Text: Luke 1:26-38
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. 38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Introduction
If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist; If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer; But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior
God Doing the Impossible
The virgin birth is a way too impossible for human wisdom to completely understand how God works. This is probably why many people have misinterpreted the this matter and have created another doctrine which was not stated from the Bible by “assuming” how things worked out making the impossible to be possible in order to make sense in our human point of view.
We will not be getter that far in our interpretation, we will only stick to what the Bible is saying. It is safer to stick what the Bible is saying compared to be explaining what the Bible did not say.
This thing is a mystery to why did God chose Mary and to have a virgin birth. Though the Bible even in the Old Testament already have proclaimed that the waited Messiah will be born from a virgin birth. Ever since in my entire life did I have heard that someone was born from a virgin. Therefore, we can conservatively say that it was God's plan that the Son of God will be born from a virgin.
Verse 35 it says that the Holy Spirit shall come upon her and overshadow her, and the holy thing that will born from her will be called the Son of God. Here we see how God works through the impossible things, and need no further explanation how He did it and what happened to Mary upon conceiving Jesus through the works of the Holy Spirit. We cannot even conclude that Mary was pure and “without” sin for the Bible never mentioned about it. What we can only see however, that Mary in her humility and devotion to God obeyed and submitted to the will of the Father. And I believe that this is the most significant thing about Mary.
Another implication of this point is Jesus being the possessing deity went down for humanity and took the its form in order to reach people. This act of humility cannot be see through ordinary human kings. But Jesus having all the power to save Himself and assume the authority that was given to Him did not do so but bear with Him the sins of humanity to death. But all these took place to make the impossible possible.
God Choosing A Virgin To Deliver The Child
The virgin birth was God's plan (Isaiah 7:14). Many people however wondered why God chose a virgin? Here is the first and foremost answer, it was a plan of God. God continuously worked out through history protecting what he promised to Abraham and David and put it into fulfillment.
Let us go back to the passage, in verse 34 and 35. Mary asked the angel how could this happen for she “does not know a man”, which literally mean that she was not seeing nor having sexual contact with a man. But the angel of the Lord said to Mary that the Holy Spirit will come to here and the power of the Highest will overshadow her.
The implication of this matter is that, though Joseph has been the legal father of Jesus on earth, Jesus birth is undeniably not his but of the divine God. Thus, Jesus has a unique birth where God used people in order to give Jesus a human birth and completely immersed with humanity.
We can also see here that Mary being highly favored among all women has been the recipient of God's grace and not the dispenser of grace. The virgin birth is indeed significant for here we see that Jesus was completely unique and was conceived without any human efforts nor human will nor human lust making it free of sin. Thus, it pertains not to Mary, but to Jesus.
God Choosing A Legal Father From the Line Of David
God's plan was not only through Mary that Jesus is to be born, but also with the participation of Joseph, who was a descendant of Jesse (father of David, Isaiah 11:1 and 10). It has been the will of the Father that Jesus will truly immersed with humanity and not to have him become a disgrace, thus, the Father completed the human family of Jesus with father Joseph and mother Mary, and to which later on had some brothers and sisters.
This is again in accordance to what was God's plan for Jesus' life. He did not made Mary nor Joseph to be disgraced with lust that God which be falsely accused to them in having Jesus.
We can also see that the promise of Messiah has been foretold to be on the Davidic lineage, the kingly line. Thus, people are being identified during their time without using the family name, but of lineage, blood line making Joseph to be the legal father of Jesus.
God Send The Holy Spirit To Impregnate The Virgin Mary With A Divine Child
One of the mysterious ways of God that was found in the Bible was the impregnation of a virgin with the divine child. It is amazing to see how God works miraculously and how the Holy Spirit did it. It is like a magical power that possess Mary that she bore a divine child. Please note that it did not mentioned that Mary has been without sin nor was taken of sin, nor was exempted from sin for Mary did nothing for her to be bear the Holy One, but was a completely of the Holy Spirit will of God.
The angel responded to Mary that the power of the Highest will overshadow Mary thus, she will conceive the Holy One. A divine act that we cannot question how God did it. Thus, the divine Child is to be called, the Son of God.
There are four words that we have to remember in the passage.
Holy
Jesus was to be called holy. Holy means pure, excellent, without defect nor deficiency. This is very significant because He is the perfect sacrifice for our sins. The only one that can wash away our sins and become the sacrifice Lamb. The one that has the right to rule and become a flawless King.
Son of God
Jesus possessing deity, thus, came and was born in human form but possessing the attributes of God. He is not only the king who rules the earth, but He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. To whom the all authority was given (Matthew 28:18).
Jesus
The name to be given to the Holy One that means Savior. No other personality can offer salvation as to what was in the will of God. He is not the savior of the righteous but of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15) for all fell short to the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
Forever
Jesus is to rule forever, infinitely, without end, eternity. This is God's will that He is to rule all creation to eternity.
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