THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST -

THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF JESUS

A basic fact of Christianity is that Jesus Christ who is fully God, who was
with God "before the world was" (John 17:5) became man. The eternal Son
of God took a human nature and by so doing became God in the flesh. God
by a creative act brought about the virgin birth of Jesus Christ at a fixed time
in history, at the right time according to Galatians 4:4,5:

"[4] But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son,
made of a woman, made under the law,
[5] To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the
adoption of sons."

The Bible is very clear about the fact that the Lord Jesus was born into the
world by a human mother without a human father. This was prophesied in
Isaiah 7:14 and fulfilled in Matthew 1:18-25

"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall
conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." - Isaiah 7:14

"[18] Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother
Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found
with child of the Holy Ghost.
[19] Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make
her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
[20] But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord
appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to
take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the
Holy Ghost.
[21] And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:
for he shall save his people from their sins.
[22] Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of
the Lord by the prophet, saying,
[23] Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and
they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
[24] Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had
bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
[25] And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he
called his name JESUS." - Matthew 1:18-25

Also we read more details in Luke 2:6-7:

"[4] And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into
Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was
of the house and lineage of David:)
[5] To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
[6] And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished
that she should be delivered.
[7] And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling
clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in
the inn."

Luke 1:34-35 is God's answer to critics, for it specifies that Christ was virgin
born.

"[34] Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a
man?
[35] And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come
upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore
also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of
God."

Matthew 1 records Joseph's acceptance of the fact that the baby to be born of
Mary was supernaturally conceived.

"[24] Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had
bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
[25] And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: "

The doctrine of the virgin birth of Christ is one of the fundamental doctrines
of the Christian faith. It ought not to be difficult to accept, because the God
who created the reproductive process can certainly set it aside if HE so
chooses. The angel reminded Mary in his announcement to her that "with
God nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37). Some profess to believe that
Jesus Christ is who He claimed to be, the Son of God, the Saviour of the
world, but do not believe the Word of God that He was virgin born. This is
impossible. If Jesus were not virgin born, He would have had a sinful human
nature and could not have died for sinful man.

His person and His work are inseparable. Someone has said, "A Saviour not
quite God is a bridge too short at the other end."

A clear understanding of the incarnation is essential, for we must know who

Christ is before we can fully understand what He did. The fact that He had
no human father marks Him as different from all other men and is a witness
to His deity. The Lord Jesus Christ is the visible representation of God,
because He is God in the flesh, the God-man. It is not simply that God
became man in the incarnation, but that it happened in a miraculous way
through the virgin birth.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THE INCARNATION

The first prophecy is in Genesis 3:15, where God told Eve that her seed
would be separated from the lineage of man.

"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed
and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

Among the many prophecies throughout the Old Testament are 2 Samuel
7:12-16, which states that He would be from the family of David;

"[12] And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I
will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I
will establish his kingdom.
[13] He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of
his kingdom for ever.
[14] I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will
chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
[15] But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul,
whom I put away before thee.
[16] And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before
thee: thy throne shall be established for ever."

Isaiah 7:14, that He would be virgin born and would be "God with us";
"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall
conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

Modern versions cast doubt on the virgin birth in this verse:

"4 Therefore the Lord himself will give you[a] a sign: The virgin[b] will
conceive and give birth to a son, and[c] will call him Immanuel.[d]" - NIV
NOTE b: Or young woman

"4 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a [a]virgin will
be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name [b]Immanuel." -
NASB
NOTE a: or maiden

"So the Master is going to give you a sign anyway. Watch for this: A girl
who is presently a virgin will get pregnant. She’ll bear a son and name him
Immanuel (God-With-Us). " - The Message

Daniel 9:25, which indicates the time of His coming;

"[25] Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the
commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the
Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall
be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times."

(This commandment was given by Artaxerxes Longimanus in Nehemiah

chapter 2 after Artaxerxes asked why Nehemiah was sad. Nehemiah was sad
because Jerusalem was in ruins.)

and Micah 5:2, the place of His birth.

"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands
of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in
Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."

These prophecies were fulfilled in the New Testament in exact detail. The
one who does not accept the virgin birth sets aside the clear testimony of the
Old Testament, reiterated in the New Testament, that "God sent forth his
Son, made of a woman" (Galatians 4:4).
REASONS FOR THE INCARNATION

To reveal God.

Jesus Christ is God's answer to the question, What is God like? When
we speak about God, we mention His holiness and majesty and power. We
describe Him as the Creator and Ruler of the universe and think of His
sovereignty over everything. The Scripture urges men to have an awesome
fear of God, a reverential worship of one who is far beyond our
understanding. Proverbs 9:10 speaks of the "fear of the LORD" as the
"beginning of wisdom." At Mount Sinai in Exodus 19:16, the people
trembled before the majesty and power of God. When Job was given a
revelation of God's glory, his reply was, "I abhor myself, and repent in dust
and ashes" (Job 42:6).

When the Lord Jesus came, He revealed the further truth that God is
love. This was not something new; it was not a change in God's character
from the Old Testament to the New, for God cannot change. Immutability is
inherent in His being. God's love was always present in His dealings with
His people from the creation of the world. But the Lord Jesus was the
demonstration, the evidence of this characteristic of God (1 John 4:10). In
Matthew 11:27 Jesus said His purpose was to reveal the Father. The one who
refuses to see God in Christ cannot see God at all, for Jesus said, "No man
cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6).

To experience our nature.

God knows us completely. Our nature did not happen by chance, for
we are creations of God. But God never becomes hungry or tired or
discouraged. He could not be the eternal, omnipotent God if He were less
than perfect. The Lord Jesus as a man was tired; He became hungry. He
knew sorrow.

GOD is absolutely holy. Therefore HE cannot be tempted to sin. The

Lord Jesus as a man was tempted so that He is able to understand when we
are tempted. The difference is that He never gave in to the temptation as we
do. Hebrews 4:14-16 says that because Jesus Christ understands our
weaknesses, we can come to Him without fear and ask His help.

"[14] Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into
the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
[15] For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet
without sin.
[16] Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we
may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." -Hebrews 4:14-16

"[17] Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his
brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
[18] For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to
succour them that are tempted." - Hebrews 2:17,18

To confirm God's promises.

The Old Testament prophecies of Christ were promises from God that
HE would send His Son to be the Saviour and a future Ruler over the world.
The incarnation was the fulfillment of the promise. When the infant Jesus
was presented in the temple. He was recognized as the one prepared and sent
by GOD (Luke 2:25-35).

"[25] And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was
Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation
of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
[26] And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should
not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
[27] And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents
brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
[28] Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
[29] Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to
thy word:
[30] For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
[31] Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
[32] A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
[33] And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were
spoken of him.
 [34] And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother,
Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and
for a sign which shall be spoken against;
[35] (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the
thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

What do modern versions change in Luke 2:33?

"The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him."
- NIV

"And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him."
- ESV

"[a]And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were
spoken of Him.
Footnotes: Luke 2:33 NU And His father and mother" - NKJV

To be the Saviour.

This is the supreme reason for His coming. Jesus Christ was born to
die. He said, "For this cause came I unto this hour" (John 12:27). The
purpose of the incarnation is summed up in John 3:16.

To destroy the devil.

There is a clear statement in Hebrews 2:14-15 that one reason Jesus

became a man was to destroy the devil, who had the power of death over
mankind.

"[14] Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and

blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he
might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
[15] And deliver them who through fear of death were all their
lifetime subject to bondage."

"He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the
beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might
destroy the works of the devil." - I John 3:8

This power came from Satan's successful tempting of Adam and Eve
(Genesis 3). Those who accept Christ as Saviour have freedom now from the
rule of Satan. In addition there will come a day when Satan's power over all
creation will be completely broken, as Revelation 20:10 and 21:3-5 indicate.
All this will happen because the Son of God became man.

SUMMARY FACTS OF THE INCARNATION

By the incarnation, Jesus Christ who is God, became man. He had a

human ancestry. Matthew 1 gives His legal descent showing Him to be from
David's lineage, while Luke traces His lineage back through Mary to Adam.
He lived and died and rose again in a body. He had human emotions and
senses and the ordinary development of every human being (Luke 2:52).

We do not know what Jesus looked like, though His appearance was
obviously that of a man. Every picture of Him is done entirely by the artist's
imagination(or an image of Cesare Borgia). Many pictures of Christ are
based on those which were done in the Middle Ages by artists who portrayed
Him as men of that time appeared. Since His human mother was Jewish, it is
logical to assume that He had the Jewish features of the time in which He
lived. Christ's incarnation brought Him ultimately to the fulfillment of the
prophecy in Isaiah 53 which pictures Him as having "no beauty" as a result
of His suffering.

A Further Word

This Lord Jesus is the indispensable Revealer of God, He is the Forgiver of

sins, and He is the final Judge. The alternative to these claims is undeniable
and clear. There is no logical alternative to the truth as the Lord spoke it,
other than that He was demented or an impostor. Both these alternatives are
unthinkable. But the bite is here. You cannot accept some of His teachings
and dismiss others, and still call Him a good Man, an honest Teacher and a
worthy Example. Can you know God apart from Him? If you answer yes,
you are on the opposite side from the Lord Jesus Christ—He said you
cannot. . . . To know Him is to know the Father, for He and the Father are
one.