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, he was either the natural child of Mary’s marriage to Joseph or the product of her infidelity with another man.
If either alternative is true, he was born with an inherently sinful nature, which means he was not God incarnate.
If Jesus was not God incarnate, his claim to deity was a lie, and he is not our Savior.
Bible Description
The Bible does not describe exactly how Mary became pregnant. We only have the account she gave to Luke, which he recorded in the first chapter of his Gospel.
Here is a paraphrase of her story.
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, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” Gabriel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon 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 fully. It was a miraculous event that fulfilled a prophecy recorded in Isaiah 7:14, seven hundred years earlier.
Parthenogenesis
Some people speculate that Jesus was conceived through parthenogenesis, a relatively common asexual reproduction method in certain plants and animals that does not require a fertilized ovum.
This theory falls apart when we consider the moral perfection of Jesus. The Bible says he was born without sin.
Parthenogenesis would have used an egg from Mary. For Jesus to be born sinless through this process, she would also have had to be sinless. Otherwise, he would have inherited a sinful nature from her.
The Bible never indicates that Mary was born sinless or that God purified her before the conception of Jesus. Instead, it says that everyone is born with a sinful nature, which we lose only upon entering heaven.
Surrogacy
A theologically tenable yet speculative explanation for the virginal conception of Jesus is that Mary was his surrogate mother, rather than his biological mother.
After leaving heaven, Jesus physically transformed himself into a zygote, the single cell that develops into an embryo. The Holy Spirit then implanted this cell in Mary’s womb.
This possibility simultaneously accounts for Mary’s pregnancy, preserves her virginity, and ensures the divinity of Jesus.
If this theory is 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 honored her while hanging on the cross.
Other Transformations
This surrogacy hypothesis is loosely based on precedent. Jesus transformed himself physically many times before and after his earthly birth.
The Old Testament records that he descended from 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 the form of a cloud or fire. When he joined Daniel in the furnace, he was fireproof.
The New Testament records that Jesus transfigured into a recognizable, radiant form in the presence of Peter, James, and John. After his resurrection, he appeared and disappeared in bodily form before many others.
Each of these events involved a physical transformation. Although they do not prove the virginal conception of Jesus, they lend credence to the idea 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 of his earthly life.
Looking back on this event, we can infer theologically that Jesus’ conception was virginal.
Jesus was sinless while he lived in heaven before his incarnation. He had to remain holy on earth; otherwise, he would have lost his divinity.
If Jesus had lost his divinity, he would neither have risen from the grave nor have 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 a sinless life during his earthly tenure.
This means his conception must have been virginal.
God Is Limitless
The plausibility of the virginal conception of Jesus does not depend on a viable human explanation.
God could have easily made it happen by doing something far beyond our comprehension or imagination. Our limitations do not constrain him.
It will be fascinating to learn how he carried out this miracle when we get to heaven.
Read More About Jesus
Jesus is the second person of the Trinity. His attributes are described throughout the Bible. He is unique among the founders of other major religions. The evidence for his resurrection confirms his deity.
