"IMPOSSIBLE!" Many non-Christians would say this upon hearing the story about the birth of Jesus. They feel that it is unscientific to believe that a virgin girl could conceive and give birth to a son without the aid of a human father. What do you think?
In 1984, The Times of London published a letter that reasoned on this matter, stating: "It is not logically valid to use science as an argument against miracles. To believe that miracles cannot happen is as much an act of faith as to believe that they can happen." The letter was signed by 14 professors of science in British universities. They said: "We gladly accept the virgin birth, the Gospel miracles, and the resurrection of Christ as historical events."
Yet, it is understandable for a person to be puzzled when first exposed to the story of Jesus' virgin birth. Jesus' own virgin mother was puzzled when God's angel said: "Look! you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you are to call his name Jesus." In reply, Mary asked: "How is this to be, since I am having no intercourse with a man?" The angel then explained that God would perform this miracle by means of His holy spirit, adding: "With God no declaration will be an impossibility." (Luke 1:31, 34-37) Surely the One who created the amazing process of human reproduction could also cause the conception and birth of Jesus from a chaste virgin. If God created the universe and its finely tuned laws, he could also use an egg cell from Mary's ovary to produce a perfect human Son.
The godly man Joseph was engaged to Mary at the time she conceived. In a dream, God's angel explained to Joseph the wonderful reason why his virgin fiancée was pregnant. The angel said: "Do not be afraid to take Mary your wife home, for that which has been begotten in her is by holy spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you must call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:20, 21) The name Jesus in Hebrew means "Jehovah Is Salvation." It reminds us of the need for salvation from sin and death and of Jehovah God's provision for such salvation through Jesus.
"IMPOSSIBLE!" Many non-Christians would say this upon hearing the story about the birth of Jesus. They feel that it is unscientific to believe that a virgin girl could conceive and give birth to a son without the aid of a human father. What do you think?
In 1984, The Times of London published a letter that reasoned on this matter, stating: "It is not logically valid to use science as an argument against miracles. To believe that miracles cannot happen is as much an act of faith as to believe that they can happen." The letter was signed by 14 professors of science in British universities. They said: "We gladly accept the virgin birth, the Gospel miracles, and the resurrection of Christ as historical events."
Yet, it is understandable for a person to be puzzled when first exposed to the story of Jesus' virgin birth. Jesus' own virgin mother was puzzled when God's angel said: "Look! you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you are to call his name Jesus." In reply, Mary asked: "How is this to be, since I am having no intercourse with a man?" The angel then explained that God would perform this miracle by means of His holy spirit, adding: "With God no declaration will be an impossibility." (Luke 1:31, 34-37) Surely the One who created the amazing process of human reproduction could also cause the conception and birth of Jesus from a chaste virgin. If God created the universe and its finely tuned laws, he could also use an egg cell from Mary's ovary to produce a perfect human Son.
Why It Was Necessary
The godly man Joseph was engaged to Mary at the time she conceived. In a dream, God's angel explained to Joseph the wonderful reason why his virgin fiancée was pregnant. The angel said: "Do not be afraid to take Mary your wife home, for that which has been begotten in her is by holy spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you must call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:20, 21) The name Jesus in Hebrew means "Jehovah Is Salvation." It reminds us of the need for salvation from sin and death and of Jehovah God's provision for such salvation through Jesus.
 How could Adam'sdescendants be saved from sin? |
Because the first man, Adam, sinned, all his offspring were born imperfect, with a tendency to break God's laws. (Romans 5:12) How could Adam's descendants be saved from sin and gain perfection? Another perfect human life, corresponding in value to that of Adam's, had to be paid to balance the scales of justice. That is why God caused the miraculous birth of the perfect man, Jesus, and that is why Jesus allowed his enemies to put him to death. (John 10:17, 18; 1 Timothy 2:5, 6) After Jesus' resurrection and ascension to heavenly life, he could confidently say: "I became dead, but, look! I am living forever and ever, and I have the keys of death and of Hades [mankind's common grave]."
With the figurative keys of death and of Hades, Jesus opens the way for sinful humans to regain what Adam lost. Jesus explained: "I am the resurrection and the life. He that exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life; and everyone that is living and exercises faith in me will never die at all." (John 11:25, 26) What a wonderful promise! And yet, there is an even greater reason for Jesus' birth.
The Most Important Reason
Jesus' conception in Mary's womb was not the start of his life. "I have come down from heaven," he clearly stated. (John 6:38) Jesus had lived in the spirit realm with his heavenly Father from the beginning of creation. In fact, the Bible describes him as "the beginning of the creation by God." (Revelation 3:14) From heaven, Jesus witnessed the rebellion of a wicked angel who turned the first humans against God's rule. This gave Jesus the most important reason for wanting to be born as a perfect human Son of God. What was that?
It was to prove that his heavenly Father has the right to rule the universe. By remaining faithful from his birth till his death on earth, Jesus demonstrated his willingness to subject himself to Jehovah's way of ruling His creatures. Before his death at the hands of God's enemies, Jesus clearly stated the reason for his willingness to go through with the course of sacrificial death. He said that it was in order for the world to know that he loved the Father. (John 14:31) If the first two humans, Adam and Eve, had developed such love, they could have proved faithful under their much easier test.
Jesus' faithfulness also exposed the wicked angel, Satan, as a liar. Satan had slandered God and man by stating in front of the angels in heaven: "All that a man has he will give up for his life." (Job 2:1, 4, Tanakh
The foregoing issues challenged the righteousness and rightfulness of God's rulership. To settle them, Jesus was willing to be born as a human and prove himself faithful to death.
Thus, the main reason for Jesus' birth on earth was, as he himself said, that he "should bear witness to the truth." (John 18:37) He did that by showing in word and in deed that God's rulership is altogether righteous and that submission to it results in lasting happiness. Jesus also explained that he had come into the world to give his human life as "a ransom in exchange for many," opening the way for sinful humans to gain perfection and everlasting life. (Mark 10:45) For mankind to grasp these vital matters, a record of Jesus' birth was necessary. Additionally, events surrounding Jesus' birth contain other important lessons, as the next article will show.
MILLIONS are fascinated by events surrounding Jesus' birth. This is seen by the multitude of Nativity scenes that are displayed and Nativity plays that are enacted around the world at Christmastime. Though fascinating, the events surrounding Jesus' birth were not recorded in the Bible to entertain people. Rather, they form part of all Scripture that God inspired for teaching and for setting things straight.
If God had wanted Christians to celebrate Jesus' birth, then the Bible would have provided the exact date. Does it? After mentioning that Jesus was born at a time when shepherds were out-of-doors at night watching their flocks, 19th-century Bible scholar Albert Barnes concluded: "It is clear from this that our Saviour was born before the 25th of December . . . At that time it is cold, and especially in the high and mountainous regions about Bethlehem. God has concealed the time of [Jesus'] birth. . . . Nor was it of consequence to know the time; if it had been, God would have preserved the record of it."
By contrast, the four Gospel writers clearly inform us of the day on which Jesus died. It happened on the day of the Passover, which was held on the 14th of the Jewish month Nisan, in the spring. Moreover, Jesus specifically commanded his followers to commemorate that day in remembrance of him. (Luke 22:19) The Bible contains no such command to celebrate Jesus' birthday, nor, for that matter, any other person's birthday. Sadly, controversies over the date of Jesus' birth may overshadow the more noteworthy events that took place about that time.
Out of the thousands of families in Israel, what kind of parents did God choose to raise his Son? Did He consider such factors as prominence and wealth to be important? No. Rather, Jehovah took note of the parents' spiritual qualities. Examine Mary's song of praise, as recorded at Luke 1:46-55, which she sang after being told of her privilege of becoming the mother of the Messiah. Among other things, she said: "My soul magnifies Jehovah . . . because he has looked upon the low position of his slave girl." She humbly viewed herself as one of "low position," Jehovah's slave girl. More important, the beautiful expressions of praise in Mary's song reveal that she was a spiritual person who had a good knowledge of the Scriptures. Though a sinful descendant of Adam, she was the ideal choice as the earthly mother of God's Son.
What about Mary's husband, who became Jesus' adoptive father? Joseph was a man with a practical knowledge of carpentry. Because of his willingness to work hard with his hands, he was able to provide for a family that eventually numbered five sons and at least two daughters. (Matthew 13:55, 56) Joseph was not rich. When the time came for Mary to present her firstborn son at God's temple, Joseph must have felt disappointed that he could not provide the sacrifice of a sheep. Instead, they had to make use of an allowance for the poor. With regard to the mother of a newborn son, God's law stated: "If she cannot afford enough for a sheep, she must then take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and one for a sin offering, and the priest must make atonement for her, and she must be clean."
The Bible says that Joseph "was righteous." (Matthew 1:19) For example, he did not have intercourse with his virgin wife until after the birth of Jesus. This prevented any misunderstanding as to who Jesus' real Father was. For a newly married couple to abstain from intimate relations while living under the same roof could not have been easy, but it showed that they both treasured the privilege of being chosen to raise God's Son.
Like Mary, Joseph was a spiritual person. He stopped work every year and took his family on the three-day journey from Nazareth to Jerusalem to attend the annual festival of the Passover. (Luke 2:41) Also, Joseph must have trained young Jesus in the weekly custom of participating in worship at the local synagogue, where God's Word was read and explained. (Luke 2:51; 4:16.) Thus, there can be no doubt that God chose the right earthly mother and adoptive father for his Son.
A Grand Blessing for Humble Shepherds
In spite of the difficulty for his wife, who was now nine months pregnant, Joseph traveled to the city of his forefathers to be registered, in accord with Caesar's decree. When the couple arrived in Bethlehem, they could not find lodging in the crowded city. Circumstances thus forced them to make use of a stable, where Jesus was born and laid in a manger. To strengthen their faith, Jehovah provided the humble parents with confirmation that this birth really was God's will. Did he send a delegation of prominent older men from Bethlehem to reassure the couple? No. Instead, Jehovah God revealed the matter to hardworking shepherds who spent the night outdoors watching over their flocks.
God's angel appeared to them and told them to go to Bethlehem, where they would find the newborn Messiah "lying in a manger." Were these humble men shocked or embarrassed to hear that the newborn Messiah was in a stable? By no means! Without delay, they left their flocks and headed for Bethlehem. When they found Jesus, they related to Joseph and Mary what God's angel had said. This, no doubt, strengthened the couple's faith that all things were working out in the way that God had purposed. "The shepherds," for their part, "went back, glorifying and praising God for all the things they heard and saw." (Luke 2:8-20) Yes, in revealing matters to the God-fearing shepherds, Jehovah had made the right choice.
From the above, we learn what kind of people we need to be to enjoy Jehovah's favor. We do not need to seek prominence or wealth. Rather, like Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds, we need to obey God and prove our love for him by putting spiritual interests ahead of material things. Indeed, there are fine lessons to be learned by meditating upon the record of events that took place about the time of Jesus' birth.
