THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE

INCARNATION OF CHRIST TO IHE

VIRGIN MARY
Luke 1:26-38 Introduction
I. The Distinctive Perspective of Luke
Regarding the Birth ofJesus
A careful reading of the birth
narratives of Matthew and of Luke will
reveal that each evangelist presents his
material from a different perspective,
making the accounts supplementary
but not contradictory. Both give clear
witness to the
virginbirthofjesus
in Bethlehem, but
it appears that
Matthew does so
from the perspec-
tive of joseph, and
Luke does so from
the perspective of
Mary. In Luke's
narrative Mary's
inmost thoughts
are revealed, and
the whole narrative
seems to be pre--
sented from her
point of view, which would not be
unexpected for Luke because of his
high regard for women evidenced
throughout his book. It appears that
Luke obtained his information
concerning the birth of jesus ditecdy
from Mary, the mother of jesus. "The
womanly touch in the narrative is
perhaps adequately explained by the
supposition that the information carne
ultimately from Mary, whether or not
it passed through other lips before it
was finally put ilitoliterary form. What
really stands firm is that the narrative
is written from Mary's point of view,
and therefore in some sort claims to
corne from her." -j. Gresham Machen,
The Virgin Birth oj Christ, pg. 201.
2. The Order oJEvents Relating to Christ's
Birth According to Matthew and Luke
a. The announcement to Zacharias of
the birth ofjohn the Forerunner
b. The announcement to Mary of the
miraculous conception of the Messiah
c. The visit of Mary to Elizabeth
d. The return of Mary to Nazareth
e. The discovery by Joseph of Mary's
pregnancy
f. The announcement of Jesus' virgin
birth through Mary to Joseph
g. The marriage of joseph and Mary
h. The journey of Mary and Joseph to
Bethlehem for the census
i. The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem
j. The visit of the shepherds to Mary
and the baby
k. The circumcision of Jesus at
Bethlehem eight days after his birth
1. The presentation of the infant Jesus
in the Temple in jerusalem forty days
after his birth
m. The visit of the Magi to see the
infant Jesus
n. The l1ight of Mary, Joseph, and
Jesus to Egypt to escape Herod
o. The return of the holy family to
Nazareth
3. The Role of Mary
in the Gospel of Christ
a. The View of Roman Catholicism
The Roman Catholic Church can
be justly accused of MARIOLATRY,
i.e. THE DEIFICATION OF MARY,
10 T nrn COUNSEL of Chalcedoo t June, 1993
although some within that church deny
it. In Romanisrn she is elevated to
Mediator and Dispenser of Divine
Grace. Roman Catholics are taught to
pray to her according to the weU-
known song, "Ave Marta," which says,
"Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for
us sinners." This ponion of the song
was declared by Pope Pius V to be
authoritative. Through the centuries
Roman Catholicism has greatly
developed its theology of Mary. It
asserts: (1). her perpetual virginity;
(2). her immacu-
late conception,
I.e., she was con-
ceived without sin;
(3). her glorious
assumption, i.e,
her resurrection
and aScension, and
her enthronement
at Christ's right
hand as the "Queen
cf"b::yen; (4). her
present position as
'Co-Redeemer"
with Christ.
Numerous
Churches, shrines and festivals have
been dedicated to her-honor. Sacred
offices designed for public and private
worsbip have been introduced in which
she is solemnly invoked. Furthermore,
no limit was placed to the tides of
honor by which her "worshipers"
address her, nor to the prerogatives '
and powers wbich are attributed to
her. Sheisdec1aredtobeDEIFICATA,
Queen of Heaven, Queen of queens,
etc. The Litanies of the Virgin Mary
give additional proof of the idolatrous
worship of which she is the object.
She is given such names and such
powers that "more than this cannot be
sought at the hands of God. The
Virgin Mary is to her worshipers what
Christ is to us. She is the object of all
religious affections; the ground of
confidence; and the source whence all
the blessings of salvation are expected
.-
and sought. -Charles Hodge,
Systematic Theology, Vol. III, pg. 288.
For a thorough discussion on what
Roman Catholicism teaches about
Mary, see Roman CatholictsmbyLoraine
Boettner, pgs. 132-168, Presbyterian
and Reformed Publishing Co.,
Philadelphia, Pa., 1976.
b. The View of Luke
(1). The highest honor every given
to a woman was conferred upon her by
God, the crown and glory of all
motherhood was bestowed uponher-
to become the mother of the Son of
God. Although she was a sinner in
need of a Savior, as she herself admits
in Luke 1:47, nevertheless no other
woman in history was honored by
God as Mary. Therefore, we should
give her that love and respect worthy
of one so honored by God.
"We are, indeed, as far as anyone
from accepting the Roman Catholic
picture of the Blessed Virgin. But we
also think Protestants, in theirreaction
against that picrure, have sometimes
failed to do justice to the mother of our
Lord. Few and simple, indeed, are the
touches with which the Evangelist
(Luke) draws the picture; fleeting only
are the glimpses which he allows us
into the virgin's heart. And yet how
lifelike is the figure there depicted;
how profound are the mysteries in that
pure and meditative soul! In the
narrative of the Third Gospel the virgin
Mary is no lifeless automaton, but a
person who livesandmoves-a person
who from that day to this had power to
touch aU simple and childlike hearts.
- ... one thing is clear-an integral
part of that picture (of Mary in Luke)
is found in the mention of the
supernatural conception in the virgin's
womb. Without that supreme wonder,
everything that is here said of Mary is
comparatively meaningless and jejune,
(Le., lacking significance). The
bewilderment in Mary's heart, her
meditation upon the great things that
happened to het son- all this, far . and source of all life, vs. 4; and the
from being contradictory to the virgin source of light and knowledge, vs. 4.
birth, really presupposes thatsupreme The Word is the Self-expression of
manifestation of God's power. That God, Le., the Second Person of the
supreme miracle it was which rendered Trinity, God the Son.
worth while the glimpses which the b. "The Word became flesh, and
narrator grants into Mary's soul."- dwelt among us." "Flesh" refers to
Machen, pg. 135. man's acrual physical substance, his
(2) . Mary, along with Elizabeth, created human life on this earth, I Cor.
Zacharias, and John the Baptist, are 15:39; I Pet. 1:24. THE WORD
included in Luke's narrative "only BECAME A MAN WITHOUT
because of the light that is focused by CEASING TO BE THE WORD, for in
their actions and words upon Him His flesh, "we beheld His glory, glory
who is acknowledged as having the as of the only-begotten of the Father,"
right to bearthe incomparably exalted 1: 14. As a man.Jesus possessed a fully
name of LORD, which in the Greek human nature, a created physical-
Old Testament was used far and away spiritual unit, without losing His full
most frequently as the name of God, Deity.
the great Jehovah." - Stonehouse, pg. The Incarnation is by addition not
62. by subtraction. When God the Son,
4. The Meaning oj Incarnation took on our humanity, He lost none of
The incarnation is best defined by His Deity. Be did not "empty" Himself
the Westminster Shoner Catechism: of His Deity-in orderto become a man.
"Christ, the Son of God, became man, Rather, as the Council of Chalcedon of
by taking to Himself a true body and a 451, A.D. declared: Jesus Christ is
reasonable soul, being conceived by fully God and fully man in one person
the power of the Holy Spirit, in the forever without confusion or
womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of separation. "The assumption of flesh
her, yet without sin." by the Son of God involved a unity
Themiraculousconceptionofjesus with sinful man suffiCient for the
in the womb of the virgin, Mary, was bearing and destruction of sin, and
the incarnation of the Second Person able to do justice to such verses as
of the Trinity. This word does not Rom. 8:3;HCor. 5:21;andGaI. 3: 13."-
occur in the Bible, although the idea T.H.L. Parker, in Baker's Dictionary oj
behinditcertainlydoes. "Incarnation" Theology, pg. 283.
is composed of two parts "in came," As the great]. Gresham Machen
which is Latin for the Greek phrase, wrote in The Presbyterian Guardian,
"ensarki," meaning "in the flesh." This "The doctrine of the Deity of Christ is
phrase occurs several times in the N .T., pan of the Biblical teaching about God.
I ]n. 4:2; III In. 7; Rom. 8:3; I Tim. This person whom we know as Jesus
3:16; I Pet. 4:1; 3:18; Col. 1:21-22. Christ would have been Godevenifno
Most particularly, John 1:14 says that universe had been created and even if
"the Word became flesh." there had been no fallen man to save.
a."The Word" is the "Logos" in He was God from everlasting. His
Greek. "In the beginning was the Word, Deity is quite independent of any
and the Word was with God, and the relation of His to a created world. The
Word was God: In. l :lf. This Word, doctrine of the incarnation, on the
identified as God, yet distinct from other hand, is pan of the doctrine of
God, is also identified as the One who salvation. He WAS from everlasting,
createdeverything,vs.3;thepossessor but He BECAME man-at a definite
Jnne, 1993 lHE COUNSEL of Chalcedon 11
moment in the world's history, and in
order that fallen man might be saved.
That He became man was not at all
necessary to the unfolding of His own '
being. He was infinite, eternal and
unchangeable God when He became
man and after He became man. But He
would have been infinite, eternal and
unchangeable God, even if He had
never become man ...... His becoming
man was a free act of His love.
Ultimately its purpose, as the purpose
of all things, was the glory of God;
that purpose does not conflict at all
with the fact that it was a free act of
mercy to undeserving sinners. He
became man in order that 'He might
die on the cross to redeem sinners
from the guilt and power of sin."
Exposition
I. THE SENDING OF THE ANGEL FROM
GOD TO THE VILLAGE OF NAZARETH
In Gabriel, The .AD.gel of the Lord,
the Word of God, the Second Person
of the Trinity in a pre-incarnate
appearance, CHRIST ANNOUNCES
HIS OWN BIRTH to Mary. Sixth
months into Elizabeth's pregnancy,
Gabriel is sent by God the Father to the
little village of Nazareth with news of
the long-awaited binh ofthe Messiah.
Nazareth was a Galilean village about
70 miles nonheast of jerusalem in a
valley surrounded by hills except on
its southern side. This village is stilI in
existence today, knownasEn-Nasirah.
Itismhabitedbyapproximately 10,000
people, two-thirds of whom are
Christians, one third are Muslims, but
no jews, who purposely avoid the
village. jesus spent his childhood
growing up here.
II. THE IDENTITY OF THE WOMAN
TO WHOM THE ANGEL WAS SENT
A. Th, Virgin
The woman to whom the Angel
came would very soon experience an
intimate and personal mother -child
relation with that Angel, as well as a
believer-Savior relationship. That
Angelic, (and DlvIne), voice she would
hear again in the cries and squeals of
her infant.
1. The Virginity of Mary
This woman was a virgin at the
time of Gabriel's announcement about
her pregnancy. She had never had any
sexual relations with a man. In verse
27 luke clearly says that Gabriel was
sent to "a virgin," PARTHENON in
Greek. And in verse 34 Mary testifies
to her virginity by asking, "How can
this be, since I am a virgin?" In Greek
Mary did not say "I am a virgin," she
said the eqUivalent, "I know no man."
The Greek word, PARTHENON, '
as used in Luke 1:27, means "virgin,"
a woman who has not had sexual
relations with a man. Some would
argue that the word can also be
translated, "young maiden," which is
true; however, Mary was both
unmanied and good, and "when this
fact isunderstood,it becomes apparent
that in all history there is only one of
whom this can be predicated, namely,
Mary, the mother of the Lord."-EJ.
Young, Isaiah. If Mary was unmanied
and good, then she .was a virgin,
When Mary said, "Iknownoman,"
she used the Greek word, GNOSKO,
which is here used in the sense of the
Hebrew word, YADA, denotiIi.g the
loving affection expressed between two
married people in sexual intercourse, .
Gen, 4:1; 19:8. The verb in verse 34
is in the present tense, not in the future
teuse, as though she was taking an
oath of perpetual virginity, as Rome
maintains. "The words are the avowal .
of a maiden conscious of her own
purity; and they are drawn from her by
the strange declaration that she is to
have a son before she is married,
(without the intervention of a man)."-
Plummer in Geldenhuys. Notice that
Mary is not talking of Joseph, .
butofallmen. "Apparently, therefore,
she felt intuitively that the angel means
12 f TIlE COUNSEL of Chalcedon June, 1993
a conception without the
of a man, and now she utters her
amazement at this and asks the. angel
how such a miraculous event is to take
place." - GeldenhUys
2: The Fulfillment of Prophecy
(Isaiah 7: 14)
The virgin binh of Jesus is the
fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah
7: 14-"Thmfore th, wrdHimseifwill
give you a sign: . Behold, a iiirgi'nwiU be
with child andbear a son, ivul she will call
His name Immanuel." Matthews Gospel
makes the link for us in Matthew 1:23.
It is logical for him to do so. The
Hebrew word for "virgin" in lsaiah
7:14, ALMAl::!, is translated, as
PAR1HENOS in Matthew'S Greek Old
Testament. For him the "virgin" of
Isaiah 1: 14 is the godly, unmanied,
virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus; and
for him Jesus is Immanuel, i.e., God
with us.
According to A.N. Wilson in his
book.]esus, the AlMAH oflsaiah 7:14
means "young woman," not "Virgin,"
period. l::!e then rebukes Christians
for using this text from Isaiahas "proor
that Jesus was born of a virgin, pg. 79.
But, when A.N. Wilson was only
15 years old, (he was born in 1950),
the great E,J. Young wrote a smashing
refutation of this groundless, . but
dogmaticassertion thatALMAH means
"young wOlllaTl" not "virgin." He did
so on pages283-291 ofhiscommentary
on the book of Isaiah as a part of The
New International Commentary on the
Old Testament, published by Wm. B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company,
Grand Rapids, Mich.
Young points out thilt the anicle,
"the," used with the'word ALMAH in
Isaiah 7: 14 serves to distinguish the
ALMAH from some other kind of
woman. ALMAH is never used of a
married woman. In the O. T. it is used
of virgins, Gen. 24:43. If the woman
mentioned in Isaiah 7: 14 is an
unmarried woman, a question arises.
"Was the child illegitimate or not? If
the child were illegitimate, would such
a birth be a sign? The whole context,
indeed, the whole Biblical context,
rules this out. On the other hand, if
the mother were a good woman, then
the birth was out of the ordinary, an
unusual birth. The mother is both
unmarried and a good woman. When
this tact is understood, it becomes
apparent that in all history there is
only one of whom this can be
predicated, namely, Mary, the mother
of the Lord."-Young.
In his prophecy, Isaiah issaying: "I
see a wonderful child .. , a wonderful
child whose birth shall bring salvation
to his people; and before such a period
of time shall elapse aswould lie between
the conception of the child in the
mother'S womb and his coming to
years of discrerion, the land of Israel
and of Syria shall be forsaken." -Machen
in Young. The presence of God will
appear, not in the deliverance from
Syria and Israel, but in the birth of the
Child Himself. The four points which
must be stressed are: (1). The virgin
birth is a sign; (2). The mother of the
Child is one who is both unmarried
and a good woman; and (3). The very
presence of Ihe Child brings God to
His people; (4). The name, Immanuel,
cannot be applied to anyone who is
not God,lherefore the human child of
the virgin is also God.
3. The hnportance
of the Virgin Birth
Asmyoldprofessor, William Childs
Robinson, said, as quoted by Loraine
Boettner in The Person of Christ: "As
our Lord's divine nature had no
mother, so His human nature has no
father. The SonofManisnoman'sson.
The virgin birth has guided the Church
in her efforts to understand and state
the union of Gpd and man, and this
break in the ordinary generations
descending from Adam has presented
One unstained by otiginal sin to be the
sinner's substitute. The virgin birth is
integral to the virgin life and the
vicarious death, to the full truthfulness
of the Gospels, and to the Church's
faith in the incarnation of the pre
existing Lord."
B. The Woman Engaged to Joseph,
of the House of David
This divine bestowal of the highest
honor ever received by any woman
also put her reputation and her life at
stake, for although she was engaged,
she was unmarried, and pregnant.
Adultery was a capital offense,
according to the Torah, i.e., the Law of
Moses. Betrothal was more binding on
theJews of Mary's day than engagement
is to us. It was a solemn promise to
marry, a promise of mutual faith
fulness; and its violation was looked
upon as adultery, Dt. 22: 13f, 23f.
Mary's betrothed was "Joseph, of
the house of David ... He was ofDavidic
descent. TItisisimportantinformation
essential to understanding the mission
of the Messiah in the world. In II
Samuel 7 God enters into a covenant
with King David promising him that:
(1). Through David's descendant God
would establish His KINGDOM on
earth which would be superior to and
triumphant over all other kingdoms;
(2). Through David's descendant God
would build His HOUSE on earth,
where He would live and enjoy
fellowship with His people; and (3).
This Messiah who would accomplish
all this would be the son of David and
the Son of God, i.e. Human and Divine.
Therefore, it is important to Luke
to make clear that Joseph was ofthe
lineage of King David. Mary was also
of Davidic descent. Luke 1:32 and 69
make no sense unless she is also a
descendant of David. "Of course it
might be supposed without
inconsistency that Mary was in reality
ofDavidic descent on her father's side
and was related to Elizabeth by her
mother ... Creed in Geldenhuys
Why, then, since Mary was of
Davidic descent, and sinceJoseph was
notthe biological fatherofJesus, whose
father was God, did Luke point out
thatJoseph was of the Davidic lineage?
To com plicate matters, in 2 :33 Joseph
is spoken of as Jesus' "father," and in
2:41Josephand Mary are spoken of as
Jesus' "parents." !sit possibleforJesus
to be considered the descendant of
David, if He was virgin- born? And
does referringtoJoseph asJesus' father
contradict the fact that God was His
Father? Or was Joseph the actual
father of Jesus by ordinary sexual
intercourse with his wife, Mary? Two
things must be said to c1earup this
complicated matter:
1. The Significance ofjewish
Adoptive Fatherhood
The Jewish people considered
adoptive fatherhood in a much more
realistic way than does modem man.
We learn this from the divinely.
ordained institution of Levirate
marriage, Deut. 25:5f. According to
Mosaic Law, when a man died without
an heir, his brother was to take his
widow and produce an heir for his
brother, with his brother's name. The
child would be regarded as belonging
to the dead man to a degree that is
foreign to our ideas. A child born to a
man'swife, and acknowledged by him,
was to aU intents and purposes his son.
"The truth is that in the N.T. Jesus is
presented in the narratives of the virgin
binh as belonging to the house of
David (throughJ oseph) just as truly as
ifhe were in a physical sense the son of
Joseph. He was a gift of God to the
Davidic house, not less truly, but on
the contrary in a more wonderful way,
than if he had been descended from
David by ordinary generation (through
Joseph)."-Machen, pg. 129.
2. The Virgin Birth and
Adoptive Fatherhood
Because of the virginbirth, the
relation in whichJesus stood to Joseph
June, 1993 TIlE COUNSEL of Chalcedon 13
was much closer than is the case in
ordinaryadoption. "By the virgin birth
the whole sitnation was raised beyond
ordinary analogies. In an ordinary
instance of adoption there is another
human being--theactual father-who
disputes with the father by adoption
the paternal relation to the child. Such
was not the case with Joseph in his
relationship to Jesus, according to the
New Testament narratives.
He alone and no other
htirnanbeingcouldassume
the rights and dudes of a
father with respect to this
child. And the child Jesus
could be regarded as
Joseph's son and heir with
a completeness of propriety
whichno ordinary adoptive
relationship would in-
volve."-Machen, pg. 129-
130.
C. The Woman Named Mary
"kept all these words, pondeTing them In
her heart. And when Simeon saw the
haby Jesus, andsawin him the salvation
of the Lord for the nations, she stood
there in speechless wonder and
amazement. As Luke portrays her,
Mary is not a modem "liberated
woman," but a Jewish maiden of the
first century, nurtured in the covenant
promises of Jehovah-"the recipient,
indeed, of a wonderful experience, but
A careful reader of Luke's birth despite that experience still
narratives will appredate one of "the .of some capaCity for wonder in 'her
most beautiful literary touches in the . devoutandmeditativesoul."-Machen,
narrative and at the same time an
important indication of essential pg. 132.
historical trustworthiness. We reCerto Luke portrays Mary, not asa perfect
the delicate depiction of the character woman, but as a real woman, a godly
of Mary." -Machen, pg. 131. What a woman offaith, a unique and superior
magnificent picture of the mother of woman, yet a youngJewish woman of
"Mary the first century. AndOh,thebeautiful
was possessed of a simple and glimpses which Luke gives us into
meditative-we do not say dull or Mary's soul.
rustic-soul." -Machen. She responds
to Gabriel's announcement with fear m. THE MESSAGE OF THE ANGEL
and a desire for more infonnation. FROM GOD TO THE VIRGIN MARY
When she is told that the Holy Spirit A The Angelic Greeting of Mary
will cause her to conceive and be the
mother of the Son of God, she says GabrielapproachedMarywithgreat
simply, "Behold the handmaiden of the respect. He addressed her with the
Lord; be it unto me according to thy words: "Hail, favored one! The Lord is
word." She immediately travels to see with you!: 1:28. Humble Mary was
her dear and sympathetic friend, understandably troubled at the
Elizabeth, before whom she sings a encounter with Gabriel and with the
beautiful hymn of praise to God. When words he spoke to her. Therefore, the
her baby is born, and shepherds tell Angel, reassuring her, said: not be
her of the announcement of angelic afraid, Mary; for you have found favor
host, others are amazed, but Mary with God, 1:30.
14 f THECOUNSELofChalcedon June, 1993
Gabriel refets to Mary as "the highly
favored one, who has 10und favorwith
God. ' Roman Catholicism tranSlates
the greeting as the one "Full of Divine
favor," in the sense that Mary is able to
confer or mediate the favor of God to
sinners. But the phrase indicates that
she has RECEIVED God's favor,not
thatshenowisina position to CONFER
it. "God had given her His free and
uncaused gracein a uhique
measure bY' choosing her
as mother of His Son."-
Geldenhuys
B. The Angelic Message to
Mary
1. (1:31a) ''Behold,youwill
conceiveinyourwomb, and
bear a
Here we are face to face
with the divine announce-
ment that this young virgin,
Mary, will conceive a child
in her womb, while still a virgin,
engaged, but unmarried. See notes
above on Mary the Virgin.
2. (1:31b) "Youshall name him Jesus "
God Himself named Mary's son,
because He alone would define the
character of His life and mission; and
so that the world would know that in
"THE LORD IS SALVATION," which
is the meaning of the Hebrew word for
the Greek, "Jesus," which isJoshua, or
Yeshua. Matthew 1:21 states: "And she
will bear a Son; and you shall call His
namejesus,joritis He who will save His
people from their sins."
a. The Preciousness ofthe Name,Jesus
No name is all history is more
identified with the unfolding of God's
redemptive purposes in history than
the name, Jews. When He came into
the world, God insured that He would
forever beJesus, the Savior. His name
is more than a symboL It.speaks of His
character, position, function, purpose,
and prerogative.
b .The Exclusiveness of the Name,Jesus
Matthew 1 :21 says, "It is HE, that
will save .... " It is EXCLUSIVELY HE
that will save, !sa. 43:11; 45:21; Hos.
13:4; Psa. 3:8. All of these O.T. texts
emphasize the significance of this name
as it applied to Christ. "It assigns to
him a prerogative and office that
belongs to God alone and therefore
witnesses to the srupendous fuct that
this child, conceived by the virgin and
born of her, performs a task and is
accorded a title that belong to God
alone. Howmajesticthe announcement
toJoseph, 'Thousha!tca1lhisnameJesus.'
It invests Jesus with attributes and
prerogatives that are peculiarly
divine." - John Murray, Collected
Writings of John Murray, Vol. III, pg.
180.
c. The Efficacy of the Name, Jesus
"He shall save His people from their
sins." "It would be hard to find in
Scripture words so simple in form and
so few in number with greater fullness
of meaning." -Murray. Christ's coming
and mission are meaningless apan from
sin: he came into the world to deal
with sin, more specifically, to save His
people from their sins.
(1). The Focus on "Save"
Jesus came into the world to SA YE.
"He did not come simply to make it
possible for his people to be saved, nor
merely to provide the opporrunity of
salvation for his people. It is not as if
he made salvation for his people
available and that theacrual enjoyment
of this salvation waits for the
contribution which they themselves
supply. The case is that HE SHAll
SA YE. There is no uncertainty or
contingency. There is definiteness. -
Jesus saves PROM sins. It is not
salvation in sin, not even salvation in
spite of sin, but salvation from sins.
The salvationJesus secured is of such
a character that it breaks the ties that
bind us to sin. It frees from the guilt of
sin, Psa. 103: 12. - It delivers from
the ruling power of sin, Rom. 6:14.-
And it is salvation that will not rest
until the redeemed will be released
from all the defilement, love, and
misery of sin, Psa. 130:7,8."-John
Murray,pg. 183.
(2). The Significance of "Their Sins"
That from whichJesus saves is very
concrete and personal-"He shall save
HIS PEOPLE PROM THEIR SINS."
Understand "that it is not from sin in
the abstract thatJesus saves, but from
OUR SINS, from sin in all the
particularity of thought, word, and
deed by which sin is registered in us. -
Jesus saves from sins in theirindividual
aggravations and complications; and
He does all this in the hearts and lives
of the elect of God-"My people."
3. (1:32a) "He will be great"
Gabriel told Zacharias that John
the Baptist would be "great in the sight
of God," 1:15. Gabriel tells Mary that
Jesus will be "great, " but His greatness
will be a very different character. Jesus
will be great in that He will be "called
the Son of the Most High." Christ's
greatness will be incomparably
superior to everything.
The GREATNESS of Jesus as the
Son of the Most High God "is all the
more pronounced because it is going
to be combined with humility and the
eagerness of this Exalted One to
sacrifice himself for the salvation of
sinners."-Wm.Hendriksen, MatUlew.
4. (l:32b) "He will be called
the Son of the Most High"
Jesus will be, literally in Greek,
"Son of Highest," without articles,
indicating the absolute uniqueness and
highness ofjesus'Divine Sonship. Luke
uses this title several times, Luke 1:32,
35, 76; 6:35; 8:28; Acts 7:48; 16:17.
The title, "MostHighGod,"Gen.14:18,
stresses Jehovah's majesty and
sovereignty, Dt. 32:8; II Sam. 22:14;
Psa. 7:17; 9:2; 21:7, etc.
Jesus is called the "Son" of God
several times in Luke's Gospel, 3:22;
9:35; 20:13,14; 2:49; 10:2lf; 24:49.
Most imponantly in Luke 10:21, 22,
we find that "itisunlimitedly'all things'
that are said to have been delivered by
the 'Pather' to the 'Son: so that God is
affirmed to hold back nothing, but to
share all that He has with the 'Son.' In
both the intimate knowledge of the
'Pather' and 'Son' of each other is
affirmed to be alike complete,
exhaustive, and unbrokenly
continuous. In both the 'Son' is
represented to be the sole source of
knowledge of God. But in Luke it is
said, not that the 'Father' and 'Son'
know each other, but that each knows
'what the other is: that is to say, all that
each is. It would be difficult to frame a
statement which could more sharply
assen the essential deity of the 'Son.'-
B.B. warfield, The Lord oj Glory, pg.
118-119. The point is that although
such titles as, "Son of the Most High,
are connected with ] esus' Messianic
office and mission, nevenheless, they
are not limited to that office in their
implications. The title, "Son of the
Most High is a Messianic designation,
but it is not only a Messianic
designation. As the Son.]esus "moves
in the sphere of the divine life. - The
meaning is that the Son stands out
among all others who may be called
sons as in a unique and unapproached
sense the Son of God."-Warfield.
When Luke 1 :32 and 35 tell us that
in virrue of the overshadowing of the
Holy Spirit, which effected the
conception ofjesusin the virgin Mary,
Jesus is designated "the Son of God,"
those verses are not saying that the
supernatural conception of Jesus, as
an isolated fact, establishes the deity of
Christ. "He was divine from alletemity;
He cOllld not become more so because
of the virgin binh. And it would be
appropriate to regard the titles, "the
Son of God" and Son of the Highest"
in this context as appropriately given
June, 1993 , THE COUNSEL of Chalredon 15
in view of His supernatural conception
rather than as precise intimations of
deity. On the other hand, it is evident
that Luke is wimessing to one who did
not have to await any transformation
of character to become Son of the
Highest, Lk. 6:35, or even His
appoinrment to, or entrance upon, His
office to be designated in this manner,
but who from the very outset of His
entrance into the world sustained a
unique n;lationship to God."-
Stonehouse, pg. 167.
What Stonehouse, and
Warfield for that matter, is
saying is that it all depends
on the biblical context of
the phrase, "the Son of
God," in the Gospel
narratives, as to whether it
refers to Jesus, in his whole
person, ' as the Messiah
supernaturally born, or to
Jesus as God, the Second
Person of the Trinity. However, the
two cannot be separated in this phrase.
Por, although "the Son of God" may
have a messianic reference, this
Messiah, truly human, is also, as God
the Son, equal with the Patherin power
and glory. As Stonehouse writes: "And
without it (thesignifldmce of the phrase
as indicating the full deity ofjesus) all
the rest (the messianic significance)
would remain inexplicable inasmuch
as it is only on the background of a full
acknowledgment of His deity that His
supernatural entrance into the world
and His appointment to perform
transcendent religious functions
become intelligible." - pg. 167. Jesus
is the Son of God in that He, as the
Messiah; was supernaturally born into
the world; and in that He is God the
Son in human flesh.
5. (l:32c-33) "The Lord will gtve Him
the throne of His father David; He
will reign over the house oj Jacob
forever; andHis kingdom will have no
end'J
Luke defines Jesus' Messianic
person and mission in terms of THE
COMING OF THE KINGDOM OF
GOD IN THE LIPE AND MINISTRY
OPjESUSCHRIST. The coming of the
Messiah is the manifestation of the
Kingdom. The eternal Kingdom of
God-God's Rule and God's Gift- is
inaugurated by the appearance of the
Messiah. This Kingdom is described
to Mary in terms of the covenant
promise of the Old Testament, II Sam.
7:12f; Dan. 7:13f. Most particularly,
the Angel emphasizes to Mary four
aspects of Christ's Kingdom:
a. He would be given DAVID'S
THRONE, i.e., He would be given the
royal authority, power and sovereignty
promised in the Old Testament to the
Messiah-king of the Hneage of David,
II Sam. 7:14; Psa. 2:7; 89:26,27, in
fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant.
b. His reign would be over THE
HOUSE OF JACOB, Le., the covenant
people of God, those who belong to
Christ by faith regardless of ethniC
origin, Gal. 3:29, those who are lost in
sin and found by the sovereign grace of
. the seeking and saving Savior, Jesus
Christ.
c. His Kingdom is eternal. Jesus
Christ will reign to all eternity.
d. The coming of the Eternal
Kingdom promised in God's Covenant
is inseparably bound up with and
manifested in the life and ministry of
Jesus Christ. As we shall see, Christ's
16 TIlE COUNSEL of ChaIcedon Jnile, 1993
presence on eanh, and His victory
over the works of Satan, signalizes. that
the Kingdom has actually come' into
human history, and will continue to
come in all its saving power, until it
comes in total perfection at the second
physical coming of Jesus Christ at the
very end of history.
The Kingdom of Christ is the
realization of the rule of God in the
heans and sodeties of men, enabling
them to hallow His Name, and do His
will on eanh as it is in
heaven. "the Kingdom of
God'is not His destiny nor
His abstract right to ntle-
His sovereignty- it is the
actual realization of His
Vos, BIBLICAL
THEOWGY. TbeKingdom
of Christ is the actual
exerdse of divine supre-
macy in the manifestation
of power, grace, righteous-
ness and blessedness, in the interest of
the divine glory, Mat. 6: 10, 33; Mk.
12:34. OnlythencanitbeaREALMin
which people who .eriter it, when it
"comes" into their lives, enjoy divine
blessings of. God's covenant,
especially personal fellowship with
God in Christ.
God's Kingdom is not only. God's
redemptive. rule in Christ, it is also
God's gift in Christ. ItS realization and
its manifestation of saving power,
righteousness and blessedness depend
totally upon the sovereign grace of
God. If God's rule is to be established
in man's heart !IUd sodety, God must
merdfully bring it to pass in the life
and ministry of the Messiah, Lk. 12 :32;
22:29f. Hence, it is clear that Luke Sets
fonh the gospel of the kingdom in
absolute termsas God'sruleand God's
gift in Jesus Christ That this eternal
kingdom is inaugurated by the binh of
Christ is also made clear by Luke's
infancy narratives. Well say more
CONTINUED ON PG. 19
In next month's issue, I will dem-
onstrate the necessity of adopting Van
Til's presupposition. I will explain why
this presupposition is the most faithful
to God's word. I will explain why the
RPCUS (the denomination to which
ChaIcedon Presbyterian Church be-
longs and which sponsors The Coun-
of Chakedon) insists that all of its
teaching and ruling elders and deacons
subscribe to a presuppositional
apologetic for this is what the West-
minster Confession ofPaith teaches.a
THE ANNUNOATION, CaNT FROM PG 16
about the Kingdom as we study jesus'
preaching on the subject.
7.(1:35a) "The Holy Spirit will come
upon you, and the power of the Most
High will overshadow you"
Mary asks Gabriel how it can be
that she, a virgin, should conceive. "In
the reply of the angel we notice the
parallelism which among the Hebrews
always indicates the expression of
sublime sentiments and poetical style.
The angel in his reply deals with one of
the deepest and holiest mysteries, and
for this reason his words are here
exalted to a song."-Geldenhuys. In a
tender, delicate and chaste manner he
tells Mary that her impending
pregnancy will be effected by divine
influence. The Holy Spirit Himself
will come upon Mary and overshadow
her with His power, through which
she will become pregnant. Uke the
Glory-Cloud of the O.T., the sytnbol
and visualization of the Divine Glory
and Divine Presence, Exod. 40:34;
Num. 9: 15, the power and presence of
the Most High God, ofjehovah Himself,
will overshadow her.
The "overshadowing" or "covering"
of which Luke speaks is active not
static. It is creative and productive. It
causes Mary to conceive a child. It
reminds us of the Spirit of God
creatively hovering over the waters at
creation, Gen. 1:2. "Thy Spirit, 0 God,
makes life to abound," Psa. 104:30.
These delicate expressions rule out
crude ideas of a "mating" of the Spirit
and Mary.
a. How did it happen?
All the angel tells Mary is that the
Spirit "shall come upon you," and "t11e
power oj t11e Most High will overshadow
you. " "Panher than this the miracle
could not be revealed, for the human
mind could not follow fanher. The
points are these: the conception shall
be caused by the Third Person of the
Trinity; He shall not operate from a
distance but shall Himself come upon
Mary; He shall work the conception by
His almighty power; and this shall
occurwhen,like the Shekinah, (Glory-
Cloud), the power shall overshadow
Mary. - Beyond this we cannot go.
All else is impenetrable." -Lenski,
Interpretation of Luke.
b. Why the Holy Spirit?
Three times the Bible tells us that
the Holy Spirit was the Author of the
conceptionofjesusinMary, Mat. 1: 18,
20; Lk. 1:35. Why dld the Holy Spirit
effect this conception, and not the
Pather or the Son? Every pan ofJesus'
eanbly lifeis intimately connected with
the Holy Spirit. He was conceived by
the Holy Sphit in the virgin Mary. He
was equipped by the Spirit at His
baptism for his redemptive mission to
the world. He was full of the Spirit
without measure. The Spirit guided
His life and actions. The Spirit
empowered jesus to cast out demons.
As the resurrected Christ, He baptized
His church with His Spirit.
The work of the Holy Spirit in the
incarnation of jesus resulted in: (1).
the creation of the humanity of Jesus
from Mary, His mother; and (2). the
immaculate conception oOesus, Le., His
humanity was preserved free from sin.
(1). The Spirit's creation
of Christ's humanity
The Son of God existed from
eternity. In the incarnation He took
upon Himself a PULLY HUMAN
NATURE. The Person of the Son
adopted our human nature, physically
and spiritually, when He was conceived
by the Holy Spirit in the virgin. Jesus
was born, taken from and nourished
with Mary's own "blood"-the very
blood which through her parents s,l!.e
had received from fallen Adam.
Because of the work of the Holy Spirit
Christ "was born a trueman, thinking,
willing, and feeling like other men,
susceptible to all the human emotions
and sensations that cause the countless
thrills and throbsofhumanlife." -Kuyper, -
The Work oj t11e Holy pg. 83.
(2). The preservation of
Christ's humanity from sin
jesus, not Mary, was immaculately
conceived; and it was the work of the
Spirit preserving Him free from sin in
His humanity, vs. 35b. Prom His
conception throughout His life, Jesus
was "holy. harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners," because of the
work of the Spirit. As the Son of God
He was eternally holy and without
moral blemish. In the incarnation the
Holy Spirit worked upon His human
nature keeping it immaculately holy
from conception. Therefore it can be
said, that whereas Christ was made
SIN for us, He was never a SINNER.
Why did it take the work of the
Spirit to preserve Christ's humanity
free from sin? Answer: Because of one
very hnponant point-God sent His
Son "in the likenessofSlNPULPLESH,"
Rom. 8:3. "Throughout the ages the
Church has confessed that Christ took
upon Himself real human nalure from
the virgin Mary, not as it was before
the fall, but such as it had become BY
and APTER the Pall, Heb. 2:14,17."-
Kuyper. The Son of God became man
in our fallen nature, with all its
weaknesses, bUt the Holy Spirit kept it
free from sinfulness. "By saying, 'The
Mediator is conceived and born in our
nature, as it was BEPORE the Pail,' we
Juue, 1993 mE COUNSEL of Chalcedon -19
sever the fellowship between Him and
l1S; and by allowing tbat He bad the
least personal pan of our sin,
we sever His fellowship :ynth the
DIVINE NATURE."-Kuyper ..
(3). The work of God the Father and
God the Son in the incamationof Christ.
The Holy Spirit effected the
conception of JesuS. ThiS is not to say
that He is the Father of Jesus, or that the
. other Persons of the Trinity had no pan
in the mcarnation. Justas in the creation '
of the universe, so in the incarnation all
Three Persons of the Trinitywere active.
Funhermore, itis Biblical to say that the .
Two Persons of tlie Trinity, the Father
and the Son, worked through the Third
Person of Trinity, the Jioly Spirit.
The Bible teaches us that the .
incarnation of Christ was the work of
the triune God. The Fatherwas the Co-
Author of the incarnation according to
Clirist in Hebrews 10:5, when He said
to the Father: "Sacrifice and offering
Thou dost not deSire, but a body didst
Thou prepare for Me." In other words,
the Father prepared Clirist's human
nature. The Son was also Co-Author of
HiS own incarnation. He was not
passively born, as weare, He was actively
QQrn. He willingly and sovereignly chose
io be in Mary,s womb. Christ
"existing in the form of God, counted
not being on an equality with God. a
thing to be grasped,. but emptied
Himself, taking the form of aservant ... :
Phil. 2:6,7. The moment of incarnation
the Son of God said: "Behold, I bave
come to do TIty will, 0 God," Heb.
10:5,7 . .
'. Although all Three Persons were
active in Christ's Incarnation, it was
especially the work of the Holy Spirit.
He: and not the Father or the Son, was
the efficient cause by which Mary
conceived. Asthe Aposdes' Creed states,
Jesus was.conceived by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus could ..becalled "a child of the Holy
Spirit," Mat. 1:18. However, this does
not mean tbat: the Holy Spirit was the
ofJesus. "Fatherhood depends
upon more t\!an causing sqmething to
be. - The relation of the Holy Spirit to .
the human nature of Christ is that of
Creator and creature. It is the First
Person of the Trinity, not the Third,
who is Christ's Father, Eph. 1:3: -Edwin
Palmer, The Holy Spirit, pg. 65-66. The
Holy Spirit is the executive of the
Godhead, the Agent of the will of God,
carrying out the will of the Father and
the Son.
8. (1:35b) "For that reason the holy
offspring shall be called the Son of
God"
"This conceiving act of the Holy
Spirit was essential In order to secure
Christ's sinlessness, ("the holy
offspring") , which, in turn, was
necessary in order for Him to become
our Savior. It preserved Christ from
that original sin which is the lot of every
person born into thiS world. Through
man's conception and binh, he is
unholy, full of guile, defiled and one
with other sinners. Through Christ's
conception he was 'holy, guileless,
undefiled and separated from sinners:
Heb.7:26. Man is conceived and born
in sin, Psa. 51:5, but Christ was
conceived and born in holiness, Heb.
4:15; IT Cor.;:21; I Pet. 2:22; 1:19; Heb.
7:26."-Edwln Palmer, pg. 66.
There are two elements in original
sin trarismitted to the race through
ordinary generation: (1). the guilt which
we inherit from Adam the representative
head of the covenant of life; and (2). a
corrupt nature, which we also inherit
from Adam, which is inclined to all evil,
Rom. 5: 12f. But because of His
conception by the Holy Spirit, Christ
was preserVed [rom these two elements
in original sin. The two ways in which
man becomes a .sinner by birth, were
not in effect In Jesus, who was kept
sinless by the Holy Spirit from
conception. Jesus did not Inherit the
guilt of Adam's representative sin, nor
did he inherit a totally depraved human
nature. His human nature was morally
spodess and morally lovely. "And this
spotless puriry of ChriSt was due to the
operation of the Holy Spirit whereby
20 '" TIlE COUNSEL of Chalcedoil '" June. 1993
Jesus was immaculately and
miraculously conceived . without
Joseph's taking pan. Thus the Holy
Spirit was necessary in Christ's life from
its very inception. He was necessary for
two reasons: first, in order that Christ
might be born; and, second, in order
that his human nature might be
preserved from the guilt and corruption
of Adam's sin so that He could be our
Savior."-Palmer, pg. 66-67.
9, 0 :36) "And behold. even your
relative Elizabeth has also conceived a
son in her old age; and she who was
caUedbarrenl5nowinhersixthmonth."
Apparently Mary had not yet heard
of the pregnancy of Elizabeth withJohn
the Forerunner of the Messiah, so Gabriel
informs her. ThiS is an encouragement
to Mary to strengthen her faith and to
make her realize more diStincdy the
imminency of the impending miracle,
and with it the entrance of the long-
awaited Savior into the world, and the
dawning of the Kingdom of God.
10. (1:37) "For nothing will be
impossible with Godl"
Everything Gabriel announced will
come true exacdy as he said- even the
stupendous miracle of the virgin birth-
because nothing is impossible for the
Almighty God. He accompliShes all His
holy will. He does whatever He pleases,
Psalm 115; 135. Whatever He has
spoken, tbat He will do, Isa. 46.
C. The SubmiSsive Attitude of Mary
1. (1 :34) The Question of Awe
After Gabriel brought his message
that Marywould become pregnant with
the Messiah while still a virgin, Mary
asked, "How can this be, since I am a
vI'Ein?" This message is overwhelming
and incomprehensible to Mary. Yet,
like ZaCharias, she does not doubt its
truthfulness. She does not ask for a
confirming sign. Instead, she simply
asks forinforrnation. "According to the
original Greek, Mary's words do not
express doubt; but overwhelmed by
the incomprehensible grandeUr of the
announcement, she merely enquires as
to the manner in which that which has
been promised will take place."-
Geldenhuys
2. (1 :38) The Submission to God
Mary submits herself completely to
God's will revealed in the angelic
annunciation. She says in effect: "Lord,
I belong to you totally as your willing
slave, do whatever you want with me.
I trust in you. Even if my husband no
longer trusts me, or I am
executed because people think
I have committed adultery, I
will trust you and do what you
command. I am yours."
Abraham Kuyper, former
prime minister of Holland and
Reformed minister of the
gospel, makes this important
point about Mary, in his book,
Women of the New Testament:
"The faith to which Mary gave
expression has not always been
thought ofas having been freely
given her by grace. It is thought
by some that Mary partly
accomplished it herself.
Wherever this conception
prevails, these corollaries follow: the
incarnation of the Lord was made
possible only by Mary's assent; by
making that incarnation possible, MOlY
enabled Christ to offer the supreme
sacrifice of redemption; and that for
these reasons, Mary is partly to be
praised for the redemption of the
world..... - (However) Mary's faith,
too, was not of herself. Only by the
grace of God did she make that noble
confession. And this is a formulation of
a truth which diametrically opposes
that which maintains that Maryenabled
God to complete His determinate
counsel. We insist that God the Lord,
in order to fulfill that counsel, exerted
an influence upon Mary's soul and upon
her body. He influenced her soul by
giving her faith, and her body by
building up that of the Savior from her
flesh and blood."
CONCLUDING APPLICATIONS
1. The story of the virgin birth of
Jesus is the story of a stupendous
miracle. It is far from being incredible,
and an obstacle to faith. Instead it is an
encouragementto faith. "It is an organic
part of that majestic picture of Jesus
which can be accepted most easily when
it is taken as a whole."-Machen
2. How important is it for a person to
believe that Jesus was bam of a virgin?
FIRST, it is imponant with reference
to the authority and trustworthiness of
the Bible. There can be no reasonable
doubt about this fact: the New
Testament teaches the virgin birth of
Jesus. Now, the question is, is the N.T.
correct on that issue? If it is not COlTect
at this point, how can it be trusted on
any other point?
"We Chlistians are interested not
merely in what God commands, but
also in what God did; the Christian
religion is couched not merely in the
imperative mood, but also in a
triumphant indicative; our salvation
depends squarely upon history; the
Bible contains that history, and unless
that history is true the authority of the
Bible is gone and we who have put our
trust in the Bible are without hope."-
Machen, pg. 385
"The Bible ... does not merely tell us
what God is,but it also tells US what
God did; it contains not merely
pennanent truths of religion and ethics,
but also a gospel or a piece of good
news. An integral part of that piece of
news to the authors of the First and
Third Gospels, was the fact that jesus
Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary. If thatfact
is rejected, then the wimess of these
writers-and hence the witness of the
Bible-is in so far not true."-
Machen, pg. 386.
SECOND, the issue of the
virgin birth of jesus is
important "as a test for a man
to apply to himself or to others
to determine whether one
holds a naturalistic or a
supernaturalistic view
regardingJesus Christ. There
are two generically different
views about jesus, and they
are rooted in two generically
different views about Godand
the world. According to one
view, God is immanent in the
universe in the sense that the
universe is the necessary
unfolding of His life; and Jesus of
Nazareth is a part of that unfolding, a
supreme product of the same divine
forces that are elsewhere operarive in
the world. According to the other
view, God is the Creator of the universe,
immanent in it but also eternally
separate from it and free; and Jesus of
Nazareth came into the universe from
outside the universe, to do what nature
could never do. Theformer view is the
view of modern naturalism in many
different forms; the latter view is the
view of the Bible and of the Christian
Church."-Machen, pg. 387
THIRD, this issue is important
because it teaches us that the "jesus of
History" cannot be separated from the
"Christ of Faith." A.N .Wilson fails
miserably in his well-written attempt
to make that distinction in his book,
June, 1993 l' TIlE COUNSEL of Chalcedon 'I 21
Jesus. "The two elements of Christian
truth belong together; the supernatural
Person of our Lord belongs lOgically
with His redemptive work; the Virgin
birth belongs logically with the Cross.
Where one aspect is given up, the other
will not logically remain; and where
one is accepted, the other will naturally
. be accepted, too. Thetemaybehalfway
positions for a time, but they are in
unstable equilibrium and will not long
be maintained." -Machen, pg. 391.
FOUR1H, a person's knowledge of
the SaVior would be incomplete without
faith that the N.T. passages on the Virgin
birth are true. "Without the story of
the virgin birth our knowledge of our
Savior would be impoverished in a
very serious way. - Our knowledge
of the virgin birth, therefore, is
important because it fixes for us the
time of the incarnation. And what
comfort that gives to our souls! - The
eternal Son of God, He through whom
the universe was made, did not despise
the Virgin's womb. What a wonder is
there! It is not strange that it has always
given offense to the natural man. But in
that wonder we find God's redeeming
loire, and in that baby who lay in Mary's
womb, we find our SaVior; who thus
became man to die for our sins and
bringusintopeacewithGod."-Machen,
pg.394.
FIFTIl, "the knowledge of the Virgin
birth is important because ofits bearing
upon our View of the solidarity of the
race in the guilt and power of sin. -
How, except by the Virgin birth, could
our Savior have livedacomplete human
life from the mothers womb, and yet
have been from the very beginning no
product of what had gone before, but a
supernatural Person come into the
world from the outside to redeem the
sinful race? - Deny or give up the
story of the virgin birth, and ineVitably
you are led to evade either the high
Biblical doctrine ofsin or else the full
Biblical presentation of the supernatural
Person of oUt Lord."-Machen, pg. 395
THEREFORE, we hold that the
Virgin birth oUesus is Vitally important
because: (1). ifit is rejected theauthority
of the Bible is denied; (2). because it
brings before a person the super-
naturalness of the person of the Lord
Jesus; (3). without the Virgin birth,
there is something seriously lacking in
one's View of the person and work of
Jesus Christ. A personcannotrejectthe
diVine testimony of the NewTestament
without risking serious peril to his own
soul
3 ...... perhaps not one man out of a
hundred of those who deny the Virgin
birth today gives any really clear
eVidence of possessing saVing faith. A
man is not saved by good works, but by
faith; and saving faith is acceptance of
Jesus Christ 'as He is offered to us in the
gospel,' .Part of that gospel in which
Jesus is offered to our souls is the
blessed story of the wracle in the
Virgin's womb. - One thing at least is
clear: even if the belief in 'the Virgin
birthisnotnecessary to every Chrisrian,
it is certainly necessary to Christianity.
And it is necessary to the corporate
witness of the Church. - Let
it never be forgotten that the
Virgin birth is an integral pan
ofthe New Testament witness
about Christ, and that that
wimess is strongest when it is
taken as it stands.
womb of the Virgin by the Holy Spirit. -
Machen, pg. 397, The Yi1&inBirth, Ilaker
Book House, Grand Rapids, Mich.,
1967, first published by Harper and
Rowin 1930.
4.lnGabriel'smessage to Marywehave
God's testimony to the incomparable
greamess of Jesus Christ, a greatness
totally different from and superior to
that of any human being. His existence
as a man is of uniqUe origin, vs. 35. He
was born of the Virgin Mary through
the overshadowing of the power of the
Holy Spirit of God. He eternally is the
only-begotten Son of the Most High
God, vs. 32. His God-given name is
Jesus, Le., The Lord is salvation. He is
the only diVine-human Redeemer of
the covenant people of God. Unlike all
other human beings, He is totally
withOut sin. He is the Holy One in an
absolute sense, vs. 35. He is the divine-
human King who will reigu over His
Kingdom for all eternity, vs. 34. What
a SaVior! Believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ aild you will be saved, and your
family, Acts 16:31.0
"The Ma8nificat"
"The New Testament
presentation ofjesus is not an
agglomeration, but an
organism, and of that organism
the virgin birth is an integral
pan. Remove the part, and
the whole becomes harder and
not easier to accept; the New
Testament account of]esus is
Mary's song of praise
for the global effects
of Christ's birth.
most conVinCing when it is
taken as a whole. ONLYONE
JESUS IS PRESEN1ED IN THE
WORD OF GOD; and that
Jesus did not come into the
world by ordinary generation,
but was conceived in the
Luke 1 :46-55
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12 THE COUNSEL of Otalcedon '" June, 1993