Why was it necessary for Mary to be a virgin?
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It seems as if my answer on this post would also answer your question here.
Is Mary's virginity evidence that sex is always sinful?
I believe that Mary's virgin Birth was a testification to the Truth of Christ. Could you imagine what the Catholic church would have done with the Husband? "Father of God" I'm sure that would have been completely chaotic. Who's really the father of God?
Well, we know through the virgin birth that only God the Father is the Father of Jesus Christ.
Upvote:0
Basically the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception Proclaimed infallibly by Pope Pius IX in 1854 sums up the theological reasoning.
"in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin."
Not only was it necessary for Mary to be a virgin, it was necessary for her to be free from the stain of original sin. If she was not a virgin, she would have sinned in some way on account of the fact that she was espoused to Joseph, but had not yet known him. She didn't 'know' him for a reason. It's reasonable to suppose that they were in some sort of period of betrothal before an official marriage, when sexual relations would have been an occasion of sin.
This is why we know she was sinless:
- She is often referred to as the new Eve by the early church fathers. Eve was made free from original sin and it was through her and Adam that sin entered the world. Mary likewise would have to be free from original sin to be the Mother of God in order for redemption to enter the world.
- She is a living tabernacle, the holy of holies, when Jesus was within her. Nothing impure could contain Him and live.
- She is told she is 'full of grace' by an angelic witness who would not lie or mince words before the Incarnation of Jesus.
Upvote:8
It fulfilled prophecy
From the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
It provided us a sign so that we will know the Messiah
The Isaiah verse above illustrates that God gave us this gift of a virgin birth as a sign that Jesus was the Messiah.
It illuminates his sinless nature
Jesus is pure without sin. The virgin birth illuminates this sinless nature. Had he been born of a man, he would have been born fallen, like the rest of humanity, therefore carrying sin.
It allows for the Trinity
If Jesus had been born of a man, how could he be the "Son of God"? He could be in the same sense that we all are "sons of God". However, the virgin birth allows for the understanding that God himself came down to Earth to be the perfect sacrifice.
This opens up a whole realm of doctrine. If he was just a man, how could his sacrifice been an atonement for everyone's sin?
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