Getting the Story Right, Part 3
Jesus, the God-Man
The virginal conception and divine paternity of Jesus are revealed in the following passages.
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together [sexually] she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit [not from a man]. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 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).” (Matthew 1:18-23)
“Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’ And the angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit [not a man] will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God [not the son of a man].” (Luke 2:34-35)
Jesus was not like any other man. The nature of his birth proved his DNA to be both human (Mary) and divine (our heavenly Father). Because of this dual nature, he was the Son of God, a trustworthy Messenger from God who informed us of the Kingdom of God and the means to enter it. And he was the Son of Man, the sinless offering who became a full and sufficient sacrifice for the transgressions of anyone who would receive the benefit of his sacrifice. This benefit is that his sacrifice satisfies the judgment of God against any person because of his or her sin. And now, because of Jesus’ great victory over sin, death, and hell, proven by his Resurrection, we can all be beneficiaries of the forgiveness and redemption that God secured by himself on the Cross in the person of His son.
The Lesson
One of the lessons that we might glean from the story of Joseph and Mary might be this: God favors those who live honorably and who have hearts inclined toward him. This idea is echoed in the words of the prophet Micah.
“He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.”
(Micah 6:8)
So what about you? What is your life like?
- Are your actions in harmony with God’s expectations?
- Does your speech reveal your kindness and mercy toward others?
- Are you walking in a humble attitude of reverence toward God and dependence on him?
- Do you have an inner spiritual ear that is listening for his quiet voice?
The Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth
In many courtrooms across America, people are still asked to place a hand on the Bible and pledge to “tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.” Christian preachers and teachers should go through the same exercise every week while they are preparing their lessons, and in the moments before delivering what they have prepared. People deserve more than half the truth, or a version of the truth. As a pastor and teacher, you have an obligation before God to give them the whole Truth and nothing but Truth. When you have that firm commitment, preparing as fully as the scriptural text and preaching moment requires, God will help you.
Returning to our youth pastor, simplifying the Christmas story to one of a “crisis pregnancy” between a slutty girl and an immoral boy who doesn’t want to step up to the plate and take responsibility for being a father does a great injustice to what actually happened. It reduces the story to something that is common, rather than exceptional and holy. It betrays a belief that people, regardless of their age, don’t have the intelligence to rise to a full and accurate understanding of Biblical Truth. And so, it offers them a distorted portion of truth that is devoid of its transforming power. Disciples who are offered unbalanced, incomplete, or misshapen doctrine will develop a shallow faith, at best. Predictably, many of them won’t live very long by a Book that can’t help them rise above their sinful condition, and they won’t follow a pastor very far who doesn’t inspire them with the power of the Word.
