Jesus Was “Born Of A Woman”

The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.
–Isaiah 7:14

In Galatians 4:4-5, Paul said, “When the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”

How was Jesus born? Paul said that He was “born of a woman” (4:4). That was not unique, but what was unique was that Jesus was born only of a woman. I think the phrase “born of a woman” refers to two aspects of Christ’s existence.

First, I think “born of a woman” is a reference to Christ’s deity. One of the most important prophecies about the Messiah was that He would be born of a virgin. Isaiah 7:14 says, “The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.” People say, “That word ‘virgin’ in the Old Testament is the word ‘alma’ in Hebrew, and it can mean young woman.” That is true. But when Matthew quoted Isaiah 7:14 in reference to Mary, he used the Greek word “parthenos,” which means someone who has never had sexual intercourse. So it is clear the New Testament writers understood that the mother of the Messiah would be a virgin.

Christianity stands or falls on the virgin birth of Christ. Let me explain to you why. One reason is that Scripture foretold that the Messiah would be born of a virgin, and the Gospel writers recorded that He was born of a virgin. The virgin birth underscores the credibility of Scripture.

There is another reason the virgin birth is essential. Matthew 1:11 says, “Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers.” Jeconiah was one of the last kings of Judah before the deportation of Babylon. God was angry with Jeconiah, so He said, “No man of his descendants will prosper sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah” (Jeremiah 22:30). Now, we have a problem. Joseph inherited this curse of Jeconiah. How could Jesus be a descendant of David and yet miss the curse of Jeconiah? Only God could have come up with a solution. By being Joseph’s adopted son, Jesus inherited the right to rule. But because He was not Joseph’s biological son, He escaped the curse of Jeconiah. The virgin birth was a part of God’s plan.

Second, I think the phrase “born of a woman” refers to the humanity of Jesus. You see, Jesus was 100 percent God and 100 percent man at the same time with no sin in Him whatsoever. This phrase, “born of a woman,” means God came in the flesh. The fact that God became flesh and walked on this earth means He understands what you and I go through every day. He can empathize with our shortcomings because He has experienced the same tribulations we have.

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Today’s devotion is excerpted from “Stable Theology” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2007.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.