The Humility and Grace of the Virgin Birth

Take a look at the book of John. (John 1:1-18)

The Apostle John begins by reminding us that the rebirth of the redeemed is comparable to the miraculous birth of Christ himself. In John 1:12 -13, we learn that becoming children of God is not an act of human will but a divine miracle.

Just as the birth of our Lord was a supernatural event, so too is the regeneration of every believer. This parallel reminds us that faith is neither a product of lineage nor human desire but rather a work of God’s sovereign grace.

The Significance of Christ’s Humanity and Divinity

An artistic depiction of the First Council of Nicaea (325 AD), where Church leaders affirmed the dual natures of Christ… truly God and truly man… and His oneness with the Father, solidifying the doctrine of Christ’s divinity and humanity.

The earliest centuries of the Christian Church saw heresies arise from people’s difficulty in accepting Jesus’ genuine humanity. His divinity was unmistakable, so it seemed unimaginable that God the Son could also be truly human. Yet the New Testament emphasizes both natures, and it recounts the virgin birth not as something to be proven but as a grace-filled fact that reveals Christ’s full participation in our humanity. Those who walked with Jesus, who saw and touched him, knew him as a man, even as they worshiped him as Lord and recognized his divine nature.

The Centrality of the Virgin Birth

Far from being a mere abstract curiosity, the virgin birth serves as a cornerstone truth. Without it, Christ’s incarnation and atoning work would lose their essential character. Paul speaks of Jesus’ coming as being “made of a woman” to stress the profound humility of his incarnation.

The emphasis is not on the miraculous nature of the event alone, because nothing is too great for God, but on the astonishing humility and grace manifest in God the Son taking on human flesh. That God would do this for the sake of our redemption should move us not merely to marvel at a miracle but to stand in awe of this divine grace.

The Necessity of the Incarnation for Our Redemption

The virgin birth established Christ as the new and sinless head of a renewed human race, the last or second Adam. Where the first Adam’s sin brought death, the last Adam’s obedience and sacrificial death brought righteousness and life. Apart from this incarnation, no atonement could be sufficient to restore fallen humanity. Only by becoming fully man could Christ’s suffering on the cross be real and efficacious. His death and resurrection has transformed our destiny, moving us from bondage to sin and death into the promise of new life.

The Foundation of Our Hope and Faith

The virgin birth is an extremely important anchor point, a truth that assures us of the reality of God’s purposes. It tells us that just as Christ’s birth was set apart, so is our regeneration. Instead of inheriting sin and death, we become partakers of a new life in Christ. This truth offered hope to the earliest believers, who needed no persuasion as to Christ’s humanity but who often struggled to comprehend how he could also be fully God. It also continues to offer us hope, signaling that we are children of the living God, born anew into a future no human limitation can undermine.

The Hope Of Christ’s Unique Nature

The virgin birth stands forever as a testimony to Christ’s unique nature. The early Christians, eyewitnesses to his life, understood its meaning. They saw him laugh, cry, teach, and heal. They knew he was truly man and yet truly God. The virgin birth defends that truth, assuring us that in Christ we have one who is both infinite and intimate, fully divine and fully human. In that wondrous truth lies the glory of the incarnation and the heart of our faith.

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