What Child Is This? The Meta-Physiology of the Birth of Jesus

London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Colin Davis: “For Unto Us a  Child Is Born” from Handel’s “Messiah”

The promise of the Messiah begins in Genesis and echoes throughout prehistory as demonstrated by the words of the Prophet Isaiah, written around 740-680 B.C. Isaiah 9: 6, 7 (KJV) says:

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

In the first Century A.D., the Greek physician Luke, companion of the Apostle Paul and the only non-Hebrew author of Scriptures gave the details of Jesus’ arrival upon Earth. Luke 1:30-35 (KJV) says:

“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
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.”

The Promise of Jesus: Genesis

The love of GOD is a mystery. Likewise, His Son Jesus, Who is the love of God made manifest unto men, began life on Earth as a mystery. The birth of Messiah Jesus is one of the greatest mysteries of all time. The Bible gives great details of Jesus’ journey from Heaven to Earth. In Genesis 3 God promised that He would put enmity between the seed of the woman, Eve and the serpent, Satan, saying: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” The crucifixion and death of Jesus fulfilled this prophecy. In resurrection, Jesus defeated death. Satan and his entire kingdom were destroyed, including death and Hell. The entire fate of mankind rested on the shoulders of the mysterious infant, Jesus.

Point of Contact: Mary

Perhaps no one was more surprised at God made flesh than the one whose flesh was the gift wrapping: Mary. The Bible tells us that the Angel Gabriel was the one who announced to Mary that she would give birth to the Messiah. Perhaps being told by Gabriel made the situation even more frightening for the very young mother-to-be. Luke explained the pathway of conception: “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.” In Luke’s account, we also have one of the earliest records of prenatal cognition. After being told that she is the mother of the Messiah, Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth, then pregnant with John the Baptist. In the Biblical account, we see that both Elizabeth and her unborn son John recognized unborn Messiah and His mother:

Luke 1: 41-45 (KJV)
“And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

Luke and the Scientific Method

In the 1970’s when I was a medical student taking a course in pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, professors instructed us to begin the medical history with the mother’s history and lifestyle before, during, and after pregnancy. Luke’s interview of Mary and his account of the conception and prenatal course of her pregnancy is firmly seated in the heart of the scientific method. This account resonates with the role of physicians even in today’s society. Luke, being a Greek physician, was the ancient equivalent of a Harvard educated M.D. Greek medical practitioners, owed much of their knowledge of medicine to the ancient Egyptians, who were known as the most knowledgeable healers of their time. It is the method of science to start a history at the beginning. Luke’s role as the expert witness is obvious. Also, there are those who argue that unborn children have neither soul nor cognition. This account of the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth proves otherwise.

Fully God, Fully Man

As a being Who is fully God and fully man, Messiah Jesus plays a role in human history unlike any other. To say He is a mixed entity is to put a fence around the unlimited-ness of His being. Jesus is God made flesh, Who came as an offering to put an end to the heritage of sin brought upon all people by Adam. The God-man melding occurred under the supervision of the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. The locus of this incredible event was the womb of the Virgin Mary, who was chosen as the Mother of Jesus because she found favor with God, and was descended from King David. The Lord had promised King David that the Messiah would be descended from him.

Announced, Yet Unexpected

Part of the mystery surrounding the coming of the Messiah Jesus rests in the fact that although His coming was prophesied throughout the ages, everything about Jesus was unexpected by those whom He was sent to deliver. He was and is a King, sent as Lord of All, yet He was born in a stable and His cradle was a manger used to feed animals. He came to save mankind from an eternity in Hell, which is the default destination for all men because of sin, yet few were prepared to receive Him. Wise men came from the East because of the unusual configuration of the stars that foretold the coming of the King of the Jews. So, only a small, elite, band of knowledgeable Gentiles expected and understood the significance of His birth, and traveled a great distance to worship him.

He Started Life at the Bottom

The first Jews to hear the announcement of His birth were shepherds, a group whose profession was so lowly rated by society that they could not even testify in a court of law. Unlike Moses, Jesus did not grow up in a palace. Unlike King David, He had no city from which to rule, and no rooftop to call His own. Essentially, Jesus was a poor, not especially handsome, homeless King Who came from Heavenly heights unknown to be born of a virgin teen (or possibly preteen) mother who conceived Him by the power of the Holy Spirit before she was married. Could a more unlikely set of events be configured for the “Greatest Story Ever Told”? I doubt it.

Jesus: The Example of the Heavenly Values

The vast polarities in the reality that is Messiah Jesus (e.g. The King of Kings was born in a manger), say much about how different the thoughts of God are from the thoughts of men. The following verses are examples of how the ways of Heaven differ from the ways of Earth:

Mark 9:35 “And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.”

John 15:13 
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

So at the coming of Messiah Jesus, the Gentiles and the Shepherds who were among the least in the eyes of Jewish society were among the first to welcome the Son of God to planet Earth. The God-man Jesus was, is, and will be forever the physical manifestation of God Who is love. It is written:

Colossians 2:9 (KJV) “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”

1 John 4:8 (KJV) “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

Romans 8:38-39 (KJV) “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Don’t Erase, Celebrate!

Today there is a great effort to forget Who Jesus is and to erase every mention of God from all seasons in the life of all humanity. The efforts to erase Jesus are vigorous and the need for salvation remains great. But the love of God is far more mighty than the wicked conventions of men. The word of God promises that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against the purpose of God as made manifest through Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World. Through Christ, the love of God is eternally extended to all people. So celebrate Him! Don’t br afraid to say “Merry Christmas!”

Reflection:

Knowing that Jesus is the gift of God sent to save men and women from an eternity in Hell, and that the knowledge and fashion of this world rebels against this truth, what then is my prayer?

My prayer is this:

Hallelujah, our most gracious, wise, loving, and powerful God! Praise Your name, Father, that you loved us enough to send Your precious Son to die for our sins. Thank You Lord that Jesus didn’t turn His eyes away from our need for salvation even though it meant that He would suffer as He did suffer for us. Forgive me Lord, for the many times I have tried to live without you. Forgive us Lord, for the many ways in which we all have been blind to Your love, mercy, and sacrifice on our behalf. Father God, may all the world learn of Your love sent to us in Your Son. May all the world praise Him now, even as every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of All. Hallelujah, Lord! Amen!

Until next time, “Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might!”

Your friend in Christ,

Verneda

Twitter handle: @vlights

© 2011 Verneda Lights. All Rights Reserved.

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The video “For Unto Us a Child Is Born” was posted on Youtube.com by the London Symphony Orchestra Uploaded ( Lso ) on Nov 26, 2008. Verneda Lights and E-graphX Omnimedia have no ownership in the video. It is used for educational purposes only.

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