1. Every year around this time, newspapers and magazines publish articles attacking the virgin birth of Christ, though the Bible clearly teaches the virgin birth of Christ (cf. Luke 1:27, 34, 35).
2. Matthew 1:18 says, "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."
3. Matthew 1:19 says, "Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily." Joseph was going to put Mary away "privily" because he wanted to protect her from a scandal.
4. Mary was betrothed to Joseph but they had not yet consummated their marriage, and back in those days it was scandalous for unmarried women to be pregnant.
5. The Bible clearly teaches that Mary was a virgin when Christ was born (Matt. 1:18-25).
6. But newspapers and magazines continually publish articles attacking the virgin birth of Christ. A while back, Nicholas Kristof, a writer for The New York Times, wrote, “The faith in the virgin birth reflects the way American Christianity is becoming less intellectual...over time.”
7. According to Mr. Kristof, "intellectual" Christians do not believe in the virgin birth of Christ. But these so-called "intellectual Christians" are not really Christian. They are not saved. They are lost.
8. One hundred years ago, Professor James Orr from Glasgow, Scotland, said, "Among those who reject the virgin birth of the Lord few will be found -- I do not know any--who take in other respects an adequate view of the Person and work of the Saviour. It is surprising how clearly the line of division here reveals itself. My statement publicly made and printed has never been confuted."
9. In other words, if a man denies the virgin birth of Christ he is an apostate, and a wolf in sheep's clothing.
10. Our Lord described them this way: "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch" (Matthew 15:14).
11. This attack is not confined to just the doctrine of the virgin birth. This attack affects the whole supernatural estimate of Christ -- His life, His claims, His sinlessness, His miracles, His substitutionary death, His resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven, and His second coming.
12. Defending the supernatural virgin birth of Christ, Ian Paisley has written: “This assault on the doctrine of the Virgin Birth is, however, but one phase of a great battle to evacuate the supernatural from Christianity and to reduce it to the plane of natural religion. These naturalists in religion are out to destroy supernatural Christianity and to reduce it to the plane of natural religion. These naturalists in religion are out to destroy supernatural Christianity. They go through the Bible and tell us there is no supernatural revelation there; they go through the Birth of Christ and tell us there is no supernatural incarnation there; they go through the Person of Christ and tell us there is no supernatural deity there; they go through the sinless Life of Christ and tell us there is no supernatural purity there; they go through the Works of Christ and tell us there are no supernatural miracles there; they go through the Words of Christ and tell us there is no supernatural wisdom there; they go through the Death of Christ and tell us there is no supernatural atonement there; they go through the Blood of Christ and tell us there is no supernatural cleansing there; and they go through the Tomb of Christ and tell us there is no supernatural resurrection there. Having jettisoned the supernatural from the Gospel Ship they have reduced her to an old hulk of man’s manufacturing, a mere plaything for the storms of unbelief and the reefs of infidelity.”

I. A SUPERNATURAL BIRTH

1. Several years ago Larry King, the well-known television talk show host, was asked who he would like to interview if he had his pick from all of history. His answer was Jesus Christ. The questioner paused and said, “What is the one question you would like to ask Him?” Larry King answered, “I would ask Him if He indeed was virgin born, because the answer to that would define history for me.”
2. Mr. King is 80-years-old. He should believe the Bible and get saved before he dies and goes to hell.
3. Our Lord's birth is supernatural and it is miraculous because no man was ever born without an earthly father (Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:30-35).
4. It is supernatural because it was prophesied thousands of years beforehand. The first Messianic prophecy is found way back in Genesis 3:15, where we read that the LORD God said unto the serpent, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed."
5. Genesis 3:15 is a biological impossibility, because it is supernatural and miraculous.
6. "Her seed" is an unusual term, because the word "seed" always refers to the seed of a man, not a woman. Biologically, a woman does not produce seed. In the Bible, the word "seed" always refers to the seed of a man. For example, we read in Genesis 12, "And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land."
7. "Thy seed" refers to Abraham and his son Isaac, and his son Jacob, etc. The Bible speaks of the seed of David, and the seed of Israel, etc.
8. This is the normal usage of the word. The promised seed of the woman, referred to in Genesis 3:15 was miraculously implanted in the womb of Mary by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:34, 35).
9. You may recall that when Mary was told by the angel Gabriel that she was going to give birth to the Messiah, she replied, "How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" (Luke 1:34).
10. "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" (Luke 1:35).
11. In this way, the Lord Jesus would not inherit the sinful nature which would disqualify Him from becoming our Savior.
12. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." All except, the sinless, spotless, virgin-born Son of God.
13. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Mary was born without sin. They call this the doctrine of the immaculate conception.
14. The Roman Catholic doctrine of the immaculate conception should not be confused with the Biblical doctrine of the virgin birth. The Roman Catholic Church maintains that from the moment when she was conceived in her mother's womb, Mary was sinless.
15. First of all, this is not taught in the Bible.
16. Secondly, it contradicts the Bible. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." All except, the sinless Lord Jesus Christ, and that is because He is God.
17. First Timothy 3:16 refers to Christ as "God manifest in the flesh."
18. God cannot sin. The Lord Jesus Christ is "God manifest in the flesh" so He is sinless, but Mary was not sinless. Mary herself said in Luke 1:46 and 47, "My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour." Only sinners need a Saviour!
19. Furthermore, the Roman Catholic Church did not officially affirm their doctrine of the immaculate conception until 1854!
20. Seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, Isaiah the prophet prophesied that Christ would be born to a virgin (Isa. 7:14; 9:6, 7).
21. Micah the prophet was a contemporary of Isaiah, and he prophesied that Christ would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).
22. If you read carefully the genealogy in Matthew 1, you see over and over the word "begat" (1:2, 3, 4, etc.). But when you come to verse 16 you will notice that Joseph did not begat Jesus (1:16).
23. The Scofield Study Bible says, "The changed expression here is important. It is no longer, 'who begat,' but, 'Mary, of whom was born Jesus.' Jesus was not begotten of natural generation."
24. Luke's genealogy also guards the doctrine of the virgin birth. Luke 3:23 says it "was supposed" that our Lord was the son of Joseph.
25. Galatians 4:4 says, "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman..."
26. Our Lord had to be born of a woman because He had to be human in order to be our Saviour. But He also had to be born of a virgin in order to be our sinless Saviour.
27. Matthew 1:24 and 25 says Joseph, "took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS."
28. Only a sinless Saviour, born to a virgin, could die as our perfect substitute.

II. A HOLY BIRTH

1. Everything about Christ's virgin birth was supernatural and unique, and what sets Him apart from all men – He was born without sin. His was a holy birth.
2. It is impossible to explain the absolute holiness of Christ apart from the doctrine of His virgin birth.
3. "In Christ moral and spiritual purity were found in their perfection. In Him the taint of sin was not found" (William Evans, Epochs in the Life of Christ).
4. Every other baby born into this world is born with a sinful nature. David wrote, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity: and in sin did my mother conceive me" (Psalm 51:5).
5. And David also wrote, "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies" (Psalm 58:3).
6. The apostle Paul wrote, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
7. Every baby that has ever been born is born with a sinful nature. The most depraved criminals were at one time cute little babies playing with toys. But they had in them the deadly virus of sin.
8. But 2,000 years ago, when those shepherds looked into the face of the baby Jesus they were looking at a child who would never sin. They were looking at God manifest in the flesh.
9. "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" (Matthew 1:23).
10. This was a baby who was not born with a sinful nature. "The angel Gabriel said to Mary, 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" (Luke 1:35).
11. Our Lord said, "Who convinceth me of sin?" (John 8:46), and of course there was none.
12. First John 3:5 says, "And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin."
13. Hebrews 4:15 says Christ "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."
14. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."
15. First Peter 2:22 says, "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth."
16. Peter said that Christ "hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust" (I Peter 3:18).

III. A LONG EXPECTED BIRTH

Charles Wesley's most famous Christmas hymn is "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," but he also wrote others.  One of them is,

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.

Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

1. Luke 2:25 and 26 tells us, "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. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ."
2. Luke also mentions Anna, a prophetess, who was waiting for the Messiah (Luke 2:36-38).
3. Matthew chapter 2 tells us about the wise men from the east who traveled to Jerusalem seeking the new- born King of the Jews.
4. Micah the prophet prophesied that Christ would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).
5. Interestingly, when King Herod gathered all the chief priests and scribes together, and demanded of them where Christ should be born, they quoted Micah 5:2 (Matthew 2:3-6).
6. This indicates these religious leaders were familiar with Micah's prophecy, but unlike the wise men they had no interest in welcoming the Messiah.
7. How about you? Are you interested in the Lord Jesus Christ or is Christmas just a holiday with good music and food and presents, etc.?

CONCLUSION:

1. There is a well-known story told about the great statesman Daniel Webster. He was dining with a company of literary men in Boston. During the dinner the conversation turned upon the subject of Christianity. Mr. Webster frankly stated his belief in the deity of Christ and his dependence upon His blood atonement. One man at the dinner said to him, "Mr. Webster, can you comprehend how Christ could be both God and man?"
2. Daniel Webster promptly replied, "No sir, I cannot comprehend it. If I could comprehend him, he would be no greater than myself. I feel that I need a super-human Saviour.”
3. Thank God we have "a super-human Saviour.” A virgin-born, sinless Saviour!