The depiction of the birth of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke is the most detailed.

The word Virgin in Greek is παρθένοϛ (Parthenos), “a marriageable maiden”, or “a woman who has never had sexual intercourse with a man” (Strong-Lite). Luke is believed to have gotten this story direct from Mary herself. She was perplexed that though she never had sexual intercourse with a man, she would conceive and give birth to a son. (Luke 1:26-38)

The virgin birth made it possible for Jesus to fully human and fully God. Also, through the virgin birth, Jesus was born without original sin. the “Holy Spirit will come upon” her and the “power of the Most High will overshadow” her. The Holy Spirit will be the major agent in this process of conception. The creative power of the Most High shall “overshadow” her. This is akin to the work of the Spirit of God “hovering (brooding) over the surface of the waters in Gen. 1:2 (Clarke). That is, Jesus will be conceived by the direct power of the Holy Spirit of God.

Jesus is begotten not by his legal earthly father (Joseph), but by the Holy Spirit’s power in the womb of the virgin Mary. He is the Messiah came to redeem sinners – to make atonement for them, and not for himself. It was therefore necessary that his human nature should be pure, holy, and free from corruption of the fall.

Sources:

Bartholomew, Craig G. and Goheen, Michael W. The Drama of Scripture. Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2004.

MySword for Android. Riversoft Ministry, 2011-2019.

Olive Tree Bible Software, 1998-2020.

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