The conception of Christ. Now that isn't a topic you read about every day. We give too little thought to the conception of Christ. Why? Because it is ultimately a great mystery. So why bother about it at all? Mystery solvers might be able to give us a hint about the why, that old 'thrill to solve'. Is this really a mystery that needs to be solved though? Shouldn't we just say- the Holy Spirit did it, and leave it at that? I'm not going to, not today and maybe not tomorrow, we won't bother about the day after that though- it's too far into the future for my liking.
Most of the people reading this already understand the human conception process. From a laboratorical, laboratorish way, in the manner of scientist-- it's when a seed from a male and an ova from a woman are joined together. Even then in this day and age they are messing with seeds and ova and taking bits and pieces of them and altering things so that they can manipulate the outcome. That, however, is a thought for a whole other day.
In simple terms - the seed and the ova have to begin a process of cell dividing by joining together either from a natural process or an artificial one. We cannot have a human being without this process, it just won't happen. Before scientists took over things in their attempt to help infertility and the like- the only process was a natural one and this process was used for the majority of human existence. Most assuredly in Jesus' day it was the only process being thought of.
Having said all that, we now have the miracle of a virgin birth- meaning a birth coming from absolutely no man and woman joining process taking place. There are some species of creatures in our world - most notably frogs (thanks to one of the most famous dinosaur movies a lot of us know about this already- spontaneous reproduction). These species of creatures thought to be all one sex just happen to have a hidden switch that can spontaneously make them another sex in order to keep their species in existence.
Are you still with me here? Humans have never had this ability for spontaneous reproduction, never- we lack whatever it is that causes such a thing. There was only one way for a human to get pregnant WITHOUT any human process back in the day of Jesus and that one way is called a…Miracle.
Do we stop studying the subject now because we've mentioned the word miracle which automatically tells us it's beyond our ability to truly comprehend? No, I'm not going to stop studying it, not yet. Knowing the whys and wherefores of Jesus' conception is very important for a reason. Read the following verse-
1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God:
Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh
is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
You might be breathing a sigh of relief at this point because you already believe Jesus came in the flesh- end of story, close the book you are not of the spirit against Christ. Wait a moment though, just a moment. Ask yourself this question, do you know anyone at all who doesn't think Jesus was made of flesh? There isn't a single person I know who thinks Jesus was made of anything but human flesh. He had skin like us, He bled like us, He lived like we live with all our human bits and pieces. When He was born- He was born in appearance like every other baby born- no one claimed He was born with anything but flesh. So if NO ONE is saying Jesus had some weird alien flesh, then why would we need to read the above? Jesus came in the flesh and is of God. Aren't we all of God? Aren't we all alive because of God? There isn't a single person in existence that isn't born because God willed their birth and made it possible. Every spirit that confesses NOT that Jesus Christ is come in the FLESH - is NOT of God. Everyone agrees Jesus Christ was born with flesh, they just don't all agree He was actually the Son of God. So why this verse about the flesh? Was it really necessary to put flesh in there? Yes.
I have to ask a question, it begs to be asked- the flesh Jesus Christ was born with what kind of flesh was it?
If you're shaking your head and thinking me crazy for asking I understand completely. The thing is, some people think Jesus was born with a super, reinforced, holy kind of flesh. They think this special flesh kept Him from any and all ability to sin. Others think Jesus came with the flesh that the first created human beings possessed, again with a special protection that had nothing to do with inclination towards sinning. Remember, when Adam and Eve were created they inherited no nature of sinful flesh- that stuff they passed down to us. And then you have other people who believe Jesus was born with flesh just like you and I possess, you know the kind I just mentioned. Flesh of a sinful nature, a nature that had us being born naked. Think about that for just a few moments. Before Adam and Eve sinned they didn't even know they were naked because they were covered in the light of God's presence in their life. They were pure, they were immortally kept, they were living in innocence. In their being told to - 'Be fruitful and multiply' they were going to have children and those children were not going to be born into a situation of nakedness if those two weren't even aware of their own nakedness. The first human being born after sin entered humanity was born naked, not covered in the light of God's presence of purity. Does that mean the babe was born evil? No. It means that the babe was born with a nature much different than the one Adam and Eve were created with. Jesus was born naked so He could not have been born like Adam and Eve were created. Jesus was born vulnerable to all of sins assaults. Adam and Eve were created and lived in a perfect garden knowing absolutely nothing of sins assaults.
Bringing this all back together a bit here, the reason we need to know more about Jesus' conception is because we need to know what flesh He was born with and have that truth settled in our hearts so we are not deceived. If you think I'm nitpicking things that it doesn't really matter if we understand all this, please, stop reading and go about your business. When I read in God's word that some people are not going to believe Jesus truly came in the 'flesh' and they'll have the spirit that is against Christ (antichrist) I have to pay attention. Satan is a great deceiver, the best in fact, and he will stop at nothing at all to get us to fall for his deceptions. In the day Christ returns and calls His people to meet Him in the air- there are going to be a whole lot of people who think they belong to Jesus who aren't. That's SCARY, yes, with all capital letters scary! They are going to cry out they did all sorts of things in His name, they are His! But He is going to tell them to get away from Him, that He doesn't know them! How frightening that should be for ALL of us to read. It should frighten us enough so that we examine our relationship with our Savior with a fine tooth comb. If we don't think our relationship with Christ needs a fine tooth comb, then what in the world deserves the examination with a fine tooth comb?
We need to study to show ourselves approved unto God, rightly dividing the word of truth. Those aren't my words, they are GOD's. Do you remember the Bible verse that has been made very popular- John 3:16- For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Our walk with Christ doesn't end with simply believing in a single moment like some people want to imagine it does.
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
The first step IS believing, without believing there is nothing. Believing is forever first and foremost. There can be nothing more without belief. There is nothing we can do to merit salvation, that is a gift we are given. Jesus died to give the gift of salvation to all! Jesus never told a single person to believe once and no more. That belief was a living belief, a forever belief, a belief reflected in our lives. Being a Christ follower was a way of living, not a part of our lives tucked away into a corner pulling it out only when needed. A Christ follower lives for Christ. A Christ follower lives for the eternal life in Christ. Eternal life's gift isn't that we live forever, it's that we live forever WITH CHRIST!
Yes, we have lives that call on us to do many things - many everyday things- and in all of them our Savior is a part when He is our life, when we've accepted Him.
Does it matter what flesh our Savior took on? Yes. Because there are many FALSE Christs, many. People throughout history since Jesus lived and died have been creating their versions of Christ to worship- versions convenient to their lives. Satan has been setting up false Christ's ever since Christ died and Christ knew he would!
Mat_24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
2Jn_1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
A deceiver. So yes, the flesh our Savior possessed is of importance. Which did our Savior truly have-- our flesh, holy flesh, Adam's Pre-Fall flesh?
Was the Christ you follow touched with the feeling of your infirmities?
Heb_4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Was the Christ you follow tempted like you are- yet without sin? You read that right- tempted LIKE YOU ARE.
Holy flesh, flesh pre-fall absolutely CANNOT be tempted like we are- it's impossible.
Jesus was born with flesh just like ours. Upon conception the Holy Spirit facilitated the needed seed to join with the ova. How this was done- well, just like Abraham's Sarah, and John the Baptist's mother Elizabeth, as well as Hannah, Samuel's mother and Rachel who bore Joseph and Benjamin … all these women were worked upon by the Holy Spirit and yet none of them knew how the actual work was done, just the results of that work. God who spake the world into existence, God can speak into existence all that needs to be done and that word He speaks can be spoken silently. God the declared Son of the Father, gave up His form suitable for divinity - He removed the light of holy presence off of Himself, allowed Himself to be formed into the seed of fallen human man. He allowed Himself to be a human seed joined to another human ovan order to grow and multiply just as every other human being born to mankind has had to do. Why? Why did He choose this path to bring us salvation? If He were simply going to use His God power to save us He could have appeared just as He was in Heaven. He divested Himself, He emptied Himself in order to become one of us! We like to imagine He had some power of His own to use and that was the only reason He could keep from giving into the temptations He faced as a human being in our sin inclined flesh. The truth of the matter is, IF He had this power to use then HE WAS NOT LIKE US AT ALL! And again, if He was not like us at all, why bother with all the theatrics of being born a human being? Jesus was faced with choices from the moment He was cognizant enough to do so as any developing child and He made the RIGHT choices not through any special power of His own. God the Father in heaven was the power Jesus relied upon!
Satan would have had a field day crying foul as loud as he could for all the universes in existence to hear if Jesus had saved mankind with an unfair advantage. It would have proven NOTHING for Jesus to use His God power to save mankind. It would not have shown at all that humanity is capable of choosing God, following God, loving God with all their hearts, minds and souls! Satan caused sin to enter mankind's world and he wanted to lay claim to mankind as his forever, triumphing over God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Satan wanted to prove humanity was a failed creation act of God's completely unworthy of any redemption. Satan tried as hard as He could to get Jesus - the God who laid off His divinity and became human- to sin. Satan tempted Jesus beyond our ability to fully imagine in an effort to prove humans were unable to be save. IF there were no chance for Him to best Jesus, he wouldn't have bothered trying- he would have just proved the plan of salvation was all a lie and nothing more.
Do we comprehend the true nature of Jesus' flesh? We need to. There are so many who have made Jesus a liar and a cheat, a deceiver greater than Satan himself, when they give Him an unfair advantage as a human being. That's not trivial at all, and everyone who does this horrible thing will not be known of Jesus, how could they be? They've chosen to pull comfy wool eyeshades down over their eyes refusing to see truth because it might spoil their chosen way of life. God help us ALL to see truth and only truth!!!!!!!
May God bless this study of TRUTH and only TRUTH, in Jesus Christ our Lord, now and forever! Amen!!!!!!!
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