It is a key part of Matthew and Luke that Mary conceived without the help of a man. Many people, including Christians, have trouble with this. They simply cannot accept that this could have happened. Early Jewish writers said that a Roman soldier had impregnated Mary. Some think it was Joseph, who failed to wait for the actual wedding ceremony. Is Jesus’ virginal conception a big problem?

How strong and Smart is your God/god?

This is going to use a little science-not my specialty, but it’s not too long. Please persevere if this isn’t your thing. This topic depends upon how big your God/god is. There are some basic principles of physics that describe how things in our universe work. One of those observations is that everything has a cause. Another is that matter and energy have to come from somewhere. These two principles are key for understanding how our universe, and what is in it, came into being.

Let’s take the first of those. Scientists are convinced now that the universe had a beginning. They chalk this  up to some kind of “big bang.” There are various theories as to what precisely happened. Yet, most would agree that there was some sort of explosion. This explosion made matter and energy zoom out from the explosion. Astronomers think this bang occurred about thirteen billion years ago.

The catch is that no one was around to see it. There is much about the event that we don’t know. We do know, however, that the matter and energy that blew up came from somewhere. Something caused this mass of matter and energy to blow up.

Researchers cannot say where the matter and energy came from. Since its existence could seem like a supernatural being did this, scientists proposed instead a multiverse. The idea is that  there are many universes out there. Something generates them. Apart from the fact that we have no way to test this idea—it can never go beyond being a speculation. Those who claim it are trying desperately to get away from the idea that some being made our universe.

Of course, if these speculations’ are correct, we still have a problem. How did this universe-generating thing come into existence? It needs a cause. This isn’t my specialty. I am relying on what I have learned from the nonprofit organization “Reasons to Believe.” What is important for us is that no matter what, some cause lies behind the existence of any universe. The idea of a multiverse doesn’t escape the need for a “big banger” to make the stuff the universe came from.

I’m going to ignore this possibility and only deal with the fact that our universe does exist. Something outside the universe caused the matter and energy to come into existence in the first place.

That’s the second problem. The universe did not generate itself. Matter and energy simply don’t pop into existence. So, where did it all come from?

These two problems make it clear that a being outside the universe–not part of the universe– caused it to come into existence. Now, back to Jesus’ conception.

How was Jesus conceived?

There is every reason to believe that God made the universe, as recorded in Genesis 1. God is responsible for the existence of the highly complex DNA molecule. I know some will disagree, but it certainly looks like Genesis is saying that God made humans separately from how animals all came into existence. Think about how awesome, powerful, and smart God must be. If he can make the universe, then causing one of Mary’s eggs to be fertilized with human DNA that God designed is child’s play for him. We can’t do that, but God can. If you accept that God in the person of Jesus came among us as a human, his virginal conception is not a problem at all. The Lord regularly performs miracles. This is no different. If you want to explore the idea that God still performs miracles, I suggest you read one of Craig Keener’s books on miracle, e.g., Miracles Today

If you accept what the Bible tells us about God, you should have no trouble accepting that God could make a fertilized egg to form. The eternal Logos (John 1:1) united with the fertilized egg. No, I can’t explain how that worked. However, we are talking about God. Our inability to figure it out or understand how Jesus could be at once fully God and fully human at the same time is our limitation. Our lack of understanding doesn’t stop God from doing what he wills to happen.

You cannot affirm the God presented in the Bible and simultaneously doubt the possibility of a virginal conception.  I’m not saying virgin birth. Although a female generally needs a male to make a baby, virginity makes no difference to a baby being born. It was a conception that involved only Mary and God.

It’s true that most of the New Testament writers say nothing abut Jesus’ virginal conception. Then again, the full content of John 3:16 isn’t stated explicitly the same way either. That it is only mentions in Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2 makes no difference.This leads us to the question, Why would God choose this path for Jesus’ conception. Why not wait for Joseph and Mary to consummate their marriage? God gave the world the greatest gift possible: himself. No human can do this. It shows God exercising his power out of his love and compassion for all of us. God asked a lot of Mary and Joseph. People probably never stopped considering Jesus’ birth illegitimate.

That’s the implication of “son of Mary”: “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of 1James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him” (Mark 6:3 NASB). Those of Jesus and Mary’s hometown did not know who the father was. That’s a measure of how far God’s love goes.

Why would God choose to do things this way? The best suggestion that I have heard is to show that Jesus’ coming is an act of grace from God. He became one of us in order to save us from never knowing God.

Jesus’ virginal conception shows us how much God loves us and wants us to be his. That’s why Jesus came. It was not to give us stuff, though God does do that. No, it’s primarily for us to know God. We fail at Christmas if we do not seek God’s face.

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