Matthew begins his Gospel with a miracle that defies human explanation—the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. He declares that this event fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Scholars have long debated the Hebrew word Almah used in Isaiah 7:14. Some argue it simply means “a young woman,” not necessarily a virgin. However, a closer look reveals that in more than half of its Old Testament uses, it clearly means “virgin.” To remove any lingering doubt, Matthew translates it with a Greek word that always and only means “virgin.” So, if Isaiah left room for discussion, Matthew closed it. The doctrine of the virgin birth is not linguistic trivia—it is theological bedrock. It tells us that God entered our world in a way that only God could.
In a world that questions everything from expiration dates to eternal truths, the virgin birth remains a dividing line. It is more than an interesting Christmas fact—it is the foundation of our faith. Jesus’ birth was not merely miraculous; it was necessary. A naturally conceived, sinful human being could not bear the sin of the world. Only one untouched by Adam’s sin could redeem Adam’s race. To reject the virgin birth is to dismantle the entire gospel structure—it is like removing the engine from a car and expecting it to run on good intentions. As theologian Donald Macleod once quipped, “The virgin birth is God’s statement that salvation is His doing, not ours.” It reminds us that God’s plan did not depend on human ingenuity or moral effort—it was divinely initiated from the start.
Larry King, when asked which historical figure he would most like to interview, famously said, “Jesus Christ.” When pressed for his question, he replied, “I would like to ask Him if He was indeed virgin-born. The answer to that question would define history for me.” When Ravi Zacharias sought permission to quote that statement, King added, “Tell him I was not being facetious.” King was right—the virgin birth does define history. It is the moment heaven kissed earth. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). As Matthew writes, “‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’—which means, God with us.” That single truth makes Christmas not just a story to celebrate, but a miracle to believe.