Believing the miracle in a secular age
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In 1945 Harry Emerson Fosdick, pastor and critic of American fundamentalism, declared, "I do not believe in the virgin birth. … I do not know of any intelligent minister who does."
In a secular age it’s understandable that anything smacking of the transcendent is met with skepticism. Fosdick was free to question the virgin birth but – note well – his nonbelief runs against the long grain of historic Christian belief.
The current year 2025 is the 1,700th anniversary of the most universally recognized summary of essential Christian doctrine, the Nicene Creed. Among other crucial trinitarian and Christological doctrines, the creed affirms Jesus’ virgin birth. I count myself as one of millions who continue to believe it.
But even if we do believe and teach it, why does it matter?
At least two main theories have been proposed for the doctrinal necessity of Christ’s virgin birth. Early Christian theologians argued that Jesus’ miraculous birth was a fulfilment of prophecy. Here they follow the Gospel of Matthew which cites Isaiah 7:14 to prove Jesus was the one the prophets testified about.
Critics argue that the Hebrew word Isaiah uses (‘almah) doesn’t necessarily mean virgin, but young woman. Yes, ‘almah can simply mean young woman, but there’s other instances in Hebrew Scripture where it specifically means virgin (Genesis 24:43; Song of Songs 1:3, 6:8, etc.).
Moreover, prophetic declarations often have double referents, one immediate and one in the more distant future. So when Matthew reports Mary had not yet had sexual relations (Matthew 1:22–25), he, at least, was convinced Isaiah had virgin in mind.
Jesus is the firstborn not only over all creation, but also the firstborn of the new heaven and earth in which those in Christ participate.
Other theologians have insisted the virgin birth was necessary to maintain the sinlessness of Jesus by bypassing a sinful human father. It was 4th-century theologian Augustine who first formulated this view. Though Augustine was theologically brilliant, he unfortunately had a rather negative view of human sexuality, presuming sin was passed to a child through the male’s seed.
As commonly as it is still taught, the theory of the transmission of sin through the act of procreation isn’t explicitly taught in Scripture. When Paul announces that sin came into the world through Adam (Romans 5:12), he nowhere explains that the mechanism of transmission is male semen. Also, if Paul had wanted to guarantee Christ’s sinlessness on this theory, the virgin birth would have been good to mention, which he never does.
While the former theory has better direct biblical support than the latter, I believe there is something more to the virgin birth than both. Why then should we continue to teach it?
First and most clearly, the Bible teaches it. Matthew and Luke both include the virgin birth in their Gospels (Matthew 1:18–23; Luke 1:26–38). Curiously though, Mark, John, Peter, James and Paul never mention it. But the frequency of biblical references to a topic never determines whether it is true. Therefore, we take Matthew and Luke at their word.
Second, and most importantly, the virgin birth doctrinally affirms the divine and human side of the Incarnation, of God becoming flesh in Jesus Christ.
On the one hand, it is a virgin birth. Jesus enters history just as every human – from the womb of a human mother. The birth of Jesus shows us He is as human as we are. In fact, His humanness includes voluntarily becoming utterly dependent on Mary for His natal growth and on both parents for His upbringing. This is at least partially what it meant for Jesus to empty and humble Himself (Philippians 2:7–8).
In other words the divine Son didn’t descend from heaven as an alien being. Unlike the mythological Greek and Roman demigods (neither fully divine nor fully human), Jesus is fully divine and became fully human "for us and for our salvation," as the Nicene Creed puts it.
On the other hand, it is a virgin birth. Jesus’ appearance in history is a surprising miracle of God’s Spirit. Just as God created a brand-new world out of nothing (ex nihilo, as the concept is often labelled in Latin) by His Word and Spirit, so too the eternal Word enters history and creation by the Spirit in a brand-new way (novum) to become human.
Therefore, Jesus is the firstborn not only over all creation (Colossians 1:15), but also the firstborn of the new heaven and earth in which those in Christ participate (1 Corinthians 5:17).
In the Bible miracles are often called signs and wonders. As a miracle the virgin birth is a sign. It points to who Jesus is – the eternal Son taking on human flesh. But it is also a wonder because the mysterious way God accomplishes this is indeed wondrous to behold.
So we sing, "Late in time behold Him come, Offspring of a virgin’s womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail th’ incarnate Deity!"