MenuThe Human Nature of Christ our Lord
“But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God-with-us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called His name Jesus.” -Matthew 1:20-25
Before Joseph knew the cause and reason for Mary’s pregnancy, he sought to treat her justly and with mercy. But God’s angel revealed to him the unique miracle of the Messiah’s conception by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph believes. And then Joseph acts upon his belief by fulfilling his God-given responsibilities. This is what faith in action looks like.
Ever since Adam and Eve, everyone has been begotten of a human father and born of a human mother – except Jesus. Although He was born of a human mother (the Virgin Mary), He was “adopted” not begotten by Joseph. In this way, Jesus was the “Seed of the Woman” as God promised in Genesis 3:15 (after Adam and Eve’s fall) and also the son of a virgin woman as God promised in Isaiah 7:14 (quoted in the text above by the Apostle Matthew).
Because Jesus was conceived in this unique way by the Holy Spirit, Jesus was not born with sin. Original sin – the guilt and sin that each of us inherits at birth – was not transmitted to Jesus at His birth. Instead, the child born of the Virgin Mary was a “Holy One” (Luke 1:37). And during His earthly life, Jesus did not sin, as John, Peter and Paul all confirm (John 8:46, 1 Peter 2:22, 2 Corinthians 5:21). In fact, Jesus was the first human being since Adam and Eve to be a true human being in the way that God intended for us to be – pure, holy and immortal.
We die as a consequence of our sins and our sinful nature. But sinless, immortal Jesus did not have to die. Yet that same pure and holy Jesus, in whom also “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Colossians 2:9), took upon His human nature the guilt of our sinful flesh, with all our weaknesses and corruption. So just as He said, “No one takes My life from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again.” (John 10:18) So out of love for you and me, our Lord voluntarily died for our sins. It was for this purpose that the Son of God took on human flesh.
May our incarnate Lord Jesus Christ keep you in the one true faith now and forever,
~Pastor Nickel
