RETHINKING THE NECESSITY OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH - II

 

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 2

But, why was a virgin birth even necessary? God could have simply used usual sexual union of Joseph and Mary to bring Jesus in this world. Why couldn’t Jesus be a sinless redeemer even without a virgin conception? Why couldn’t he be the door to new humanity even if he had been born through sexual union? The necessity of the virgin birth isn’t also about the fulfilment of the prophecy. What was the necessity of this unusual way of bringing Jesus as a gifted Savior to humanity?

Necessity of the virgin birth:

1.      To enable Jesus experience humanity: If he had been ascended directly as a fully grown human, he possibly wouldn’t be a natural human. The manner Jesus was conceived allowed him to experience all points of human life experience.[1] The idea that he could have simply entered the scene with fully grown up stature would sound more like Avatar concept in Hinduism. Hence, it was a supernatural phenomenon but also a usual way of entering the human world.   

2.      To enable Jesus, break the chain from Adam and create a new head of new humanity: If he had been conceived through sexual union of Joseph and Mary, he would have been under the same chain of spoiled generation from Adam. Through the virginal conception, he only added human nature. Mary passed on her human nature to Jesus but she was restricted from passing her sin nature by Holy Spirit.[2] It doesn’t seem that Jesus couldn’t be our Savior even if he had been born via sexual union. Hence, excluding Joseph makes no sense in light of Jesus’ sinless nature. However, Paul states Jesus to be last Adam and a new beginner of new humanity. Perhaps, this might be one of many reasons that earthly father has been omitted for Jesus so that he couldn’t inherit sin nature from Adam. Eve was deceived but sin was transmitted from Adam. The prophecy was that seed from the woman shall crush the head of devil and children of Adam shall be redeemed again with a new beginning. Hence, Jesus’ earthly father was omitted but God himself was his father so that God himself could be his father to pass divine nature to all generation.    

3.      To enable Jesus be legal son of Joseph and have a legal right to throne of David: Perhaps this can be a new theological significance of the Virgin conception in our context. The Messiah was promised to come as a descendant of King David (2 Samuel 7:16; 1 Chronicles 17:14; Psalm 89:3,4, 26–37; Isaiah 9:7; Matthew 9:27, 12:23, 20:30, 21:9, 22:41–45; Luke 1:32,33; Ezekiel 34:23,24). The OT, however, not only presents the Messiah as a descendant of David, but also mentions a curse against all of his royal seed descending through the line of one of Judah’s final kings. This king was Jehoiachin whose wicked reign is described in 2 Kings 24:8–17 and 2 Chronicles 36:9,10. The curse can be found in Jer. 22:30. According to Matthew, Jesus’ lineage comes through the cursed Jechonias (1:11). The virgin birth solves this problem. By adoption of Joseph, Jesus had a legal right to the throne of David. On the other hand, Mary too was descendant from King David but not through the cursed lineage. Thus, the virgin conception resisted the curse upon Jesus.[3]  

4.      To make salvation entirely work of God[4] as Mary was completely passive in this conception.[5] The Virgin birth wasn’t by Mary’s personal permission. Although she was surprised, she trusted God’s message. She entirely submitted herself for God’s marvelous work. Therefore, it was God’s work in his plan of redemption.

5.      To demonstrate God’s power over usual natural phenomena: From my point of view, a sinless Jesus despite from sexual union of Joseph and Mary would have been more miraculous than the virgin birth. However, virgin birth rings our ear and mind. It leads us to think something unusual has happened. In our human society, there are lots of alleged saviors or revered figures who were normally born and now venerated no matter whether they are kings, ministers, social heroes, etc. Hence, the virgin birth also shows something unique about Jesus.  

6.      The Bible seems to teach that sin nature passes through conception.[6] Now, this seems uncertain. Previously, we learned that Holy Spirit prevented sin nature from Mary to pass on Jesus. However, there is another probable case which seems as if sin nature passes on through man only. The argument has been made that the blood of Joseph wasn’t in Jesus but Mary’s blood could be in him. Hence, there is obviously inherited sin nature from Mary. The response has been given that, all the blood in infant is merely from father’s side and not mother.[7] On the other side, this idea isn’t supported. However, it seems that man’s sin is inherited from father. Remember that, Messianic prophecy was addressed and dedicated only for Israelites. God isn’t tribal. Hence, omitting Joseph might not be only for omitting the curse but also the sin nature as Jesus came for whole humanity. The patriarchal headship can be observed throughout the scripture and Adam was held responsible for sin (1 Tim. 2:14, Rom. 5:12, etc.). This also explains why men but not women were required to be circumcised to be part of assembly of Israel and covenant of God. Hence, sin nature was passed down from the first man, the first father Adam.[8]     

7.      Hypostatic union was its result.[9] It enabled Jesus to become a High priest.[10] Jesus, as one person but two natures, could reconcile two entities and become a mediator between two sides. Both divine and human natures were present in him which can be difficult for us to comprehend. These natures were distinct, separate and united in one person. This made Jesus a God-Man rather than either merely God or merely Man.

 

References:

Richard, Raj. “Reasoned Musings: Christ, So What? (Necessity of Christ).” Reasoned Musings, December 23, 2013. Accessed November 30, 2022. https://rajkumarrichard.blogspot.com/2013/12/christ-so-what-necessity-of-christ.html.

श्रेष्ठनविन. ख्रीष्टियन विश्वास: बौद्धिक विश्वास. पहिलो संस्करण. काठमाडौ: कमल अधिकारी, २०२०.

“How Can We Prove a Virgin Birth? Why Was a Virgin Birth Necessary? » Reasons for Hope* Jesus.” Accessed November 30, 2022. https://reasonsforhopejesus.com/prove-virgin-birth/.

“How Could a Virgin Birth Be Possible? (The Generation of Christ).” Blue Letter Bible. Accessed November 29, 2022. https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_1331.cfm.

“In What Sense Was Jesus Christ God and Man Simultaneously? 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/16-in-what-sense-was-jesus-christ-god-and-man-simultaneously.cfm.

“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/.

“Was the Virgin Conception Necessary? By Don Stewart.” Blue Letter Bible. Accessed November 29, 2022. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/stewart_don/faq/what-everyone-needs-to-know-about-jesus/32-was-the-virign-conception-necessary.cfm.

“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.

“Why Is the Doctrine of the Virgin Birth Important? By Don Stewart.” Blue Letter Bible. Accessed November 29, 2022. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/stewart_don/faq/what-everyone-needs-to-know-about-jesus/31-why-is-the-doctrine-of-the-virgin-birth-important.cfm.

 

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[1] “Was the Virgin Conception Necessary? By Don Stewart,” Blue Letter Bible, accessed November 29, 2022, https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/stewart_don/faq/what-everyone-needs-to-know-about-jesus/32-was-the-virign-conception-necessary.cfm.

[2] “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/.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Raj Richard, “Reasoned Musings: Christ, So What? (Necessity of Christ),” Reasoned Musings, December 23, 2013, accessed November 30, 2022, https://rajkumarrichard.blogspot.com/2013/12/christ-so-what-necessity-of-christ.html.

[5] “How Could a Virgin Birth Be Possible? (The Generation of Christ),” Blue Letter Bible, accessed November 29, 2022, https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_1331.cfm.

[6] “Why Is the Doctrine of the Virgin Birth Important? By Don Stewart,” Blue Letter Bible, accessed November 29, 2022, https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/stewart_don/faq/what-everyone-needs-to-know-about-jesus/31-why-is-the-doctrine-of-the-virgin-birth-important.cfm.

[7] श्रेष्ठनविन, ख्रीष्टियन विश्वास: बौद्धिक विश्वास, पहिलो संस्करण. (काठमाडौ: कमल अधिकारी, २०२०).

[8] “How Can We Prove a Virgin Birth? Why Was a Virgin Birth Necessary? » Reasons for Hope* Jesus,” accessed November 30, 2022, https://reasonsforhopejesus.com/prove-virgin-birth/.

[9] “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.

[10] “In What Sense Was Jesus Christ God and Man Simultaneously? 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/16-in-what-sense-was-jesus-christ-god-and-man-simultaneously.cfm.