Linchpin of salvation

If Jesus had not been born to a virgin, He could not have atoned for our sins. The angel Michael said to Mary: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). 

Upon hearing this, Mary asked, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” At that time, Mary and Joseph had not engaged in a conjugal relationship. The virgin birth of Jesus made possible the uniting of ‘full deity’ and ‘full humanity’ in one Person.

All descendants of Adam are guilty of possessing a sinful nature. Since Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, His virgin birth temporarily broke the unending chain of ‘original sin’ that has passed to all men. 

The Savior “was tempted as we are, yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus never succumbed to the wiles of the devil during His 40-days in the desert. At Jesus’ trial, Pontius Pilate said, “I find no fault in this Man.”

No human being can pay the penalty for another’s sins. Let’s say a convicted murderer is scheduled for execution. If another man volunteered to die in his place, it is conceivable that the volunteer could die for the murderer. 

Even so, this volunteer could not die for the collective sins of mankind—which encompasses individuals previously deceased, those currently living, and those yet to be born. In one fell swoop, Jesus died for all humanity. One drop of His divine blood was sufficient to pay the penalty for all sin.  

Jesus was fully human. His hometown people recognized Him as an ordinary man. They called Him the carpenter’s son. Jesus had a human body: He “wearied” at the well in Samaria, He “thirsted” on the cross, and He was so “weakened” after the Roman beatings that Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry His cross. 

After His resurrection, Jesus appeared in a human body. The disciples touched His hands and feet; He even ate broiled fish with them. Jesus possessed a transcendental resurrection body and could suddenly appear and disappear. 

Summary: Jesus did not have a human father, but was conceived in the womb of Mary, a virgin. She became pregnant through the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit. Joseph was engaged to Mary, but had no sexual relations with her.  

The virgin birth made possible the uniting of full deity and full humanity in the Savior. Jesus is fully capable of assuming your sins and giving you a new relationship with God. He offers this invitation: “Behold I stand at the door (of your heart) and knock!”