The Psychology of the Virgin Birth
April 22, 2016 Jesus Christ, Virgin Birth No CommentsThe virgin birth of Jesus is affirmed in the Scriptures. Matthew 1:18-23 fulfilled Isaiah 7:14. Luke writes, “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:31-35). Mary was with child of the Holy Spirit (a miracle).
Mary was Espoused to Joseph
The espousal between Mary and Joseph was a binding covenant/contract. The contract could only be broken by adultery. Generally, a year elapsed between initiating the contract and the marriage ceremony. The couple lived with parents during this time and saw each other under the watchful eye of a chaperone. Jesus was conceived during the time of the betrothal. The conception was the result of a miracle wrought by God. No adultery was committed. If a woman committed adultery, the man was to denounce her before the Jewish council. The officiating priest would conduct an interrogation. If the evidence confirmed sin, the woman was to be stoned. The offended lover would cast the first stone. Mary knows the law. Does Mary conceal her pregnancy? No, she goes to visit Elizabeth. Elizabeth is married to Zecharaiah, the officiating priest. Mary goes to the fountain head of the law and judgment to announce her pregnancy. She shows no signs of guilt or shame.
The Law of Illegitimacy (Deuteronomy 23)
An illegitimate child could not become a member of the congregation of Israel. It took ten generations to purify an illegitimate offspring. Jesus, if illegitimate, would have violated this law. But, Jesus never shows any signs of guilt or shame. The family of Jesus follows the law regarding presenting Him to the LORD (Luke 2:22). The first male child would be called “holy to the LORD.” This simply would not have been possible without the greatest violation of the conscience by both Joseph and Mary if Jesus were illegitimate.
Mary’s Song (Luke 1:46-55)
In ten verses, Mary cites 23 separate Old Testament Scriptures (portions therefrom). She says, “My soul doth magnify the LORD.” She refers to herself as the “handmaid” of the LORD (Luke 1:38). Does this sound like a woman who had violated the laws of God?
Consider Joseph a Righteous Man
Joseph discovered Mary’s pregnancy and determined to put her away privately. His actions show that he had no part in her pregnancy. Joseph continues his relationship with Mary and marries her only after an angel of the LORD spoke with him and informed him as to the means of Mary’s pregnancy. He is convinced that Mary is pure and does not hesitate to take her as his wife (Matt. 1:18-25).
Mary at the Cross
Jesus was humiliated, mocked, beaten, made to carry His own cross, nailed by His hands and feet to the cross and lifted up between heaven and earth to die. The sight would have been unbelievably horrifying to anyone standing near by. Mary was present at the cross. The chief reason that Jesus was crucified was for blasphemy because “He made Himself the Son of God” (John 10:33 and Matt. 26:65-66). Mary knew that her son was the Son of God. If not, she is the most despicable woman in human history. Why? Mary stood with her mouth shut and allowed her son to be beaten and crucified when she could have saved him by naming His father. Mary’s silence at the foot of the cross speaks to the truth of Jesus’ identity. Truly, He was the Son of God!