Virgin Birth

Biblical Authority

The deity of Jesus (the assertion that He is both God and man) is so vital to the gospel that, if not true, there is no hope for salvation.

With the sale of over 80 million copies of The Da Vinci Code book and a blockbuster film, the question is constantly raised: Is Jesus Christ really the Son of God, or was He just another human, but a better one?

The deity of Jesus (the assertion that He is both God and man) is so vital to the gospel that, if not true, there is no hope for salvation. If Jesus’ deity were not true, it would take the good news out of the gospel and make the story of Jesus a greeting card, and nothing more.

The Virgin Birth is a miracle. The Bible gives no details, scientifically, of how God did it. But what He does tell us is that it was by the power of the Holy Spirit. God came over a human womb, and a child was conceived—a child who was 100% man and 100% God, with a human mother and God as His father.

Photo courtesy Calvary Baptist Church

This miracle, in terms of apologetics, falls back on the attributes and power of the Father. Let’s consider these rhetorical questions:

Did God create the universe?
Since He created and designed the universe and its systems, is He above the scientific laws He set in motion?
Because He is above those laws, when He did become man, were His actions, lifestyle, and testimony unlike any other?
His lifestyle, His ministry, His rejection by sinful men—do these all give credibility to the claim that Jesus came from God the Father?
Does His resurrection from the grave also verify His claims of being the Son of God?
Has man sinned?

The answer to all these questions is, of course, “Yes!” Romans 3:23 tells us we need a Savior. So God sent His Son in this miraculous way. Jesus was both God and man. He was God, so He was sinless; and yet He was man, so He could take our place. If you reject the truth of the Virgin Birth, you redefine Jesus as just a man. Do that and you remain in your condemned state before God, for only the blood of the incarnate Christ can cleanse you of sin (Hebrews 9:12). If you acknowledge this truth, believe on and place your trust in Jesus as the resurrected Son of God, you will be saved and have eternal life (John 10:27–28).

Don Landis is pastor of Community Bible Church in Jackson, Wyoming. He is founder and president of Jackson Hole Bible College (www.jhbc.edu), a one-year program with special emphasis on creation for young adults. Don is also the founding chairman of the board for Answers in Genesis-USA.