“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ – which means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:22-23 NIV)
I was in the delivery room for the birth of each of my three children. I can still remember the mixture of anticipation and apprehension when my wife went into labor. “It’s time! We’re going to have a new baby! Will Danni be okay? Will the baby be okay? Will I get queasy again?” I also remember Danni’s and my joy and amazement when holding each tiny, newborn child for the first time. There is little that can compare with it.
Every birth is a miracle. Every newborn is special. Every child is unique. However, the birth of Jesus was the most miraculous, special, and unique birth of all.
To begin with Jesus was conceived without the aid of a human father. Human sperm did not fertilize human egg. The Holy Spirit formed the zygote that was to become Jesus within Mary’s womb (Lk. 1:34-35). This is of the utmost importance.
Human nature became tainted when the first man, Adam, sinned against God. Ever since that time the sin nature of human nature has been passed from bloodline to bloodline from father to child.
The devil thought he had achieved an irreversible victory against God when he was successful in getting Adam to sin. The human race would be forever ruined with no chance of redemption. Man’s DNA had been corrupted. Mankind, the height of God’s creation, would be forever sullied in His sight, unfit for friendship with Holy God, and unqualified to rule over creation. “Now,” the devil thought, “I will rule over God’s creation. I will wear the crown on my head!”
Then, God spoke up. “Nope, not gonna happen, Satan! I’m going to make sure there’s hostility between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. You may strike His heel, you sly serpent, but He’s going to crush your head! (Gn. 3:15 my paraphrase)”
May I point out here that the “seed” that begins the formation of a baby comes from the man, not the woman? The woman provides the egg, which is fertilized by the “seed” of a man. This is true in every conception except for one.
Jesus was conceived in, and born of, a virgin’s womb. By virtue of Mary’s egg and uterus, Jesus was born fully human. By virtue of God filling that egg with His divine nature, Jesus was born fully God. Fully man and fully God, He is the seed of the woman who was born to crush the head of the serpent.
He crushed the serpent’s head at Calvary. Jesus, the sinless man, took our sins upon Himself on the cross. Jesus, the creator of life died in our place. He then rose from the dead in order to restore us to our rightful place – ruling by His side.
He who created mankind became a man. Because He was born of woman, He was able to redeem mankind. We were dead in our sins. Because He was born, we can be born again. Jesus is our Immanuel – God with us. Because He was born, we can forever be with God. Every birth is a miracle. But, the birth of Jesus is the most miraculous of all. There is nothing that can compare with it.
© Paul R Downing