Why Jesus’s birth had to be normal and His conception supernatural!
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh (Romans 8:3, KJV)
Jesus was born like every other human being is born. Mary went through all the phases of labor, and Jesus also gave that first baby cry when the first breath from the earth entered His lungs. There was nothing supernatural about His birth, at least besides the angelic and astronomical phenomena. The miracle of the incarnation is not about His birth but His conception, which took place nine months earlier!
Jesus’s conception had to be supernatural. Children are conceived through normal human reproduction processes involving a father and a mother. This is the normal, usual way humans are conceived. However, Jesus was conceived in a different manner. The power of the Spirit came upon Mary, and He was conceived in the womb. Why was this important? Rom. 8:3 above gives us a clue.
It says Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh, meaning looking like any other human being that is under sin because it is only as a human being that He could condemn sin in the flesh. He could not be our substitute as an angel. He had to be a human being. For His sacrifice to be accepted, He had to be without sin so both Joseph and Mary could not contribute their sin-tainted humanity to His being. His conception, therefore, had to be a miracle! He was born on Christmas Day as we were all born, but conceived nine months earlier like no other human being in history was conceived or will ever be conceived for the rest of eternity! What a Savior we have. Merry Christmas!!
MEDITATE
Why did Jesus have to come in the “likeness of sinful flesh”? How does the Christmas story compare with the day Adam was created?
APPLY THE WORD
We celebrate His birth and rejoice for the blessing of the Savoir! The Lord also enjoys seeing His children in celebration of Him!
PRAY
Thank the Lord for the wonderful blessing of Christmas.