At this time of the year, we celebrate the Incarnation! That is, God became flesh! He became a man and dwelt among humans upon earth! God the Son became man without ceasing to be God! This doctrine is shrouded in great mystery. Paul wrote, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory” (1 Timothy 3:16).
The means by which the eternal Son of God became man was the virgin birth. God chose to send His Son to earth through a natural birth (Gal. 4:4). What was supernatural was His conception in the womb of Mary. The Holy Spirit Himself was responsible for the conception of Jesus. The egg Mary supplied was fertilized not by the sperm of a man, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. Since Jesus was born into a fallen human race, the miracle must have also included keeping the baby Jesus from inheriting the sin nature. He was born of woman, but conceived by the Holy Spirit. God the Son took on an additional nature – a human nature, but did not inherit the sinful nature all people inherit at conception from Adam.
The reason the Son of God became a human was to glorify His Father by dying for the sins of humans (Rom. 8:3; Heb. 2:14-15). Wow! How wonderful! As we celebrate Christmas, we must not forget Good Friday and Easter Sunday!