel to Hannah who was barren

e. The virgin birth of Christ was more remarkable than these miraculous births because
Jesus ONLY HAD ONE HUMAN PARENT

I. THE PRIORITY OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH

A. CHRIST’S INCARNATION DEMANDED A PERFECT HUMAN NATURE

1. Christ assumed a NATURE NOT a PERSON

2. The doctrine of the incarnation teaches that the ASSUMER is perfect in His nature,
therefore the ASSUMED must also be perfect

B. CHRIST’S SINLESS NATURE REQUIRED THE VIRGIN BIRTH

1. Human nature was corrupted in the Fall of man

a. 1 Corinthians 15:22, “For as in Adam all die ….”

b. Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and
death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned ….”

2. We are sinner by nature

a. Psalms 58:3, “The wicked are estranged from the womb; They go astray as
soon as they are born, speaking lies.”
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3. The virgin birth of Christ was a way by which the human nature of our Lord was kept
from contamination from man’s sinful nature

4. Lk. 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.’”

5. Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death
through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned ….”

6. Lk. 1:46-47, in Mary’s MAGNIFICAT, (46) And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord,
(47) And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

7. Lk. 2:24-26, (22) Now when the days of her purification according to the law of
Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (23)
(as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male who opens the womb shall be called
holy to the LORD"), (24) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of
the Lord, "A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."

8. Lev. 12:6-8, (6) ‘When the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a
daughter, she shall bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering, and a
young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
(7) ‘Then he shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement for her. And she shall
be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who has borne a male or a
female. (8) ‘And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtledoves or
two young pigeons—one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering. So the priest
shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’"

9. 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.’”

II. THE PROPHECY OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH

A. Genesis 3:15, “‘And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed
and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.’”

B. Isaiah 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.’”

III. THE PROOF OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH (4):

A. #1 PROOF OF THE REALITY OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH: THE OPINION IN JESUS’ DAY WAS THAT
THERE WAS SOMETHING PECULIAR ABOUT HIS BIRTH
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1. Mark 6:3, “‘Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses,
Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?’ And they were offended at
Him.”

2. The Jews had very strict rules governing naming children

a. A Jew was named after his father

b. A Jew was named after his father, even if the father died before the child was
born

c. A Jewish child was ONLY named after his mother if the father was unknown

3. John 8:41, “‘You do the deeds of your father.’ Then they said to Him, ‘We were not
born of fornication; we have one Father——God.’”

B. #2 PROOF OF THE REALITY OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH: THAT IS WHAT JESUS SAID WAS TRUE

1. Christ often referred to Himself as, “the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:16)

2. The words BEGOTTEN or BEGOT are terms related to:

a. Human genealogies

b. The male part in procreation

3. VERSES:

a. Genesis 5:3, “And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and BEGOT [a
son] in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.”

b. 1 Chronicles 14:3, “Then David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David
BEGOT more sons and daughters.”

C. #3 PROOF OF THE REALITY OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH: THAT IS WHAT THE HISTORICAL EVIDENCE
ATTESTS TO

1. FIRST HISTORICAL WITNESS TO THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF CHRIST: TIME ELEMENT FOR
THE COMPOSITION FO THE GOSPELS

2. SECOND HISTORICAL WITNESS TO THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF CHRIST: THE TESTIMONY OF

THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS
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a. Ignatius (in 110 A.D.), an early church Father testified to the Virgin Birth of
Christ

3. THIRD HISTORICAL WITNESS TO THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF CHRIST: SCRIPTURAL

ATTESTATIONS

a. Matthew 1:18, “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.”

b. Luke 1:34, “Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not
know a man?’”

c. Galatians 4:4, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth
His Son, born of a woman, born under the law ….”

CONCLUSION

1. The Virgin Birth of Christ demonstrates:

a. THE LOVE OF GOD

b. THE POWER OF GOD

c. THE GRACE AND MERCY OF GOD

d. HOLINESS OF GOD