I believe it would not be wrong for me to say the Resurrection is a more important doctrine than the Virgin Birth.
After all, Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians that the Resurrection of Jesus is a matter of “first importance (15:3 ESV)”, and “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins (1 Corinthians 15:16 ESV)”.
But it would be a huge mistake to say the Virgin Birth does not matter. In fact, it matters so much that if Jesus was not born of a virgin, then He is not who He says He is and we have believed a lie!
The Virgin Birth does not appear only in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. It was foretold by God right from the beginning.
And I (God) will put enmity
Between you (devil) and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.
(Genesis 3:15)
Since a woman has no seed, it is clear that God meant for the Messiah to be conceived supernaturally (ie not through sexual intercourse between a man and woman). But why must He not come from the seed of a man? Why does it have to be a virgin woman to carry Him?
Firstly, in accordance to the Law, the Messiah must be a Man without sin in order to qualify as our perfect offering to God.
Your (Passover) lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.
(Exodus 12:5)
If his offering is of the flocks—of the sheep or of the goats—as a burnt sacrifice, he shall bring a male without blemish.
(Leviticus 1:10)
And if you bring as an offering a grain offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.
(Leviticus 2:4)
If his offering as a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord is of the flock, whether male or female, he shall offer it without blemish.
(Leviticus 3:6)
If he brings a lamb as his sin offering, he shall bring a female without blemish.
(Leviticus 4:32)
And he shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock, with your valuation, as a trespass offering.
(Leviticus 5:18)
If He were to be born from the seed of a man, He would inherit the father’s sins through the blood and would not be accepted as an offering.
Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer, for it shall not be acceptable on your behalf.
(Leviticus 22:20)
Secondly, the Messiah has to be born of a virgin because God said it is the sign that would point us to His identity.
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
(Isaiah 7:14)
So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
(Matthew 1:22-23)
(I am aware of the argument that the original Hebrew word in Isaiah, “Almah” does not necessarily means virgin, but the context of the passage determines the meaning.)
Thus, if Jesus was not born of a virgin, He could not be the Messiah and that would make Him a liar for claiming to be Him. And if Jesus is indeed the Messiah but not born of a virgin, then that would make God a liar because His words did not come to pass!
Can you see how important the doctrine of the Virgin birth is?
Some preachers are worried that talking about things like the Virgin Birth would turn people away from hearing the Gospel, because miracles are difficult to accept, but this is preposterous.
The Bible commands us to declare the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27) and warn against adding to or subtracting from His word (Deuteronomy 4:2). So shouldn’t preachers be more concerned about following God’s commands than worrying about the opinions of men?
In My Words... 