Knowing the Gospel as a glorious message of Christ crucified and risen from the dead for the personal life with the Lord involves knowing Jesus’ birth as a virgin birth rooted in the righteousness of God, and not the righteousness of man, in knowing new grace-rooted relationship by the foundation of Jesus with the Lord.  When Jesus was born, He was born in an environment of extreme political tensions.  Caesar Augustus had demanded a census to be taken of all his empire, including captive Israel.  Augustus’ words were an open challenge against the God of Israel.  No king could pronounce a census on his own merit apart from God.  David, the greatest king of Israel, was rebuked for such an attempt.  So when Augustus pronounced the census to be taken of all subjects, including the captive Jews, he was purposely looking to impose his will on the Jews.

These were things Joseph kept in mind while registering in the city of David, Bethlehem.  And when it came time for Jesus to be born, Mary, who had already suffered much ridicule from the Jews about her pre-marital pregnancy, would give birth to Jesus in the only space that was available, a little manger.  Jesus’ virgin birth occurred in the context of alien righteousness, that righteousness born from God above and that righteousness alienated by sinful men, and in the context of major political divisions between the Jews and the Gentile Romans.

“And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  This census took first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.  So all went to get registered, everyone to his own city.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.  So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”                 (Luke 2:1-7)

Jesus’ virgin birth was hardly noticeable to anyone holding a grudge about the plight of Israel, or who waged war with their morals about Mary’s pregnancy, even though the nature of the birth of Jesus was recorded to the Jews by the prophet Isaiah.  ” ‘Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel’ “           (Isa. 7:14).  The cross of Jesus, the focal point of His ministry in Israel, cannot be divided from the nature of His birth.  Jesus had to be pure born, without any sin; He had to be God born in human flesh.  If this is not the case, He is an imperfect Redeemer, and insufficient for our faith.

The righteousness of man, our boasting of merits apart from God, would declare this insufficiency of Jesus to be true.  But the righteousness of God, shown in a saving way by the written Word from God declaring the virgin birth of God, even Jesus Christ, has made the virgin righteousness of Jesus real and testified for believers.  This was made plain to the shepherds in the countryside of Bethlehem, the shepherds who were led by angels to seek the baby Jesus.

“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign to you: you will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’

So it was when the angels had gone away from them into Heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.’ “  (Luke 2:8-15)

The shepherds of Bethlehem were not looking for a Messiah.  Any non-religious skeptic could relate with that position.  But the glory of the Lord, the Holy Spirit, and the announcement of the angels would make it clear to the shepherds that the virgin born Messiah was real, and would be found.  Knowing the testimony of Jesus as the virgin born and perfect Redeemer, God the Son, crucified for believers’ sins for personal relationship with the Lord means knowing this relationship with the Lord as a grace-rooted relationship, grace the foundation for faith, in knowing real rest and sonship by the foundation of Jesus with the Lord, God the Father.

But why would there be any fanfare over Jesus’ virgin birth in the manger, if no one was humble enough to notice it?

“Why should there be a miraculous announcement at all, and why should it be to these shepherds?  It seems to have had no effect beyond a narrow circle and for a time.  It was apparently utterly forgotten when, thirty years after, the carpenter’s Son began His ministry.  Could such an event have passed from memory, and left no ripple on the surface?  Does not the resultlessness cast suspicion on the truthfulness of the narrative? . . . Joseph and Mary were strangers to Bethlehem.  Christ never visited it, so far as we know.  The fading of an impression cannot be called strange, for it accords with natural tendencies; but the record of so great an event, which was entirely ineffectual as regards future acceptance of Christ’s claims, it is so unlike legend that it vouches for the truth of the narrative.  An apparent stumbling-block is left, because the story is true.

Why then, the announcement at all, since it was of so little use?  Because it was of some; but still more, because it was fitting that such angel voices should attend such an event, whether men gave heed to them or not; and because, recorded, their song has helped a world understand the nature and meaning of that birth.  The glory died off the hillside quickly; and the music of the song scarcely lingered longer in the ears of its first hearers; but its notes echo still in all lands, and every generation turns to them with wonder and hope.”  (Alexander MacLaren qtd. in Expositions of Holy Scripture: St. Luke, Charleston: BiblioBazaar, 2007, p. 40)