Page 8 - January 2023 - Truth & Tidings

penalty. Only God Himself could meet this and as further evidence, Joseph knew it, as
requirement, so He became incarnate in verses 18-19 make clear. Matthew also re-
the person of His Son to accomplish this cords the birth of Christ as the fulfillment
for us. “The Father has sent his Son as the of Isaiah 7:14: “The virgin will conceive,
world’s Savior” (1Jn 4:14), and “the blood have a son, and name him Immanuel.”
of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin”
(1Jn 1:7). Notice, then, these two things: What everyone in the presence of Ahaz
the Father did not become incarnate, but understood that day is debatable. But
only the Son; and the Scriptures never say the Holy Spirit’s interpretation and word
that God died, yet the man who is God choice in Matthew 1:23 leave no doubt –
died. God is spirit and cannot die. So, it the virgin birth of Christ was a necessary
was necessary that He become a man, in fulfillment of prophecy.
real flesh and blood, in order to die for us An Implication of the Incarnation
(Col 1:19-22).
The Means of the Incarnation: When the Son of God took on human
The Virgin Birth flesh, He didn’t arrive as a genderless be-
ing but as a male. He had a Y chromosome.
The humanity of Christ began at His He had facial hair. His primary company
conception in the womb of Mary, who
was initially and understandably incredu- was a group of males. That isn’t asserting
lous at the possibility of her giving birth that males are superior to females – they
because she had not “known” a man. So are equal, both having been created in
the angel Gabriel explained: “The Holy the image of God – but it reveals that the
Spirit will come upon you, and the power incarnation embraces the divine order of
of the Most High will overshadow you. gendered sexuality established in Genesis
Therefore, the holy one to be born will be 1. In no way does this diminish the value
called the Son of God” (Luk 1:35). Obvi- of the female gender, for God’s Son was
ously, the Scriptures do not shy away from “born of a woman” (Gal 4:4). But the in-
the supernatural. When God would bring
His eternal Son into the world, it is fitting carnation shows that the distinctiveness
that He would highlight the uniqueness of genders in the original creation was
of the person by a unique sign. The reason good – and the resurrection shows us that
that defenders of the faith in the early it will abide. “The incarnation, once ac-
centuries of the Church included the vir- complished, is a lasting state for our Lord.
gin birth in their credal statements (e.g., It began at his birth and continues (albeit
Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed, Chalce- in a resurrection body now) forever.” It
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donian Creed) is that they knew it was no is the same male body in which Christ
trivial addendum to the gospel message.
Matthew carefully safeguards the truth in suffered that He also rose, and His resur-
chapter one of his Gospel. After a lengthy rection is the pattern for ours. The Lord
list of men who fathered their children, he Jesus is forever a man. Clearly human
changes the formula at verse 16: “Jacob bodies are significant, for the Son of God
fathered Joseph the husband of Mary, who possesses one.
gave birth to Jesus who is called the Mes- ⁴ Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology (Wheaton, IL:
siah.” Jesus was not fathered by Joseph, Victor Books, 1986), 242.

8 TRUTH kTidings January 2023