Turn your Bibles to 2 Timothy chapter 3, please. I don't want to be a jumping off point. I want to consider the virgin birth. Why is the virgin birth so important? Let me just say, why was it absolutely essential? I want to consider, I believe, one of the most important doctrines of the Holy Scripture, and I think it's the absolute essential doctrine of historic Christianity, the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. We saw that several times and we sang about it. By a stupendous miracle of the Holy Spirit, a young godly Jewish virgin by the name of Mary conceived in her womb apart from any physical relationship with Joseph or any man. The child was conceived in her womb was the second person of the Trinity, the eternal Son of God. The miraculous conception was one of the most astounding events in world history. It was the vehicle through which the eternal God creator of heaven and earth became man. He did not become like man, but he became man in every sense of the word. But wonder of wonders, in becoming fully man, he never ceased to be God. The child conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary, apart from a physical relationship with a man, was God of very God. As he lived and walked on the earth, he never ceased to be God in any way. I want to just stop here. Charles Rushly has a hymn that I love, but one of the things he says, he emptied himself of all but love when he came to earth. In other words, his deity was And there are people who think that Christ laid aside, I heard a preacher on television, a well-respected one, he laid aside all of his attributes when he became man. And I don't find any text of scripture that supports that. He was fully man and he was fully God. He talked of him. So we want to keep that in mind. He was given a very common name in that day, Jesus. But the name had uncommon significance. The angel said to Joseph, call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Since the Christian season commemorates the birth of Christ, I thought it would be profitable for us to zero in on this miraculous event in particular, namely the fact that the Lord was conceived in the womb of Mary, apart from any relationship with a man. It is the miracle of the virgin birth. We can see the biblical basis for the doctrine of the virgin birth. The prophet Isaiah, behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel. We saw as I read the text this morning from Matthew. Matthew sets forth this prophecy in relationship to the difficulties that Joseph was made to face. It was Joseph engaged to this young virgin, and finds out now that she's pregnant. And without the insight from the Holy Spirit, can you imagine how he was upset? But in his goodness, he was going to try to put her away secretly, so that it wouldn't be revealed. After the angel assured Joseph that the pregnancy of Mary was a miracle of the Holy Spirit and not by any faithfulness on her part, Matthew quotes the text from Isaiah 14 and tells us that was the fulfillment of that prophecy. The testimony of the Gospel of Luke. Luke also deals with the historical account of the virgin birth of Jesus. But from the experience of Mary, He looks at it from Mary's experience. We saw from Joseph's experience in Matthew, but in Mary's experience in Luke. And in doing so, Luke makes it clear that Mary was a young godly Jewish virgin who conceived in her womb by a miracle of the Holy Spirit. She was a virgin before she was conceived. She was a virgin after she conceived, and was a virgin when Christ was born. to blast the Roman Catholic Church, she did not remain a virgin. If you remember, Jesus had brothers and sisters. So we see the importance of it. Let's look at the, analyze that importance in relationship to the integrity of God's word, and someone mentioned that. If the virgin birth of Christ is not true, if these accounts of this miraculous event that we considered our myths and fables, then the whole integrity of God's word is called into very serious question. That's why the psalmist says that he exalted his word above his name. His personality as God rises and falls on the integrity of the word of God. The Bible claims to be divinely inspired, the word of God. Look at 1 Timothy chapter three and verse 16. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction and righteousness, that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. We see the same thing over in 1 Peter. If you'll turn there, please. First Peter chapter 1. Verse 16. Verse 17, if you call on the Father who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourself throughout the time of your stay here in fear, knowing that you are not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifested in these last times for you, who through him believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory so that faith and hope were in God. Since you have purified your souls and obeying the truth through the spirit and sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, have been born again, not of incorruptible seed, but of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and abides forever. All flesh is as grass, and the glory of man is the flower of grass. The glass withers and the flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever. Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. Everything in the Bible is set forth to be true. Every word in the Bible is true. Every word of God is pure, Proverbs 35. Every word of God is pure. He is a shield to those who put their trust in him. Do not add to his words lest he rebuke you and be found a liar. Everything the Bible has set forth is truth and to be believed. Every word in the Bible is true. Because of that sobering fact, we are told never ever to try to take, to tamper with the word of God. God's word in the book of Isaiah predicted the virgin birth of Christ. The gospel of Matthew and Luke recorded the virgin birth as an actual event. But if all this is based on myth and fable, then how can we be certain that other doctrines of the Bible are true? Secondly, in relationship to the hypostatic union. What is that? The hypostatic union. I really know stuff. It refers to the incarnation, the miracle of miracles when the eternal Son of God became man. We've looked at enough texts and scriptures to make that clear. 1 Timothy 3.16 And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed up in the world, received up in glory. Now some of your translations will just say he. He was manifested in the flesh. But if you get back to verse 15, you see it's talking about God. So when it says he, he's talking about God. God was manifested in the flesh. This is the biblical answer to the question that often arises when it's said Jesus is the God-man. How did that occur? The virgin conception, the virgin birth of Christ is the answer. By means of the virgin birth, God the Son, without ever ceasing to be God, took unto him the union of his divine nature, our human nature. As a result, he became Emmanuel, God with us, the God-man. This is an important reason for the doctrine of the virgin birth. The incarnation, the virgin birth is by means by which God became fully man. There are other important aspects of the virgin birth, but this is by far the most important of all. The redemptive plan and purposes of God in our salvation is based on and flows out of the miracle of the virgin birth. God had to remain God while becoming man in order to save sinners. the suffusion of the two natures of Christ, the divine and the human, into one person is called the hypostatic union. And this hypostatic union was brought forth about by the virgin conception and the virgin birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the dual nature of Christ is set forth in the scriptures in ways that are almost utterly confusing and appear to be contradictory to those who do not understand this vital union. In his human nature, Christ became tired, but in his divine nature, he was all-powerful. Let me give you an example of that over in Matthew chapter 8, please. Matthew chapter 8. Verse 23. Now when he got into a boat, his disciples followed him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with waves. But he was asleep. Then his disciples came to him, woke up him, saying, Lord, save us. We are perishing. But he said to them, why are you fearful, O you of little faith? Then he arose and rebuked the winds in the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, who can this be that even the wind and the sea obey him? Now the word tempest is seismic, almost like an earthquake. And the windstorm was like a hurricane or a tornado when you compare that with Mark 4 and Luke 8. The human nature of Jesus is seeing that he was so tired and exhausted that he fell sound asleep and remained asleep in the midst of that powerful storm. A situation in which a boat was about to be swamped. So oblivious was our Lord to all of this, that His disciples wondered whether they even were concerned for Him. It says in Mark 4, verse 38, Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? But after being awakened from the sound sleep, our Lord demonstrated His power as Almighty God. Look at verse 25. And his disciples came to him and woke him, saying, Lord, save us, we are perishing. And he said to them, why are you fearful, all you of little faith? And he arose and rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm. Tired, yet all powerful. Here's the obvious human nature of our Lord was hid under his divine nature, broke forth in commanding the wind and the waves to be still. In Mark 4, he says, peace, be still. Now notice the text that there was a immediate calm of the wind and the sea. Now under normal circumstances, the turbulence of the words gradually subside over time, even though the wind stops blowing. But here the wind ceases immediately, and the turbulent waters become calm immediately. In fact, it was an unusual calm, verse 26, and it was a great calm. As a result, his disciples were struck with awe and godly fear. And the question that they ask implies that they knew that they were in the very presence of Almighty God, the creator of heaven and earth. Look at verse 27, the men marveled saying, who can this be that even the wind and the sea obey him? In his human nature, Christ had to grow in knowledge and understanding, but in his divine nature, he knew all things. Now this is understandable if Jesus learned things and had limited knowledge with respect. his human nature. We dealt with this when we went through Luke. Look at Luke chapter 2. Remember Jesus went down with his family to worship the Lord in Jerusalem and he got lost. Well he wasn't lost, but they thought he was lost. Look at verse 41 of Luke 2. His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when he was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. When they had finished the days, they returned, the boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem, and Joseph and his mother did not know it. But supposing him to have been in the company, they went a day's journey and sought him among the relatives and acquaintances. So when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, saying to him, how is it that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking questions? And all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. So when they saw him, they were amazed. And his mother said, son, why have you done this to us? Look, your father and I have sought anxiously. And he said to them, why do you seek me? Did you not know I must be about my father's business? But they did not understand the statement which he spoke to them. Now notice, then he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject to them. But his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor in God with men." So he grew like a normal young man. He grew in understanding. And yet, Peter said to him, when the Lord asked him two times, Peter, do you love me? He says, Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you. And many times we know that he knows what's in man's heart. Now this is how understandable, not only understandable if Jesus learned things and had limited knowledge in respect to his human nature, and yet knew all things in regard to his divine nature, which he sometimes called upon when it was necessary. This helps us wrestling with God's knowledge to relationship to various things. Secondly, it's important in relationship to the sinlessness of Christ. Because of the sin of Adam, every child conceived in the womb by normal union of a man and a woman is reckoned to be guilty of the sin of Adam. This is what David referred to in the psalm, and he said, and I don't usually like the new international version, because it's not a translation, it's a dynamic translation in that it seeks to set the primary thought, but I think it does well. In Psalm 51 he says, I have been a sinner from birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. The moment the egg and the sperm met in David's mother's womb, he was considered a sinner. Psalm 58.3, the wicked are estranged from the womb. They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. You know, little babies lie all the time. We went out to Lancaster with Jay and Rachel and the girls to visit Christie and their family. And we were about halfway home. Little Vera started to cry. Now that was unusual. I don't think I've ever heard little Vera cry much. She's always a good little baby. But she was crying like she was in such pain. She was one step from death. And as soon as we took her out of that car seat, She was fine. Yeah, she got tired of being in that car seat. She was lying to us. Poor little Vera. She doesn't even know what a lie is. But she was lying like she was in pain. I'm one step from death. You've got to save me. That's what David means, that the wicked are estranged from the womb. They go astray as soon as they are born. Now, if Jesus had been conceived in the womb by a normal union between Joseph and Mary, He would have stood under the academic curse like the rest of us who descended from Adam through natural generation. But Joseph was not the paternal father of Jesus. Christ was conceived in the womb of a virgin by a miracle of the Holy Spirit. As a result, the legal and moral corruption that belongs to all human beings did not belong to Christ. The concept seems to indicate, in the words of the angel, to be able to marry. His sinlessness has made clear the record of his life, and the gospel writers make it very clear. Go to Hebrews chapter 4, please. Hebrews chapter 4. Verse 14, seeing then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace in time of need. Look at chapter seven and verse 26. For such a high priest who was fitting for us, who was holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens, who does not need daily as those high priests to offer a sacrifice for his own sins than for the people. For this he did once for all when he offered up in sin. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weaknesses. By the word of the Lord, which came upon after the law, appoints the son who has been perfected forever. So we see it's important in relationship to the redemptive work of Christ. First Timothy 1.15. Verse 15, chapter one, verse 15. This is a faithful saying worthy of all acceptance that Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. However, for this reason, I obtained mercy that in me first, Jesus, my Christ might show all long suffering as a pattern to those who are going to believe on him for everlasting life. The perfect righteousness and justice of God demands a perfect sacrifice for sin. It demanded the death and shed blood of a perfect sacrifice. Under the old covenant, the blood of animals was shed as a temporary covering for sin. But this could never take away sin. In fact, it was a reminder of sin every year. Look at chapter 10 of Hebrews. Verse one, for the law having a shadow of the good things that come and not by the image of the things can never with these same sacrifices, which they have offered continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then they would not have, would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers once purified would have had no more consciousness of sin. But in those sacrifices, there is a reminder of sin every year. For it's not possible that the butt of bulls and goats could take away your sin. Therefore, when you came to the end of the world, sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you have prepared for me. And burnt offerings and sacrifices, then you had no pleasure. And I said, behold, I come in the volume of the book that is written of me to do your will. previously saying, sacrifice and offerings, burnt offerings, and for sin you did not desire, nor had pleasure in them, which are offered according to law. But he said, I come to do your will, O Lord. He takes away the second, that he makes the way the first, that he may take away the second. By that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Christ once for all. God alone is righteous. God alone is spirit. A spirit cannot die. A spirit cannot shed its blood. Therefore, God had to become man in a way that would free him from the taint of the sin of Adam. This was accomplished by the virgin birth. God became man in the person of Jesus Christ. He came to die for sinners, to shed his blood for sinners, so that they could be saved. And we need to thank God for that. Let's end by reading a text I read before, 1 Peter 1. Verse 18. Knowing then you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers. but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifested in these last times for us, who through him believe in God, who raised him from the dead, gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. since you have purified your souls and obeying the truth through the spirit and sincere love of the brethren, in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart. For you have been born again, not of incorruptible seed, but incorruptible through the word of God, which lives and abides forever. Every one of us here this morning who have been saved were saved because we're under the preaching and teaching of God's word. Somewhere along the line, we heard the word of God and the spirit of God used what we heard, opened up our understanding, gave us faith and repentance and praise God for the work of the spirit of God in helping us see the truth of the gospel. Let's go from this place glorifying the Lord Jesus for all the great things he has done for us. Remember, tonight our service starts at five o'clock, so please keep that in mind. Let's close in prayer. Thank you, Lord, for the things that we've learned today about your greatness and about the importance of the virgin birth. Oh, Lord, thank you for that glorious, glorious miracle where Jesus Christ, who always existed, became man through that virgin birth. He was conceived in the womb of Mary by a miracle of the blessed, blessed Holy Spirit. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for that. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for opening up our understanding. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for helping us believe in the virgin birth of Christ and the importance of it. And may we go from this place rejoicing in you. We pray in Jesus name, amen.