As was the feelings and emotions I was overcome with the first time I held all three of my daughters.
I know medical scientist can explain the whole process of embryonic development and birth in biological terms. But you will never convince me otherwise that human birth in particular, is nothing short of a miracle. How can anyone even deny the existence of a creator who could ‘design’ and implement such an incredible feat is beyond me.
So when Jesus sat down to discuss spiritual matters with the renowned Pharisee, Nicodemus, and proceeded to inform him that unless a person was ‘born again’ and that they would never be able to see or enter the kingdom of God, it seemed as if the stage was being set for even a greater miracle to take place.
Poor Nicodemus…was so confused. Jesus was expounding on one level (spiritual), and he was hearing at another level (physical). But the message was clear…if anyone had any hope of truly seeing or entering the kingdom of God, another birth was going to have to take place. And contrary to the scholar’s take on this, it did not involve entering your mother’s womb a second time.
When Jesus tried to elaborate in spiritual terms as to what must unfold, Nicodemus asked a rather profound question…one that has been asked time and time again when God’s truth is going forth: “How can these things be?” (John 3:9)
If you are like me in believing that the human birth experience is a miracle in its own right, how much more of a miracle would this ‘new birth’ that Jesus spoke of be? We are told that even the angels and prophets of old…looked with awe and interest to see what God had planned for such a time as this. (1 Pet 1:12; Matt 13:17) The bible speaks of it as being a ‘mystery’. (Col 1:26-27)
Scripture records other 'miraculous' births that took place way back when. Genesis 18 allows us to peek in on a conversation that God had with Abraham as he told him that his aging wife Sarah (in her ninety’s I believe) was going to give him a child.
When she overheard this, she laughed within herself…and was most likely asking in her mind the same question Nicodemus would ask years later: “How can this be?” We read where the Lord even called her out on this asking them both “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
Please go read that last line over again…maybe even twice or three times.
Now fast-forward many generations later. Another miracle birth was to take place. In fact it would supersede all births as an angel visited a young virgin by the name of Mary and informed her she would conceive in her womb and bring forth a son.
Her response? You guessed it…’How can this be?”
And she had good reason to ask since she had never been with a man.
The angel responded informing her that she would be ‘overshadowed’ by the Holy Spirit and that her son would be called the Son of God. And to echo a statement that God has tried to engrain in His people for centuries… the angel declares ‘with God nothing will be impossible.”
Now here is something we would all do well to ask ourselves and give serious thought to… most believers (I would hope) really don’t have an issue with believing this account as recorded in the gospel of Luke that Mary was going to conceive by the Holy Spirit and give birth to a son.
So why…do we have a problem believing that God wanted to perform a similar miracle in each one of us who come to Him with all our hearts? Because the miracle of that birth was, in some ways, the prototype of what God was planning on doing with those who ‘received’ Him. (Rom 8:29)
Oh…one other interesting point here.
While it had to be difficult for Mary to grasp in that moment what she had just been told by the angel, please make note of her response: “Let it be to me according to your….word.” (Luke 1:38) It was NOT based on what she thought could or could not happen, or based on what she had been taught or experienced… nor was it based on what she had seen in others around her. (We will revisit this line of thought later) She said “let it be to me according to your word”. It was out of her hands. If this was to happen, it would be ALL God.
Want to have some fun and connect some dots here?
The sower sowed some seed (where?- in hearts of men)…(the seed was the Word of God) Matt 13
In the beginning was the Word…the Word was with God and the Word was God…and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And to as many as received Him…(received the Word/seed) to them He gave the right to become the children of God. (John 1:1,12,14)
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined (that would be believers in Jesus) to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren (Rom 8:29) [not followers or church members or disciples…but BRETHREN!]
Does that not imply they have the same Father?
We all do realize that a couple can ‘go through the actions' of trying to conceive, but that does not guarantee that conception took place, even after multiple attempts. But when it does happen…something miraculous begins to take place unseen to the human eye.
At some point, the expectant mother might take a home pregnancy test to confirm her suspicions.
I realize this topic may be uncomfortable for those who have desired to, but never have been able to conceive.
I am truly sorry if that is a pain that haunts you personally. But please bear with me as I take this illustration a step further.
Can a woman become pregnant because she simply wants to be pregnant? Is she pregnant because someone suggested she looks pregnant or she likes the idea of being pregnant? Even saying you are pregnant does not make one pregnant. A woman becomes pregnant when the seed is received and the miracle of conception takes place.
Drawing from Paul’s statement, ‘one plants, another waters, but God gives the increase’. (1 Cor 3:6) …here’s a news flash for you: when a woman becomes pregnant, she can only keep it a secret…for so long.
At some point, in most cases, it will become evident to all.
Is there such thing as a ‘spiritual pregnancy test’? Paul seems to suggest there is and encouraged all believers to take it: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.
Do you not realize that Christ Jesus in in you – unless of course you fail the test? (2 Cor 13:5)
Maybe we will examine what that test looks like tomorrow.
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