The virgin birth of Jesus—more accurately, his virginal conception—is one of two key features of his earthly life.
If Jesus was not virginally conceived, then he was the natural child of either Mary’s marriage to Joseph or her infidelity with another man.
If either of these alternatives is correct, then Jesus was born with an inherently sinful nature, which means he was not God incarnate.
And if Jesus was not God incarnate, then his claims of deity were lies, and he is not our Savior.
Bible Description
The Bible does not describe precisely how Mary became pregnant. We only have the description she gave to Luke, which he recorded in the first chapter of his Gospel.
Here is a paraphrase of her narrative.
God sent the angel Gabriel to visit Mary in Nazareth. Gabriel said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. You will soon conceive and give birth to a son who will be divine. You are to call him Jesus.”
Mary asked him, “How will this be since I am a virgin?” Gabriel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. The holy one to be born will be the Son of God.”
Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then Gabriel left her.
Potential Explanations
Can the virginal conception of Jesus be explained scientifically? Maybe in part, but not completely. It was a miraculous event that fulfilled a prophecy recorded seven hundred years earlier in Isaiah 7:14.
Parthenogenesis
Some people speculate that Jesus was conceived through parthenogenesis, a relatively common asexual reproduction method in particular plants and animals that does not require a fertilized ovum.
This theory crumbles when we consider the moral perfection of Jesus. The Bible says he was born without sin.
Parthenogenesis would have utilized an egg from Mary. For Jesus to be born sinless through this process would have required her also to be sinless. Otherwise, he would have inherited a sinful nature through her.
The Bible never indicates that Mary was born sinless or that God purified her before the conception of Jesus. Instead, it says everyone is born with a sinful nature that we only lose upon our entry into heaven.
Surrogacy
A theologically tenable but still speculative explanation for the virginal conception of Jesus is that Mary was his surrogate mother, not his biological mother.
Upon leaving heaven, Jesus physically transformed himself into a zygote, the single cell that becomes an embryo. The Holy Spirit then implanted this cell in Mary’s womb.
This possibility concurrently accounts for Mary’s pregnancy while preserving her virginity and ensuring the divinity of Jesus.
If this theory is indeed true, it should be noted that being a surrogate mother does not diminish Mary’s exceptional stature.
God uniquely chose her to raise Jesus to adulthood. He singled her out for honor while hanging on the cross.
Other Transformations
This surrogacy hypothesis is loosely based on precedent. Jesus physically transformed himself many times before and after his earthly birth.
The Old Testament records that he left heaven on several occasions to converse directly with Abraham, Jacob, Gideon, Hagar, Moses, Joshua, and Daniel.
During some of these encounters, he appeared in his human form. In others, he took on the form of a cloud or fire. When he joined Daniel in the furnace, he was fire-resistant.
The New Testament records that Jesus transfigured into a radiant version of himself in the presence of Peter, James, and John. Then, after his resurrection, he instantly appeared and disappeared bodily in the presence of many others.
Each of these events involved a physical transformation. And while they do not prove the virginal conception of Jesus, they lend credence to the concept of Mary’s surrogacy.
Theological Inference
The resurrection of Jesus, which fulfilled a prophecy recorded in Psalm 16:10 a thousand years before his birth, is the second pivotal feature in his earthly life.
Looking back on this event, we can infer theologically that the conception of Jesus was virginal.
Jesus was sinless when he lived in heaven before his incarnation. He had to remain holy while on earth; otherwise, he would have lost his divinity.
Had Jesus lost his divinity, he would have neither risen from the grave nor ascended to heaven. Indeed, according to God’s standard, he would have been ineligible to return there.
There is ample evidence supporting the resurrection of Jesus, and several eyewitnesses observed his ascension. We therefore know that he lived sinlessly during his earthly tenure.
This means his conception must have been virginal.
God Is Limitless
The plausibility of the virginal conception of Jesus is not contingent on a viable human explanation.
God could have easily made it happen by doing something far beyond our comprehension. Our lack of knowledge or imagination does not constrain him.
It will be fascinating to learn how he executed this miracle when we get to heaven.
Read More About Jesus
Jesus is the second person in the Trinity. His attributes are described throughout the Bible. Jesus is unique among the founders of the other major religions. The evidence for his resurrection confirms his deity.
