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Was Jesus Really Born of a Virgin? 

Mary and Joseph had Jesus through natural biological means, making Jesus' birth non-miraculous in biological terms. However, what distinguishes Jesus is the divine choice of incarnation at the moment of conception, embodying full divinity in a human baby.

Was Jesus Really Born of a Virgin?

Table of Contents

  • Summary

    Mary was a virgin and subsequently married Joseph, and their firstborn was Jesus. When she became pregnant, Joseph was Jesus' biological father, making the birth non-miraculous in biological terms. What made him different is that the Son of God chose this baby in which to incarnate. Through a phenomenon that was a miracle, an entirely human baby also attained the state of being fully divine at the moment of conception. In total, Mary brought nine children into the world and all were born through the normal biological process.

    Throughout history, many people have claimed that their most important leaders were born of virgins; their careers are filled with miraculous events, and their return is always anticipated by their respective followers. While the New Testament's Gospel of Matthew cites a virgin birth for Jesus, other texts like the Gospels of Mark, John, Luke, and the writings of Paul attribute his lineage to Joseph, suggesting a natural birth that aligns with human lineage.

  • Human and God

    From a human perspective, important leaders have often been attributed to being born of virgins. Numerous religious leaders throughout history have a similar account of their birth.

    God usually works through natural processes and the laws of science he established. Through the evolution of marriage, the ideal advocated by advancing civilization is a man and woman fall in love, get married, and have children. This is what Joseph and Mary did. Mary was a virgin, met Joseph, they got married, and had nine children. Their firstborn was Jesus. He came into the world through the normal biological process, just like his siblings and every other baby.

    However, this baby was unique. He was fully human but he was also fully divine. The Son of God of the universe incarnated himself in this baby. This was not a result of natural processes; it was a genuine miracle and only God knows how it was accomplished. The mystery of the incarnation of Deity within the human form of Jesus, otherwise of natural origin in the world, remains unsolved.

  • Gods and Birth

    Humans and animals are born. Divine beings are created. For a divine being to become a human, something supernatural must occur. Throughout history, the idea that a virgin gives birth to a God suggests that something had to be done differently.

    There is an instinctive longing in our hearts for help from above and beyond. It is natural for us to envelop human leaders with legends of supernatural origins and miraculous careers. Many races have conceived of their great ones as being born of virgins, their careers ripe with miraculous episodes, and an expectation for them to return. This legend includes Genghis Khan, Buddha, Mohammed, Hesunanin Onamonalonton, and Marduk, and reaches as far back as Adam.

    Since the beginning of religion, prophets have been predicting that their Holy One would be born of a virgin. The majority of these great Sons of God in the world's religions were often said to be born in a cave and usually of a virgin mother. The same is true of mythological gods, such as Bacchus, Mercury, and Adonis.

    Most of the writers of the New Testament did not rely upon this theory to demonstrate Jesus’ divinity. Only the Gospel of Matthew mentions a virgin birth; it is not mentioned in the Epistles, the Gospels of Mark, John, and Luke, or the Book of Revelation. Paul describes Jesus as "made of the seed of David according to the flesh," which refers to a human lineage.

    Most of the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament were altered to apply to Jesus long after Jesus’ life on earth. In the prophecy of Isaiah, "Behold, the virgin shall conceive …,” the original word maiden was changed to virgin.

    The charming narrative of Mary that adheres to a virgin giving birth theory became accepted by most Christian churches in the second century, and includes perpetual virginity, with Jesus as the only child.

Suggested Reading from this Essay

Related People

  • Jesus

    Son of God, Son of Man. Creator Son of the Universe.

  • Mary

    The chosen mother of Jesus.

  • Joseph

    Father of Jesus and husband to Mary.

Contributors

Gregg Tomusko, Mike Robinson, Gary Tonge

References and Sources

  • 92:5.5 Our desire for superhuman leaders.
  • 92:5.6 Superhuman leaders are born of a virgin.
  • 119:7.5 Mystery of the incarnation.
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