Therefore 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 KJV

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 KJV

The Lord promised to give us a sign – a sign that the Messiah had arrived – and it was the sign of the virgin giving birth to a baby. A virgin is a pure, unmarried, young woman. She is not merely a young woman, but one who is also pure and undefiled – who has never known a man. Of course we all know that it is impossible for a virgin to even conceive, never mind give birth, because it takes a man and a woman to make a baby. It always has and it always will. Why was it so important for the Messiah to be born from a virgin?

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Romans 5:12 KJV

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. Romans 5:14 NKJV

Behold, I was brought forth in [a state of] iniquity; my mother was sinful who conceived me [and I too am sinful]. Psalms 51:5 AMP

When Adam sinned, sin and death entered into the world and from that moment on sin was passed down to every person born after that from generation to generation. This was an obstacle that could be overcome by no mere man or cured by no amount of good works. No matter how many people were born, there was not one who was born who was free from sin or able to permanently free themselves or others from sin! Man needed God’s help.

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 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 1:26-35 KJV

The birth of Jesus was unlike any other before or since. His mother was a woman – a woman like any other woman – conceived in sin like all mankind. However, His father was not Joseph – a man – His Father was God Himself. Unlike the rest of us, He was born holy and sinless. He had to be born as a man – to become one of us to take our place on that Cross. He also had to be born sinless, and then live a sin-free life, in order to be able save the sinner – you and me – and take our place in dying to sin and being resurrected into new life.

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. 2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV

The reason that the devil so fights the virgin birth is because without it, we have no Savior and the message of the Gospel collapses. Men have tried to say that Jesus was just a good man – merely a prophet like all the others – and not the Son of God. If that were true then that would make Him a liar and just one of us. He could never have died for our sin if He was a sinner as well. So the Gospel is rendered powerless. Men have also tried to deify Mary, however, Jesus was not born sinless because of having a holy mother – He was born sinless because He has a holy Father! There is NO biblical evidence that Mary was anything more than a God-fearing, faith-filled, obedient, pure young virgin. Jesus needed to be born to a human mother so she could give Him His earthly body. If she was immaculate then that makes Him all God – and it was vital that He be both man AND God in one body. With His death and the shedding of His own blood, He ratified an eternally unbreakable covenant between God and man.

For since [it was] through a man that death [came into the world, it is] also through a Man that the resurrection of the dead [has come]. 22 For just as [because of their union of nature] in Adam all people die, so also [by virtue of their union of nature] shall all in Christ be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 AMP

Jesus answered, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a man is born of water and [even] the Spirit, he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God. John 3:5 AMP

We are all born into this earth by “water” – natural birth – and when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior we are born again – this time born of the Spirit! Our spirit is made alive and we become a new creature in Christ! Our natural birth gave us natural life and our spiritual birth gives us supernatural, everlasting life! Thank God for the faithfulness of the virgin, Mary, to believe the word of the Lord and to obey God in allowing Him to use her to bring forth both her, and our, Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!