Matthew opens his Gospel with a bold historical claim that forever separates Jesus from every other person born into the world. “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way,” he writes. “When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with a child from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18). There it is—clear, concise, and utterly miraculous. One commentator described it this way: “The spermatic matter that ordinarily produces human life was not needed for the birth of Jesus. Instead, the divine spirit entered Mary’s womb and was born as flesh.” The virgin birth is not a side note to the story; it is the beginning of the gospel itself. Through this event, Jesus entered the world as fully human through Mary and fully divine through His heavenly Father. It was heaven’s perfect plan for a fallen world.
Sadly, not everyone accepts that plan. A survey once revealed that 56 percent of ministers in training rejected the virgin birth of Christ. Even more startling, 71 percent denied life after death, 54 percent rejected the bodily resurrection, and 98 percent denied Christ’s personal return. That is like becoming a lifeguard who does not believe in water. The Christian faith stands on three giant pillars—the virgin birth, the atoning death, and the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. Knock down any one of them, and the whole structure collapses. Each doctrine holds hands with the others. The virgin birth makes the cross meaningful because only a sinless Savior could die for sinners. The resurrection confirms the cross’s victory, proving that sin and death have been defeated. Together, they form what the old storytellers called “the greatest story ever told,” and it is still the greatest news ever heard.
The New Testament ties all three pillars together in the person of Jesus. Paul wrote, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman” (Galatians 4:4). That “woman” was Mary, and that “Son” was God in the flesh. Because He was born of a virgin, He could be both fully man and fully divine—able to sympathize with our weaknesses yet strong enough to save us from them. John 1:14 declares, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” And Isaiah, centuries before, had already called for a celebration: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” That name means “God with us.” And that is exactly who He is—the miracle that changed everything.