The inconceivable plan

Lent: Familiar but unfathomable

First of four Jacob M. Van Zyl

Since primitive times, humans sensed that physical characteristics are carried over from parents to children, hence the saying, “He is a chip off the old block.” The Bible speaks about the seed of male and female on the first page of Genesis.

Genetic science has recently made major progress. DNA tests show who the real parents are, and whether the accused was with the victim.

Scientists can manipulate life and genes, but they can’t create life. The Creator put life in the seeds of plants and animals to ensure survival by procreation. Fertilization happens when male seed fertilizes female seed. Some snails produce both male and female seed, but they still have to fertilize each other; they can’t fertilize themselves.

The Bible teaches that sinful human nature (called original sin) has been carried forth from one generation to the next (Ps. 14:1-3, 51:5, Rom. 3:10-12, 5:12).

God the Father decided that his Son would be born as a sinless human, a Lamb without blemish, to take upon himself the sin of humans, so that they could be reconciled with God (John 1:29, 1 Pet. 1:18-19, Rev. 5:110).

If the Son were born from ordinary human seed, he would have been sinful. God created sinless male and female seed in Mary. The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). The “seed” of Eve and Abraham (Gen. 3:15, 22:18) pointed to the Messiah.

The angel said to Joseph, “Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 1:20). God provided the sinless, fertilized egg; Mary carried the Baby in her womb and gave birth.

The Apostles’ Creed reads, “I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.” The sinless conception was God’s work; Mary handled the pregnancy and birth with God’s grace.

Like any fetus, his body was fed in Mary through the umbilical cord. Physically, he was the son of David; spiritually, he was the eternal Son of God. Jesus called himself the Son of Man and the Son of God (John 3:1416).

To unbelievers, this plan of God is too far-fetched to accept as truth. Paul said that the gospel is foolishness to the Greeks and a stumbling block to the Jews (1 Cor. 1:1824).

The Holy Spirit opens the mind to see the glorious sense of it all (1 Cor. 2:14, Rom. 12:2). When Mary conceived, God’s inconceivable plan became reality.

Jacob Van Zyl of Lethbridge is a retired counsellor and the author of several faith-based books.