18This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came aboutd : His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.19Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yete did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,f because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:18-21)
Thoughts: Mark's gospel starts with Jesus' ministry and leaves out the birth narratives altogether. John's gospel goes into the theological background of the virgin birth- the word becoming flesh. Luke specifies the virginity of Mary- "How can this be since I am a virgin?"
Here the meaning behind it is brought out in a different way: "Through the Holy Spirit." Luke says it similarly: Luke 1:35: "The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be calledb the Son of God."
There are some articles saying virgin birth (parthenogenesis) cannot happen with mammals no matter what. Parthenogenesis- or virgin birth happens regularly in some forms of reptiles and occasionally in birds. August 2, 2004 Korean Scientist Hwang Woo-Suk actually created the first human embryos by pathenogenesis making an embryo from the genetic material from one egg. The skeptics might need to readjust what can and cannot happen. If a scientist could do it, cannot the Maker of the Universe- THE greatest scientist do it?
The angel who spoke to Mary (recorded in Luke 1:35 cited above) told her she would conceive of the Holy Spirit. The angel who spoke to Joseph said a similar thing- "what is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit." The message of the Gospels is that God sent messengers to let the main players in the story know that the birth is from God.
The point of the Virgin Birth is not to leave the guys out (as a misandrist might assume), but to point out several important things:
1) The uniqueness of His birth.
2) The will of a man did not form Jesus- but the will of God (John 1:13)
3) He is Called the Second Adam (Romans 5) re-created man.
As such he did not inherit the first Adam's sin.
4) The fulfillment of a prophecy about the special born child (Isaiah 7:14) that points to the child born of a virgin's identity as the Messiah.
Here the meaning behind it is brought out in a different way: "Through the Holy Spirit." Luke says it similarly: Luke 1:35: "The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be calledb the Son of God."
There are some articles saying virgin birth (parthenogenesis) cannot happen with mammals no matter what. Parthenogenesis- or virgin birth happens regularly in some forms of reptiles and occasionally in birds. August 2, 2004 Korean Scientist Hwang Woo-Suk actually created the first human embryos by pathenogenesis making an embryo from the genetic material from one egg. The skeptics might need to readjust what can and cannot happen. If a scientist could do it, cannot the Maker of the Universe- THE greatest scientist do it?
The angel who spoke to Mary (recorded in Luke 1:35 cited above) told her she would conceive of the Holy Spirit. The angel who spoke to Joseph said a similar thing- "what is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit." The message of the Gospels is that God sent messengers to let the main players in the story know that the birth is from God.
The point of the Virgin Birth is not to leave the guys out (as a misandrist might assume), but to point out several important things:
1) The uniqueness of His birth.
2) The will of a man did not form Jesus- but the will of God (John 1:13)
3) He is Called the Second Adam (Romans 5) re-created man.
As such he did not inherit the first Adam's sin.
4) The fulfillment of a prophecy about the special born child (Isaiah 7:14) that points to the child born of a virgin's identity as the Messiah.
Whether we want to understand it or not, the Virgin birth seems to be a way God preferred for the Messiah to enter the world so that from the beginning He could be identified as from God.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the mystery surrounding your birth and your will. Help me to trust in your word though I do not fully understand.
Joseph's Dream- Rembrandt
Joseph's Dream- Rembrandt
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