Jesus, Son of Mary - His Virgin Birth

Why is Christmas Significant?

December, or January for the Orthodox Church, is the time when people around the world celebrate Christmas, the date which has been traditionally chosen as the birth of Jesus Christ nearly 2,000 years ago.

Though they may not agree on the significance of Jesus' ministry on earth, both Christians and Muslims honour His existence and the unique means by which He came to earth, His supernatural virgin birth.

In the Qur'an, Mary asks the angel how she could be pregnant as, no man hath touched [her]. (Sura 3:47) The angel answered that it was so decreed (Sura 19:20). Yet why should this child come in this manner? What was the significance of a virgin birth? Most Muslims would probably shrug in ignorance, as the Qur'an never explains it.

At times like these, the Qur'an, however, points the Muslim to those to whom the former revelations were given, the Christians. We read:

If thou wert in doubt as to what We have revealed unto thee, then ask those who have been reading the Book from before thee. The truth had indeed come to thee from thy Lord. (Sura 10:49, 21:7)

Let us, therefore, go to these scriptures and ask them to explain this unique birth. Perhaps then we can see the real significance of Christmas as God intended.

The Uniqueness of Jesus

The former scriptures say a number of things concerning Jesus. They say that He was:

Unique in His conception. In history no other human being has had such a marvelous conception. Not even Muhammad. Everyone since the time of Adam and Eve has had two parents. But Jesus of Nazareth stands alone. Only He was born of a virgin.

Yet this birth was unique in other respects. The Bible states that the angel Gabriel foretold His birth (Luke 1:24-37). A special star appeared indicating where He would be born. At His birth angels proclaimed the event (Luke 2:8-14) and before He could talk, wise men from the East came to worship Him (Matthew 2:11). Yahya (John the Baptist), while still in the womb, leapt for joy in the presence of Jesus. (Luke 1:44)

Unique in His Sinlessness. The devil came to tempt Jesus as he had tempted the first Adam, but failed. (Luke 4) Unlike all the rest of humanity, Jesus never sinned.

Unique in His Power. Jesus went about doing endless miracles, healing the sick, controlling nature and raising the dead. (Luke 3:22, 4:1,14) He knew the thoughts of all men, whether in the past, present or future. (John 2:25) Jesus was a man who knew far more of the power of God than any other human who has ever lived.

Unique in His Message. Jesus was not just an ordinary man. He told people to follow Him, and not just to follow His teaching. Even when He taught, the people were not so much amazed at what He said as who He was. His authority rested in Himself and not His message.

The Purity of Jesus

The virgin birth also signified that Jesus was not of the line of Adam. Because He did not have two parents He was exempted from Adam's line. Yet why is this so important? Why should Jesus not be born in the line of Adam just like every other human being?

God created all living creatures with the ability to reproduce themselves. (Genesis 1) From the beginning of creation we see that God established a very important principle, that like produces like.

That which comes from Adam is sinful

We all possess the basic humanity that Adam and Eve have passed down to us through the generations since creation. But there is more to it than that. Adam passed down to us more than those characteristics which separate us from other animals or living things. And here is where the problem lies. Adam disobeyed God by eating the fruit Eve gave him (Genesis 2) and brought a judgment and curse upon not only all of his descendants, but upon all of creation. (Genesis 2:17) Sin had now entered the world, and had permeated Adam, his wife Eve, and all of creation.

Adam produced offspring, “in his own likeness, after his own image”. (Genesis 5:3) Again, we find the old dictum that like produces like. Adam had defiled his own humanity. Adam's children were the same. They too were corrupt and cursed, aslike produces like. Therefore, we have a chain of human life reaching back to Adam, the consequence of whose sin has affected us all. Because of that original sin by Adam we are all imputed with the guilt of sin, the wages of which is death (Romans 6:23). But there is one exception.

That which comes from God is sinless

There is one who never did anything wrong. He was the only man who never sinned. His name was Jesus. His sinlessness showed that He could not be a son of the corrupt and cursed Adam. His virgin birth prevented Him from being imputed with Adam's sin. He was different because His Father was different. Remember the dictum like produces like.

This does not mean that He was conceived by God in a physical way. No, that would be blasphemous! Scripture tells us that the power of the Holy Spirit worked to conceive a child in Mary's womb. (Matthew 1:20) How can anything of the Holy Spirit be unholy?

He was a child described by Gabriel in both the Qur'an (Sura 19:19) and the Bible (Hebrews 1) as a holy one, and not part of that chain of curse and corruption reaching back to Adam. Here was a 'new Adam,' a human being who was not under the curse of God, a servant whom God loved and with whom He was well pleased (Luke 3:22). There was no shame, guilt or corruption in this man.

As proof of this we find that His holiness did not go unnoticed, even by those who were not of His group, those who persecuted Him and despised Him. At the end of His life Pilate said he could find nothing wrong with Jesus and washed his hands of his execution. Even a demon identified Him as the "Holy One of God" (Luke 4:34).

We know that like produces like, so why should Jesus not be holy? Yet, what about His mother? It is because of His human mother that we know He had a human nature. Due to His virgin birth Jesus had the nature of a human and the nature of God, yet He remained one person. The significance of His two natures would take pages to explain. Suffice to say that in Jesus, God is revealed in human form as God manifest in the flesh. (1 Timothy 3:16) His virgin birth, however, underlies these two natures: born of a woman, providing Him His humanity, yet born of a virgin, underlining His divinity.

That which comes from Eve is fulfilled.

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers (singular). He will crush your head and you will strike His heel." (Genesis 3:15)

In this verse God foretells the event of the cross which was to happen thousands of years later. An offspring of Eve would crush the head of Satan. We know this happened on the cross and the subsequent resurrection, when Jesus finally destroyed the work of Satan by triumphing over death. (1 Corinthians 15)

What is interesting is that God said neither the offspring of Adam, nor their offspring, referring to both of them. He purposefully mentions her offspring, pointing to the female side of the created parent. Eve stands for all women, as can clearly be seen in the subsequent prophecy which only women can suffer. (Genesis 3:16) Therefore, the person to fulfill this prophecy had to be a woman.

As we have seen, Jesus was not born of Adam, but only of Eve (a woman). Because Jesus had no human father He is exempt from the imputation of Adam's sin.

The Divinity of Jesus

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)

Finally, through the virgin birth came a child who was Immanuel. This was no ordinary name for this was no ordinary child. Immanuel means God with us. God Himself was to come through this virgin birth.

This prophecy is fulfilled in the conception and birth of Jesus the Messiah. Before Mary and Joseph had any sexual relations, Mary was pregnant through the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18-25) Her conception was by the Holy Spirit, not by sexual intercourse, as some Muslims claim the scripture says.

The angel Gabriel came to Mary and told her that her virgin-born child would be called the Son of the Most High, the Lord God, and that He will reign over the house of Jacob (Israel) forever. (Luke 1:26-2:52) When Mary asked how this could be, Gabriel explained that the power of the highest, the Holy Spirit, would overshadow her and therefore, the Holy One in her would be called the Son of God.

Its Significance for us Today

From what we have read we find that Jesus Christ is unique, as only He was born of a virgin. The Qur'an does not explain this, telling us instead to go to the Bible. When we refer to the Bible we find that:

1. The virgin birth demonstrates that Jesus is both human and divine.

2. Due to the virgin birth Jesus Christ was exempted from the curse of Adam with which we have all been imputed. Because He was perfect, He could take upon Himself our sins completely. We now have the assurance of our salvation, something which Muslims can never claim.

3. It was Jesus who fulfilled the prophecy given to Eve, that one of her offspring would come and destroy the power of Satan, death, and evil. We are free to live in relationship with God both now and forever more.

4. And finally, it was a sign that God was with us (Immanuel). Jesus, the only person in history born in such a way, truly was God with us. The fulfillment of that prophecy informs us that this child was also the Son of God and the Holy One. We need to be aware of these prophecies and their fulfillment. Since God has already come among us, there is now no need for a further prophet, or a further revelation. All has been fulfilled in this unique person.

To understand this truth, we need to know why God came to be with us. The Qur'an does not speak of the curse of Adam and says little concerning the consequences and remedy of sin. It also says nothing concerning the significance of the virgin birth. The Bible, however, has these answers. (Sura 10:49)

This is the purpose of Christmas, not only to remind us of the true story which took place nearly 2,000 years ago, but to remember the uniqueness of Jesus birth, without which we would continue to be lost in sin for eternity. How can we continue to claim that Jesus was only human or a mere prophet when we see that He was all the four above? Truly this was a unique birth, and truly it is this birth which gives the significance of Christmas.