RETHINKING THE NECESSITY OF THR VIRGIN BIRTH - III

 

Christmas & New Year Special

Why was a virgin birth necessary?

Couldn't Jesus come from sexual union of Joseph and Mary?

Rethinking the necessity of the Virgin birth

PART 3

Paul clearly mentions Jesus as "Last Adam" (1 Cor. 15:45). Just as sin and death entered this world through the first Adam, restoration and eternal life entered through the final Adam who is Jesus himself (Rom. 5:12-21).

In Genesis, it is clearly depicted that disobedience led Adam and Eve to commit "independence from God". Theologically speaking, it was the original sin at the very dawn of human history.[1] Eve was tricked by the devil but Adam willingly disobeyed. Hence, Adam was held responsible for sin and death. The first Gospel appeared in Gen. 3:15 stating that the devil shall be crushed by the offspring of the same female whom he tricked.

Next, Adam was a special creation of God. The details aren't given how he was created but it is definite that humanity was special amongst God's all created elements. Moreover, Adam was the head of humanity. Adam and Eve were given authority to rule over the world and take care but under God's defined code of conduct. However, they chose otherwise and failed. The authority and relationship with God spoiled and they became more like just other creatures to live merely a biological life rather than relationship with God. The whole lineage of humanity suffered this exile[2] and consequences. There was no other way to let humanity again into the relationship with God and intended kingdom of God except a new beginning.[3]

The mind-blowing prophecy of Gen. 3:15 fulfilled after Jesus' birth. The offspring of woman whom Devil tricked and spoiled came to crush his head and become a wounded victor.[4] Joseph became only a legal father since there was need of breaking the chain from Adam's line. Jesus was again a beginner of new humanity. He was conceived via God's Holy Spirit and remained fully divine and fully human from a supernatural birth in a womb of Mary used as vessel by God. Being a legal son of Joseph and biological son of Mary, Jesus fulfilled his lineage from David's line and feasibility of becoming Messiah.[5]

All in all, Jesus was incarnation of God himself and hence it was the time for him to fix everything that was spoiled and begin a new generation that would enable all humanity again to reinstate the relationship with God and have right to become his children. For this, Jesus should have been fully God and fully human. Jesus is hence called first born from dead (Col. 1:18). Just as he died and resurrected, we are also to die for our sins and resurrect as a new creation. We die from Adam's lineage and get our new birth from Jesus' lineage. It’s God's intended goal to make us like Jesus (Rom. 8:29). Jesus represents exact human the way God intended. But only God could fulfil it and hence his incarnation in fully human body was necessary. Only a human could save other humans but only God could justify God's offend and justice.

Jesus was a legal son of Joseph to fulfil his legal right of Messiah. Jesus was biological son of Mary to fulfil his humanity and lineage of David but from another path. Jesus was sinless human who could exactly represent God since he was conceived of God's spirit. If Jesus was born of a sexual union, he couldn't have been a new creation as it continues the same chain of great spoil from Adam. God could have prevented this? Maybe! But such an assumption again places God in a grey area of God of uncertainty and randomness.

Hence, Jesus' virgin birth is significant to our faith because it made the way fit for his redemptive accomplishment. It is one of the fundamental doctrines which we cannot compromise. It is associated with Sinless nature of our Lord, Incarnation, and Hypostatic Union.[6] This Christmas, let us not take the virgin birth merely as a doctrinal matter but we must learn to value it and revere God for his amazing gracious work!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2023!

 

References:

“God’s Eternal Plan for Man and the World.” NepalChurch.Com, September 9, 2019. Accessed October 30, 2022. https://nepalchurch.com/19428/gods-eternal-plan-for-man-and-the-world/.

The Lost Message of the Bible, 2020. Accessed July 13, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33MleMmkFOM.

The New Humanity, 2019. Accessed November 27, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=takEeHtRrMw.

“The Virgin Birth: A Mystery to Be Cried Aloud.” Faith Baptist Bible College. Last modified December 1, 1999. Accessed November 27, 2022. https://faith.edu/faith-news/the-virgin-birth-a-mystery-to-be-cried-aloud/.

Understand the Book of Genesis (in Under 16 Minutes) • Part 1, 2015. Accessed November 27, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQI72THyO5I.

“What Are Some Common Misconceptions about the Two Natures of Christ? By Don Stewart.” Blue Letter Bible. Accessed November 30, 2022. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/stewart_don/faq/what-everyone-needs-to-know-about-jesus/17-what-are-common-misconceptions-about-the-two-natures-of-christ.cfm.

 

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[1] “God’s Eternal Plan for Man and the World,” NepalChurch.Com, September 9, 2019, accessed October 30, 2022, https://nepalchurch.com/19428/gods-eternal-plan-for-man-and-the-world/.

[2] The Lost Message of the Bible, 2020, accessed July 13, 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33MleMmkFOM.

[3] The New Humanity, 2019, accessed November 27, 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=takEeHtRrMw.

[4] Understand the Book of Genesis (in Under 16 Minutes) • Part 1, 2015, accessed November 27, 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQI72THyO5I.

[5] “The Virgin Birth: A Mystery to Be Cried Aloud,” Faith Baptist Bible College, last modified December 1, 1999, accessed November 27, 2022, https://faith.edu/faith-news/the-virgin-birth-a-mystery-to-be-cried-aloud/.

[6] “What Are Some Common Misconceptions about the Two Natures of Christ? By Don Stewart,” Blue Letter Bible, accessed November 30, 2022, https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/stewart_don/faq/what-everyone-needs-to-know-about-jesus/17-what-are-common-misconceptions-about-the-two-natures-of-christ.cfm.