The Nativity Virgin Birth
This year I thought I’d examine the narrative surrounding the birth of Christ, or the Nativity as it has become known, from our modern perspective. This is by definition a Christian view and for the purposes of this blog, I am going to be quoting from that religion’s teachings and bible translations. Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays everyone! Now let’s proceed.
Historians generally agree that during the first century in Judaea girls were married off as young teens and Jewish girls could be married as early as 12 years and a day, though it was common to wait until age 12 and a half. As Joseph’s betrothed, Mary was likely between 12–14 years old at the time she gave birth to Jesus. Life expectancy in that Roman era was approximately 35 years old, due to wars, disease, and a general lack of medical knowledge.
In the bible, an angel appeared to Mary and told her she had been chosen by God to bear a male child who would be called the “Son of God”. When the teen asked how this could be possible, since she was still a virgin, the angel replied that the Holy Spirit would impregnate her. Now, many references in the bible state that Jesus was the son of David, from the line of Judah. Although Mary’s fiance Joseph was descended from the tribe of David, Mary was from the tribe of Levi. If this was truly a virgin birth, how could Jesus then be a son of David? Either it was truly a miracle of divine intervention, or the Spirit/extraterrestrial artificially inseminated Mary with a male haploid Y chromosome containing DNA from the line of King David. Also, if a clone had been created, it would have been a female as Mary’s eggs only had the usual haploid X chromosome. Sperm (not eggs) determine the sex of a child, contributing either an X chromosome (for an XX female child to result) or a Y chromosome (for an XY male child). And there would have been no point to artificially inseminate Mary with Joseph’s sperm, as she could have just conceived a child with him in the normal way.
What is Mary’s genealogy? She was the cousin of Elisabeth, and Luke 1:5 says “…and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.” As Luke 1:27 says, Mary as Elisabeth’s cousin was of the tribe of Levi, a descendant of Aaron. Lineage is traced through the father in Jewish tradition, but the New Testament clearly states in both Luke and Matthew that Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus. So how could Jesus be the son of David (from the tribe of Judah) if his virgin mother was from the tribe of Levi? The Levites are not even technically one of the Tribes of Israel as they are a line of priests and as such, were not allotted lands as the other tribes were, but rather cities. (Refer to Numbers 18, 35.) The term “Tribes of Israel” refers to the 12 sons of Jacob, whose descendants would comprise the Jewish people.
To further muddy the waters, Mary and Joseph may have been distant relatives. The genealogy of Luke contradicts that of Matthew and lists Heli as Joseph’s father, a descendant of Levi. Matthew is the only other gospel to include Jesus’ genealogy and lists Joseph’s father as Jacob instead. Were Mary and Joseph distant cousins — descendants from the tribe of Levi? Was Joseph thus a descendant of both the tribe of Levi and of Judah (King David’s line)?
The Book of Luke relates the most detail concerning the birth of Christ. In Luke1: 30–35, KJV it states:
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS… Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
The angel then goes on (verse 36) to tell Mary that her elderly cousin Elisabeth “who was barren” has already conceived six months ago, and will bear a son (John the Baptist). In Luke 1: 38 Mary gives her consent to the angel: “And Mary said, Behold the handmaiden of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” Mary then goes and stays with Elisabeth for several months, whereupon when Elisabeth heard Mary’s greeting “the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost” Elisabeth goes on (in verse 43) to ask “…whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.”
After Mary conceives, an angel then subsequently appears to Joseph, telling him not to cancel the engagement because Mary had not cheated on him but had been chosen by God to conceive the Messiah.
Matthew 1: 19–21
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet,”
Here is what the New Testament says about Jesus’ genealogy. Matthew 1: 1 lists: “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” And –
Matthew 1:17–25 (excerpts)
So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost… Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which interpreted is, God with us… And [Joseph] knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.
Luke 2:4
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
It is interesting that the story of Jacob’s Ladder in Genesis 28: 10–19 refers to a coming Messiah: “And in thee and thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Jesus makes reference to Jacob’s Ladder in John 1:51 where he describes himself as a descendant of Jacob, predating either the tribe of Levi or that of Judah: “Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” In fact, Jesus himself never refers to his virgin birth, other than gently rebuking his parents when they find him at age 12 in the temple, who had come looking for him when he didn’t accompany their traveling party home after the feast of the Passover in Jerusalem:
And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? Luke 2: 49, KJV
“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Luke 2: 49, NIV
We may never know the true meaning of the Christmas story by reason alone, although I personally prefer to take the scriptures literally when they state Jesus was born of a virgin. I think that it is entirely possible that either by Divine or extraterrestrial intervention through IVF and genetic manipulation (both?) Jesus was not only born of a virgin, but carried the DNA of the tribe of Judah through King David, as he is also called the Son of David. It is truly a mystery that we are to take on faith. I hope this month’s blog has been inspirational to you, and may you & yours have a truly blessed holiday season and a happy new year! Here’s looking forward to 2022.
Mme. G
REFERENCES
https://crosswalk/faith/bible-study/how-old-was-mary-when-she-had-jesus.html
https://followjonathan.com/2011/04/16/jesus-is-the-true-jacobs-ladder-john-151/
https://godswarplan.com/bible-history-twelve-tribes-of-israel
https://outreachjudaism.org/marys-genealogy/
[reprinted from my blog at: https://www.madamegstearoom.com/the-nativity-virgin-birth/]
