CT Classic: Whose Child Is This?
The early church's opponents claimed Jesus was illegitimate. Its heretical fringe said he wasn't human. The doctrine of the Virgin Birth set them both straight.
By Richard Longenecker | posted 12/01/2000 12:00AM
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At Christmas, it is the Incarnation we celebrate. In our proclamation and pastoral care, it is that Incarnation we proclaim and build upon. In our fuller understanding of the message of the gospel, however, the Virgin Birth has its place. It may be an offense to those who consider themselves "too modern to believe such nonsense." But it is hardly as offensive to the modern world as the Incarnation itself, "the preaching of the Cross," belief in the resurrection of Jesus, or trust in Christ's promised return—matters that form the basis of Christian belief. So at Christmas we celebrate what God has done to incarnate his Son, understanding something of how the proclamation of the Incarnation was clarified by the early Christians and accepting the Virgin Birth as one gleaming facet of that shining story.
"Whose Child Is This?" originally appeared in Christianity Today on December 17, 1990. At the time, Richard N. Longenecker was a senior editor of Christianity Today. He is now distinguished professor of New Testament at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
Copyright © 2000 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
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