With Child from the Holy Spirit Part 1: A Divine Conception

When I was a teenager, one of my favourite movies was Master and Commander starring Russel Crowe. Its a great film for history fans that takes place during the Nepolianic wars. I watched it many times because of the ships and the fights and the interesting story. However, after watching a review of the characters in a Youtube video I realized that there was an entire subplot going on between the two main characters that I had never noticed until it was pointed out to me. The next time I watched it, it was like watching an entirely new film. Small details that had once seemed insignificant now played into the character development I had never recognized. I’m sure you’ve had a similar experience, and hopefully you’ve had this experience with Scripture as well. As your knowledge of the Word has increased, and you sanctification in the Holy Spirit has matured, God continues to reveal layer after layer of his unending truth.

Texts like this one can be difficult for us to read with any real, intentional study simply because of familiarity. The story of the virgin birth, usually in the more detailed account that Luke gives us, is so familiar to us that we can come to think that there is nothing left for us to uncover. This could not be further from the truth. My hope is that as we begin the old, familiar story of the birth of Christ, we may be able to discern deep spiritual implications that will highten our worship and deepen our devotion to Christ.

Christ from the Beginning

Matthew gives a heading to the story of Jesus’ birth that explicitly indicates his conclusion of Jesus person. He backs up this claim beginning with this story.

Begins with a sort of subheading. Now that the history leading up to Jesus birth has been reviewed, we continue into his life.

“Betrothed” meant legally married but not yet living together or consummated.

“came together” Greek term often used to describe sexual intercourse, like “sleeping together” today.

“found to be with child” the story in Matthew, unlike Luke, is told from Joseph’s perspective so this describes him finding out. However, it does not imply she was hiding it.

“From the Holy Spirit” the child’s conception is not due to Mary’s unfaithfulness or any act of man, but is a supernatural event.

“Holy Spirit” a uniquely Christian (not Jewish) term. In the NT comes an added reverence for the Third person of the Trinity along with the revelation of the second. The Spirit is always at work in the background of Jesus’ life and ministry.

Divine Conception

The birth of Jesus was a truly supernatural event. Although many throughout the years have sought to add doubt to this part fo the story, it is one of the most important details about the birth account. The fact that Jesus was born of a virgin woman both proves the supernatural element of his nature and fulfills an expectation of the coming Messiah. This is a reality of Jesus’ existance as a man and as divine that has significant implications. Let us consider the reality of the divine conception in three ways.

Not Born According to the Will of Man

The divine role in the conception of Christ in the womb of Mary again reminds us of the theme of the time coming to fulfilment which we looked at last week. This event could not be conjured or manipulated it any way. It would come when it would come, and all God’s people could do was patiently wait in faith. Now the time has come!

This time may not be manipulated by any act of man. Abraham sought to manipulate God’s plan by having a son with Sarah’s servant Hagar, but this was not possible with this promised child. Just as Ishmael was a false son, not one of the promise, so many false Christs had come and continue to come. These are spiritual bastards, unable to truly control God’s soveriegn hand and claim the title of Christ in their own timing. Just as Ishmael was reject, so are they and all who point to themselves as Messianic figures in any way.

This time could not be foreseen, only revealed. No human cunning or craft could make it come about.

God’s will is the sole factor in the coming of the Christ. This leaves the matter of salvation completely our of our hands.

John relates this to the way Christians are spiritually born in Christ,

John 1:12–13 ESV

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Those born of God are not born by their own will or the will of another, but of the sovereign grace of God. So it was with the Christ.

Born of an Entirely Divine Nature

God being the source of this birth, he is also the object of it. The Christ being the product of divine intervention in a human woman caused the conception of God himself in human flesh. The supernatural nature of the birth points us to the supernatural nature of his being.

The Nicean Creed gives us the wording of how we may discribe the divine nature of Christ, We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And (we believe) in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made;

Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man;”

Jesus Christ was nothing less than God becoming a human being while all the time remaining in his divine nature. Therefore, Jesus deserve all our priase and worship both as our Saviour and as our God.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

The last thing we may note about the supernatural nature of his birth is that it was achieved by the work of the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit described as “Holy” both identifies the nature of this Spirit and reminds us that God, being holy, uses holy means to accomplish his purposes. This was not a sexual union of human and divine as pagan religions occasionally have, but rather a supernatural virgin conception by the pure Spirit of God.

The Holy Spirit in all of Christ’s ministry.

The union of their work and purpose.

The Christ=glorifying work of the Spirit.

The example of our union with the Spirit.

Human Birth

It is equally important to stress the humanity of Christ’s birth. He did not descend from the sky, but entered human flesh the same way any of us did. Let us consider the reality of Christ’s entirely human birth in another three parts.

Born entirely human

Christ has an entirely human nature as well as an entirely divine one.

A human saviour for humans. God is not patronizing, but graciously condecending.

One who would suffer and be tempted as a human.

One who would embrace human weakness for our sakes.

Born under the law

Galatians 4:4 ESV

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,

Jesus, born a Jew, was born under the Old Covenant and thus in a place to fulfill it.

Jesus also could claim the title as the true seed of Abraham, having been born into his family as a human being. The same is true of his right to the Davidic Throne, fulfilliing promises only a human could fulfill.

Jesus entered the Old Covenant in order to free us from it. Jesus alone was not sinfully rebellious towards the law, and so he was able to redeem us from its curse which came through our sin.

Romans 7:4–6 ESV

Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

The law awakens sin in the human heart in the same way your immune system wakes up the symptoms of your disease, making the worse. The immune system is good, but it makes you feel terrible and may even kill you trying to fight off the illness. But when we were freed from the law, we were freed from slavery to sin as well, making us righteous without the OT law in Christ and giving us a law in Christ to Love God and to love our neighbour.

Born embracing social shame

Christ also embraced social shame through birth to an unmarried woman. Imagine the rumours that flew around during his life! The unbelieving Jews seem to point out this fact in John 8:41 “They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.”’ Jesus is born into the working class under seemingly scandolous circumstances.

To embrace true humility.

To sympathize with the lowest of us.

To understand shame so that he may sympathize with our weaknesses.

Conclusion of first half

We are here building a solid foundation of our doctrine of Christ. This is not just a familiar story that begins the first Gospel in our Bibles, its the foundation of who Jesus is revealed to be. Our response, especially at the table, should be,

Repentance and preparation, coming into the presence of God ready to see him revealed in Christ requires our hearts to be humbled and ready to reject all for him.

Faith, embracing the truth of Scripture without knawing doubt or criticism.

Praise and adoration. Where else would you rather be than worshipping the Christ that we read about here? Let all in our hearts be for his glory.

Getting the Birth of Jesus Right

To many, all that matters in the Christian life is practical. To an extent this is true, however some push it to the extreme that anything that doesn’t seem practical to them is brushed aside as unimportant. So what relevance does the birth of Christ and the perfect union of divine and human in that birth have for us? Theology is as necessary to live the Christian life as engineering is to powering a city. It may seem disconnected, but without good theology our Christianity will be dark.

In reality, there are great benefits in getting these doctrines about Christ’s birth right. Likewise, there are great, even lethal, dangers to getting them wrong.

Let us consider the benefits of having a very accurate view of Christ’s birth, as well as the dangers of failing to do so. (4 benefits, 4 dangers)

Benefit #1: That we may see the glory and humility of Christ displayed together.

Colossians 1:19–20 ESV

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

This glory begins at his birth, the road to the cross and the redemption of God’s people.

Benefit #2: That we may have reason to know Jesus as the Christ from his first moments in this world.

Matthew does not shy away from the claim that Jesus is the Christ in verse 18. This is because there is explicit proof of it in this very first part of the Gospel narrative.

Benefit #3: That we may know we have truly believed the Gospel and have not believed a lie

1 John 1:3 ESV

that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Benefit #4: That we may be inspired by awe and wonder in the mystery of God’s ways, leading us to deeper worship.

Romans 11:33–36 ESV

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

The mystery of Christ’s incarnation, the perfect unity of created flesh and uncreated divinity, should drive our hearts to explode in worship. Is there anything greater to think about than the mystery of Christ? Is there anything else we could make our lives about? Learn to live for this one thing: to be captured by the radience of the glory of Christ.

Danger #1: That the glory of Christ would be blocked from our sight as it was from the sight of the self-righteous Jews

2 Corinthians 3:15–17 ESV

Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

As the author of Hebrews points out, there is a danger of failing to reach the promises of God if we do not embrace the Word of God and the Gospel it presents us.

Hebrews 4:1–2 ESV

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.

If we reject the truth of Christ’s birth, we are in great danger of losing the true Gospel altogether

Danger #2: That we would doubt the Scriptures or the validity of the claims of Christ

If we are willing to cast doubt on the virgin birth or the duel nature of Christ, we put ourselves in danger of doubting more of God’s Word. There is nothing more foolish than thinking that we are not prone to unbelief if we begin to put the Word of God under our own scrutiny.

Danger #3: That we may fall into the intellectual skepticism that is common in our culture

Colossians 2:6–8 ESV

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.