The True Mystery
“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.” But Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God…” (Luke 1:31, Luke 1:34-35)
It’s not Jesus’ birth that causes wonderment, but rather His conception. When the angel announced that, despite being a virgin, Mary would conceive a baby destined to rule humankind and all creation, she asked a pivotal question: “How?” With this question, let’s delve into the very heart of the Christian Christmas story.
How was this child Jesus to be conceived? God was going to make it happen. He would do it. The language of being “overshadowed” reminds us of God’s divine presence symbolized to the Israelites by a great cloud. (Exodus 40:34-38) In other words, the conception would be supernatural, achievable by God and God alone.
As Paul explored the theology of the incarnation, he wrote, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5) He emphasized that the Redeemer had to be human to be of the same nature as those He came to save: a man dying for mankind. Equally imperative was that the Redeemer be perfectly holy because no sinful person could atone for the sins of others. He had to be Immanuel-God with us-and man.
Early Christians worked through the implications of the incarnation and developed ways to describe the one conceived by the Spirit in Mary’s womb. These convictions have passed down to us in early creeds. Our spiritual forefathers identified the wonder of the incarnation, bowed before its mystery, and affirmed that Jesus was and remains very God and very man.
The idea that God would supernaturally enter this world shouldn’t surprise or discomfort us. After all, it takes a supernatural entrance of God into individuals’ lives to bring them to living faith, just as God sovereignly worked a miracle in Mary’s womb to bring us the Redeemer. Jesus told Nicodemus that unless someone is born from above…a birth brought about by God through His Spirit-they would not see God’s kingdom (John 3:3). If we have been brought to salvation, it is only because God has done it. You did no more to save yourself than Mary did to become pregnant with your Savior. The “How?” of salvation is always answered only by “God did it.”
So, bow today before the wonder and mystery of God taking on flesh. And bow today before the wonder and mystery of God redeeming you. For that, no less than the virgin birth of the Son of God, is the supernatural work of God.
JG