Why Jesus Was Born
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
John 1:4
The first Adam was born both physically and spiritually alive. Because Adam sinned, he died spiritually and was separated from God. Physical death was also a consequence of sin, although Adam did not physically die until many years after the Fall. From that time on, every descendant of Adam and Eve has been born physically alive but spiritually dead (see Ephesians 2:1).
Yet God had a plan for restoring life and giving His people a new identity and position in Christ. He promised that redemption would come through the seed of a woman (see Genesis 3:15; 17:19; Galatians 3:16). As the years passed, the Israelites became impatient and wondered how they would know the Messiah when He finally did come. “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).
The last book of Old Testament was written 400 years before “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). The prophecy was fulfilled concerning Immanuel, which means “God is with us,” and the Virgin Mary was greatly amazed (see Luke 1:34-35).
Nobody can fully explain the mystery of the Incarnation, but Scripture clearly teaches that the eternal Son became flesh. So critical is the doctrine of the Incarnation that Scripture makes it a primary test of orthodoxy (core Christian doctrine): “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world” (1 John 4:2-3).
The Incarnation is what sets Christianity apart from the cults and all the other religions of the world. They may believe in the historical Jesus, but they do not believe that God became man. They believe that God could appear as a man—like an apparition—and suffer in appearance only, but unless they have the Holy Spirit they will not say that Jesus was fully God while also fully human.
This union between divinity and humanity was necessary in order to bring us spiritual life. “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (John 1:4). Notice that light does not produce life. The light of believers is the radiation of the eternal life of God. The last Adam—Jesus—like the first Adam, was also born physically and spiritually alive. But unlike the first Adam, Jesus never sinned, even though He was tempted in every way (see Hebrews 4:15).
The virgin birth was necessary because Jesus came to give us life. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). What Adam and Eve lost in the Fall was eternal life, and that is what Jesus came to restore. He did not come to give us a more fulfilling physical life with material blessings. Rather, He came to give us a fulfilling spiritual life filled with spiritual blessings, which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control—the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23). Jesus didn’t just come to give us life. He is our life (see Colossians 3:4).
Questions to Consider:
Review 1 Corinthians 15:45-54. What does Paul mean when he says the first Adam became a “living being” but the last Adam a “life-giving spirit”?
Why is the Virgin birth so critical to Christian doctrine?
How does the Incarnation of Christ set Christianity apart from other religions? Why is it critical for us that Jesus was human while also divine?
Can you defend from Scripture the orthodox teaching that Christ had two natures (fully God and fully man), while being one person (no split personality)? Explain.
How is Jesus your life?
Neil T. Anderson is the founder of Freedom in Christ Ministries. He began the ministry in 1989 and continues to spread the message of freedom to this day.