Monday, October 3, 2005
Luke 1:35 "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God."
I BELIEVE HE WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY GHOST
Some people may ask, "Why? Why did Jesus have to become a man?" The answer to that question is found in the justice of God. God demands perfection from us. But because of our sin we are unable to live up to God's standard. So Jesus steps into human history, and becomes what we were not. He was perfect and kept the Law of God in our place. In order for justice to be served, it had to be done by a Man as we read in Hebrews, "Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people." In every way He had to be like us, the only exception being that He was without sin. It was necessary for our Savior to become man, and take on our flesh, so that He could be what we were not able to be.
He also had to be True God so that His fulfilling of the Law would be sufficient for all people. The Psalmist tells us: "None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him -- For the redemption of their souls is costly" (Psalm 49:7-8). We are not able to save ourselves from sin, much less save our neighbor. But through the obedience of God's law by Jesus "many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:19). As true God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, Jesus' work of redemption covers all people.
Our Savior is True God and is also True Man. He did not have a human father, but as the angel of the Lord told Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God." This was something which only God Himself could perform through the miraculous working of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary.
Always True God that His work of redemption might cover the whole world, and made True Man in order that He might carry out the justice of God and fulfill His righteous demands! Thanks be to God!
