Why is the virgin birth important? Why did God decide to enter the world this way?
There are four main reasons for the virgin birth:
1) Jesus is God
Virgin birth proves that Jesus is the Son of God. His father is God himself which proves that he is God in human form. This shows that he is 100% God and also 100% man.
The Bible says it this way:
In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God (John 1:1)
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
2) Fulfillment of prophecy
The Bible is a book of fulfilled prophecies. One such prophecy is Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Although this prophecy had an immediate fulfillment during the time of King Ahaz, the ultimate fulfillment came when Gabriel met Mary and recited this verse announcing the coming of the Messiah.
3) Sinless lamb of God
Another important reason for the virgin birth is that it shows that Jesus had a sinless nature. If Jesus had a human father, he would have inherited the sinful nature from Adam. But the Bible says that he was blameless and without sin.
This shows that he is the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Anytime we sin, there is death associated with it. This is seen in the first sin that was committed in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve sinned, God killed an innocent animal in order to clothe them. This shows that anytime we sin, innocent blood is to be shed. (This is why there was the sacrificial system followed in the Old Testament)
God sent Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of mankind.
For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
God’s plan for human kind was that whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
This is why John introduced Jesus this way:
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
4) Jeconiah’s curse
This is one of the amazing reasons for the virgin birth.
God had promised that a descendant of David will be the Messiah. (2 Samuel 7: 12-16) But David had a descendant called Jeconiah before the Messiah. Jeconiah was a very evil and wicked king and hence God cursed him.
Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man [Jeconiah] childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah. (Jeremiah 22:30)
Virgin birth eliminates the curse. Joseph is not the biological father of Jesus but he is the legal guardian. Through this, Jesus inherits from Joseph but does not get Jeconiah’s curse as Joseph is not the biological father. Only God can think of something like this!
We can learn two important things from this: Our God always keeps his promise, the Bible is a book of fulfilled prophecies and that God’s plan is intricate and detailed which shows that he executes his perfect plan at the right time.