Day 136

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 2.

“…being conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit coming down upon her: and the power of the Most High overshadowing her; and so was made of a woman of the tribe of Judah, of the seed of Abraham and David according to the Scriptures;…“

Scripture Lookup

Matthew 1:22, 23

Reflection

Is it Christmas time already? Kidding aside, due to the influence of our culture, we too often only consider the virgin birth of Jesus amidst buying gifts, decorating, and baking cookies. In the flurry of that season, the importance of the incarnation can be lost. Reflecting on the conception of Christ is not something to hold off on until winter, but a vital activity in understanding who Jesus is.

Jesus lived a life of perfect obedience to God’s law, and never sinned. But ever since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation have inherited a corrupted nature. Jesus definitely was a descendant of Adam and Eve. He fulfilled the Scripture concerning the promise given to Eve, that there would be a Savior to come. He further fulfilled prophecy by being a descendant of Abraham, Judah, and David. His genealogy bears witness to His being the One that was to come. But how did He descend from Adam and Eve without inheriting a corrupted human nature?

The conception of Jesus was not ordinary. It was a miraculous event, with the Holy Spirit conceiving Jesus in the womb of the virgin Mary. Since He was not conceived by the normal way children are created, He did not inherit the corrupted nature of His first parents. Thus His human nature was pure, free from any drop of sin.

Some think that belief in the virgin birth is not necessary in order to be a Christian. (James White has addressed such notions here.) Without the miraculous conception of Jesus, however, His life would be tainted with a sinful nature. Such a Savior could never be the perfect One needed for our redemption. Scripture, God’s Word itself, has included the events concerning Jesus’ birth in its pages. Let us not be dismissive of such an event!

Questions to Consider

• Do you tend to overlook the importance of the virgin birth of Jesus?